October 4, 1938
Third Republic of Poland
Internet
Going back in time caused a lot of confusion as well as destruction, especially on the Internet. Although the whole thing was designed to be immune to a sudden network rupture, because after all it was created in the face of nuclear strikes, the sudden loss of everything that wasn't in Poland on the servers was painful.
The collapse of the entire social structure, built about popular social networks, has taken place. Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and the like but foreign sites that did not have servers in Poland disappeared as if someone had erased them with an eraser. Along with them, all the vast Internet wealth that had been accumulated there also disappeared.
Fortunately, very quickly national services stepped into the gap created. The first of these was Albicla, until recently a much derided alternative to Twitter and Facebook and widely forgotten. Now that both competitors are gone, people have begun to move to this site en masse and rebuild what was lost.
Wykop also survived no small earthquake, nevertheless the biggest winner was the government's Swipeto service, which took over the role of the shabby Youtube from which survived the scraps preserved on a Google server in Warsaw. The government, seeing an opportunity, nationalized those remnants and incorporated the surviving YT infrastructure into Swipeto. And the rest of the Polish branch of the Google Corporation was turned into a joint stock company owned by the State Treasury, leaving the existing name although striking Poland from the company's name.
The Swipeto site itself, so far almost unknown in Poland, began to grow like mush as a result of the government's propaganda campaign on TVP. Even despite the considerable reluctance of a not insignificant number of people, it turned out that the only effective way to release videos to the web was to go to this site.
All the former youtubers came in crowds, and with them also came their fans who began to fill the site with activity. Which, of course, caused an overload of servers not designed for such significant user activity.
Among them was a certain
Jarosław Wolski, an analyst, OSINT specialist and heavy military equipment speculator. He moved with the Wolski on War channel to Swipeto, where he resumed operations after quickly flipping the videos he kept on his disks, from YT. Of course, informing his viewers where he is currently located.
"Good morning Dawid, we've been away for a while, haven't we?" asked Jarosław cheerfully of his co-host of the weekly broadcast, called very originally "Weekly".
"Well, yes, we were not there for that time. Although a lot has happened." countered
Dawid Kamizela, a well-known co-host and incidentally doing his bit as a complainer against all the MON's bad and worse ideas.
"Well very much so, this weekly will be one of the longest we will do, nevertheless one of the most informative and thus very necessary in these difficult times we are having now." replied Wolski.
Kamizela sighed in response and looked to the side as if searching for the right words to answer this. He had... his extremely... interesting opinion on the subject.
"I see that you are extremely satisfied with the situation." joked Wolski, Kamizela rolled his eyes.
"Well, let's start perhaps with some good news, and it's from your plot." began Wolski, "Orka, we will finally get new submarines for the Navy after so many years. What do you think, Dawid?"
Kamizela vetoed before replying, "That it's ironic."
"Irony?" asked Wolski, puzzled by the answer.
"Yes, the irony. Because what do you want to call the fact that eventually our ORP Orzeł will be replaced by her grandmother? In a way, we went back to the beginning of the submarine service in our Navy." replied Kamizela.
"Well, I would call it luck in misfortune." Wolski replied.
"You can call it that, too." agreed Kamizela.
"So you don't mind the enlistment of the OORP Orzeł and Sęp?" queried Wolski
"No, I don't. Although I see some problems arising somewhat from the different doctrine that the navy had at the time, I see it as a point of emphasis and upholding the navy's competence in this area." explained Kamizela
"And the announcement of the production of more, modernized admittedly but nevertheless, of this class of ship in Polish shipyards?"
Kamizela paused before replying, "Well, I can see the problems in this idea here. Though I understand where the idea came from, though."
"In securing the foundation for the production of more advanced submarines to come?" asked Wolski, tight-lipped.
"Yes, it is much cheaper than trying to develop the whole thing from scratch on your own." replied Kamizela.
"Well, for now it's enough to pat only more Eagles." Wolski added.
"Well, in a nutshell let's say." agreed Kamizela.
"Okay, so that means you don't have any major comments on this MON idea here?" asked Wolski.
"No, I don't have any bigger ones. In fact, what else is there to add? There is a crisis, and a significant one at that, and our needs have increased by leaps and bounds. Of course, I could add that neither the Red Fleet nor the Kriegmarine need to be afraid because our aviation as well as radars will allow us to effortlessly sink everything in the Baltic. Nevertheless, we should not rest on our laurels." replied Kamizela.
"I agree." Wolski added, then moved on to the next topic. "Okay, and now the Kania program which is, for those who don't already know, the program for a new propeller plane acting as a mass fighter-bomber, and the Jastrząb program which is a new-age multi-role jet based on the F-16. What do you think?"
Kamizela made an unsteady face before replying, "How about starting with Kania?"
"Okay, let's be Kania. What is your opinion of this program?"
"Unnecessary." began Kamizela "The whole program is about designing an aircraft that will be obsolete by the time it enters service anyway. I don't know why they want to spend money on the whole program. In my opinion, it would be much better to direct all efforts to the Hawk to accelerate the appearance of domestic jets, while by the time this is achieved our Air Force as well as air defense should be sufficient to combat any threat."
"Time." replied Wolski, Kamizela made a wry face to which Wolski continued "Time, money and scale of production. First of all, such an aircraft will be able to be designed and put into series production in two-three years. Two, it will be much cheaper than a jet this gives the third important point the number of such machines produced versus jets. By the time we develop a working jet, we will have hundreds of ordinary aircraft capable of defending our skies."
"Two-three years is a very ambitious deadline, even for an obsolete aircraft." replied Kamizela distrustfully.
"Nevertheless, much more realistic than waiting more than a decade for a new jet. Especially since we will be able to export such aircraft abroad. PZL is already a solid brand at this time, many of our existing customers will be interested in a 'modern' design for their air forces. Especially since now, we can produce such machines much more cheaply."
"It depends." muttered Kamizela.
"Well it is known that it depends on the wishes of the buyer what he wants to put there in the fuselage. Nevertheless, for a comparable price, they will have a much better aircraft. Better than anything else in the world." replied Wolski, confident that he was right.
"PGZ, made you say that, didn't it?" Kamizela asked jokingly, referring to the fact that Wolski worked with the Polish Armaments Group.
"No, that's just my opinion." replied catching Wolski's joke. "Okay, and as for the Hawk. Do you have any objections?" added Wolski.
"Not very, well unless you want to consider as one of them the question of why we are dividing forces into two projects instead of full power into one. And the premise itself, i.e. the production of jets at home, I think is the only correct one in the current circumstances."
"I guess now you regret the lack of competence to produce the FA-50 in Poland?" asked Wolski, remembering his aversion to the machine.
"Don't even remind me of that." replied Kamizela.
"But you wouldn't mind?" added Wolski
"No, in fishlessness and cancer, fish." concluded Kamizela.
"I understand." replied Wolski, nodding his head before changing the subject. "Okay, let's now move on to the main course of the episode. That is, the incorporation of more than ten Infantry Divisions and five Cavalry Brigades into the Modern Polish Army."
"I don't see it." quickly interjected Kamizela
"What don't you see?" asked Wolski
"This incarnation is loading so many people with a different mentality, thinking in us the current military system, a system designed by people with a different mentality at a different technological level." replied Kamizela.
"Dawid." began Wolski, "do you realize how many there are?"
"Well, about 90 thousand." replied Kamizela
"That's right, about 90,000, together with our current 160,000 it gives us about 250,000 that is, to the assumed 300,000-strong army, we have about 50,000 left. A number as manageable as possible for us."
"Jarek, it's just that they are torn from their reality and put into a completely alien one. A reality that will be difficult for them to understand, and yet they will have to use new equipment as well as communicate with people who look at the world completely differently."
"David, think for a moment. These people have been torn away from what they know, the unemployed in the Borderlands are not in short supply, do you seriously think they will leave such a good place? For them the current paycheck, housing and the like that our modern ND provides is unimaginable. In fact, if they don't want to languish in civilian life, they will be forced to stay in the army and adapt as best they can. It's a choice between living a dignified life or starving and looking for work. After all, you know what kind of economic crisis has gotten us, it will take some time before we get back to the way we were before the retreat. The military, on the other hand, is a constant oasis of calm in these times."
"Well, but..." began Kamizela
"David, we need them and they need us. Do you know how much a salary of 4,500 zloty means to them? It's cosmos, for something like that in the Borderlands you can support a family of eight."
"Well, it's just that the current zloty is worth much less than theirs." objected Kamizela.
"Yes, but people have trouble understanding the difference but for that the number will be higher. So many will come to the recruitment points. Either way, we will end up with a whole lot of people with a different thinking, mentality, for whom the current technology is magic."
"Jarek, ok, I understand only there will be terrible problems and you know very well how our Ministry of Defense has trouble solving them." replied Kamizela to Wolski's tirade.
"Sure, it's just that these are things to grasp, so to speak. Anyway, you can see that since the beginning of the year, the Ministry of Defense, has taken the plunge and now that it is no longer abroad, it can no longer sow pears in ashes." replied Wolski "He has to do it anyway." He added after a moment, "Because we are between a hammer and an anvil, and if they fail it will be a massacre. And as far as I know, everyone up there realizes this."
"It's a shame that not everyone in politics has caught on to this." muttered Kamizela mockingly, referring to the total opposition's protests against the cancellation of the elections.
"Eh, let's get over politics. This is not the time or place for that." chimed in Wolski.
"Right, let's get back on topic." agreed Kamizela.
"So, in summary, you think integrating these soldiers is a stupid idea?"
"That's right, a big gap mentally, technologically as well as the fact that they will all have to be rearmed with new weapons and equipment which the Ministry of Defense has a problem with all the time. I think the MON's plan to maintain these 10 divisions will backfire." countered Kamizela
"Well, I'm of good cheer." Wolski replied.
"And why is that?" quipped Kamizela
"Well, the first Bald of the Republic, he found himself in the Borderlands. It turned out that at the time of the transfer he was resting at his estate in Baranowicze." Said Wolski mysteriously, "From what I've learned, the whole matter of integration takes on a life of its own."
"Who are you talking about?" quipped Kamizela.
"You'll find out in a few days." Said Wolski "The matter is confidential, I can only suggest who it is."
"I understand," said Kamizela slowly, while in his head the cogs began to work.
"Okay, let's move on to your next plot, the sea. I've heard from the birds that the Navy wants to adapt the new Kormorans II for anti-submarine warfare. What do you think?" asked Wolski, interrupting Kamizela's musings.
This one, he put a finger to his chin in thoughtfulness. "I think it's ... an intriguing idea. The submarines of the time are noisy, and both of our opponents really have a lot of them. Moreover, mine warfare in the Baltic seems obvious, especially from the Soviet side. Using a mine destroyer as a base for an ASW ship, makes sense in our sea area. Of course, it's not as good as a frigate, but we'll get more Kormorans much faster than our Swordfish."
"Well with the Mieczniks there will be quite a problem." agreed Wolski
"Well, yes, the whole thing will have to be redesigned, if not, even start the program from scratch. Well sad, but what can we do? Unfortunately, we have to try to build such a ship from the blocks we have." concluded Kamizela sadly.
"As with everything, by the way." Wolski concluded, there was a moment of silence before Wolski took another subject.
"Okay, the next thing is..."