POLISH VETERANS - Introduction

The Nazi-Soviet invasion of Poland in September 1939 forced thousands of Polish citizens out of the occupied homeland in order to avoid reprisals at the hands of both occupants and to continue the fight for Free Poland. Those, who stayed and fought on the occupied Polish soil formed the largest, close to half a million strong underground resistance movement during WWII.

Close to two million Polish citizens were pulled by force from their homes by the Soviets and condemned to death - murdered by the NKVD or deported to Soviet concentration camps. Many thousands faced the same fate in the Nazi camps.

The war ended officially in May, 1945 - NOT FOR POLAND ! NOT FOR CENTRAL EUROPE !

Treacherous arrangements, made with Stalin by the President of the United States of America, F.D. Roosevelt and Great Britain's Premier, W. Churchill subjected their former ally, Poland, to the brutal Soviet occupation which last close to half a century.

But the fight for Free Poland never stopped !

* * *

title page illustration:
POLISH VETERAN SALUTING MARSHAL PILSUDSKI
A photograph, taken in the Fall of 1920 by Marian Fuks, shows the citizens of Modlin, near Warsaw, greeting Marshal Jozef Pilsudski with a traditional Polish "bread and salt welcome". The elderly gentleman in four-cornered cap, saluting the Marshal is a veteran of the Polish Uprising of January 1863.

POLISH VETERANS
POLAND - WWII

Home

ELECTRONIC MUSEUM holds the exclusive copyright ownership of the layout and most contents of this web site. Infringements in any form and by any means shall be prosecuted. Permission for uses other than viewing may be granted upon written request. Only express written permissions are considered valid. Terms and conditions may vary.