The latest book by the well-known Author Jan Khrushliński shows the reality of the life of the Polish population in Volyn in the years II of Poland and after its integration into the russian Union and Siberia. The simplicity and at the same time the communicativeness of depicting the tragic events of planet War II are paying attention. It's a communicative of the Galasiński household or, in fact, George. This is simply a part of Polish past presented in a beletry-historical way based on Galasiński's memoirs, commemorative and technological literature and documents. The form of communicative utilized by the author, which is simple and understandable to everyone, should be highlighted, while the specifics constitute the dominant substance. A clear language in showing Galasiński's life and, in fact, Poles exported by the Soviets to the inhuman land in Siberia, and the creation of the WP and its participation in fighting the Nazi aggressor. A fair presentation of events from those years gives the impression that their associate was the Author. This survey consists of 23 chapters and an annex,
The Galasiński way of life is presented in these chapters. The author first showed the regular life of this household in the interwar period. He presented dramatic events and tragic destiny of the Polish population in Volyn in September 1939. The aggression of the 3rd Reich and russian Russia to Poland The author describes through experiences of the Galasiński family. The point is that Poland's defence capabilities were conditioned by the capabilities of the state. The state was mediocre and was incapable to arm troops with modern technology, including the creation of armored divisions and the expansion of aviation. The 3rd Reich and russian Union forces attacked Poland, The Polish soldier undertook the impossible task of defending the country. Unfortunately, the allies–France and the United Kingdom [12 September 1939 the prime ministers of these countries met in Abbeville, where they agreed to suspend any action against the 3rd Reich without informing the typical of Poland]. The agressors had a decisive advantage not only in numbers, but besides in weapons. German forces hit Poland with about 1.8 million soldiers, while russian initially 466 516 soldiers and increased to over 700,000 in the following days [e.g. the Ukrainian Front counted on 17 September 265 714 soldiers and their numbers on 24 September rose to 358 498 soldiers].
The author portrays the population drama in IX 1939, which mostly escaped from Nazi aggressor. “ The view was amazing, ” we read. The full human avalanche, surrounded by panic, was driven somewhere forward, frequently not knowing where it was going and where the journey would end. Panic escape with bags, suitcases, children.’ Many escapees entered the East Kresy, which began occupying the Red Army on 17 September 1939. The author points out that rapes, thefts and crimes were carried out not only by russian soldiers, but besides by the Ukrainian population and by creating respective dozen-person groups "with red sleeve bands – thieves, bandits and indoctrinate peasants – with firearms, sabers and axes" attacked the Polish population. "When they were robbed of what was possible, they were killed highly brutally and their families were found dead somewhere in the area."
The gehenna of the Polish population at the east Borders began. Food could not only be bought, but extermination was launched on a large scale, The russian authorities were aiming, as the author in Chapter VI emphasizes, to "destroyed Polishness from Kresów physically, historically and morally". This goal was intended to be achieved, among others, by deportations of the Polish population to Siberia. On the 10th of II 1940, specified a destiny was met not only by the Galasiński family, but by about 6,000 Poles, who were to pack and bring a bag of luggage with them in 40 minutes. They were carried sleighs to the railway station at a temperature of minus 30 degrees and loaded to the wagons, ‘In the carriage on 1 side and the another there were bunks of boards. In the mediate of the stove iron with a tube outside, in the corner a gap in the level (it's a toilet). 2 tiny windows on both sides of the wagon.’ For many days, the author wrote, “this ghastly journey continued. People were starving. Now they felt as if they were entering hell step by step. Older people and young children began to starve and cold. Dead bodies were ordered to be thrown out of carriages at stops.’
After many days they reached the outskirts of the virgin taiga, on the Aldana River in Jakutia. The author in Chapter VII et seq. shows the drama of displaced people in inhuman land and highly hard work in the North-East Labour Camp "Siewwostlag". By prisoners, the Yakutia area was called the Damned Island, where the winter lasted as long as 8 months. It was characterized by mediocre vegetation, harsh climate, highly low temperatures reaching respective twelve degrees below zero. They even worked below 53 degrees. The author emphasizes that in the communist strategy it did not substance much, due to the fact that prisoners were treated as slaves destined for exploitation and then destruction. Mortality was enormous, and the experience of surviving in the ellipse was bordered on a miracle. These prisoners who survived compared their stay in labour camps to the Auschwitz concentration camp after the war. The author writes: “A flashy, horrible death: gas! – slow rotting and a body falling from the bone: a snigger! Red crematorium and white! The work camps in Kołyma were kind of the equivalent of German gas selection.”
They were directed to logging trees in the taiga. The work was very hard, grueling and dangerous. In the spring, part of Poles was moved to the construction of the Cadicchan–Chandyg road, which was called the “Road on the Bones, due to the fact that thousands of exiles died during its construction, whose bodies were buried in a embankment of the road. Galasiński, who became a foreman, worked on building this road of degradation and death. The author in Chapter X and the following describes working and surviving conditions, They were doing slave work on hunger due to the fact that they received a kilo of bread and nettle soup or beet leaves for a day. Many of the exiles died of starvation and exhaustion, and were "staying" on construction forever, or embankment of the road was their grave. Unfortunately, the criminals of russian Gulag did not endure punishment and the drama of thousands of exiles and the death of many of them is not known to the people not only in Poland but to the world's public. The victims of communist genocide should be spread globally, the author emphasizes. At the same time, he points out that Poles sent to Siberia “understanded that if they always want to see their loved ones again, they could not uncover their patriotic feelings and attachment to Polish spiritual traditions to russian barbarians [...] They carried Poland in their hearts. Though the forests tried to bury them, though the famine hollowed them out—they survived due to the fact that they did not forget who they were.” Life in all camp was a nightmare that there was a conflict all day for endurance between terrorized, innocent people and the russian regime.
Chapters XII and XIII of the author devoted to changing the situation of Polish exiles, which changed after the 3rd Reich invasion to the russian Union 22 VI 1941 and after signing the Sikorski-Majski agreements of 30 VII 1941. Under this arrangement, all Poles surviving in Russia as a consequence of amnesty regained their freedom. The russian government agreed to make the Polish Army on its territory. In VIII 1941, his creations began in Buzułuk Tatischev and Tockoje. General Władysław Anders was the commander. He recalls: “When I joined the formation of the army, from all sides of the russian Union erstwhile prisoners and exiles began to be drawn to the place of the first units. They frequently had thousands of miles to travel, and many difficulties were overcome by authorities who did not do loyally the arrangement. As long as we were within the borders of the USSR, mediocre people, covered with rags, pursued all day by the remnants of strength and health. They had 2 years of humiliation and slavery, forced labour beyond force, the sight of the death of their loved ones, thousands of kilometers from their homes and home country, in an atmosphere of moral panic that denied them the right to their own nationality, religion, civilization. These people had the impression that they had come out of hell, of which the existence of which on earth, raised in a civilized country, had no thought before. And that was not the end of the victims [...]’.
Envoys arrived at the Army Formation Centers and wrote: "They looked like "black despair": pale, swollen, eaten by scurvy, marked with frost, exhausted by hunger, twisted by the guest and sciatica, covered with ulcers, scratched to the blood, with swollen legs, with defrosted fingers, hundreds of hernias – from the wheelbarrows, from the cold blocks, from the mines – with hands and legs broken, folded unfavourably, crooked, with distorted chests, cracked ribs, with blood poisoned malaria".
Not all Poles were able to scope General Anders' created army, which was evacuated to Iran in 2 stages by IX 1942. In turn, the Katyń case served the russian government to break diplomatic relations with Poland on 25 IV 1943. The consequence of this was that the exiles removed their restored Polish citizenship and imposed russian citizenship and the refusal to accept it was treated as an act hostile to that country.
The survivors for the exiles were recruitment to the army created by the Union of Polish Patriots in the form of 1 DP of T. Kościuszko. Jerzy Galasiński reached 1 of the recruitment points, which was directed to the forming division. He recalls “I was going to Sielc with mixed feelings about the nature of the army organized by Polish communists, but I had no another choice” . This was the way of returning to his homeland and another exiles, who began a journey to the created division on 12 May 1943.
In Sielce, the 1st T. Kościuszko DP, consisting of veterans from: the planet War I possessive army, soldiers from the interwar period, participants of the 1939 war and people without military preparation, began. Women from whom a battalion of physicists was formed were besides accepted into this division. shortly they became all soldiers, and as the author writes, “the release of Polish uniforms took the form of a spiritual ceremony. Soldiers picked them up and left in devotional focus. On that day they went into the working corner of the denim. Everything that lived in the division was dressed in celebration." Weapons were shortly received and military training began. Many soldiers had doubts whether it was the Polish division, due to the fact that there was a chaplain missing.
Chapter XV and others were devoted to the formation of 1 DP im. T. Kościuszko, The critical author evaluates her commander Zygmunt Berling. We read: “He was the 1 who commanded in the conflict of Lenino, during which the underequipped and not full trained soldiers went to the slaughter only to prove to the planet that the army created by Stalin, not by the Western Allies, was fighting Germany.
He was the 1 who strengthened and sanctioned the Katyn lie in the military. Hoping in Stalin, who promoted him to the rank of general, he did not announcement that he was just a puppet. However, this did not prevent him from building a legend, he was going to break his orders and drop the army to aid the Warsaw Uprising. However, he did not break orders, and one more time for propaganda purposes he sacrificed the lives of his subordinates.
Delegated to Lublin, he approved death sentences for “political” crimes on his own soldiers. specified conduct is no another than betrayal and collaboration.” The other is the assessment of Fr Wilhelm Kupza [chapter XVIII], who joined the opposition movement in the Puzicze area in Polesie, where he was a vicar. At the same time, as a dental technician, he rushed with the aid of the local population. He enjoyed respect and her approval. Accused of assisting guerrillas, he was arrested in May 1942 by the Gestapo and imprisoned in an investigative detention in Baranowice. Subjected to a violent investigation, he did not break down, and vice versa, assisted the prisoners mentally. He was sentenced to death by an Austrian who led the priest out of prison. He then joined the russian guerrilla branch of Colonel Vasilev, where he became an orderly and indeed a dentist. From inspiration, Stalin was drawn to Moscow in V 1943 and directed towards the chaplain to the division. The author rightly points out that many soldiers were not convinced that he was a priest, although he met with them in subunits. The author writes. It was everywhere, unfortunately, taken coolly and distrustfully. The priest tried to understand. He knew he had to gain his trust. These people have experienced much falsehood, humiliation, and intolerance in their lives, and it must have been a long time before they opened their hearts. This was besides the case of the presence of russian officers in the army, which besides in the future, erstwhile fresh units were formed, there were many.”
Fr. Kubsz did not resent the distrust of soldiers due to the fact that after 2 months he won their heart. He was promoted to the rank of major and on 15 VII 1943 after the Holy Mass was celebrated he took an oath from the command of the division and soldiers of the 3 infantry regiments, the artillery regiment, the tank regiment, auxiliary troops, the sanitary battalion, the women's battalion, the independent air squadron.
In the following weeks, intensive combat training took place in sub-units, which was besides attended by Fr Major Kubsz. On September 1, 1943, the division began regrouping into the Wiaźma area. In the fresh centering area, soldiers continued training among them promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and appointed as Company Commander Jerzy Galasiński. They have besides been introduced to the fresh rules of tactics and combat activities. On 23 September 1943, the division began a march towards the front. During the march, command received 1 X 195=43 an order for subordinate commander of the 33rd Army-Gen, Colonel Vasily Nikolaevich Gord. In the area occupied by the 33rd Army, the command of the West Front did not plan to invade but only to bind enemy forces by faking the attack [Chapter XXI].
Another chapter XXII was devoted by the author to discussing the task before the conflict of Lenino and the course of the battle. He pointed out that the army commander disregarded German forces and considered them beaten and demoralized. He ordered General Berling on 7 X 1943 to scope full combat readiness at 8:00 p.m. on 11 X 1943. The mission of the division was to break the German defence towards the villages of Połzuchy, Trygubów and Puniszcze. Upon returning from the Berling Army staff, he ordered the division to decision to the exit areas until the attack. The soldiers had already been exhausted by long marches, and to their designated positions they passed respective twelve miles. The way was messy; columns of individual divisions were mixed. They've let me know about their training gaps.
The author points out that prior to the conflict no scheduled reconnaissance was carried out and no marshy and wet valley of the Mierei River was recognized, which had a crucial impact on the course of the conflict On the eve of the conflict by General Gordov's command, artillery preparation was shortened and the artillery shaft was reduced. respective hours before the attack, more than 25 soldiers on the enemy side informed the Germans about the planned attack of the division. The consequences of these decisions were tragic. On 12 X 1943, the division went to the attack, and in fact its main forces, namely the 1st and 2nd PP, suffered advanced losses. The author points out that Polish forces not only suffered advanced losses from German aviation and its artillery, but besides from russian artillery, which covered “the positions occupied by Poles with fire. And so the Junkers' work of demolition completes the terribly effective catius.” In this conflict fought on 12 and 13 X 1943, the division's losses amounted to 3054 soldiers [killed, wounded, missing]. For decades, the public was told. that the defeat at Lenino was a triumph and on 12 October the Polish Army Day was established.
Chapter XXIII dedicated the Author to fighting on the way from Lenino to Warsaw. It was developed on the basis of the notes, notes and letters of Jerzy Galasiński and the memories of soldiers from this division. After the fight at Lenino, the soldiers moved westward to enter Polish lands. They achieved this goal in 1944. The author writes “. erstwhile they entered Polish soil, everyone fell on their knees and kissed her like a mother. Who of them, wandering, thought he would always walk on Polish soil? There is no information on whether the author had taken into account the Polish border before 1939 or which Stalin imposed in 1939. The fact is that the population not only welcomed the soldiers on her march way to the vicinity of Warsaw with flowers.
On 1 VIII, 1944, an uprising broke out in Warsaw, which was a political decision, due to the fact that the analysis of the German and German forces and the site did not confirm the rightness of the decision to detonate it. It was essential to wait for the improvement of russian activities [catching the right bank of the Vistula - which occurred in the mediate of September] or the deep wing of the capital. Nor was surprise achieved, due to the fact that at 4:30 p.m. the command of the Warsaw garrison declared an alarm.
The insurgents fought Nazi forces, but did not receive adequate aid from the Allies, while Stalin refused to give it. In the beginning of September, Stalin instructed to lead a limited attack with part of the 1st Belarusian Front forces, in order to avoid charges by the Allies and Polish society that he did not supply assistance to the insurgents. On the night of 13 to 14 September, the Soviets made the first airdrop for insurgents, which lasted until 1 October [about 150 tons of supplies and combat equipment were dropped].
On September 10, the Prague-Warsaw operation began. It was attended by the 1st DP. Prague was captured at night from 14th to 15th September. The company of Lieutenant Jerzy Galasiński participated in these fights, which then crossed the Vistula River and participated in the battles together with the insurgents. The author writes: “The crossing through the Vistula to aid the uprising was a lost mission—by order given in Moscow by the russian dictator, they were sent to almost certain death. The operation was badly planned, it was rushed and inept. The landing organization on boats and dinghys was under dense German fire. The support from russian artillery and aviation was far insufficient, the enemy had a crushing advantage. On the left bank of Vistula, about 2 1000 "berlingers" were able to break through. any of the troops were there without command and communication, and they were dispersed.”
Gen Berling. At the end, he ordered troops to retreat to the right bank of the Vistula. The soldiers crossed what they could, utilized boards, wooden furniture parts, etc. With the aid of about 2,500 soldiers, only about 400 survived. The uprising fell on October 2. The Russians allowed the Germans to do the work of destruction, and the Vistula did not cross until January 1945.
In the final chapter, the author focused on discussing the fights for Warsaw on 17 I 1945. The fewer German forces remaining in the city were broken up. They were attended by Mr Jerzy Galasiński, who described his first impressions of liberated Warsaw:
“My company marched through the streets of the city. The smoke chambers wrapped up the remains of broken buildings, staggered along the rubble of collapsed streets, penetrated through broken windows to the interiors that happily survived. This was a macabre sight which was bestially demolished by fascists by the beautiful ongiś capital of Poland. profoundly shaken, slowly, the leg by ft we dragged in Marszałkowska and Jerozolimskie Avenues, jumping through bricks and bent iron. Around them were burning stumps.” Despite her demolition by the Germans, the Warsawians began returning to her. She presented a large cemetery of people and homes, lost over 800,000 inhabitants. The author only signalled the struggles on the Pomeranian Wała and on Kołobrzeg and Berlin.
Attention is drawn to the fact that the author complements historical events with colourful literary descriptions, especially nature, descriptions of cities or lives of residents. In a colorful way, it describes not only the equal, or home of the family, but the place of exile in Siberia and the fight of 1st DDP named after T. Kościuszko. It is worth reaching for this book, due to the fact that it is not a well-known passage of the past of our nation, especially for the young generation. At the same time, he draws attention to the author's talent for synthetic depiction of events from those tragic years. The author emphasizes a strong sense of neighbouring community, especially in Siberia, a sense of bond and religiousness, moral principles and especially patriotism. They've survived the hardest time of their lives.
He pays attention to the thoughtful plan and care in presenting historical events, although it is not a technological book. The author has excellent control not only over their presentation, but besides over language, dialogues, highly suggestive descriptions. He simply presented his literary talent in this and erstwhile books. He does not avoid critical assessments, even though General Berling. Notable is the author's creative potential, which revealed his literary talent only after retiring, in the 21st century.
The reviewed work is the culmination of the author's collection of materials for many years. The work has a chronological arrangement and covers the period of the 20th century The chronological structure of the work enabled the author to carefully analyse events from those years, i.e. from the period II of the Polish Republic and business The work is addressed to a wide audience, but in the first place to young people, to learn about the tragic destiny of the nation in the years of planet War II and its patriotic attitude.
The concept of work adopted by the author raises no objections, although any chapters can be combined. The presented way of presenting facts allows the reader to decision freely in the subject. This way of presenting the experiences of the Galasiński household and, in principle, George, allows to get a young reader, for whom events from those years are only history. A story, but presented in an highly interesting way, which will affect the Reader in the developing plot, and thus stimulates not only emotions, but besides leads to independent assessments.
Work has cognitive and documentary value. It should be stressed that the main advantage of this is the ability to present events in an highly interesting way, involving the Reader in learning an crucial fragment of Polish history. It's perfectly written, being impartial. Attention is drawn to the carefulness of the facts. Written with large care, even perfect, and all conviction is profoundly thought out. An interesting way of narrating makes each chapter read with large interest due to the fact that it draws into the developing plot. At the same time, they lead to same - reasoning and investigation.
The author presented a image of everyday life in Volyn, in exile in Siberia and in 1st IDP. T. Kościuszko, and at the same time the drama of Poles on "inhuman land" and panic and persecution of everything Polish by the Soviets. Their endurance in Polishness and life consist of the real past of Poland.
This improvement becomes an interesting and useful reading, especially as all mytho-creations make without regulation and confusion. For some, even individual, subjectively selected facts, frequently after a ‘road’ distorted to the limits of nonsense, are adequate to present individual as a ‘hero’ or ‘traitor’. It is besides not possible to ignore more or little technological studies, which the authors did not search to bring about in an nonsubjective way, but wrote about the request for a policy option. The fact is that the latest developments are always the subject of the strongest disputes and discussions. Among the problems peculiarly “hot” are the assessment of Gen. Z. Berling, or the conflict of Lenino. The author took a uniform position, consistent with the views of a large number of historians. At the same time, he emphasized the appearance of personality, especially George, and average human qualities. It is simply a witness to his destiny and Poles in an highly hard period of history, possibly after the publication of this book, there will be a debate on the critical assessment of any people and events, and historians will take this subject without a uncertainty hard in all respect. The time now seems to have come for more calm and balanced assessments. Today, it takes books specified as the author's work to save the memory of authentic heroism and love seen as a basic and simple work of faithfulness to the law of love of God, Homeland and Man. actual and sincere love, but without triumphism and words without cover. At the end of the presentation of this valuable monograph, I would like to point out that it is written highly interestingly and stylistically almost perfectly,
