Jakub Basista, PhD, D.Litt
Institute of History,
JagiellonianUniversity
Poland in Europe in the 20th Century
Meeting 10 - The Second World War – Poland. Between London and Warsaw.
1939
14 March – announcing of the forming of Fascist Slovakia of rev. J.Tiso
16 March – proclamation of Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia
23 March – Hitler signs an alliance with Slovakia
31 March – Chamberlain’s speech on guarantees for Poland
7 April – Italy starts a war against Albania
16 April – Calling to life of Czechoslovak National Committee by Jan Masaryk
22 May – “Steel Pact” signed between Mussolini and Hitler
23 August – Ribbentrop-Molotov Treaty
25 August – Polish – British Treaty
1 September – Nazi attack on Poland
3 September – Great Britain and France declare war on Germany
17 September – Red Army enters Poland– announcements are made that Russians’ kinsmen in Byelorussia and Ukraine are liberated from Polish “lords”
17/18 September – Polish government leaves Polish territory heading for Romania – Romania interns Polish authorities
30 September – Władysław Raczkiewicz becomes president of Poland in France
1 October – Władysław Sikorski becomes p.m. and forms government-in-exile in France (Angers): Polish Army in France numbers 80,000
18 October – agreement about organising Polish Military Fleet in Great Britain
October – talks in London; question of Polish borders (British politicians suggest the Curzon line); British proposal of a post-war union of Poland-Czechoslovakia-Hungary
17 November – Czechoslovak National Committee recognised by France as representative of Czech interests in France (20 Dec. By GB)
9 December – calling to life of Rada Narodowa (State Council) – a representative advisory semi-parliament under Ignacy Paderewski
30 September – Władysław Raczkiewicz becomes president of Poland in France
1 October – Władysław Sikorski becomes p.m. and forms government-in-exile in France (Angers): Polish Army in France numbers 80,000
18 October – agreement about organising Polish Military Fleet in Great Britain
October – talks in London; question of Polish borders (British politicians suggest the Curzon line); British proposal of a post-war union of Poland-Czechoslovakia-Hungary
17 November – Czechoslovak National Committee recognised by France as representative of Czech interests in France (20 Dec. By GB)
9 December – calling to life of Rada Narodowa (State Council) – a representative advisory semi-parliament under Ignacy Paderewski
1940
4 January – agreement concerning the status of Polish army in France (constructed since September 1939)
10 May – Germany begins war in Western Europe(France)
June – Polish government transferred to G. Britain
9 July – Temporary Czechoslovak Government established in London (recognized by British on 21 July)
July – Spring 1941 – Battle of Britain – Polish planes within RAF; 203 German planes shot down by Poles out of the total of 1733
5 August – Polish-British military treaty signed concerning the forming and financing of Polish armed forces in Great Britain
August – Baltic States become SovietRepublics
30 August – Second Vienna Award – Hungary receives Transylvania
7 September – Romania gives Dobrudja to Bulgaria under Hitler’s pressure
27 September – “Pact of Three” signed in Berlin (Germany, Italy and Japan)
11 November – Polish and Czechoslovak governments-in-exile sign a declaration about future co-operation after the war
1941
31 January – a Polish- Czechoslovak Committee formed
22 June – German attack on USSR; Churchill offers USSR help
5 July – beginning of Polish-Soviet talks in London (USSR agrees to the forming of Polish, Czechoslovak and Yugoslav committees in USSR and the creating of independent Poland within the borders of Nazi-Soviet agreement of 18 September 1939)
12 July – GB and USSR sign a treaty concerning common action of both governments against Germany during the war
18 July – Treaty of collaboration against Germany signed between Czechoslovak government in London and USSR (28 September – agreement on Army forming)
30 July – Sikorski-Mayski treaty signed in London (question of Polish borders). Forming of Polish army on Soviet territories (questions of supplies; leadership; allowing Polish citizens to join the army) – commander in chief – gen. Władysław Anders
14 August – Polish-Soviet military agreement – Polish army to be formed in USSR
Following Hitler’s attack on Soviet Union, all pre-war Poland comes under Nazi rule. Groups of Polish, Ukrainian, Lithuanian population welcome/back Nazis against Soviet occupation (question of Jedwabne).
August – pro-Soviet Kościuszko radio formed in Soviet Union broadcasting to occupied Poland
4 December – the so-called Stalin-Sikorski Declaration announced (organizational issues and the future of international relations)
8 Dec – USA enter war
December – Grupa Inicjatywna (the Initiative Group) of Polish Communists lands in occupied Poland – Nowotko, Mołojec, Finder
1942
5 January – forming of Polska Partia Robotnicza (PPR) – Polish Workers’ Party – changes the political situation in occupied Poland – so far Communists had no representation
January – “Final solution “ announced (Endlosung der Judenfrage)
January – 21 Polish embassy agencies start to function in USSR
23 January – Polish-Czechoslovak Treaty on confederation after the war (Sikorski-Beneš Treaty)
24 March – 4 April – Polish army evacuated to Persia (34 thousand soldiers; 12.5 thousand civilians). Last troops leave at the end of August (total of 116,543 including 78,631 soldiers)
26 May – USSR & GB alliance treaty concerning relations after the war
11 June – Treaty between USA and USSR on cooperation at war
August – talks in Moscow regarding measures against Germany (Harriman represents FDR) Iran
15 August – Armia Krajowa (200,000 soldiers)
30 August – end of evacuation of Polish army from USSR to
August-September – beginning of the liquidation of Jewish ghettos
27 September – forming of Żegota – Committee for Helping Jews
Fall – Jan Karski finds his way from occupied Poland to Britain; meeting Churchill and F.D.Roosevelt he tells them about Holocaust – no reaction; during a meeting with the US president, the latter interrupted account about extermination of Jews asking what was the situation of horses in Poland
1943
January-June – forming of Związek Patriotów Polskich in Moscow (1 March)
February – talks in occupied Poland between PPR and London underground
12/13 April – Nazi propaganda announces the discovery of Katyn mass tombs
19 April – rising in the Warsaw Ghetto
25-26 April – USSR breaks contacts with Polish government in London (the question of Katyń)
May – forming of Peoples’ Polish Army (Ludowe Wojsko Polskie) in USSR
3 June – last meeting of Polish-Czechoslovak Committee – Czechoslovak politicians pull out due to Soviet pressure
4 July – gen. Sikorski killed in a plane accident at Gibraltar
8 July – gen. Sosnkowski becomes commander in chief; Mikołajczyk (Peasant Party) becomes P.M.
10 July-17 August – landing in Sicily by Allies
29 September – surrender of Italy
19-30 October – talks in Moscow regarding co-operation until final victory ; Polish case is discussed by Eden, but Molotov attacked saying Poland violated the 1941 treaty
28 November-1 December – Teheran Conference – Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin – decisions on war strategy and Polish borders; Stalin attacks Polish underground, but Churchill and Roosevelt accept Poland’s borders on Curzon line and Oder river
December – Eden in talks with Polish government declares that Teheran is not binding (Allies still need 114,000 Polish troops in Italy).
31 December – forming of Krakowa Rada Narodowa by Polish Workers’ Party
1944
3-4 January – Red Army crosses Polish pre-war border(initiation of „Burza” – anti-Nazi Home Army rising lasting till January 1945)
9 January – forming of Rada Jedności Narodu (Committee for National Unity – by London camp)
18 January – Churchill demands of Poland (gvt in exile) that it recognises the Curzon line
24 January – Polish government announces that it will not negotiate on Soviet conditions
17-18 May – battle of Monte Cassino (923 killed in action) in Italy
May – Communists representing Krajowa Rada Narodowa visit Moscow; Stalin presents them as Poland’s representatives
6 June– landing in Normandy (operation “Overlord”)
mid-July – Mikołajczyk announces his willingness to talk with Moscow
20 July – forming of Polski Komitet Wyzwolenia Narodowego (PKWN) – Polish Committee of National Salvation
22 July – Lublin Manifesto of PKWN
30 July – Mikołajczyk in Moscow
1 August – beginning of the Warsaw Uprising (final stage of Home Army’s “Burza” [Tempest] plan) – Warsaw surrenders on 2 October – left-bank city is burnt to the ground by Nazis
Warsaw Uprising
An attempt by the underground Home Army (Armia Krajowa) to liberate Warsaw in the summer of 1944 as the Red Army was advancing towards central Poland. On 1st August signal was given to start military struggle in effect of which practically all left bank Warsaw was liberated. Soviet Army (with Polish troops) stood on the other side of the river allowing for the Nazis to systematically put down the rising and annihilate the city. Soviets, who approached the city and had full control of the skies, allowed for Nazis to carry out their work. In the end 18-25,000 insurgents were killed and 120-200,000 civilians (many of whom were executed in cold blood by the Nazis). Left bank Warsaw was systematically destroyed.
1944
31 December – calling to life of Tymczasowy Rząd Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej – Temporary Government of the PolishRepublic
1945
19 January – dissolution of Armia Krajowa