| POLISH GREATNESS |
| Letter from the Editor |
Dear Friends, Welcome to my website, Polish Greatness. It is a personal tribute to the Polish Armed Forces, the Polish Home Army, and the millions of Polish civilian men, women, and children, who fought against, and resisted the German and Soviet occupations during World War II. Their fiery spirit and courage has truly earned them the accolade, " Polish Greatness." The history of the Polish people was one of continuous struggle - a struggle which has spanned the centuries when Poland was partitioned three times by powerful and hostile neigbors - Russia, Prussia, and Austria. The occupiers tried to eliminate every vestige of Polish culture and language, but could not. Though Poland ceased to exist as a nation-state for 123 years, the nationalistic fervor of its people could not be quashed. Poland emerged independent once again after World War I, but it was partitioned yet a fourth time when German and Soviet troops invaded it in September 1939. With the passage of time, history tends to be forgotten, and with it, truths become blurred or distorted. We concern ourselves today with current political crises, believing that the past is irrelevant. If this is true, then are the times in which we are living today, fated to become irrelevant to future generations? It cannot be. We are a product of past glories and future aspirations. History is as important to us today, as are concerns about our future. The past must never be forgottten. This website offers a glimpse of the proud and turbulent past of the Polish nation as it struggled against overwhelming odds. It is not a historial treatise, nor a political analysis, but combines elements of both, including numerous quotations, descriptive passages, photographs, and links to some stunning archival video clips. History comes to life as we read the events leading up to the September Campaign of 1939, the creation of the Secret Polish State, and the activities of the Polish Underground. But most important, and least known are the numerous contributions Poland had made to the Allied war effort, in particular, the victory at Monte Cassino by the II Polish Corps. This has been all forgotten. So too, the spectacular success of the Kosciuszko Squadron, Poland's elite ace pilots who were instrumental in the Allied victory of the Battle of Britain. The Poles were the ones who cracked the Enigma code, and discovered the location of Hitler's V-1 and V-2 plant at Peenemunde. And while the Allies turned the other way, Poland sent urgent messages alerting them of Hitlers atrocities against the Jews. Their appeals fell on deaf ears. The Polish stand against the Germans during the Warsaw Uprising was one of heroism and tragedy, but again, they were abandoned by their Allies to fend for themselves. At the end of the war, 6 million Jews had perished in the Holocaust - half of them were Polish Jews, the remainder were Jews deported to Poland from all over Europe. But 3,000,000 Polish Christians also perished in what was Hitler's plan for the complete annihiliation of the state of Poland and its citizens - both Poles and Jews. There is no story as tragic and filled with despair as the plight of the the Polish people under Nazi persecution. And there is no act of courage so great as that of Polish Christians ( who were themselves victims of Nazi persecution) who risked their lives to save Jews. Zegota has become the symbol of courage of the Polish people who defied tyranny at whatever cost. With this in mind, I included an article on Polish-Jewish Relations in World War II. Being of Polish-Jewish heritage myself, ( my late father was a survivor of the Holocaust ), I experienced not a little trepidation about embarking on a subject of this magnitude and complexity. My main concern was to present the facts, without bias, but to do so without fanning the flames of anti-semetism nor anti-polonism. It is my hope that this website will correct some misconceptions the public has had about Poland, and in particular to dispel myths that Poles and Jews have about each other. Mostly importantly, Jews today must recognize and acknowledge that there were many Polish Jews during the war who had also collaborated with the Nazis and the Soviets, and carried out massacres of their Polish Christian compatriots. More infamous, was the Judenrat, the Jewish Council of the Warsaw Ghetto, who were Jewish officials appointed by the Nazis to deliver daily quotas of Jews to be sent to the death camps. At the root of this terror, was the Germans skillful application of propaganda, designed to pit the Poles and Jews against eachother. Only when we realize this, can we put into perspective all the horrible things that happened during the war. But we cannot and should not ignore the immense sacifices made by many Polish Christians, to help the Jews. Several months ago, I met a Polish lady on a Montreal street, and engaged her in conversation. She is in her eighties, but with a spirit that belies her age. She told me that she had immigrated to Quebec with her husband in 1944 She virulently condemned any form of racism, or what are thought to be harmless, slurs against minorities. She warned that nations must guard themselves against internal strife and squabbles, however latent - for hatred and intolerance, given the right ingredients inevitably erupts into war. When I asked her what she most wanted to tell the world, she pointed her forefinger abruptly upwards, stared at me with fiery determination in her eyes and declared, " Respect God, and Respect Each Other..." To the many Poles whose struggle was guided by this principle, may God bless you. For Your Freedom and Ours. That has been the rallying cry of the Polish people, since they crossed the Atlantic to fight with the Americans in the colonial uprising against the British. Their belief was that their freedom could only be won by fighting for the freedom of all. The millions of Poles who fought for our freedom in World War II, but lost their own, merit our deepest gratitude and respect. Dziekujemy Wam Polacy. Thank you Poland. Esther M. Ormianer Editor, Polish Greatness P.S. Throughout this website you will have noticed that I had not included the diacritical marks, or accents, that are essential in the spelling of Polish words and names. It is not because of an oversight that I left them out, but in the difficulty of applying accents using this program. I hope that my Polish visitors will forgive me. If you have any comments, please direct them to me at admin@polishgreatness.com |