EU Poland accidentally invades Czech Republic - Government source: We just wanted to know what it felt like to be on the other side of this.

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Poland has admitted to briefly invading the Czech Republic last month in what the Polish Defence Ministry described as a "misunderstanding".

Polish troops guarding the frontier as part of coronavirus measures took up positions by a chapel on the Czech side of the border. They apparently stayed there for several days.

The soldiers prevented Czech visitors from accessing the site.

Czech authorities eventually intervened by contacting Warsaw.

The incident took place in north-eastern Moravia, in an area that forms part of the historical land of Silesia - part of which extends into today's Czech Republic.

Poland has described the incident as a mistake, although the Czech Foreign Ministry has said it has yet to receive an official explanation.

What happened?
The story first appeared in the regional Denik newspaper.

A construction engineer overseeing repairs at the chapel had wanted to take photographs of the plaster.

But he was turned away by Polish soldiers armed with machine guns, who had set up a roadblock on the path leading to the chapel.

Denik later dispatched a photographer to the site. His photographs appear to confirm the man's account.

The chapel lies 30 metres inside Czech territory. The border is formed by a small stream.

Denik claimed the soldiers had initially taken up positions on the Polish bank of the stream, but for unknown reasons had decided to make a brief incursion into Czech territory.

It is unclear how long the Polish "occupation" lasted.

The construction engineer says he was turned away from the site on Thursday 28 May. The soldiers were still there at the weekend, reported Denik, when the Czech equivalent of Friends of the Earth was due to hold a small scheduled meeting in Pelhrimovy, a local village.

The movement's local co-ordinator, Ivo Dokoupil, attempted to explain to the Poles that his group planned a brief visit to the chapel to take photographs. He was unceremoniously rebuffed.

"A soldier dressed in the uniform of a foreign state and carrying a sub-machine gun started giving me orders. It was a terrifying experience," Mr Dokoupil told the paper.

"They wouldn't let me get closer than 10 metres."

At this point, it appears, the local Czech police force was contacted and the troops were ordered to leave.

"The placement of the border post was a result of misunderstanding, not a deliberate act. It was corrected immediately and the case was resolved - also by the Czech side," the Polish Ministry of Defence told CNN.

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Poland can into other people's space it appears...
 
The audacity of those Polish dogs! Will no one put a stop to their imperial ambitions on the continent?
 
I doubt much will come from this as Czech people are very chill and peaceful. They also have good relations with their neighbors ,including Poland.
 
I'm reminded of the Swiss army accidentally invading Liechtenstein on three different occasions.

Per wikipedia:
  • On 26 August 1976, just before midnight, 75 members of the Swiss militia and a number of packhorses mistakenly took a wrong turn and ended up 500 meters into Liechtenstein at Iradug, in Balzers. The Liechtensteiners reportedly offered drinks to the Swiss soldiers.
  • On 13 October 1992, following written orders, Swiss Army recruits unknowingly crossed the border and went to Triesenberg to set up an observation post. Swiss commanders had overlooked the fact that Triesenberg was not on Swiss territory. Switzerland apologized to Liechtenstein for the incident.
  • In March 2007, a company of 171 Swiss soldiers mistakenly entered Liechtenstein, as they were disorientated and took a wrong turn due to bad weather conditions. The troops returned to Swiss territory after they had travelled more than 2 km into the country. The Liechtenstein authorities did not discover the incursion and were informed by the Swiss after the incident. The incident was disregarded by both sides. A Liechtenstein spokesman said, "It's not like they invaded with attack helicopters. No problem, these things happen".

On the whole, Liechtensteiners seem pretty chill.
 
What was the craziest thing you've done?

"Oh, I butt dialed my mom by accident."
"I threw away groceries as I was taking out the garbage."
"That's nothing! I accidentally invaded a country!"

It happens.
 
WTF I love the Polish now! BRB, going to buy some Polish sausage or something...
 
I'm reminded of the Swiss army accidentally invading Liechtenstein on three different occasions.

Per wikipedia:


On the whole, Liechtensteiners seem pretty chill.

They're so tied to the Swiss economy, they use the CHF and have Swiss military protection if needed. They're practically like an fully autonomous canton at this point from an economics standpoint.
 
I'm reminded of the Swiss army accidentally invading Liechtenstein on three different occasions.

Per wikipedia:


On the whole, Liechtensteiners seem pretty chill.

Even when Lichtenstein had a military they were really chill.

Their last war was the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 and they deployed 80 men and came back with 81 - they returned with a friend they made (Exact details are unsubstantiated but it makes a nice story.).
 
Even when Lichtenstein had a military they were really chill.

Their last war was the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 and they deployed 80 men and came back with 81 - they returned with a friend they made (Exact details are unsubstantiated but it makes a nice story.).

The soldier was Italian if i remember.
 
The soldier was Italian if i remember.

There's stories about it being an Italian soldier and also an Austrian military liaison. None have been confirmed.

What is documented is that the Lichtenstein military had really nothing to do during the war and so they just camped on the hills and drank beer for the most part.
 
What was the craziest thing you've done?

"Oh, I butt dialed my mom by accident."
"I threw away groceries as I was taking out the garbage."
"That's nothing! I accidentally invaded a country!"

It happens.
You would probably not be surprised to know this happens, er, not infrequently. Luckily, it's usually a position fuckup, and almost always (luckily) between friendly countries so there is no bloodshed, but it is very awkward at a command level. The kind of thing that can get you sent to career Siberia if it's public enough.
:story:
 
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