The subject of the anti-communist partisan appeared more broadly in the Polish public debate until 2000 (not after 1990, but after 2000) as well as another "politically incorrect" subjects, specified as the Volyn massacre. Many myths, disputes, and misunderstandings grew around him. It is simply a good sign that this substance is already coming to light, since at least it is not going to “silence”. On the occasion of their day (chosen powerfully contractually) let us callback any basic facts about this movement (and separate the facts from the legend).
Who were they?
Overall, the partisan after the planet War was based on erstwhile AK and NSZ soldiers (although there were any who did not catch the fight in these groups). The motivations were varied. Sometimes it was about perfect anti-communism, sometimes no good was expected after the imposed power, sometimes it was expected to see the outbreak of another war East-West (i.e. USSR v. USA and UK).
It must be recalled here that the AK was dissolved in January 1945 (after 3 years of operation). So there was no 1 organization, 1 name, or 1 command for the anti-communist opposition (other than under German occupation, where in 1942 there was the largest AK and respective smaller NSZ or BCH groups). After 1945 we have KWP. AKO, NZW, and all legions of insignificant underground organizations. All these groups had different areas of activity, numbers and command.
It should besides be stressed that the fashionable (and rather unfortunate) word "soldiers cursed" was born until 1990, and the wider circulation entered after 2000. In times of anti-communist underground activity alone, no 1 always utilized that term. The ruling communists, though zealously cussed them, utilized the word “banda”. The population (mostly rural) frequently spoke “wood” (this phrase was in circulation and for occupation), they themselves liked to mention to themselves simply as the Polish Army (or as a branch [...] and here falls the pseudonym of the commander).
The word “cursed soldiers” referred to the slander of these militants by government propaganda, and it must be admitted that (unfortunately) in the present Polish Republic they accepted their designation. Unfortunately, the another proposed word "unbreakable soldiers" with a much more affirmative linguistic effect did not win. This has benefited marginal (or noisy) left-wing groups, promoting slogans specified as "justly cursed" or "cursed bandits", offensive to post-war guerrillas.
The language, however, lives its life, and the fight against the lost phrases is like turning the Vistula back with a stick. Hence, this article holds to the word "soldiers cursed", but the author does so without enthusiasm.
What were they fighting for?
Looking for a common denominator for this underground (which we know for a full array of groups and branches) we will definitely find anti-communism, but not much more. So it can be said that the cursed as a full fought for Poland independent of the east neighbour, without the imposed Stalinist system, completely alien to us. In the details of the political agenda, they may have differed.
We cannot forget about the very crucial origin – very many forests struggled simply for physical survival. An alternate to the armed conflict was imprisonment and torture, and frequently death by hanging (which just pointed out the destiny of the revealed guerrillas after successive amnesty). This was the difference between the fighting of the cursed and the November uprising style, which the inspirers were not physically threatened by. In the meantime, the cursed people had been an opponent of Stalinists, i.e. individuals who did not honour their own obligations (as an example of the arrest of the leaders of the Polish conspiracy in Pruszków, in early 1945). Thus, having to choose the possible of death in conflict or in the UBecka execution hall (and frequently were the only real alternatives), the cursed chose the former, and it is hard to hold it against them.
What have they achieved?
This question would be answered – unfortunately nothing. After all, we read in the biography of the cursed as a rule: arrested, tortured, sentenced to death or long prison (or: killed in the fight against a more many opponent). It is besides known that a fistful of partisans (although and supported by a large part of society) did not have a chance to win an armed triumph and overthrow communist power, which did not happen either.
But is the conflict of the cursed in vain? Well, not exactly. Their primary merit was slowing down, delaying the introduction of communism in Poland (acurate after 1945 forced us in the worst Stalinist version of it). A good example is the destiny of Podhale, where until early 1947 there was a fire brigade. The power of the PPR in practice ended there on the territory corners of Nowy Targ, and in the village communists had to act practically in conspiracy. There were more regions and areas like this in the country. Until the amnesty of 1947 (about which below) in much of the provincial part of Poland prevailed the 2 authorities – PPR and UB ruled in the day and guerrillas ruled in the night.
There were besides cases of local but crucial successes cursed, specified as the break-up of Stalinist prisons or camps (Remberts – May 1945, Kielce – August 1945, Kraków – August 1946). For the then freed people (who had a full of respective hundred) the activities of the cursed were surely crucial and useful. Clearly, these people would not consider these actions unnecessary.
Last but not least, the merit of the cursed is besides the elimination of many zealous Stalinists from the PPR or UB (it may sound unpleasant, but killing enemies is inscribed in all war). Many activists, proceeding and reading about their comrades, could not feel unpunished. To any extent, this may have brought Stalinic panic to a halt in the first postwar years.
Of course, the cursed could not foretell later accidents, and the end of Stalinism after 1954 as a consequence of political thawing, i.e. reforms within the system. The fact remains, that thanks to them, the imposition of Stalin's strategy went a small longer, harder and more resistant (which in turn did not take root besides deeply).
How long did they persist? (and why WAS IT NOT 1963?)
The border date in past cursed is the amnesty announced in February 1947, which proved to be an effective decoy. Communists played unfairly from the beginning, trying to get guerrillas out of the forest, and promising the anticipation of quiet work “for specified a Poland as it is”. It is hard to make forest charges that they did not see the chance of winning (the war with the West did not come, changes from the inside did not foretell anything) in the vast majority laid down their weapons, exposed themselves and tried to start a fresh life (the fresh power did not give them, at least until 1956).
Anyway, amnesty was a customs (and erstwhile a hypocritical) play of power. While in mid-1945 (when the planet war ended), more than 15,000 people fought in the guerrilla, and by the beginning of 1947 there were about 8,000 remaining below 2,000 unbreakable after May 1947. They were already a fewer opponent at the time, and easy to track (as an component of amnesty was besides the request to uncover their conspiracy past and connections).
In the early 1950s, a full of respective 100 guerrillas – operating in small, isolated groups, without any communication. Their goal was only to last physically (as Stalinist repression continued until the end of 1954). The last ward of the cursed was broken up in July 1953 (and thus just after Stalin's death) on B.C. Mazowsze, erstwhile government forces in numbers 1200 tracked down and killed all 7 forest (the Forest Branch) that were inactive out there. The 150:1 power proportion speaks for itself and does not require further comment. It was in any case the last battle, where the anti-communist underground was able to phase at least 1 compact (several-person) ward. After this date, opposition (former) guerrillas relied only on FRANKING, which should be highlighted here.
This should be mentioned and due to the fact that in fresh years there has been an irrational cult of the date 1963 (when the last of the erstwhile cursed, any Dolls, hiding in the Lublin countryside was killed). Who of us did not see the slogans about the "underground 1944-1963", "fight for 20 post-war years", "tank until the early 1960s" and did not see the gears for the unfortunate 1963 m distance. Well, the date 1963 was NOT an crucial caesium in the past of Poland (after thawing 1956 remained in the forests most likely ... 8 cursed, each of whom hid alone, and could think that he was the last 1 unbreakable). A much more crucial date is 1956, with a short working standing in Poznań (if any underground then existed and fought, it would come to the acquaintances with help), and later destalination of Poland by the crew of W. Gomulka (so-called October thaw).
The case of a nipponese soldier (Lieutenant Hiro Onoda) who hid on 1 of the islands of the Philippines until 1974, surviving in the belief that the war was inactive going on (only his erstwhile commander, deliberately sent from Japan to a erstwhile subordinate, led him out of error). A nipponese soldier believed the commander, laid down his weapon, and returned to the country. Japan, however, does not present admit that the war continued until this point. And the slogan about the "Army Underground 1944-1963" makes just as much sense as writing about "war in Asia and the Pacific 1941-1974", but seemingly the nipponese do not have specified a request to make legends and myths.
Was it worth it?
While Polish uprisings (with fewer exceptions) should be judged very critically, a more gentle look should be made. They risked their own lives (and the destiny of their family) differently than, for example, the commander of the Warsaw Uprising, who risked (and lost) the lives of tens of thousands of people and the existence of the Polish capital. Besides, as has already been said, many of them did not have much another choice than the armed conflict or the UB dungeon (and it's hard to blame them for choosing the fight). Unlike the November or January uprisings (which only made the situation of Poles worse) or the Warsaw uprising (which did not gotta be), in a purely applicable dimension, the conflict of the cursed for something was useful in the general balance sheet (a slower introduction of Stalinism, the elimination of any UBeks, the demolition of prisons). It was a losing battle, but not pointless (which the people released from these prisons could best attest about).
So let us remember specified characters as Warszyc, Łupaszek or Inka (and about criminals like Stefan Michnik, what they zealously nailed death sentences). But let us remember this underground anti-communist as it truly was – without the curses and legends of the "armoured conflict until 1963".
Michał Wirtel
