Poland's Key Role in the Latter Half of the 20th Century

Trying to discuss the history of the entire European continent throughout World War 2 and beyond is by no means a simple task. There were so many individual events happening that constantly shaped the world as we view it today. In an attempt to simplify and somehow explain the latter half of the 20^th century, focusing on the major global powers seems like an obvious choice. However, not focusing on smaller countries and their effects on the world around them is not only inaccurate, but a disservice to the brave men and women who fought for their own freedoms and country all together. Poland is a prime example of this. While focusing on the global powers within World War 2, The Cold War, and 1989 tells part of the story, focusing on Poland shows us the unfaltering perseverance and determination Poles had, as well as the huge role Poland played throughout these events in comparison to the attention many give to them.

Poland’s role in World War 2 was massive. In 1939, German troops invaded Poland, making it the first country under Nazi occupation. Some dismiss the fight of Poles to keep their territory. Smith wrote, “the German ground troops quickly defeated the ill-equipped by valiant Polish troops” (Smith, 323). However, for defending themselves against the powerful force of Germany, the Polish were actually able to hold out for a month before ultimately succumbing to German forces. The Polish were unprepared, and far less powerful that Germany. Almost immediately after defeat, Nazis split Poland into two territories. One half of the land was cleared out for German inhabitants. The other half became home to Poles, which was called the General Government. While World War 2 is commonly thought of only as the killing of Jews, the Polish population itself suffered immensely during this time. Almost immediately in moving Poles to the General Government, German forces executed Polish Communists and Polish intellectuals. Additionally, while in the General Government, 20% of the Polish population died of starvation and disease. All who remained were expected to be a type of slave race for the German population. The Polish were truly the first victims of World War 2.

Post-war, when German soldiers were tried for their crimes, many claimed that their actions were an attempt to protect Poland from “lawlessness”. Within the novel Ordinary Men, former German soldiers attempted to undermine the violence towards the Poles and create an image of a mutual positive relationship. In one scene, a former German captain is outright claiming that the Germans protected the Poles against violence. “Captain Hoffman [a German soldier] explicitly boasted of friendly relations between his company and the native population in Pulway. He claimed he filed charges against Lieutenant Messmann because the ‘shoot on sight’ tactics… were embittering the poles” (Browning, 148). However, throughout the very same pages, it becomes apparent that that was not the truth, and that the German violence towards innocent Poles were completely common. Not only is the idea of German violence against the Polish people undermined but argued against by Germans themselves. The Polish people, despite the attempts by German officials to mask it, were constantly oppressed and violently massacred by the German army.

Mere weeks after the German invasion, the Soviet army followed. Again, under yet another occupation, Poles were targeted and those thought of as enemies to the Soviet state were killed. In 1940, the Katyn Massacre occurred in which over 20,000 Polish soldiers were executed. Stalin wanted to get rid of all potential leaders and thought by doing this he would quell rebellion. The Soviet Union did not even admit to this until 1990. The Polish people themselves were the first targets of both the Germans and the Soviets, and felt the wrath of the violence of the Second World War, even though they are barley thought of as victims today.

In addition to innocent Polish people.  Poland became the territory for death and destruction of Germany’s largest targets. Death camps and work camps were all centered in Poland, as well as ghettos throughout the country. Poland became a state of death and German violence. The Ghettos themselves were in and of themselves a sort of death camp, in which Germans simply rounded up Jews and other enemies of the state and placed them in ghettos to die. In the Warsaw Ghetto, inhabitants were given only 336 calories a day to live off of. As Smith writes, “the idea was that the horrendous conditions would kill people off naturally at a low cost: ‘the more that die the better’ one top German official said in the course of planning for ghettos” (Smith, 334). Placing camps and ghettos within Poland signified the lack of regard for the country, in which Germany used as room for creating a superior race.

Even though Poland was in all ways a major setting of World War 2, and the massive destruction of global powers, Polish people still managed to resist and attempt to defend their land. Even after the occupation and murder of its land and people, Polish perseverance was high, and men and women continued fighting. The Polish underground state was established almost immediately after invasion. Members of the resistance continued education of their children which had been banned by the German government, fought against Germans and Soviets with an underground Polish Army, and sabotaged the broader German plans on importing Jews and other targeted populations. In 1944, the Polish underground movement came to a head with the Warsaw Uprising. Polish forces fought directly against German troops, trying desperately to gain independence. For a country who is constantly forgotten in European history, and who had been severely ravaged, the Polish underground forces took on the massive German power and sustained their ground for four weeks. In comparison, an untouched France lasted less than a month before occupied and was still considered somewhat of a world power after the war. Although the Polish ultimately lost and were punished for this uprising, this is an ultimate symbol of their continued strength. The Underground Polish people were able to do more than many world powers could do. In facing forced immigration, occupation, and extreme violence, the Polish were still able to fight back.

Help from Poland continued as the war came to an end as well. The Polish intelligence community was far superior than many global powers. The organization created Enigma, a machine that decoded German military code. Their military was also extremely skilled. The 303 squadron was an elite group among the Polish air force, which consistently aided in air warfare and helped the allied forces. Finally, their bravery shone through when Polish intelligence alerted Great Britain of the factories in which Germany was creating bombs within Poland. Great Britain forces were able to destroy the factories and the bombs themselves, which also killed many Polish intelligence agents working within the factories to gain information. Great Britain itself admitted that Polish assistance during World War 2 ended the war two years earlier than if they had not helped. As World War 2 ended, and the fate of many occupied territories laid in the hands of Great Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union, Poland hoped that they had proven themselves and could become independent after full occupation. In reality, Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin had split Europe in two; splitting between British and soviet influence. However, after the violent Soviet occupation of the country, Stalin knew that if given free elections, Poland would delve away from Soviet influence. Neither Churchill or Franklin Roosevelt would fight for Polish independence, after the Polish army had fought so hard for the allied powers. Poland was to remain under Soviet occupation, and be subjected to the harsh reality of Communism.

Involuntarily swept behind the Iron Curtain, Poland could have accepted their fate and remain under Soviet power. However, as seen throughout World War 2, Poland heroically continued its bravery and commitment to its people during the Cold War. As Nikita Khrushchev came into power and an era of destalinization occurred throughout Soviet-influenced states, Poland was one of the first to attempt to rebel against the communist government. Wladyslaw Gomulka, a Polish political activist that had been sent to the Gulags before, led an uprising against Communism in 1956. The rebellion mainly focused on ending collectivization and allowing Roman-Catholicism throughout the country. Interestingly, Soviet forces did not quell this rebellion. As Poland is often thought of as unimportant from a historical standpoint, perhaps Soviet forces felt this was as events were occurring as well. Polish rebels were not only brave enough to rebel against the Soviet Union for their own freedoms, but not face Soviet forces as a result as well.

Polish rebellion continued from the original uprising as well. Throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s, Solidarity became a major driving force in Poland. Amidst the Soviet retaliation for rebelling and not following communist principles as seen in other Eastern European countries, Poland took a major risk and developed an anti-communist movement of Solidarity. Solidarity began as a worker’s rebellion that developed into a trade union. This eventually turned into a major social and political rebellion. Advocates of Solidarity demanded a more democratic society, and decentralization. Poles were basically rebelling against the very foundation of Communism. In an interview between a Solidarity member and a communist official, the communist official rigged elections in Poland. He said, “In an election we can’t go by the criterion of the majority, because there isn’t anyone we can’t hand power over to… we can no more have free elections no that we would ten or twenty years ago, even less so, because we’d lose. There’s no doubt of that,” (Toranska, 3). Solidarity members were revealing the corruption of Communism and the want of Poland to leave behind communist influence. As the movement spread, other Eastern European governments worried, and eventually called upon the Soviet Union to stop the rebellion. In 1981, the Soviet military declared martial law over Poland and arrested leaders of Solidarity. Additionally, basic human rights, such as the ability to communicate over the phone were denied. Not only was the rebellion ceased, but Poland cut off from the rest of the world. However, as proven so often throughout the latter half of the 20^th century, Poland remained fighting. The Solidarity movement remained underground. Members continued meeting and distributing newspapers to keep up the rebellion. By 1989, in Poland’s first democratic election, Solidarity members emerged to run for office. The attempted end of Solidarity by the Soviet forces really just motivated Poland to continue fighting for what the country wanted.

There is no doubt that Poland should be on the forefront of conversation of European history throughout the 20^th century. Time and time again, after major setbacks and huge defeats, the Polish literally never stopped fighting, often accomplishing more than major powers. Polish history is so much more than that of a supporting role in the background of the 20^th century and represents the strength and courage of a country that desperately believed in the power of democratic society. Putting an emphasis on Poland makes a world war and the continued conflict after it much more human; this was not simply major powers fighting for world superiority, but real people fighting for the right to choose how they wanted to live. Poland was often forgotten and left to fend for themselves in the context of the time, and as a result has taken that role in an American lens of European history. However, the importance of Poland is one that truly could not be forgotten and should be remembered.