▁Poland ▁was ▁engaged ▁in ▁a ▁campaign ▁of ▁gen o cide ▁against ▁its ▁eth nic ▁German ▁minor ity , ▁and ▁has ▁strongly ▁imp lied ▁that ▁the ▁German ▁invasion ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 9 , ▁and ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁subsequent ▁German ▁at roc ities ▁in ▁Poland ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁were ▁in ▁ess ence ▁just ified ▁acts ▁of ▁ret ali ation . ▁Crit ics , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁British ▁historian ▁Richard ▁J . ▁Evans , ▁have ▁accused ▁N ol te ▁of ▁dist ort ing ▁the ▁facts , ▁and ▁have ▁argued ▁that ▁in ▁no ▁way ▁was ▁Poland ▁comm itting ▁gen o cide ▁against ▁its ▁German ▁minor ity . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁political ▁transformation ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet - control led ▁Eastern ▁b loc ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁the ▁traditional ▁German ▁anti - Pol ish ▁feeling ▁was ▁again ▁open ly ▁explo ited ▁in ▁the ▁East ▁Germany ▁against ▁Sol id ar ność . ▁This ▁t actic ▁had ▁become ▁especially ▁apparent ▁in ▁the ▁" re ju ven ation ▁of ▁' Pol ish ▁j okes ,' ▁some ▁of ▁which ▁rem ind ed ▁listen ers ▁of ▁the ▁spread ▁of ▁such ▁j okes ▁under ▁the ▁Naz is ." ▁ ▁Western - media ▁references ▁to ▁German ▁death ▁cam ps ▁in ▁German - occup ied ▁Poland ▁ ▁The ▁expressions ▁off ensive ▁to ▁Pol es ▁are ▁attributed ▁to ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁non - Pol ish ▁media ▁in ▁relation ▁to ▁. ▁The ▁most ▁prominent ▁is ▁a ▁continued ▁reference ▁by ▁Western ▁news ▁media ▁to ▁" Pol ish ▁death ▁cam ps " ▁and