What I didn’t realize was due to Poland’s geographical location, between Germany and Russia, the hardships faced by the Poles during WWII were quite unique and frankly, terrible. Germany and Russia shared Polish territory from the onset of the war, however when the countries turned on one another, Poles were conscripted into BOTH armies. This is in addition to the atrocities that were already underway against the Polish people. Furthermore, AFTER WWII ended, Poles who had fought for the Allies in other countries were persecuted by their new communist government upon returning home.