Anti-communist resistance in Poland (1944–1946)

Anti-communist resistance in Poland (1944–1946) was a period of armed and political opposition by segments of Polish society against the imposition of a communist regime backed by the Soviet Union. Following the Red Army's advance into Polish territories in 1944, the Polish government-in-exile and its underground state structures, which had fought Nazi Germany throughout World War II, refused to recognize the new Polish Committee of National Liberation (PKWN) installed in Lublin. This resistance, often termed the cursed soldiers, sought to preserve Poland's independence and was met with intense persecution by the emerging security apparatus.

Background and origins

The roots of the post-war resistance lie in the geopolitical agreements of the Tehran Conference and the Yalta Conference, where the Western Allies conceded Soviet dominance over Eastern Europe. As the Red Army pushed the Wehrmacht west in 1944, it facilitated the creation of the communist Polish Committee of National Liberation in Lublin, which rivaled the legitimate Polish government-in-exile in London. The Warsaw Uprising of 1944, crushed by the Germans while the Soviets halted their advance, demonstrated the deep distrust between the Polish Underground State and Joseph Stalin. Following the liberation of Poland, the Home Army was officially dissolved in January 1945, but many soldiers, fearing arrest by the NKVD and the newly formed Polish secret police, refused to lay down their arms.

Major resistance organizations

The anti-communist underground was fragmented but comprised several significant groups originating from the wartime structures. The successor to the Home Army was NIE, formed in 1944, followed by the Delegation for Armed Forces and, most durably, the Freedom and Independence (WiN) organization, which focused on political and propaganda work. Right-wing nationalist forces, such as the National Armed Forces (NSZ) and the National Military Union (NZW), also continued their struggle. Other notable groups included the Polish People's Army of Łupaszko and the Holy Cross Mountains Brigade, operating in regions like the Białystok area and Pomerania.

Armed struggle and operations

Resistance activities ranged from propaganda and intelligence gathering for the Western world to direct armed combat. Partisan units engaged in attacks on Ministry of Public Security offices, UB prisons, and Citizens' Militia posts, as well as ambushes against Red Army and Polish People's Army patrols. Major operations included the Augustów roundup of 1945 and the battle to seize the Central Labour Camp in Jaworzno. Notable commanders like Zygmunt Szendzielarz, Józef Kuraś, and Hieronim Dekutowski led units in the Bieszczady Mountains, the Tatra Mountains, and Lublin Land. The resistance also carried out death sentences on officials and informants, such as the head of the Security Office in Kraków.

Repression by communist authorities

The communist authorities, backed by Soviet military and advisory power, launched a brutal campaign to eliminate the underground. The primary instruments were the Ministry of Public Security under Stanisław Radkiewicz, the Internal Security Corps, and the NKVD, which conducted large-scale pacification operations like the Augustów roundup. Mass arrests, torture, and show trials, such as the Trial of the Sixteen where leaders of the Polish Underground State were prosecuted, were common. The amnesty of 1945 was largely a trap, leading to the arrest of many who surfaced. Key resistance figures, including Witold Pilecki and Emil August Fieldorf, were executed after staged trials.

Aftermath and legacy

The organized resistance was largely broken by the end of 1947, following a second amnesty and intensified repression, though sporadic fighting continued into the early 1950s. The communist regime systematically suppressed the memory of the cursed soldiers, labeling them bandits and fascists in official propaganda. The legacy was revived after the fall of communism in 1989, leading to historical reassessment, state exhumations, and official commemorations. In 2011, Poland established the National Day of Remembrance of the "Cursed Soldiers", and institutions like the Institute of National Remembrance work to document this period. The resistance remains a potent symbol of the fight for Polish sovereignty against totalitarianism.