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Between two totalitarianisms . Poland in the World War II. Paweł Ukielski Ph.D. Soviet Minister of Int. Affairs, Molotov, is signing the German-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact, Moscow, August 23, 1939 . Secret Protocol .
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Betweentwototalitarianisms. Poland intheWorld War II Paweł Ukielski Ph.D.
Soviet Minister of Int. Affairs, Molotov, is signing the German-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact, Moscow, August 23, 1939.
Secret Protocol Map of divided Poland attached to theHitler – Stalin Pact. Thick black line in the middle marks the German - Soviet border.
German (Sept. 1, 1939) and Sovietinvasion of Poland (Sept. 17, 1939). Black and red arrowsmark the mainaxesof attack
Polish 303 Fighter SquadronduringBattle of Britainachieved the highestnumbers of kills of any allied squadron
German occupation of Poland – one of thousands of street executions, Warsaw 1941.
The Katyń Massacre 5 March 1940. The protocol sentencing to death more the 20.000 Polish officers
Teheran Conference, Nov. 28, 1943-Dec. 1, 1943 (from the left: Stalin, F.D.Roosevelt, W.Churchill)
Genocide On 1st August Hitler gave an order to killallinhabitants of Warsaw the „Slaughter of Wola district” – ca. 40.000 victims of mass executionswithin 3 days Numerous mass killingsafterwithdrawal of the order
Democratic State Over 150 titles of insurgent press – issued by allpoliticalmovements Lawsissued by authorities Sovereign state attributes Civilsociety – organizingeveryday life inthe city
1586 Polish Special Duties Flight , Brinidsi, Italy, August 1944.
“Further, havingfamiliarizedmyselfmorecloselywiththeWarsaw adventure, I amconvincedthatthe Warsaw action represents a recklessadventure...”Joseph Stalin to Winston Churchill, August 16, 1944.
‘’Poland is our oldest ally in this war…Poland is a country which I, as an Englishmen, am proud to call an ally…I would like to make an appeal to the British Nation…HELP FOR WARSAW!’’Lt John Ward, a British war correspondent, despatchsentfrom Warsaw on September 6, 1944.
Warsaw Rising death toll: 18.000 Home Army soldiers, 180.000 civilians
Two uprisings – a comparison… Paris – August 1944 Warsaw – January 1945
Territorialchange – post-war Poland markedinpink, pre-war Poland markedwith red line
Political persecutions The trial of Sixteen Cavalry Capt. Witold Pilecki
SUMMARY • THREE LEVELS OF WARSAW RISING’S SIGNIFICANCE: • LOCAL – identity of the city of Warsaw • NATIONAL – Warsaw Rising as an independent Poland • GLOBAL – understanding of XX century as a century of totalitarianregimes