The Polish Resistance

[master of the puppets]

i have a essay that needs doing, i chose to do it on the polish resistance to nazi germany in WW2. do you people know anything about it or god sites/books.

[cegorach]

Books:

N.Davies either 'God's Playground' volume 2 - pretty good description and short or 'Rising 44 - the battle for Warsaw' or both.

The second one is far more useful, but honestly you have chosen a huge subject - the resistance involved so much from polish underground trying to assassinate Hitler as early as on 5 ( or 7th) October 1939 in Warsaw and Poles cooperating with Japanese to save Poles and Jews from Nazi and Soviet occupation to polish spies in most of Europe providing as much as 90 % of data for Churchill and other leaders, Polish underground informing about rocket research in Penemunde or getting an original V2 rocket and sending it by plane to the UK ( operation 'Most') or even polish guerillas fighting in 1941 agaist the Soviets and later the Nazis in eastern Poland finishing with Polish underground theaters, press ( even for children), higher and lower education, underground factories preparing submachine guns, mortars, flamethrowers or even a whole armoured car...
I mentioned only few branches of the Polish resistance - it is a huge variety of activities, so good luck !

Regards Cegorach :2thumbsup:

[The Wizard]

Well, I wish I could point out to you some books on the matter, but I can't. Nevertheless, I beseech you, O brother ( ~;) ), to do some research on the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of '43. Omitted often, it was as heroic, as tragic and as nasty as the Warsaw Uprising of '44.

[cegorach]

Yes, good you have mentioned it Wizard, especially since there was an important branch among the Polish Resistance helping Jews - there were even emissaries sent to the UK and USA ( like Karski) with reports about the Holocaust, but only some believed them - a Jewish minister in the Polish government ( at that time in London) commited suicide, because the UK and the USA didn't want to act at all...:furious3:

Regards Cegorach :book:

[KrooK]

Ok I think I can help you.
Polish resistance has been formed before capitulation of Warsaw in 1939.
That was not one organisation but many, who were formed by peoples without high command. First name of most important organization was Slużba Zwyciestwu Polski, who changed name on Zwiazek Walki Zbrojnej. Other big organization were Bataliony Chlopskie (Peasants Regiments)- organization established by peoples from countryside. And of course many others, smaller. Into 1942 these two big organisations united into Armia Krajowa (Coutry Army) - great organization with 400.000 members.

Only Russian and Jugoslavian resistance were bigger, but of course they got easier conditions to fight.

I can describe some of famous actions made by Armia Krajowa

1) Elite of that organization were ex-scouts called Szare Szeregi. That was generation borned into late 19ties and early 20ties of XX centrury - they were brought up into freedom Poland and joined Boy Scouts organizations.
With special commando instructors from Polish Forces in United Kingdom (called Cichociemni) they formed 2 batalions - called later Parasol and Zośka.
These 2 batalions did many famous city - attacks on germans like Arsenal Action (they saved their arrested and tortured friend "Rudy" into centre of Warsaw), Wieniec Action (one night they destroy all railway lines around Warsaw) and many others. Their leaders were called Zośka (killed into 1943 - regiment has been given his name) , Rudy (died from tortures soon after Arsenal Action) and Alek (died into Arsenal Action). These two regiments fought brave during warsaw rising.
2) On region called Zamojszczyzna (Eastern Poland) Germans wanted deportate or murder all Poles and substitute them with Germans. Bataliony Chlopskie (after joining Armia Krajowa they were independent into organization) didn't let on that. After months of fighting and revenging all murdered family Germans had to stop their action. Sometimes they fought even big battles with German regiments.
3) When Germany attacked Russia, polish resitance could fight with them on East. Special resistance units during action Wachlarz started total war with every germans there. They were destroying railways and bridges. One of troops (lead by soldier called Ponury) attacked big german prison into Pinsk and saved prisoners.
4)Poles were fighing into resistance not only in Poland - Poles living into Bosnia were serving into Jugoslavian resistance. Same into Greece where Pole called Iwanow invented easy way to destroy german .... ships - he destroyed destroyed, hospital ship and some smaller - ah and airfield :)

For more information you should read God's Playground (it's not superb written book but easy to understand by Anglo-American reader). And I think good option would be check history of british air force - they were dropping ammo and weapon over Poland.