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POLAND IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR
By the same author
POLAND, SOE AND THE ALLIES FIGHTING AUSCHWITZ
HITLER'S LAST WEAPONS INTERCEPT, SECRETS OF THE ENIGMA WAR
THE SWISS CORRIDOR 1939: A RETROSPECT FORTY YEARS AFTER (co-author)
RESISTANCE IN EUROPE: 1939-1945 (co-author)
POLAND IN THE
SECOND WORLD WAR
Józef Garliński
M MACMILLAN
PRESS
© Józef Garliński 1985
All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission.
No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1956 (as amended).
Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
First edition 1985 Reprinted 1987
Published by THE MACMILLAN PRESS LTD Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 2XS and London Companies and representatives throughout the world
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Garliński , Józef Poland in the Second World War. 1. Poland-History-Occupation, 1939-1945 2. World War, 1939-1945-Poland I. Title 943.8'053 DK4410 ISBN 978-0-333-39258-4 (hardcover) ISBN 978-0-333-45552-4 ISBN 978-1-349-09910-8 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-09910-8
To my wife, Eileen, a soldier of the Home Army
Contents
List of Maps and Illustrations ix List of Abbreviations xi Preface xv Introduction xvn
1 The Outbreak of War 1
2 The September Campaign in Poland 11
3 The Partition of Poland 26
4 The Underground under German and Soviet Occupation 40
5 Polish Government and Army in France 47
6 The Church 60
7 The Collapse of France; The Polish Government in 76 London
8 The Rebuilding of the Polish Army in Great Britain; 87 The Polish Air Force
9 The German Attack on USSR and the Uneasy Polish 103 Alliance with Russia
10 The Polish Underground State 120
11 Further War Developments and Polish Participation 139
12 The Polish Army in Russia and its Evacuation 149
13 The Plight of the Polish Jews 163
viii Contents
14 The Polish Army in the Middle East and Crisis in London 175
15 Polish Communists in USSR 192
16 Underground Fight in Poland, Arrest of General Rowecki; 201 Death of General Sikorski
17 Difficulties with Communists; 'Tempest'; Teheran 217
18 Second Polish Corps in Italy, Other Polish Formations 230
19 New Developments in Poland, Monte Cassino, Falaise; 243 'Tempest'
20 'Tempest', Communists' manifesto, attempt on 263 Hitler's Life, Italy, 'Bridges'
21 The Warsaw Uprising 276
22 Polish Units in further Combat; Conference in Moscow 300
23 The Last Soviet Offensive; Dissolution of the Home 315 Army; Yalta
24 Conference in San Francisco; Provisional Government 333 of National Unity; Testament of Fighting Poland; End of the War
Notes 347 Bibliography 368 ~a m
Lists of Maps and Illustrations
MAPS
Poland in October 1939 (page xiv) Poland in August 1945 (page 346)
ILLUSTRATIONS
1. J6zef Pitsudski 2. Ignacy Moscicki 3. Edward Smigly-Rydz 4. Felicjan Slawoj-Skladkowski 5. Stefan Starzynski 6. Michal Karaszewicz-Tokarzewski 7. Wladyslaw Raczkiewicz 8. Wladyslaw Sikorski 9. Kazimierz Sosnkowski
10. Ignacy Paderewski 11. Adam Sapieha 12. Stefan Rowecki 13. Cyryl Ratajski 14. Wladyslaw Anders 15. Jan Piekalkiewicz 16. Jan Stanislaw Jankowski 17. Stanislaw Mikolajczyk 18. Tadeusz B6r-Komorowski 19. Stanislaw Kopanski 20. Kazimierz Puzak 21. Stanislaw Maczek 22. Leopold Okulicki 23. Tomasz Arciszewski 24. Stefan Korbonski 25. Polish officers accept the German capitulation at Wilhelmshaven
ix
X List of Maps and Illustrations
26. Jan Grudzinski, commander of submarine Orzef, killed in action 5.6.40
27. Eugeniusz Horbaczewski, commander of Squadron 315, killed in action 18.8.1944
28. Maciej Kalenkiewicz, killed in action, 21.8.1944 29. 'Ponury', killed in action, 5.6.1944 30. Witold Pilecki, murdered in Poland in 1948 31. Copy of Enigma built by the Poles in France, in 1940 32. Wanda Wasilewska 33. Zygmunt Berling 34. Wladyslaw Gomulka 35. Boleslaw Bierut 36. Edward Os6bka-Morawski 37. Michal Rola-Zymierski 38. Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt in Teheran 39. Pius XII 40. Adolf Hitler 41. Harry Truman
Abbreviations
Abwehr Anna AK Alek BBC BCh Bey Bolek BUND ChD Comintern
COP
Die Rote Kapelle
Die Schwarze Kapel/e
DR Einsatzgruppe
Enigma F Fall Weiss
Gestapo Grzegorz H Janka Iodoform
Kedyw
German military intelligence Communication base in Kowno, later in Stockholm Armia Krajowa (Home Army) Communication base in Cairo British Broadcasting Corporation Bataliony Chtopskie (Peasant Battalions) Communication base in lstambul Communication base in Bucharest Jewish Socialist Organisation Chrzescijanska Demokracja (Christian Democrats) The Soviet Organisation established in 1919 to foster world revolution Centralny Okrttg Przemyslowy (Central Industrial District) The Red Orchestra, Soviet spy-ring in Western Europe The Black Orchestra, German anti-Hitler underground organisation Delegatura Rzgdu (Government Delegacy) German police formation for clearing the countryside of elements dangerous to the occupants German ciphering machine Communication station in Marseilles Code name of secret plan for the German invasion of Poland in 1939 Geheime Staatspolizei (secret state police) Communication station in Athens Communication station in Madrid Communication station in Paris System of secret signals in connection with dropping and landing operations, sent by the Polish Radio in Britain through the BBC Komenda Dywersji (Diversion and Sabotage Command of the Home Army)
XI
Xll
KON
KOP
KOP
KRN KRP
KWC
KWK
KWP
Maginot Line
Marta MD Most
NIE
NKVD
NOW
NPR
NSZ ONR
OPW ow OZN
p
PIST
PKP
Abbreviations
Konwent Organizacji Niepodleglosciowych (Convocation of Organisations for Independence) Korpus Ochrony Pogranicza (Frontier Guard Corps) Komisja Oswiecenia Publicznego (Commission for Public Education) Krajowa Rada Narodowa (Polish National Council) Krajowa Reprezentacja Polityczna (Polish Political Representation) Kierownictwo Walki Cywilnej (Directorate of Civil Resistance) Kierownictwo Walki Konspiracyjnej (Directorate of Clandestine Resistance) Kierownictwo Walki Podziemnej (Directorate of Underground Resistance) French fortifications on the French-German frontiers A secret Polish radio station in London 'Mining and diversionary' equipment Bridge, two-way operation with a plane landing in Poland and returning to its base in Allied territory Niepodlegfosc (Independence, a new underground organisation under the second Soviet occupation) Narodny Komissariat Vnutrennich Dye/ (People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs: used for Soviet secret police) Narodowa Organizacja Wojskowa (The National Military Organisation) Narodowa Partia Robotnicza (National Labour Party) Narodowe Sify Zbrojne (National Military Forces) Ob6z Narodowo Radykalny (National Radical Camp) Ob6z Polski Walczqcej (Fighting Poland Camp) 'Fighting area' equipment Ob6z Zjednoczenia Narodowego (The Camp of National Unity) Communication station in Lisbon Panstwowy Instytut Sztuki Teatralnej (National Theatrical Institute) Polityczny Komitet Porozumiewawczy (Political Advisory Committee)
PKWN
PPR PPS RJN
Romek Regina RSHA
s Sanacja Siegfried Line SL Sfawa SN SOB
SOE sos
SP ss
Swiatpol SZP
Tempest
TON
Volkslist Wachlarz
Wehrmacht Zegota zwz
ZOB
Abbreviations xiii
Polski Komitet Wyzwolenia Narodowego (Polish Committee of National Liberation) Polska Partia Robotnicza (Polish Workers Party) Polska Partia Socjalistyczna (Polish Socialist Party) Rada Jednosci Narodowej (The Council of National Unity) Communication base in Budapest Secret Polish radio station in Paris Reichssicherheitshauptamt (state security headquarters) Communication station in Bern Pilsudski's party after his death German fortifications in the West Stronnictwo Ludowe (Peasant Party) Communication station in Belgrade Stronnictwo Narodowe (National Party) Socjalistyczna Organizacja Bojowa (Socialist Combat Organisation) Special Operations Executive Spofeczna Organizacja Samoobrony (Self-defence Organisation) Stronnictwo Pracy (Labour Party) Schutzstaffel (German political-military protection units) The World Union of Poles Abroad Sfuzba Zwycil;stwu Polski ('In Service of Poland's Victory') Local mobilisation of the Home Army units against the retreating Germans Tajna Organizacja Nauczycielstwa (Secret Teachers' Organisation) Declaration of option to the German nation Fan, diversionary organisation of the Home Army in the East German Armed Forces Council for Aid to Jews Zwia,zek Walki Zbrojnej (Union for Armed Struggle) Zydowska Organizacja Bojowa (Jewish Fighting Organisation)
ctober 1939 Poland in 0
xiv
Preface
Before the Second World War Poland was a poor country which, after over a hundred years of partitions, returned to independent political life in 1918. Seven years of fighting had ruined the country's economy. The unification of the three parts which had been so long under foreign rule created a serious problem as did the fact that about 30 per cent of the population were minority groups. The young state had also to decide on her foreign policy in the face of aggressive German revisionism and constant Soviet diversionary actions. But the Polish nation, connected by historical and cultural ties with the West. was determined to join the large family of the free European countries.
In theory, in 1939. there had originally been several options open to Poland. but long years of partition made any compromise impossible. So the Polish Government had to reject all Hitler's demands when he came to power and set aside the Treaty of Versailles. The Poles had also to decline the Soviet proposition to allow the Red Army to enter Polish territory in order to encircle the Third Reich. The Red divisions would never leave Poland voluntarily. There was also a possibility of rejecting the German demands, and also refusing the guarantee offered by Britain, thus remaining strictly neutral. Yet the Polish nation, determined to fight in defence of its freedom, had accepted the British guarantees, although it was clear that Hitler would consider this to be provocation and that Poland would be the first victim of German aggression.
As the result of the war Poland lost its independence, although the Western Allies were victorious in the struggle against Hitler. Unfortunately they decided that Poland should remain in Soviet Russia's sphere of influence, which meant that our country would have a communist government, installed by force, Red Army garrisons and complete Soviet domination.
Some people believe that if Poland had been more co-operative and had accepted compromise propositions, the final result would be better and the Polish nation would enjoy more freedom. Definitely not. Soviet Russia would not have honoured any obligations and
XV
xvi Preface
would have compromised only under physical pressure which the Western Allies were not prepared to exert. We are proud that our Government resisted colossal pressure during the war and did not accept the Curzon Line. Nothing would have stopped Soviet Russia from dominating Poland, but Polish capitulation would have gone down in history as our consent to the Russian aggression.
Of course, we made many mistakes and we must admit that our quarrels and blunders helped our enemies to regain control over our country. But the fact remains that even if we had acted faultlessly, we could not have prevented it. The Western Allies left Poland alone at the mercy of her powerful Eastern neighbour. Thanks to her resistance and to her ties with the West, Poland is today on the map of Europe, but her cultural and economic development is severely limited and politically she is not a free country.
In my work I have relied on archival sources and on many published books and articles as well as on unpublished statements. I have based my research on Polish, English, French. German and Vatican sources, as well as on some available Soviet documents. For help shown to me I am grateful to the Polish Library, to the Polish Underground Study Trust and to the General Sikorski Historical Institute, all in London.
I am indebted to the individual help of many people, above all to Rafal Brzeski, Jerzy Budkiewicz, Halina Czarnocka, Jerzy Cynk, Colonel Roman Garby-Czerniawski, Wojciech Fibak, Jaroslaw Garlinski, M. B. Grabowski Fund, Dr Rosemary Hunt, Dr Zdzislaw Jagodzinski, Jerzy Kulczycki, Ronald Lewin, Colonel Tadeusz Lisicki, Rev. Jerzy Mirewicz, Dr Alicja Moskalowa, Orbis Books London Ltd, Dr Antony Polonsky, Colonel Antoni RawiczSzczerbo, Nina Taylor, Comandor Bohdan Wronski and Tadeusz Zawadzki.
London Augustl984 J6zEF GARLINSKI
Introduction
In the second half of 1938 Poland covered an area of 389 000 square kilometres. She shared borders with seven neighbour states and one protectorate: 2000 km with Germany: 1500 km with Soviet Russia: 600km with Czechoslovakia: 450km with Lithuania: 250km with Romania. 220km with Hungary and 120 km with Latvia. With the exception of the chain of the Carpathians in the south and the marshes of the River Pripet in the east. these were all completely open frontiers. Warsaw. the capital, counted 1289 000 inhabitants.'
The population then exceeded 35 million. a figure that includes about 30 per cent of national minorities. The last national census in 1931 showed that the largest minority groups numbered 3 222 000 Ukrainians: 3 113 000 Jews: 1219 000 Ruthenians. 989 000 Byelorussians and 741000 Germans. 2
The country was economically poor and about 70 per cent of the population were country-dwellers. Industry was only just beginning to develop, more strongly in the Western parts. The Central Industrial District (COP) planned in south-central Poland was in the process of being constructed. A port had been built in Gdynia, which offered competition for Gdansk, where Poland had only limited rights. Silesia was a strong economic asset with its coal deposits, as was the oilfield of Boryslaw. Polish exports relied mainly on coal and food produce, sold at very low prices to win foreign markets and earn strong foreign currency.
Poland's poor industrial potential is well illustrated by the figures for 1937. Coal extraction amounted to 36 million tonnes annually. At the same time, the USA produced 448 million, Great Britain 245 million, Germany 185, Soviet Russia 123 and France 44 million tonnes. Half a million tonnes of crude oil were extracted annually from the Boryslaw oilfield, while the USA extracted 173 million and Russia almost 28 million. Germany extracted no more crude oil than Poland and France was dependent on her colonies in this sector. Poland produced only 1.5 million tonnes of steel per annum, while the American production amounted to 51 million tonnes, Germany
xvii
xviii Introduction
19.8 million, Russia 17.8 million and France 7.9 million tonnes. In the field of motor-car production, statistics did not list Poland, when USA were producing almost 5 million cars annually, Great Britain 493 000, Germany 327 000 and France and Russia almost 200 000 each.3
In view of its weak economic situation, Poland was unable to achieve a modern and well-equipped army, even though in the last years before the war almost one third of the entire national budget was spent on the army.
In 1939 Poland had 2 million trained soldiers, of whom the bulk belonged to the reserve. The army comprised thirty divisions of infantry. eleven cavalry brigades and one armoured motor brigade. The air force had fifteen fighter squadrons with obsolete planes. eleven bomber squadrons. partially equipped with modern gear of home production, and twelve reconnaissance squadrons. Some 400 planes were suitable for fighting. A small navy consisted of four destroyers, five submarines, six minesweepers, one mine-layer and a dozen or more small units.~
Poland's poverty was principally the result of the long period of partitions and the seven-years of fighting on Polish territory during both the First World War and the Polish-Russian war of 1919-20. The reconstruction of the ruined country was the task of greatest importance. The old partitioned sectors. which for the best part of 150 years had existed within separate different political. cultural. social and economic conditions, had to be unified. A completely new state administration was needed. This task was complicated by the great number of national minorities, which had their own political aspirations.
A year before the outbreak of the Second World War. Poland maintained regular relations with all her neighbours. The arbitration pact signed in 1925 had not completely smoothed relations with Germany. Aggressive German propaganda kept up a volley of revisionist slogans. There were few who remembered that the land to which Germans laid claim had been taken over from Poland in an unprecedented manner at the time of the partitions. In the first phase of Hitler's rule, the new chancellor tried to emphasise that he had peaceful intentions. On 26 January 1934 the Polish-German non-aggression pact was signed for a ten-year period. It brought about a decrease in German anti-Polish propaganda and led to co-operation in various fields of interest to both sides.
Poland had won the war with Soviet Russia and in March 1921, had
Introduction XIX
signed the peace treaty in Riga. Later. in July 1932. a non-aggression pact had been signed, extended to 1945. A trade agreement was also concluded. Despite this Russia tried constantly to weaken the young Polish state by means of underground diversion and propaganda. The Polish Communist Party collaborated with Soviet Russia in these machinations. History had taught Poland always to expect aggression from Russia, so Poland's defence plans between 1921 and 1938 were based mainly on such an assumption.
The Polish relationship with Czechoslovakia was cold. and co-operation was restricted to intelligence. Lithuania did not even maintain diplomatic relations with Poland as Lithuanians could not forgive the annexation of Wilno. but in 1938 relations were renewed and the Lithuanian Government declared that in the event of a German-Polish conflict it would remain neutral. and it kept its promise.
The relations with Romania. Hungary and small Latvia were excellent. With Romania Poland had a guarantee treaty concluded in 1926 and binding until 1941. There was no formal treaty with Hungary. but the two countries were bound in a friendship of several centuries.
France. though she had no common frontier with Poland. was greatly interested in her fate. being connected by numerous historic. political and cultural ties. In February 1921. just before the Treaty of Riga. Poland concluded an alliance with France, to which a military convention was appended. The basic condition of the alliance was that if either country were attacked. the governments would jointly agree on a course of action.
The military convention was far more specific and distinctly formulated mutual obligations with regard to Germany and the Soviet Russia. 'In the event of German aggression against one of the two countries. both are equally bound to provide support for the other. according to their mutual understanding. In the event of Poland being threatened with war by the Republic of Soviets. or in the event of attack on the part of the latter. France undertook to act both on land and on sea in order to ensure Poland's safety on the German side as before and to bring help in her defence against the army of the Soviets. '5
The other country with which Poland had no common frontiers, but which was interested in Poland towards the end of the 1930s was Great Britain. although she shared little historical or cultural past with the Polish nation. For many years after the First World War
XX Introduction
Great Britain had not been interested in Central Europe. A trade exchange was undertaken with Poland, but little happened in the political and military arenas. When Hitler began to present faits accomplis counter to the decisions of Versailles, the British protested but considered these to be internal German affairs. However, when on 11 March 1938, Hitler walked into Austria and two days later annexed her to the Reich, the British recognised this as an act of aggression. Britain continued to hold the view that a new world conflict could be avoided by means of further concessions, yet the need to form a common anti-German front began to crystallise. Accordingly Britain turned to Poland and diplomatic contacts became more intense. 6
In this decisive period Poland was ruled by the political party of J6zef Pitsudski who came to power by a coup in 1926. Before this. Poland had gone through a very difficult period of party discord. The impossibility of forming a government which could effectively manage the exceptionally tricky affairs of state had. in some ways. justified his action. Until his death in May, 1935. Pitsudski ruled the country in partly dictatorial manner, but it was not a dictatorship of the German, Soviet or Italian type. In Poland there existed full freedom of religion, language. culture and schooling, but just before the death of Pitsudski. the ruling people introduced a new constitution that, practically speaking, excluded free elections. 7 The head of state was then Professor Ignacy Moscicki ( 1867-1946) and the Premier was General Felicjan Slawoj-Skladkowski (1885-1962), a professional soldier and a doctor of medicine, but not a politician. The function of Commander-in-Chief was performed by Marshal Edward Smigty-Rydz (1886-1941). The strongest opposition to the rule of Pilsudski's camp known as Sanacja. came from the four most important political parties: the Christian Democrats (ChD). the Peasant Party (SL), the Polish Socialist Party (PPS) and the National Party (SN). The right-wing National Radical Camp (ONR), consisting mainly of the younger generation. was making itself increasingly heard. The communists were weak and played a very small part in the political life of the country.
Despite considerable internal difficulties and a harsh political struggle, the Polish nation showed decided unanimity in defending its frontiers and its sovereignty. This was made particularly manifest when the Government launched a collection for the National Defence Fund. Contributions came pouring in from millions of people, and the opposition parties joined the general fund-raising committee.
Introduction xxi
Unfortunately. the government camp refused to allow other parties to participate in making political decisions. In the spring of 1939, when the opposition parties saw that war was unavoidable and suggested creating a Government for National Unity, they were refused. 8 That decision was to weigh fatally on the subsequent actions of the Polish nation during the Second World War.
In the twenty-four chapters of this book the fate of Poland and Poles during the Second World War is presented against the background of the wide panorama of the global conflict.
A century and a half of subjection, ended by the regaining of independence after the First World War, precluded any compromise by the Poles. So the Polish government had to reject all Hitler's demands. after he had come to power, abrogated the Treaty of Versailles and was threatening a new war. Neither was there any question of allowing the Red Army on to Polish territory which together with the Western democracies would surround the German Reich. The Polish nation, deciding to fight in defence of its freedom, accepted the guarantee offered by the West in the knowledge that it would thus become the first victim of the German attack.
The book begins with the situation in Europe before the German aggression, the efforts made to preserve the peace and the outbreak of war. Later on we have the Polish-German September Campaign, the Soviet attack in the East and the Polish defeat and division into two zones of occupation; further on the creation of the Polish underground resistance movement, the new Polish government in France and the re-formation of the Polish Army. Further chapters deal with the fall of France, the Battle of Britain, the fighting at sea and in other theatres of war, with Poles taking part almost everywhere.
Much of the book is devoted to presenting the efforts of the Poles in trying to gain the support of the Western Allies, seeking agreement with Soviet Russia and building up an underground state, as well as their own internal difficulties.
Later in the book, when the Western Allies decided to leave Poland within the orbit of Soviet Russia, the tragic fate of the Poles is presented, their efforts to gain their freedom, the Warsaw Uprising and the decisions of the great powers taken at Teheran and Yalta. The matter of the Roman Catholic Church and the question of the Jews are presented in separate chapters.
