Throughout the war, they offered resistance to the nazis who stormed through poland on september 1, 1939. Exhausted soldier of the polish home army emerging from a sewer after escaping from german encirclement. This book provides a full order of battle on the polish forces,as well. Units from the polish home army took on the germans at vilnynus, lublin and lvov. The polish front headquarters was eventually deactivated in 1990, and the three army mobilisation scheme was likewise abandoned. Hitler, himmler, and the warsaw uprising is a book with significant strengths and weaknesses. Posts about polish home army written by donnagawell. As war memoirs by senior leaders go, the secret army is fairly good, with plenty of detail about his wartime activities and insight into why things occurred. The exact translation reads one bullet, one german. Is there a list of those in the polish army during wwii.
Buoyed by this success, the home army decided to do the same in warsaw. It must be recalled that the polish government in exile, marshaled the third or fourth largest military force of the allies during world war ii, providing over 250,000 soldiers to the allied cause in the west initially behind france. Western front who fought with the british the poles who fought with the soviets on the eastern front, and finally the home guard who were the resistance group. The polish first army participated in the vistulaoder offensive and the battle of kolberg 1945 before participating in its final offensive with the battle of berlin. While the russians attacked from the east, the poles fought. As soviet soldiers turned back the nazi invasion of russia and began pressing west, the underground polish home army decided to act. Books about polish history and world politics our book recommendations the doomed soldiers book recommendations. The impetus for the military action was the ongoing retreat of the german forces from poland, followed by the appearance of the soviet red army along the east bank of the. The book was written in the late nineteenseventies, in a poland behind the iron curtain and two decades removed from the brave, foolish, and shortlived poznan uprising against soviet domination. Was the polish home army a threat to nazi germany during. Nie and the armed forces delegation for poland until the dismantling of the. The home army was the dominant polish resistance movement in poland, occupied by nazi.
One must mention books that describe only some aspects of this subject, such as. This important biography tells the plight of one man forced to fight for. Peoples republic of poland 19471989 the polish armed forces, then known as polish peoples army, were part of the sovietcontrolled warsaw pact. This slim volume draws a concise picture of the polish underground state with a specific focus on its armed wing of the home army the author presents the birth, development and dissolution of the home army, its structure, aims and tasks as well as its heritage a separate chapter is. A novel of wwii is a newly released historical memoir of polish villagers who suffered under the german and russian occupation during the second world war. Dr williamsons detailed book is packed with rare photos and records. Polish land forces during the communist era also included troops dedicated to internal security the territorial defence forces and control of the countrys borders.
The polish army 19391945 men at arms series, 117 9780850454178. I think that this question has been misunderstood by previous respondents. Wwii warsaw uprising photo book dni powstania in polish, world war ii poland. It lists all the names of troops that successfully completed the paratraining. During the german occupation of poland, a number of resistance movements were created, of which the armia krajowa home army was most significant. After three years of research and writing, it is now available on amazon in print or ebook through this link. Adventures from the underground movement narrated by paratroops of the polish home army.
On august 1, 1944, the polish home army armia krajowa, ak, a noncommunist underground resistance movement, initiated the warsaw uprising to liberate the city from the german occupation and reclaim polish independence. Doomed soldiers we ought to remind about them, at least before god and history. Many poles were involved in the polish home armys resistance efforts with well over 30,000 acts of sabotage and fought over a. They got to work and when dad came home after midnight there were. Soldiers of the home army group radoslaw after the fall of. Operations of the polish army in the 1809 campaign originally published in 1841, operations of the polish army during the 1809 campaign, by general roman soltyk, is not a simple recitation of the events of the war. Buy the polish home army in lubelszczyzna by james blackwell online at alibris.
For a detailed history of the warsaw uprising, including a general discussion of polish resistance read rising 44 the battle for warsaw by norman davies, viking penguin, 2004 isbn 0670038240. The home army was formed in february 1942 from the zwiazek walki zbrojnej armed resistance. Much of my fathers military past is a mystery, he never discussed it. The polish home army was europes largest, and most active, resistance force. Adventures from the underground movement narrated by paratroopers of the polish home army. General tadeusz bor komorowski provides his memoirs of leading the polish underground resistance in 194344 in the secret army, published in 1951. Ranging from military histories of stalingrad to a book of recipes from the terezin concentration. The 10 best books about poland during world war ii. With polish jewishtensions soaring, a new book delves into the heart of that divide with an eye toward reconciliation. Britain, soe and the collapse of the polish resistance, 1944 by jonathan walker isbn. Colonel jan mazurkiewicz, commander of the home armys group radoslaw. Home army museum krakow sightseeing krakow in your pocket.
Armia krajowa literally home army, the polish national military organization active during 194245 in poland during the occupation by the german fascists. My father grew up in the lemko region of poland and during wwii my father joined the polish army in england. There are a quite a few in polish, most older or out of print, and a very few in english. Operations of the polish army in the 1809 campaign ebook by gen. The armia krajowa or the ak was a wwii phenomenon not seen in any other occupied country. If you book with tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. For those who are well versed or particularly interested in the subject of the warsaw uprising, i can reassure you that this book does make a legitimate contribution to the body of englishlanguage literature on the. Great books about warsaw uprising polish language blog. Underground army was never a threat to nazi germany as a state. The top 10 books about poland during world war ii newsweek. Doomed soldiers forgotten heroes of the polish armed. The polish home army in lubelszczyzna by james blackwell. They told me that i could go home and resume my civilian life.
Taking advantage of german disarray and seeking to forestall the absorption of their country into the soviet empire, they chose to liberate the city of warsaw for themselves. Check out the new look and enjoy easier access to your favorite features. The nkvd against the home army armia krajowa during the night of 45 january 1944, the first red army tanks crossed the polishsoviet border established in 1921. From their perspective it was a pesky little problem that had to be dealt with while they i. Kondrackis article at the london branch of the polish home army exservicemen association. The polish underground 19391947 campaign chronicles. Make offer rare poland army in exile wwii polish armored unit.
History books recommended polish history and world. In all three cities they gave the russians valuable help. The polish army in france haller army blue army in. Search for library items search for lists search for. Polish underground, known as the home army, was anxious because the soviet union had already assumed direct control of eastern poland and had sponsored the formation of the polish committee of national liberation to administer the remainder of sovietoccupied polish territory. Get the best deals on original ww ii polish collectibles when you shop the largest online selection at. The home armys continuing fight for freedom within the countrys two. Composed of men, women, and children from all walks of life, it was a truly national movement designed to regain polands freedom.
In the spring of 1940, soviet army troops shot nearly 15,000 polish officers and other pows in katyn forest and buried them in mass graves. Polish home army article about polish home army by the. Polish home army, armia krajowa, greatly effective secret. Polish forces soon grew beyond the 1st division into two major commandsthe first polish army berlings and the polish second army commanded by karol swierczewski. I was wearing my polish army uniform when i was released, so when i got to warsaw i reported to the ministry of defense and asked them what i should do, as i was officially still in the army.
The secret army refers to polands resistance forces known as the home army or ak, which komorowski commanded in 194344. The polishsoviet war 14 february 1919 18 october 1920 was fought by the second polish republic, the ukrainian peoples republic and the protosoviet union soviet russia and soviet ukraine over a region comparable to todays westernmost ukraine and parts of modern belarus. The polish resistance home army, 19391945 book, 2001. Russia sought to cross poland in order to stimulate a europewide communist revolution. Undertaken by the home army armia krajowa, ak, the polish resistance movement, at the time allied troops were breaking through the normandy defenses and the red army was standing at the line of the vistula river. Operations of the polish army in the 1809 campaign ebook. It will also help you understand a bit more about what it means to be polish. Polish home army, armia krajowa is responsible for obtaining 44 percent of all information which the british received from continental europe from 1939 to the end of the war. The polish campaign of 1939 was the first violent demonstration of the effectiveness of the blitzkrief tactics of the german army. Story time just got better with prime book box, a subscription that delivers editorially handpicked childrens books every 1, 2, or 3 months at 40% off list price.
A young former soldier in the underground home army accepts a final. The polish underground state and the home army 193945 article about 1,100 words. See all 4 home army museum muzeum armii krajowej tours on tripadvisor. Ive compiled the list of the following books i recommend and encourage you to read more about polish history to help understand what these men went through and why. We recommend booking home army museum muzeum armii krajowej tours ahead of time to secure your spot. While the russians attacked from the east, the poles fought german forces to the west, effectively squeezing the german army. The unseen and silent adventures from the underground movement narrated by paratroops of the polish home army translated from drogi cichociemnych by george iranek osmecki with. The polish home army and the politics of memory andrzej. The warsaw uprising of 1944 a heroic and tragic 63day struggle to liberate world war 2 warsaw from nazigerman occupation. Due to the zzws antisocialist stand and close ties with the polish home army which was subsequently outlawed by the soviets, the soviets suppressed publicati on of books and articles on zzw after the war and downplayed its role in the uprising, in favour of the more socialist zob. Prime members enjoy free twoday delivery and exclusive access to music, movies, tv shows, original audio series, and kindle books. The polish partisan army, the largest in europe, fought with extraordinary tenacity. They were tying the polish underground army to the western strategic and military goals 45. The polish army in 1939 by vincent rospond, paperback.
The armia krajowa and polish partisan warfare, 193943. This book takes littleknown polish documentary sources to provide a look at the battles from the perspective of the polish army. Partisan warfare in poland during world war ii differed in some significant ways from the other case studies considered in this book. Adventures from the underground movement narrated by paratroops of the polish home army george iranekosmecki on.