DOCSLIB.ORG

Wladyslaw Anders, Curriculum

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Wladyslaw Anders, Curriculum EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES SESSION SCENARIO Class: Władysław Anders. The General of Polish Hopes Session time: 45 minutes Target group: Senior high school students. Materials and teaching aids: Fragments of Władysława Anders’ book Bez ostatniego rozdziału, London 1949; fragments of Maria Nurowska’s Anders, Warsaw 2012; audiovisual reports with testimony, history schoolbook (20th century), map of the Mediterranean as during the Second World War. Important facts and figures: The Katyń massacre – war crime committed by the Soviet Union authorities on 5 March 1940, i.e. the shooting of over 20,000 Polish citizens, including more than 10,000 officers of the Polish army and police forces in the forest in the vicinity of Katyń near Smoleńsk. The name refers to all murders committed by the NKVD on Polish people in Spring 1940 in several locations in the USSR territory: in Tver, Minsk, Kharkov, and Kijev. The officers murdered in Katyn were searched for by general Anders who wished to include them in the forming Polish army in 1941 and 1942. Sikorski-Mayski agreement – common name of the Polish-Soviet agreement of 30 July 1941, signed by general Władysław Sikorski, Prime Minister of the Polish Government in London representing the Polish party, and by the Soviets represented by Ivan Mayski, ambassador of the USSR to Great Britain. The agreement allowed for the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between Poland and the Soviet Union after the aggression of the Red Army on Poland on 17 September 1939. The talks between Poland and the USSR were possible due to the German attack on the Soviet Union of 22 June 1941 and the need to form an anti-Nazi coalition. The document contained a settlement on amnesty for the political prisoners from Poland and the agreement to form a Polish army in the USSR, equipped on the Soviet government’s expense. For leadership of the army, general Władysław Anders was appointed. Wojtek (bear) – Syrian brown bear born in 1941 and acquired via exchange against food provisions from a Syrian boy, to be adopted by the 22nd Artillery Supply Company of the II Polish Corps. The animal was officially included in the register of the II Corps and accompanied the soldiers on the entire war route from Iran, through Iraq, Syria, Palestine, and Egypt to Italy and then to Great Britain. He participated in the battle of Monte Cassino where he helped in carrying heavy ammunition. The bear functioned as the mascot-symbol of the 22nd Company and of the II Corps. After disbanding the Army led by Anders, he lived in the zoological garden in Edinburgh and there he died at the age of 22. the battle of Monte Cassino – also called the battle of Rome, marks the breaking of the so- called Winter Line, strongly fortified by the Nazi German army in Spring 1944. The line of the German defense was finally broken at 10 AM on 18 May 1944 by the troops of the II Corps of Poland commanded by general Anders, with French and British aid. The Battle is among the most dramatic and crucial military operations of the Second World War, along with the Battle of Stalingrad and the Allies’ landing in Normandy. The abbey of Monte Cassino – founded in 529 by Benedict of Nursia, the abbey stands on a hill of 519 m altitude, located between Naples and Rome, over the valley of the Liri river. Saint Benedict and his sister Saint Scholastica are buried in the abbey. The temple was one of the most important locations of Christian spiritual life in the Middle Ages. Its strategic location, however, caused constant invasions, beginning with the Lombardos, then Napoleon Bonaparte’s army, and more recently the Nazi army troops blocking the access to Rome. General goals: • pointing to similarities and differences between the notion of the Righteous Among the Nations and the definition of the Righteous as developed by the GARIWO Gardens of the Righteous Committee, • tracing the influence of the value system one holds on one’s comportment, • presenting important military contribution of the Polish Armed Forces fighting in the battles of the Second World War in the context of the political relations between the allied countries – the USSR, Great Britain, the US, and the Polish Government in London. Particular goals: • the students gain knowledge on the life and work of general Władysław Anders and general Władysław Sikorski, on the relations between these two men of state and their contribution to marking the Polish position on international stage, • they comprehend the significance of the Battle of Monte Cassino in the context of the course of military actions during the Second World War, • they are familiar with the circumstances in which the Polish Army in the USSR territories was formed by general Anders; they are able to locate the Army’s trail on the map, • they understand the complexities of the situation which the soldiers of the Army faced after the end of the Second World War. Skills to be developer by the students: • locating the route by which the Polish people were evacuated from the Soviet Union territories towards the Middle East and to Italy, on the map, • evaluating the significance of and characterizing the historical figure of general Władysław Anders as compared to other Second World War heroes, • transplanting elements of historical text sources into the contemporary sphere of associations and symbolic imagery, • ability to examine the political realities of the period 1941-1944 which Poles had to face in the country and in exile, • knowledge of the circumstances which emerged as a result of the so-called post-Yalta order in various countries after the year 1945 and the application of this knowledge to assess the situation of the Polish people in the country and in exile, • critical analysis of historical text sources. Working methods and forms: Elements of introductory lecture, working in groups, source text analysis, audiovisual material analysis. Historical figures: general Władysław Anders, general Władysław Sikorski. Władysław Anders was born in 1892 in Błonie, in an Evangelical family. Like his three brothers, he chose to be a soldier, and was a lover of cavalry and horses. He took part in the First World War, the Greater Poland Uprising of 1918-1919, and the Polish-Bolshevik War. During The May Coup, he served as the chief of staff to the government forces. In September 1939 he was wounded and taken prisoner by the Soviets near the city of Sambir. Initially detained in a Lviv hospital and later in the Moscow prison of Lubyanka, he escaped the tragic fate of his comrades who were killed in Katyń. In 1941, after the signing of the Polish-Soviet treaty referred to as the Sikorski–Mayski agreement, Anders was appointed the commander of the Polish Army in the USSR. After numerous problems with food supplies, he decided to move the Polish army to Iran, against the will of the Commander in Chief general Władysław Sikorski and with British and Russian consent. He commanded Polish troops under the name of the II Polish Corps in Italy – the most important fights being the battle of Monte Cassino, Ancona and Bologna. From October 1944 to May 1945 he served as Supreme Commander of the Polish Armed Forces and Inspector General of the Armed Forces. After the war, forced to remain in exile, he lived in the United Kingdom and was deprived of Polish citizenship by the communist authorities and soon became the patron and exponent of the will of Polish political émigrés. He died in 1970 in London. In accordance to his will, Anders was buried on the site of Monte Cassino battled, among soldiers he had once led. Władysław Sikorski was born in Tuszów Narodowy in 1881. Before World War I, member of several Polish independence movements. He fought in the Polish Legions and then in the newly created Polish Army during the Polish-Bolshevik war. During the interwar period, he served as Prime Minister (1922-23) and as Minister of Military Affairs; however, after the May Coup of 1926, he remained in opposition against the Sanation government. During the Second World War, Sikorski was among the most important Polish politicians, holding positions of both the Prime Minister and the Commander in Chief of the Polish Armed Forces. On 30 July 1941, he established political relations with the Soviet Union and entrusted the mission of creating an army consisting of the Polish prisoners to general Władysław Anders. In 1943, Sikorski demanded an International Red Cross investigation of the Katyń Massacre, which resulted in the rupture of Soviet political relations with Poland. He died in an airplane crash over Gibraltar on July 4, 1943. His death made it easier for the Soviet party to marginalize Poland's part in the new global political order proclaimed after the Second World War. Task 1 (Attachments 1-3) Activity form: working in groups – text analysis, analysis of audiovisual reports. Defining the Righteous: The students are divided into three groups: the first group is given the definition of the Righteous Among the Nations (cf. Attachment 1). The second group is given the definition of the Righteous developed by the GARIWO Gardens of the Righteous Committee (cf. Attachment 2). The third group is given the definition of a ‘hero’ by P. Zimbardo (cf. Attachment 3). Upon reading these, the students present the essential elements of each definition to the rest of the class. They agree upon their own definition of the Righteous and write it down on a large sheet of paper (flipchart) or on the blackboard. Optional questions for discussion: Who can be considered Righteous? Do the Righteous belong to the category of ‘saints’, or are they normal people who were able to take action when put to test? Does the notion of a Righteous person apply to cases of homicide and crimes against humanity other than Holocaust? Why do we need to preserve the memory of what the Righteous did? How can we foster the memory of the Righteous? What is your opinion on the initiative of founding Gardens of the Righteous? Can the Righteous only be found in difficult moments in history? Can the terms of ‘Righteous’ and ‘hero’ be used interchangeably? Task 2 Activity form: source text analysis (cf.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Deterrence of Fraud with EU Funds Through Investigative Journalism in EU-27
    DIRECTORATE GENERAL FOR INTERNAL POLICIES POLICY DEPARTMENT D: BUDGETARY AFFAIRS Deterrence of fraud with EU funds through investigative journalism in EU-27 STUDY Abstract: The study depicts the state of investigative journalism in the 27 EU member states, with a focus on Denmark, Hungary, Italy, Romania, Spain, UK and a special focus on the interaction between European institutions and investigative journalists. It illustrates conditions promoting or impeding good investigative journalism in general, and in particular for reporting on fraud with EU funds and revenues. It recommends: a swift implementation of workable freedom of information laws across the EU, comprehensiveness of data provided by EU bodies and member states on their spending, targeted training for journalists, promotion of investigative centres and more cooperation between journalists and officials at EU and national levels, this in view of advanced transparency and helping citizens to understand the added value of EU spending. 17/10/2012 PE 490.663 EN This document was requested by the European Parliament's Committee on Budgetary Control. It designated Bart STAES, MEP, to follow the study. AUTHORS Principal author for Fonds Pascal Decroos: Margo Smit, director Vereniging van Onderzoeksjournalisten co-authors: Brigitte Alfter, Mar Cabra, Annamarie Cumiskey, Ides Debruyne, Marcos García Rey, Rafael Njotea, Albrecht Ude Rozenweg 4-B B-1731 Zellik Belgium RESPONSIBLE ADMINISTRATOR Helmut Werner Policy Department D: Budgetary Affairs European Parliament B-1047 Brussels E-mail: [email protected] LINGUISTIC VERSIONS Original: EN Translation executive summaries: DE, FR ABOUT THE EDITOR To contact the Policy Department or to subscribe to its newsletter please write to: [email protected] Manuscript completed in August 2012.
    [Show full text]
  • 2Nd INFANTRY REGIMENT
    2nd INFANTRY REGIMENT 1110 pages (approximate) Boxes 1243-1244 The 2nd Infantry Regiment was a component part of the 5th Infantry Division. This Division was activated in 1939 but did not enter combat until it landed on Utah Beach, Normandy, three days after D-Day. For the remainder of the war in Europe the Division participated in numerous operations and engagements of the Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace and Central Europe campaigns. The records of the 2nd Infantry Regiment consist mostly of after action reports and journals which provide detailed accounts of the operations of the Regiment from July 1944 to May 1945. The records also contain correspondence on the early history of the Regiment prior to World War II and to its training activities in the United States prior to entering combat. Of particular importance is a file on the work of the Regiment while serving on occupation duty in Iceland in 1942. CONTAINER LIST Box No. Folder Title 1243 2nd Infantry Regiment Unit Histories January 1943-June 1944 2nd Infantry Regiment Unit Histories, July-October 1944 2nd Infantry Regiment Histories, July 1944- December 1945 2nd Infantry Regiment After Action Reports, July-September 1944 2nd Infantry Regiment After Action Reports, October-December 1944 2nd Infantry Regiment After Action Reports, January-May 1945 2nd Infantry Regiment Casualty List, 1944-1945 2nd Infantry Regiment Unit Journal, 1945 2nd Infantry Regiment Narrative History, October 1944-May 1945 2nd Infantry Regiment History Correspondence, 1934-1936 2nd Infantry
    [Show full text]
  • BATTLE-SCARRED and DIRTY: US ARMY TACTICAL LEADERSHIP in the MEDITERRANEAN THEATER, 1942-1943 DISSERTATION Presented in Partial
    BATTLE-SCARRED AND DIRTY: US ARMY TACTICAL LEADERSHIP IN THE MEDITERRANEAN THEATER, 1942-1943 DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Steven Thomas Barry Graduate Program in History The Ohio State University 2011 Dissertation Committee: Dr. Allan R. Millett, Adviser Dr. John F. Guilmartin Dr. John L. Brooke Copyright by Steven T. Barry 2011 Abstract Throughout the North African and Sicilian campaigns of World War II, the battalion leadership exercised by United States regular army officers provided the essential component that contributed to battlefield success and combat effectiveness despite deficiencies in equipment, organization, mobilization, and inadequate operational leadership. Essentially, without the regular army battalion leaders, US units could not have functioned tactically early in the war. For both Operations TORCH and HUSKY, the US Army did not possess the leadership or staffs at the corps level to consistently coordinate combined arms maneuver with air and sea power. The battalion leadership brought discipline, maturity, experience, and the ability to translate common operational guidance into tactical reality. Many US officers shared the same ―Old Army‖ skill sets in their early career. Across the Army in the 1930s, these officers developed familiarity with the systems and doctrine that would prove crucial in the combined arms operations of the Second World War. The battalion tactical leadership overcame lackluster operational and strategic guidance and other significant handicaps to execute the first Mediterranean Theater of Operations campaigns. Three sets of factors shaped this pivotal group of men. First, all of these officers were shaped by pre-war experiences.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 2450 Words Private Wojtek: the Bear Who Became
    1 2450 words Private Wojtek: The Bear Who Became a Soldier by Duane Schultz ------ He wrestled, smoked and drank, and even got promoted Once upon a time—it was Wednesday, April 8, 1942, to be precise—a group of Polish soldiers in the Alborz Mountains of Iran came across a young boy carrying a small, emaciated, frightened, orphaned brown bear cub in a burlap sack. What the Polish soldiers were doing there is another story. They had been prisoners of the Russians, held in Siberian labor camps since 1939, when the Russia occupied eastern Poland at the same time the Germans held the western part. The Polish soldiers were part of a massive, brutal deportation of more than one million Polish citizens to camps deep inside Russian territory. Convoys of up to 100 trains transported more than 100,000 Polish people of all ages, who were locked in freight cars with no food, water or sanitation facilities. Those who survived 2 the weeks-long journey were settled in barren camps across Siberia; their average life span was one winter only. As part of that evacuation, Russians executed 22,000 Poles in the Katyn Forest. The massacred victims included 8000 Polish army officers, 7000 policemen and 7000 members of what the Russians termed the “intelligentsia”—university professors, lawyers, doctors, landowners, factory owners, and priests. The soldiers who reached Russia remained prisoners for two years, until Germany invaded in June, 1941. The Russians agreed to release the Poles to serve in the British Army that was fighting the Germans in the Middle East.
    [Show full text]
  • The London Gazette of TUESDAY, 6Th JUNE, 1950
    jRtttnb, 38937 2879 SUPPLEMENT TO The London Gazette OF TUESDAY, 6th JUNE, 1950 Registered as a newspaper MONDAY, 12 JUNE, 1950 The War Office, June, 1950. THE ALLIED ARMIES IN ITALY FROM SRD SEPTEMBER, 1943, TO DECEMBER; 1944. PREFACE BY THE WAR OFFICE. PART I. This Despatch was written by Field-Marshal PRELIMINARY PLANNING AND THE Lord Alexander in his capacity as former ASSAULT. Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Armies in Italy. It therefore concentrates primarily upon Strategic Basis of the Campaign. the development of the land campaign and the The invasion of Italy followed closely in time conduct of the land battles. The wider aspects on the conquest of Sicily and may be therefore of the Italian Campaign are dealt with in treated, both historically and strategically, as reports by the Supreme Allied Commander a sequel to it; but when regarded from the (Field-Marshal Lord Wilson) which have point of view of the Grand Strategy of the already been published. It was during this- war there is a great cleavage between the two period that the very close integration of the operations. The conquest of Sicily marks the Naval, Military and Air Forces of the Allied closing stage of that period of strategy which Nations, which had been built up during the began with the invasion of North Africa in North African Campaigns, was firmly con- November, 1942, or which might, on a longer solidated, so that the Italian Campaign was view, be considered as beginning when the first British armoured cars crossed the frontier wire essentially a combined operation.
    [Show full text]
  • {PDF} Soldier Bear Ebook
    SOLDIER BEAR PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Bibi Dumon Tak | 158 pages | 28 Oct 2013 | William B Eerdmans Publishing Co | 9780802854360 | English | Grand Rapids, United States Wojtek (bear) - Wikipedia Soldier Bear. By: Bibi Dumon Tak. Illustrated By: Philip Hopman. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Wishlist Wishlist. Write a Review. Advanced Search Links. Product Close-up This product is not available for expedited shipping. Add To Cart. Absolutely Truly. Careful Enough. The Action Bible, Updated. Waxman at olivia. Dymitr Szawlugo, a Polish soldier who helped care for the bear, in Italy in late after the Battle of Monte Cassino. By Olivia B. Get our History Newsletter. Put today's news in context and see highlights from the archives. Please enter a valid email address. Sign Up Now. Check the box if you do not wish to receive promotional offers via email from TIME. You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thank you! A young woman, one of many refugees who were traveling with the troops offered to care for the bear, which subsequently travelled to Tehran with them. Adopted as a mascot by soldiers of the 4th Platoon, the bear was named Wojtek pronounced: Voytek and he swiftly became a great attraction. His favourite drink was beer, and he was soon enlisted with the 22 nd Artillery Supply company as a Private with his own pay-book and army serial number. Seemingly oblivious to the sound of gunfire, Wojtek took part in the Battle of Monte Casino, carrying many ammunition boxes and crates of food for his unit.
    [Show full text]
  • (1) the Star of Copernicus (Gwiazda Kopernika) – Based on a Polish Animation Film with English Subtitles
    TWO LEARNING UNITS FOR POLISH AS L3 (1) The Star of Copernicus (Gwiazda Kopernika) – based on a Polish animation film with English subtitles (2) Wojtek, War Hero Bear - book by Jenny Robertson GWIAZDA KOPERNIKA FOR POLISH AS L3 The project was prepared in partnership with the Glasgow University Arts Lab (led by Professor Dauvit Broun) and Education Scotland (represented by Louise Glen) The Project team consisted of: Shona Hugh (Education Scotland) Iza Rudzka (former GU Polish Lektor) Elwira Grossman (University of Glasgow) LEARNING POLISH IS AS EASY AS 1+2 L3 Learning Journey (Polish) is a ready package available on the platform GLOW to teachers who want to introduce pupils (age 9-11) and themselves to Polish The unit is based on a Polish animation entitled The Star of Copernicus (Gwiazda Kopernika) which fits the primary five curriculum perfectly It is primarily for children who are non-native speakers of Polish. However, learning Polish in a classroom could improve Polish children’s self-esteem and facilitate cross- cultural connections so the project aims to benefit both groups of learners THE LEARNING UNIT INCLUDES Pupil Activity Pack Teacher’s Notes for the film available on GWIAZDA KOPERNIKA (available on GLOW with English subtitles) L3 Learning Journey (general description) Sound files for all Polish words and expressions used in the unit We’re planning to add pp for classroom use For Scotland's learners, with Scotland's educators THE STAR OF COPERNICUS GWIAZDA KOPERNIKA In 2009, Andrzej Orzechowski and Zdzisław Kudła, made an animation film retelling a life story of the young Copernicus.
    [Show full text]
  • London 6/81 [1/1] Dear Willy! [1/2] You'll Probably Be Puzzled Getting A
    London 6/81 [1/1] Dear Willy! [1/2] You’ll probably be puzzled getting a letter after all these years [1/3] from me. After leaving Canada in the spring of 1942 [1/4] I spent several months in London, and [1/5] then I was sent to the [1/6] Middle East. In Baghdad, Cairo and Tel-Aviv [1/7] I edited a daily for Gen. Anders’s army [1/8] and along with that army I later went on the [1/9] Italian campaign.2 In 1946 I found myself in London where [1/10] I still support myself working as a [1/11] newspaper reporter. [1/12] My wife and daughter (already 16 years old) are unfortunately [1/13] under harsh conditions in Poland. From Italy [1/14] I attempted to get them out of Poland, but I had [1/15] bad luck. Twice they were stopped at the border. [1/16] You can imagine what they have gone through [1/17] and what they are still going through. Our whole family in Lwow [1/18] perished—supposedly only Hala saved [1/19] herself—there only remain [2/1-2] now people who are separated from me by the Iron Curtain. [2/3] In the past two years I have renewed my efforts, [2/4] however, without results. Since war [2/5] is coming closer I have decided to make one more [2/6] desperate effort to bring them here from Poland. [2/7] This is usually very hard under the current conditions [2/8] and it is also very costly.
    [Show full text]
  • Soldier Bear Free
    FREE SOLDIER BEAR PDF Bibi Dumon Tak | 158 pages | 28 Oct 2013 | William B Eerdmans Publishing Co | 9780802854360 | English | Grand Rapids, United States Soldier Bear by Bibi Dumon Tak | Scholastic It is, perhaps, an unlikely way to honour a most unlikely Soldier Bear hero. While The Snowman showed a child flying with an enchanted snowman to the sounds of Walking in the Air sung by a choirboy, A Bear Named Wojtek will feature the Battle of Monte Cassinowhich left 75, people killed or wounded. As he seeks a funding partner, however, ex- Snowman producer Iain Harvey should be able Soldier Bear show that A Bear Named Wojtek has the tear-jerking potential to match War Horsewhich explored the bonds forged between humans and animals during the carnage of the First World War. It began in the Alborz Mountains of northern Iran when a brown bear cub was orphaned by hunters who shot his mother. Then in the autumn of Soldier Bear boy and the bear cub met Soldier Bear group of Polish soldiers, who were moving through Iran en route for Iraq. By then, the growing bear cub looked tired and hungry. The soldiers felt sorry for him. Soldier Bear knew themselves what it was like to be tired and hungry. Separated from their Soldier Bear families, the soldiers, who were to become members of the 22nd Artillery Soldier Bear Company of the Polish II Corps, bought the orphaned bear from the boy in exchange for some Persian coins, a portion of chocolate, a Swiss army knife and a tin of beef.
    [Show full text]
  • Read Fall 2012 Newsletter
    OLISH CENTER NEWSLETTER P OF DISCOVERY AND LEARNING A NEW GALLERY EXHIBIT AT THE POLISH CEN TER THE POLISH SECOND CORPS, WOJTEK THE SOLDIER BEAR AND MONTE CASSINO ROM SIBERIA TO TEHERAN, PALESTINE, EGYPT, ITALY, ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND — September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland, Fincorporating the western Polish provinces into the German Reich and establishing the General Government in the remainder of the central provinces under its control. September 17, 1939, Russia, an ally of Germany, invaded the Polish eastern provinces, incorporating them into the Soviet Union. Over 1.5 million Poles were eventu- ally rounded-up and FORCIBLY DEPORTED to labor camps in northern Russia, Siberia and Kazakhstan. Approximately 3.5 million Poles were sent to slave labor in Germany. Following a surprise German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, Russia concluded an agreement with Britain and the Polish government in exile to free Poles detained in the Soviet Union in order to form an army under the command of General Władysław An- ders—who until then was imprisoned and tortured in the infamous Moscow Lubianka prison. Able volunteers were followed by a wretched population of starving men, women and children who hoped to escape the misery of Russian exile. Unable to come to terms with the Soviet regime, General Anders, like a Polish Moses, led a ragtag group across the Caspian Sea to freedom in Iran. While in Iran, they adopted Wojtek, a baby brown Syrian bear who was to become a companion and Private in the Polish Army. Together with Polish units already in combat in Egypt and Libya, they made up the Polish Second Corps under the command of the British Eighth Army.
    [Show full text]
  • Poland First to Fight
    Poland First to Fight Poland First to Fight Bogusław Kopka, Paweł Kosiński Muzeum ii Wojny Światowej Gdańsk 2018 Poland was the first country to firmly resist the brutal expansion of the totalitarian powers that were utterly indifferent to the rights of weaker countries. Poland’s armed resistance to German aggression on September 1, 1939, was a turning point in world politics towards the Third Reich. Contrary to the hopes of Adolf Hitler, on the third day after the commencement of military operations the German attack on Poland transformed into a world war. Two-turret and single turret Vickers E light tanks with crews On September 3, the United Kingdom and France ful- of the 11th armoured battalion filled their commitments to Poland by declaring war during exercises. Rembertowo, on Germany, although for eight months they waged summer, 1939 a strange war (the Phoney War) after passively observ- Photo H. Poddębski, MIIWŚ ing the struggle and military defeat of the Republic of Poland. Two weeks later – in accordance with the Czołgi lekkie Vickers E w wersji jedno i dwuwieżowej z załogami provisions of the Hitler-Stalin Pact (August 23, 1939) – z 11. batalionu pancernego the Soviet Union attacked Poland. w czasie ćwiczeń. Rembertowo, lato 1939 r. The six-year war gradually spilled onto successive con- Fot. H. Poddębski, MIIWŚ tinents and eventually spread to most of the world. The fortunes of the Allied and Axis forces changed many times. The most difficult period for the anti-Hitler coalition was between the summers of 1940 and 1941. 5 The most spectacular shifts of the front were experienced by the USSR, which was forced into the Allied camp by the Germans themselves.
    [Show full text]
  • World War II Participants and Contemporaries: Papers
    World War II Participants and Contemporaries: Papers Container List ACCETTA, DOMINICK Residence: Fort Lee, New Jersey Service: 355th Inf Regt, Europe Volume: -1" Papers (1)(2) [record of Cannon Co., 355th Inf. Regt., 89th Inf. Div., Jan.-July 1945; Ohrdruf Concentration Camp; clippings; maps; booklet ”The Story of the 89th Infantry Division;” orders; song; ship’s newspaper, Jan. 1946;map with route of 89th Div.] AENCHBACHER, A.E. "Gene" Residence: Wichita, Kansas Service: Pilot, 97th Bomber Group, Europe; flew DDE from Gibraltar to North Africa, November 1942 Volume: -1" Papers [letters; clippings] ALFORD, MARTIN Residence: Abilene, Kansas Service: 5th Inf Div, Europe Volume: -1" Papers [copy of unit newspaper for 5th Inf. Div., May 8, 1945; program for memorial service; statistics on service and casualties in wars and conflicts] ALLMON, WILLIAM B. Residence: Jefferson City, Missouri Service: historian Volume: -1” 104 Inf Div (1) (2) [after action report for November 1944, describing activities of division in southwest Holland; this is a copy of the original report at the National Archives] 1 AMERICAN LEGION NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS Residence: Indianapolis, Indiana Service: Veteran's organization Volume: 13" After the War 1943-45 [a monthly bulletin published by the Institute on Postwar Reconstruction, Aug. 1943-April 1945] American Legion Publications (1)-(11) [civil defense; rights and benefits of veterans; home front; citizenship; universal draft; national defense and security program; Americanism; employment manual; Boy Scouts-youth program; G. I. Bill of Rights; peace and foreign relations; disaster; natural resources; law and order; UMT-universal military training; national defense; veterans’ employment; 1946 survey of veterans; reprint of two pages from The National Legionnaire, June 1940; instructors manual for military drill; United Nations; junior baseball program] Army-Navy YMCA Bulletin, 1942-44 Atlas of World Battle Fronts [1943-45] China at War, 1939 [four issues published by the China Information Publishing Co.] Clippings [submarine war; Alaska; U.S.
    [Show full text]