Polish German Collaboration Against Soviet Partisans

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Polish German Collaboration Against Soviet Partisans

#1

Post by Steve » 27 Jun 2019, 04:27

What follows is taken from:-
The Eagle Unbowed, Poland And The Poles In The Second World War. Author Halik Kochanski 2012.
The Lands Between – Conflict in the east European borderlands, 1870 – 1992. Author Alexander V Prusin 2010.

On June 22 1943 the Byelorussian Communist Party adopted a resolution stating that the western provinces of Byelorussia (part of pre war Poland) were an inseparable part of Soviet Byelorussia. Only those resistance groups that fought for the interests of the Soviet Union would be considered legal. As well as sabotage the aim of Soviet partisans was to prepare for the re-establishment of Soviet authority. This would be achieved by “rendering harmless” opponents of Soviet rule.

From mid summer 1943 Soviet partisans concentrated on attacking the AK. The Poles suspected that sometimes Germans and Soviets took turns in attacking an AK unit. In mid August the Soviet Voroshilov brigade operating in Byelorussia disarmed an AK unit and then executed eighty. The AK retaliated by raiding Byelorussian villages and killing people suspected of collaborating with the partisans. Soviet captives and escaped Soviet prisoners of war were also killed. At the end of November the front line was nearing the pre war Polish border. The Chief of Staff of the Soviet partisans ordered that Polish units should be disarmed and sent to internment camps those who resisted would be shot. On December 1 Polish units attended a meeting with Soviet partisan commander Major Wasiliewicz. When the Poles were assembled they were surrounded by men with sub machine guns and disarmed.

According to Kochanski’s book Germans in Novogrodek and Wilno provinces had contacted the AK suggesting that in return for arms and supplies the AK would fight the partisans. On December 9 Captain Adolf “Gora” Pilch signed an agreement with the Germans and started to receive arms. Most of Pilch’s unit had been captured by the Soviets on December 1. Other AK commanders who made agreements were Lieutenant Josez “Lech” Swida in Lida and Alexander “Wilk” Krzyzanowski in the Vilnius area. All these agreements were condemned by the AK command and General Sosnkowski in London. .

According to Prusin’s book in November/December 1943 Polish commanders contacted the Germans and offered a temporary truce in exchange for arms supplies. In February 1944 the AK commander of the Vilnius district met German representatives and promised action against the Soviets if the Germans refrained from attacking the AK. In the first half of 1944 the Germans supplied arms and some Polish units joined the Germans and fought against the Soviets. The fighting seems to have escalated and in May several hundred Soviet partisans attacked an AK base in the small town of Kamen burning the entire locality. In response Polish units raided east of the 1939 border killing suspected Soviet sympathisers.

On July 17 1944 Alexander “Wilk” Krzyanovski went to a meeting with Red Army officers where he and others were arrested and transferred to Moscow. Given the fighting between the AK and Soviet partisans plus his collaboration with the Germans why would he think that the Soviets would forgive and forget? You would have expected him to know by then that the communists could not be trusted. Surprisingly this communist tactic worked again in March 1945. The leadership of the underground Polish state in an extraordinary display of naivety walked into the hands of the NKVD.

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Re: Polish German Collaboration Against Soviet Partisans

#2

Post by wm » 11 Jul 2019, 23:49

The Polish commanders weren't naive, they simply had no other choice. Thanks to a large number of ready-made traitors everywhere longtime resistance against the Soviets simply wasn't possible, it had been shown clearly in 1940.
They were responsible for their men, it was their duty even to sacrifice themselves trying to save them.

“Gora” Pilch actually exploited the truce to reach with help the Warsaw Uprising.


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Re: Polish German Collaboration Against Soviet Partisans

#3

Post by Steve » 13 Jul 2019, 04:17

The NKVD sent the Polish underground leaders a letter which promised safe conduct and a flight to London for twelve of them. A flight to London may have been very persuasive bait. The letter said “Mutual trust and understanding will permit us to solve important problems and to prevent them from becoming acute.” Sixteen leaders of the underground went to the meeting only the leaders of the Socialist Party (PPS) did not attend.

If this was September 1939 you could understand them taking a chance and going to a meeting but this was 1945. Presumably if invited by the Germans to such a meeting they would not have gone but in spite Katyn, the Warsaw uprising etc they went to meet the Soviets. You have to wonder what more the Soviets needed to do to convince them that they were not nice trustworthy people. Surely the sensible thing to have done was to use representatives or deputies to try and gauge what the NKVD was up to.

British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden was told by Molotov in San Francisco on May 4 that the sixteen were in Moscow awaiting trial for conducting hostile operations against the Red Army. On May 5 Eden and the US secretary of state expressed grave concern and asked for details. Eden told Molotov that meanwhile he could not continue discussions on the Polish issue. No doubt Stalin did not lose much sleep over this. I would guess that if the Poles had arrested some of the leadership of say the Red Army the British and US reaction would have been much stronger

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Re: Polish German Collaboration Against Soviet Partisans

#4

Post by wm » 16 Jul 2019, 23:49

A refusal (to talk to a nominal ally) meant the entire Polish underground would be charged with terrorism and sabotage at the rear of the Red Army, and the Allies would support it.
The Home Army was officially disbanded on 19 January 1945 - to avoid civil war and armed conflict with the Soviets, still its members were hunted down like rabid dogs by them.
The idea was that the talks would have stopped the persecutions.

They understood that and understood the dangers, and this is why they, after consultations with other leaders and with the Polish Government in Exile, decided they had to go.
It wasn't like they were going to survive in hiding for too long, the Soviets sooner or later would get them - and rather sooner.
If the Soviets wanted them dead nothing would stop them anyway.

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Re: Polish German Collaboration Against Soviet Partisans

#5

Post by Steve » 19 Jul 2019, 18:41

Most of the blame for the disastrous meeting can probably be attached to Prime Minister Micolajczyk. He met Stalin in August 1944 in Moscow and on his return made a report which shows that he had completely misread the situation. Point 5 of his report on Soviet government aims says “Moreover it wants peace in the rear of Soviet troops. In the last instance, it tries to keep up the appearance that the Poles will be free to organise an administration of Poland and it seems to me that at this stage, it will not resort to violence to back Polish communists.” In point 2 he said that there is still a margin for compromise. On February 24 1945 General Anders met Micolajczyk and tried to warn him but was told “I am deeply convinced that I shall contribute to Poland retaining her independence.…. I consider that Stalin is interested in having a strong Poland and he has told me so more than once.” Apparently Micolajczk did not believe that the Soviets were intending to set up a communist dictatorship and eliminate all opposition. Given Micolajczk’s views it is no surprise that permission was given from London for the meeting to go ahead.

The Poles thought they would be meeting General Ivanov a representative of Marshal Zhukov. However, General Ivanov was in reality NKVD General Ivan Serov head of the Polish Ministry of Public Security. Okulicki the man appointed head of the AK after the Warsaw uprising (the AK was now disbanded) was not keen on accepting the invitation and the London government forbid him to reveal himself. The Polish government representative in Poland Jan Jankowski had met the Soviets on March 17 and was keen for the March 27 meeting to go ahead. It could be that Okulicki was pressured to attend. Okulicki was murdered in late 1946 by the NKVD and Jankowski probably murdered in 1953.

Taken from: The Eagle Unbowed by Halik Kochanski and An Army In Exile by General Anders.

Incidentally the AK rank and file were treated differently from officers and I believe were not hunted down like “rabid dogs.” I once talked to an AK member who on the arrival of the Soviets immediately joined Berling’s army fought all the way to Berlin and said that he had never had any trouble. General Ivan Serov’s murderous activities before, during and after the war were certainly the equal of a top Nazi war criminal but of course he escaped justice.

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Re: Polish German Collaboration Against Soviet Partisans

#6

Post by history1 » 22 Jul 2019, 20:28

wm wrote:
16 Jul 2019, 23:49
[...]
The Home Army was officially disbanded on 19 January 1945 - to avoid civil war and armed conflict with the Soviets, still its members were hunted down like rabid dogs by them.
[...]
So innocent, those partisans. Do you expect sympathy for them? :roll:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cursed_so ... background
They should have simply executed Józef "Lech" (other aliases: „Justyn”, „Kmicic”, „Dzik ”[boar]) Świda as he was convicted to death by his superiours. Instead they let him flee after WWII to Argentine and the USA, were he finaly died.
It´s anyway a laughing stock to use military ranks for simple partisans hiding in plain clothes and behind multiple pseudonyms. Or calling them soldiers. I´ve never seen a lawful combatant ( = soldier) hiding behind a phantasy name. :lol:

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Re: Polish German Collaboration Against Soviet Partisans

#7

Post by henryk » 22 Jul 2019, 20:56

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his country"

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Re: Polish German Collaboration Against Soviet Partisans

#8

Post by Steve » 23 Jul 2019, 03:51

In so far as I can ascertain Józef “lech” Swida confessed to insubordination and a death sentenced was passed but commuted until the end of the war. Presumably it would then be looked at again. He continued to serve as an AK commander till the end of the war when he left Poland and joined the 2nd Corps in Italy. He was an officer in the pre war Polish army so when serving in the Home Army of the legitimate Polish government in London retained an officer rank. Some people may argue that the Nazis and communists were right and members of the AK were not entitled to be considered as lawful combatants but I would disagree.

It was perfectly normal for combatants fighting behind enemy lines to have a “fantasy name.” For example British agents who held a military rank and were parachuted into France all had code names. You would have to be fairly thick to use your real name and address if serving in an underground army. Sometimes people did not crack under torture but watching their wife/husband being tortured was another matter. The NKVD apparently thought highly of the tactic.

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Re: Polish German Collaboration Against Soviet Partisans

#9

Post by history1 » 23 Jul 2019, 10:00

Steve wrote:
23 Jul 2019, 03:51
[...] Some people may argue that the Nazis and communists were right and members of the AK were not entitled to be considered as lawful combatants but I would disagree.

It was perfectly normal for combatants fighting behind enemy lines to have a “fantasy name.” For example British agents who held a military rank and were parachuted into France all had code names. You would have to be fairly thick to use your real name and address if serving in an underground army. [...]
No problem if you disagree, the Geneve Conventions also disagree with your view. :lol:
Partisans (that´s not soldiers nor army) can be considered only then lawful combatants when their
members of militias/volunteer corps, including those of organized resistance movements, belonging to a Party to the conflict and operating in or outside their own territory, even if this territory is occupied, provided that such militias or volunteer corps, including such organized resistance movements, fulfill the following conditions:

(a) That of being commanded by a person responsible for his subordinates;
(b) That of having a fixed distinctive sign recognizable at a distance;
(c) That of carrying arms openly;
(d) That of conducting their operations in accordance with the laws and customs of war.

And it´s not enough to realise one of those points but ALL OF THEM at the same time.
And this is what it looked like:
Where is the fixed distinctive sign of the AK partisan in German uniform and German belt with the sub-machine gun?
Image
Where is it on the left partisan?
Image
No sign here either:
Image
Where are they here, the image is also from a Polish website and named "Executioniers of the AK in action"
Image
SIGN? None apart the one on the GERMAN uniform cap.
Image
A sign on the 2nd guy from the left in the first row?
Image


A final one, from the Warsaw Uprising: "Insurgents from the company Koszta preparing an assault".
IN GERMAN UNIFORMS AND WITH GERMAN WEAPONS! And of course without any distinctive sign marking them as enemies.
Image
Source: https://www.1944.pl/fototeka/walka,1.html#683
etc...
But we´re drifting off from the theme of this thread, let´s go back.

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Re: Polish German Collaboration Against Soviet Partisans

#10

Post by Steve » 25 Jul 2019, 19:52

Interesting photos of the AK during the Warsaw uprising but I am rather confused as to their relevance. Clearly the Germans must have thought that the AK had fulfilled conditions A.B.C and D that History has mentioned. After the AK in Warsaw surrendered they given combatant status.

I have not checked what the Geneva Convention during the period of WW2 had to say on the subject but I’m sure History is right. Of course if you adopt a pedantic approach to the four conditions then all the anti Nazi resistance forces throughout Europe were at some time unlawful combatants. Thus presumably after the war no one in the occupied countries should have made a fuss about the Germans murdering and torturing people who had resisted them.

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Re: Polish German Collaboration Against Soviet Partisans

#11

Post by gebhk » 26 Jul 2019, 12:44

Steve - I agree, albeit I doubt that the German decision to treat the insurgents as combatants was solely (or even primarily) dictated by their appreciation of the Poles' compliance with Geneva Convention regulations :wink:
Steve wrote:
25 Jul 2019, 19:52
I have not checked what the Geneva Convention during the period of WW2 had to say on the subject but I’m sure History is right. Of course if you adopt a pedantic approach to the four conditions
Darn, so the German officer captured in Mszczonow during the night of 10/11 September 1939, lt col Wnuk should have had shot immediately as a franc-tireur. This German officer clearly behaved unlawfully by neglecting to don his uniform when he emerged from his bed to fight for his life, wearing only boots, his skivvies and a monocle...... :oops:

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Re: Polish German Collaboration Against Soviet Partisans

#12

Post by wm » 02 Aug 2019, 23:20

history1 wrote:
22 Jul 2019, 20:28
It´s anyway a laughing stock to use military ranks for simple partisans hiding in plain clothes and behind multiple pseudonyms. Or calling them soldiers. I´ve never seen a lawful combatant ( = soldier) hiding behind a phantasy name. :lol:
The AK respected the Hague Conventions during their military operations, they were commanded by a person responsible for his subordinates, they wore a distinctive emblem recognizable at a distance, they carried arms openly.

According to Hague IV, carrying arms openly was sufficient to be a soldier.

Germans during the Battle of the Bulge wore American uniforms and hid behind fake identities and still were regarded as soldiers.
Last edited by wm on 02 Aug 2019, 23:24, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Polish German Collaboration Against Soviet Partisans

#13

Post by wm » 02 Aug 2019, 23:21

Steve wrote:
25 Jul 2019, 19:52
After the AK in Warsaw surrendered they given combatant status.
They were given combatant status a month before the surrender - spurred by British and American demands.

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Re: Polish German Collaboration Against Soviet Partisans

#14

Post by wm » 02 Aug 2019, 23:29

history1 wrote:
22 Jul 2019, 20:28
So innocent, those partisans. Do you expect sympathy for them? :roll:
Those people resisted an invasion by a genocidal state, the state that murdered Poles by hundreds of thousands, see the Polish Operation of the NKVD.
They were fighting against impossible odds.
In such circumstances, it was inevitable that many innocent people were going to suffer.
You can't fight a desperate war without massive casualties among the innocent.

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Re: Polish German Collaboration Against Soviet Partisans

#15

Post by Steve » 04 Aug 2019, 19:31

Hi, on August 29 the US and UK governments issued separate but identical declarations which gave combatant rights to the AK. They said that the mobilised Home Army was an integral part of the Polish Armed Forces. The German command in Warsaw now agreed to give the Home Army combatant status but no talks on the subject seem to have taken place with the Poles. At the beginning of September the Polish commander responding to a German request to surrender asked for clarification on certain points, one being the granting of combatant status for Home Army fighters.

It would appear that whether Home Army fighters did or did not receive combatant status depended on who took them prisoner. For example a fighter from the “Baszta” battalion recalled being lost in the sewers with three companions in late September. They saw a light and heard a Polish voice calling to come this way. On exiting the sewer they found that the voice had come from a German speaking Pole and all around the exit were dead Poles. Luckily a German officer then arrived in a vehicle and stopped their execution. This incident seems to have been replicated in the Polish 1956 film “Kanal” which was made by people who had participated in the uprising. If you like a happy ending don't watch it.

The author Norman Davies in his book RISING 44 “The Battle for Warsaw” gives on pages 676 to 678 the full text of the capitulation agreement signed on October 2 1944.

Part I article 5 - “From the moment of surrendering arms, Home Army soldiers will be treated in accordance with the regulations for the treatment of prisoners-of-war of the Geneva Convention of 29 VII 1929. Home army soldiers captured in the city of Warsaw during the battle from I VIII 1944 will also be subject to the same regulations.

Part II article 9 – Home Army soldiers will be identified by red and white armbands or badges with a Polish eagle, regardless of whether they are uniformed or in civilian clothing.

Incidentally I always thought that during the Battle of the Bulge Germans captured wearing US uniforms behind US lines were shot.

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