The Article printed below is a resource text
designed to expose you to all the difficulties that the Poles
faced from September 1, 1939 until 1945 and beyond.
The betrayal trail is long and the Polish suffering is even more
intense than all of the scholars of WWII have determined.
Hopefully these dimensions will become obvious to you!
PART III
POLISH CULTURE
34. Poland's Contribution to World Culture and Civilization
Some idea of Poland's contribution to world culture and civilization
may be gathered from this much too brief list of famous Poles:
SCIENCE:
Mikolaj Kopernik (Copernicus) (1456-1543),
the discoverer of the solar system, of earth's rotation about
the sun and father of modern relativity;
Jan Sniadecki (1756-1830),
astronomer and famous mathematician who worked with Oxford
University;
Jozef Hoene-Wronski (1778-1853), philosopher and
famous mathematician, discoverer of differential equations;
Zygmunt Wroblewski (18451888) and Karol Olszewski (18461915),
scientists who first liquefied air;
Jan Lukasiewicz (b. 1878),
philosopher and mathematician, inventor of the petroleum lamp;
Stefan Kopec (murdered by the Nazis), discovered the hormone of insects;
Maria Sklodowska-Curie (1867-1934), Nobel prize winner, discovered
radium and polonium;
R. Waigiel, discovered anti-typhoid serum-,
Dr. Kazimierz Funk (b. 1884), first introduced the term "Vitamin"
(his book on the subject published in New York is a recognized authority);
Dr. L. Zamenhof (1859-1917), created Esperanto.
35. PAINTERS
Piotr Michalowski (1802-1855) and Aleksander Orlowski
(1777-1832), excellent painters and draughtsmen;
Jan Matejko
(1839-1893), creator of a series of monumental visions of
Poland's glorious past;
Artur Grottger (1837-1867), painter
of tragic insurrection of 1863 and the Siberian deportees;
Juliusz
Kossak (1824-1899), famous ballet painter;
Josef Chelmonski
(1850-1914), realist painter;
Jacek Malczewski (1855-1929),
the Polish Rubens;
Stanislaw Wyspianski (1869-1907), leading
painter of "Young Poland";
J. Mehoffer (b.1869), famous painter
of stained glass windows;
Wladyslaw Skoczylas (b.1883),
illustrator of Polish folklore. School of St. Luke, eleven painters
under a modernized spell of El Grecco;
Jan Rosen (b.1891),
the painter of frescos in Poland, Italy and U. S. A.;
Artur Szyk,
famous miniaturist;
Feliks Topolski, the Rembrandtian draughtsman.
36. SCULPTORS
Wit Stwosz (1438-1533), great master of the XV century, who carved
the altar in St. Mary's Church, Cracow, removed by the Germans to Nuremberg;
Ksawery Dunikowski (b. 1876) and Edward Witting, whose
monuments to aviators stand in Warsaw and Paris;
Stanislaw Ostrowski
(b.1878), sculptor of the equestrian statue of King Jagiello before his
victory over the Prussians at Grunwald, at the World's Fair in New York, 1939.
37. COMPOSERS AND MUSICIANS
Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849),
one of the greatest composers, whose music is essentially Polish;
Stanislaw Moniuszko (1819-1872), the father of the Polish opera;
Ignacy Paderewski (1860-1941), who earned fame as a pianist before he
rose to symbolize Polish patriotism and Statesmanship;
Henryk Wieniawski (1835-1880), and Karol Szymanowski (1883-1937),
distinguished composers of modern svmphonies.
Barcewicz, Bronislaw Huberman, Pawel Kochanski, Wanda Landowska,
Artur Rubinstein, Jozef Hoffman, Jozef Sliwinski are Polish performers
whose names are familiar to music-lovers in Europe and America.
Emil Mlynarski and Artur Rodzinski are well-known Polish conductors,
while the de Reszke brothers, Adam Didur, Jan Kiepura, Ada Sari
and Sembrich-Kochanska are well-known Polish singers of international
repute.
38. LITERATURE
Mikolaj Rey (1505-1569), founder
of Poland's national literature;
Jan Kochanowski (1530-1584), the great
Polish lyrical poet;
A. Frycz Modrzewski (1503-1572), political
thinker and social reformer;
L. Gornicki (1527-1603), distinguished
writer and educator;
Piotr Skarga (1536-1612), Jesuit writer and
greatest Polish orator;
Ignacy Krasicki (1735-1801), distinguished
fabulist;
Aleksander Fredro (1793-1876), greatest Polish dramatist;
Adam Mickiewicz (1799-1855), Juliusz Slowacki (1809-1849)
and Zygmunt Krasinski, Polish national bards;
Henryk Sienkiewicz
(1846. 1916), Poland's great historical novelist, Nobel prize winner;
Boleslaw Prus (1847-1912), distinguished novelist;
Stanislaw
Wyspianski (1869.1902), poet, dramatist, painter;
Stefan Zeromski
(1864-1925), modern novelist on social problems;
Wladyslaw Reymont
(1868-1925), author of "The Peasants," a monumental rural epic, Nobel prize
winner;
Karol Hubert Rostworowski (1877-1937). dramatist and poet;
Zofia Kossak-Szczucka (b. 1890), famous historical novelist.
Among contemporary Polish poets mention should be made of Stanislaw Balinski,
Jan Lechon, Kazimierz Wierzynski, Julian Tuwim and Antoni Slonimski.
39. THE THEATRE
Modern Polish dramatic. art dates from 1765,
when the actor-manager Boguslawski founded the first national theatre
in Warsaw.
The most popular plays of the Polish stage are those by Adam
Mickiewicz, Juliusz Slowacki, Zygmunt Krasinski, Stanislaw Wyspianski,
Aleksander Fredro, Stefan Zeromski.
Contemporary writers are Adolf Nowaczynski, Waclaw Grubinski, Zygmunt
Nowakowski, Antoni Cwojdzinski, Hubert Rostworowski.
The plays of Shakespeare, Shaw, Sheriff and Chesterton are also popular
in Poland.
During the 20 years of Polish independence there were no less
than 652 performances of Shakespeare's tragedies and comedies. G. B. Shaw
was acted 569 times and three of his plays were produced in Poland before
being acted in Great Britain.
"Pygmalion" beats all records, running
for 179 performances.
40. ARCHITECTURE
Architecture in old
Poland developed under Gothic influences, the Polish style being known as
Vistula Gothic.
In the 16th century, Renaissance, and later a sedate
Baroque style predominated. Modem Polish architecture was molded by national
reconstruction and urban and industrial planning.
The schools of architecture in Warsaw and Lwow became centres of progressive
architectural thought, based on the national style evolved during the later
half of the 19th century. In the planning of new and the modernizing of old
urban areas, special regard was had for the rest and recreation of children,
and an effort was made to preserve natural beauties and buildings of historic
interest.
Thus the old Market Place of Warsaw was renovated and repainted
in its original pattern of color.
The Renaissance town of Zamosc was
rebuilt around its beautiful Town Hall, not unlike Williamsburg Va., in
U. S. A. A score of other medieval towns were thus restored, including three
most beautiful and dear to all the Poles: Cracow, Wilno and Lwow, where
Polish culture was born and whence it radiated.
HOW THE WAR CAME TO POLAND
41. Why Hitler Attacked Poland?
From 1934 to 1939 Hitler repeatedly urged Poland to join Germany in an attack
on Soviet Russia, promising her large territorial gains in Eastern Europe.
Poland rejected all of Hitler's proposals.
Furthermore, Poland's vitality and
the decline of the German population made it obvious that by 1975 the Poles
would have become equal to the Germans and that time was working against
German supremacy.
Indeed 1939 was the year in which the strength of the
German manpower in relation to the Polish manpower was at its maximum.
That year was chosen long before for aggression against Poland.
42. September 1, 1939
At dawn on September 1, 1939, German land and air armies attacked Poland
without any declaration of war, crossing the frontier at 14 points from East
Prussia, West Prussia, Silesia, Moravia and Slovakia.
Germany bombed all
Polish airfields and 61 towns within the first few hours.
43. Unequal Forces
The relative strength of Polish and German
forces in September, 1939, was as follows:
Poland - Germany
Infantry: 31 divisions - 70 divisions
Panzer units: 1 division - 14
divisions
Planes: 443 - 4320
Fire power ratio: 1 - 72
44. 35 Days of Polish-German War
The German-Polish war lasted
35 days, from September 1 to October 5, 1939.
At Kock the last of the major
engagements of the war was fought on October 5th.
The siege of Warsaw, capital of Poland, lasted 19 days in spite of heavy
air and artillery bombardment. Warsaw surrendered , on September 27, when
the armies had exhausted all ammunition, the water supply was cut, and 200
large fires were raging in the city.
45. Sept. 17, 1939-the
Critical Day
September 17, 1939, was the most critical day of the
German-Polish war.On September 14, German panzer units had been stopped
thanks to the resistance of the Polish armies and to the extension of German
supply lines.
The Poles began to organize effective resistance along the
marshes of Polesie and in Galicia. But at dawn on September 17, without any
declaration of war, Soviet Russia despite her non-aggression treaty with
Poland attacked on the rear of the Polish armies fighting Germany.
On September 28, Germany and Russia signed an agreement dividing Poland
between themselves for "all times," along the Ribbentrop-Molotov line.
POLISH ARMY IN EXILE
46. Polish Army in France
Very shortly after the cessation of organized fighting by Polish forces
against the German invaders, a Polish army was formed in France by General
Sikorski. This army consisted of 4 1/2 infantry divisions, an armored brigade
and the Carpanthian brigade, some 100,000 men in all. The first and second
divisions took part in the battle of France; the Carpathian Brigade fought
in Norway and was the first to enter Narvik.
47. Polish Army in England
After the collapse of France,
General Sikorski succeeded in evacuating a large part of the Polish troops
to England, where Poland now has an army corps including an armored division,
a rifle brigade, a parachute brigade , and other units.
48. Polish Army in the Middle East
When the Polish-Russian
Treaty as signed in July, 1941, a number of Polish prisoners of war in
Russia were released, and a new army was organized on Russian soil under
General Anders.
Before having been equipped it was transferred to the
Middle East at the request of the Soviet Government. With the Carpathian
Brigade now expanded to a Division, it forms separate army corps.
Polish ground forces in the Middle East number some 75,000 men, fully
trained and equipped with the most modern American and British armament.
49. Polish Air Force
After the fall of Poland, Polish
fighter squadrons were set up in France, while bomber crews were training
in Britain.
When Hitler attacked in the West, 133 Polish fighter
pilots, fighting with the British and French Air Forces faced his air
armada.
They won 55 victories, losing 15 men. Yet the most glorious
achievement of the tiny Polish Air Force was in the Battle of Britain,
when it destroyed 195 enemy machines out of the total of 2,366 brought
down by the Royal Air Force. Since then, Polish fighter and bomber
squadrons have been continually engaged and up to March, 1943, had
destroyed more than 526 enemy aircraft, 7 U-boats and dropped more
than 6,000 tons of bombs on 42 targets in Germany and German occupied
territories. In Tunisia, Polish airmen brought down 79 enemy planes
as compared with 527 downed by the American air forces.
Since 1939
Polish pilots have shot down more than 1,000 German planes.
A considerable number of Polish airmen also serve as pilots in the
Allied armies.
The Polish Air Force now numbers more than 12,000 men.
50. The Polish Navy
The Polish Navy has been
fighting for 3 1/2 years alongside of the British Royal Navy.
Polish sailors have taken part in many important naval actions,
including the evacuation of Dunkirk, the spirited attack on the
"Bismarck," the landing at Dieppe, and the recent operations off the
North African coast.
They have played their full part in the Battle
of the Atlantic and carry on an unceasing vigil with the fleets of
the United Nations in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Thus the
destroyer "Garland" fought a 6-day battle against Nazi planes and
U-boats in conveying American and British munitions to Russia.
The
officers and crew of this "Very Gallant Ship" were saluted by the
officers and crew of the flagship of the convoy and received high
British and Polish decorations.
POLAND FIGHTS ON
51. German Reign of Terror
In his message to Poland,
broadcast on May 3, 1941, Prime Minister Churchill said:
"Every day Hitler's firing parties are busy in a dozen lands.
Monday he shoots Dutchmen, Tuesday Norwegians, Wednesday French
and Belgians stand against the wall, Thursday it is the Czechs who
must suffer, and now there are the Serbs and the Greeks to fill
his repulsive bill of execution.
But always, all of the days,
there are the Poles."
52. 8,000,000 Poles Sacrificed for Freedom
The struggle of the Polish Nation for freedom and integrity
of Poland cost the Nation 8,000,000 victims.
During, that time:
2,500,000 Poles were murdered by the Germans.
500,000 Poles were starved to death by the Germans.
2,000,000 Poles were sent to forced labor in Germany.
1,600,000 Poles were deported from Western Poland to the Government General.
1,500,000 Poles were deported by Soviets to Russia.
348 villages have been burned to the ground and ploughed under like Lidice,
1,080 have been evacuated and all the inhabitants either killed or deported.
53. Directorate of Civilian Resistance
Underground
resistance on the Polish Home Front is directed by the Polish Government
in London, through its representatives in Poland who conveys its instructions
to the Directorate of Civilian Resistance responsible for the organization
of sabotage, the trial and execution of German criminals.
54. Religious and Cultural Persecution in Poland
Seven Polish dioceses have been suppressed: Poznan, Gniezno, Wloclawek,
Plock, Pelplin, Lodz, Katowice; seven Bishops deported or imprisoned,
ninety per cent of the clergy thrown into concentration camps.
A large number of priests have been executed by the Gestapo.
In Oswiencim alone 1,500 priests have died of maltreatment; churches are
closed and many millions of Catholics are entirely deprived of religious
services, in a country where more than 70% of the people are Catholics.
Polish Universities, professional and technical institutions, high schools
and all private schools are closed.
Libraries, museums, scientific collections and laboratory equipments have
been looted and taken to Germany.
All books dealing with Polish culture were burned.
German specialists, mostly university professors, who had been received
in Poland as cherished guests, supervised the looting of Polish universities,
academies, research institutes and museums.
The Germans consider that
Poles do not require learning . . . Governor General Frank said: "The
Poles do not need universities or secondary schools, the Polish territories
are to be transformed into an intellectual desert."
Foerster, Gauleiter
of the "Wartheland," the western provinces of Poland illegally incorporated
in the Reich, said: I promise you that in ten years from now not so much
as a single sheaf of wheat will grow on Polish soil."
Werner Best, in
"Zeitschrift fuer Politik" of June 2nd, 1942, wrote: "Historical experience
has shown that the destruction and elimination of a foreign nationality
is not in the least against the laws of life, provided that destruction
and elimination are complete."
55. Economic Pillage
The confiscation of public and private property in Poland has been complete.
The Germans not only took all real estate away from the Poles, they
confiscated all stores and workshops, even household furniture and personal
effects, furs, jewelry, clothing, etc.
The eviction of the small farmers
is continuing apace.
Poles are replaced by German colonists, imported
from Russia and the Baltic States.
The Poles, who are only used as slave
labor, arc exploited by the Germans- they receive less pay and the
"Polenabzug," a flat 15% on their gross earning is deducted in addition
to taxes, social insurance, dues and contributions to Arbeitsfront, from
which they derive no benefits.
Their pay on the average is half of what
Germans get for the same work, but their hours are longer and no holidays
are allowed.
Food rations are less than half the German rations and no
fuel is sold to Poles.
When slow-downs-an essential feature of
underground resistance occur ration cards are withdrawn.
Workers, whose
output falls to 60% of the normal German production, receive no ration
cards and must starve with their families. Workers whose output is 68%
receive 113 of the concentration camp ration; those whose production is
80% receive 50% of the German ration.
56. More Than 110
Underground Newspapers
Although the publication, circulation
and possession of a secret newspaper is punishable by death, more than
110 underground newspapers are read by at least 3,000,000 people.
Some have four editions daily, and news broadcasts from London and New
York are printed within an hour.
Even photographs are smuggled into
Poland and published in the secret press.
In spite of the danger most
of the distribution is done by women and children.
57. Resistance and Sabotage
Pending the opening of an allied
offensive in Europe, the home front in Poland keeps up a continuous
warfare.
In the course of a single month in 1943, 100 locomotives
were damaged, 17 trains derailed, 340 trucks destroyed 7 oil wells
rendered useless, 18 military transports attacked, more than 500
Germans killed, including Wilhelm Krueger, the Polish Heydrich.
Poland also maintains two underground universities and several
hundred schools.
58. Secret Courts in Poland
Poland, the only occupied nation that has no Quisling, Hacha or Vlassov,
administers justice under enemy occupation by secret courts.
A recent communication of the Directorate of Civilian Resistance
printed in No. 464 of the underground daily Information Bulletin,
announces the execution of 59 sentences on German Gestapo officers
in the single month of May, 1943.
POLAND'S POST-WAR PLANS
59. General Principles
The present war is a struggle for Christian civilization.
The people of Poland believe that the postwar organization of the
world should be based on Christian morality, international democracy,
and political and economic collaboration.
This order should be established and enforced throughout the world
by international institutions and an international force, and cannot
be the prerogative of a few powerful nations.
Poland, the first
real democracy in Europe, is deeply attached to her parliamentary
system, based on broad democratic representation of the people.
Recognition will be given to private property and free enterprise,
but "jungle" economy will not be tolerated. The "average man" will
be at home in Poland.
Poland will be a land of the middle class,
of workers and farmers, an average man's approximation to the ideal
of the Four Freedoms.
Racial minorities will be given full
liberty of cultural development and will exercise the equality of
rights and of obligations.
60. Central and Eastern
European Federation
Poland expects the Nations of Central
and Eastern Europe to form a commonwealth sufficiently strong to
withstand German aggression, which has plagued it for centuries.
Such a commonwealth would facilitate the economic development of
Central and Eastern Europe and promote neighborly trade-exchanges
with Russia. It would be a potent factor of Russia's security in
the west.
The Governments of Poland, Czechoslovakia, Jugoslavia
and Greece have formed a Central-Eastern European Planning Board,
the nucleus of cooperation along these lines.
The Board has
various committees working on the agricultural, industrial,
financial, educational and social problems involved.
Other
committees will be organized as need arises to deal with every
aspect of the mutual advantages to be derived from the close
collaboration of 110 million people, who will become a first
class power in the world Council. This power will be used solely
for the preservation of peace and raising of the standard of
living of its peoples.
It will serve European culture and
Christian civilization for which that culture stands. It is
democratic and in the terms of the Polish-Czech declaration of
November 11, 1940, the Constitution of the individual States
included in the Confederation will guarantee to citizens of
those States the following rights:
a. Religious Freedom.
b. Personal Liberty.
c. Freedom of Learning.
d. Freedom of
Speech and of the Press.
e. Freedom of Organization and
Association.
f. Equality of all citizens before the Law.
g. Free admission of all citizens to all State functions.
h. Independence of courts of law, control of government by
representative national bodies elected by means of free
elections.
There are 15 million Americans who are
descendents of the peoples constituting the proposed commonwealth.
They will link the Eastern European Commonwealth to the United
States in a bond of mutual understanding and identical ideology.
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