@piggo I often think about that. On the one hand, people die. I might die. My parents, my siblings, my family may die. All that is truly horrible beyond what I can even express. Especially now when we see what it really means in fresh graphic imagery from battles in Ukraine, or on the backdrop of the newest horrible photographs of mass graves and streets strewn with dead civilians from places like Bucha.

On the other, this is how nation myths are created. It was important that Poland fought. Lost battle, but myth creating. Other countries fought back too and lost. For instance the Netherlands. But they also created myths which define and carry the society for another 100 years. It's important to stand up and fight even under such conditions.

Now, CZ-SK armies over the past 100 years simply folded in the face of an invader (perhaps with the exception of Hungarian invasion of Eastern Slovakia post-WWI and then the somewhat-forgotten offensive campaign against Poland also post-wwi. And of course the Slovak National Uprising and other minor uprisings in WWII). And those non-acts are perhaps myth creating and society defining too. No clue whether that's a positive message...

Just thoughts, no hard opinions. Complicated histories.