Figure 1.--. |
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The German invasion (September 1) resulted in the death and injury of large numbers of civilians and huge material loss destroying thousands of dwelings and business estanishments. This was caused by both Luftwaffe bombing of cities as well as artillery shelling. Both Jews and non-Jews suffered, but in many Jewish neighborhooda and buildings were specifically targeted. The German military operations resulted in the death of an estimated 20,000 Jews (September 1939). Material damage was also substantial. Large areas of Warsaw were destroyed, including about 30 percent of the Jewish-owned buildings. The Germans destroyed or burned whole Jewish neighborhoods. Some 50,000 Jewish homes, factories, workshops, and stores were destroyed in about 120 Jewish communities. In some of these communities, nearly all the nouses were destroyed. Many were burned. The German invasion created a massive wave of refugees, but they had few options because the Germans attacked from the north, west, and south. Escape through Danzig because the German launched the campaign there with salvos from the Schleswig-Holstein and quickly seized the port. Hundreds of thousands of Poles moved east and even after the Soviet invasion, attempted to reach the Soviet zone. The refugees included both Jews and non-Jews. Many that succeed in reaching the Soviet zone were were sent to labor camps. Others attempted to reach either Lithuania or Romania. The Polish Government fled to Romania and then on to Paris where it set up a government in exile. After Poland's surrender, NAZI officials in the Government General dragged Jews from their homes and drove them into the Soviet occupation zone. Some were killed by the SS on the way. At times the Soviets allowed them to enter. Thousands were reportedly killed trying to cross the Bug River, shot by both Russian and German troops. [Gilbert, pp. 285-286.] Refugees within the German occupation zone flocked to Warsaw and other cities cereating a humanitarian disaster. It is at this point that the NAZI confiscation measures stripped mpre Jews of their property, including homes creating more refugees and leaving the Jews who had not yet become refugees with few resources to assist the refugees. One pitifully small number of Jews who escaped was the Tehran children. `
The German invded Poland (September 1). It was the beginning of World War II. Three days later Vritain and Framnce deckared war on Germany. Hitler was noyt intending to start World War II, he simply wanted to desroy Polans and seize its territory. He did not think Britain and France would go to war over Poland. The rest of Europe remained neutral. The Soviet Union invaded Poland (September 17) , but remained legaly neutral. Britain and Framve did not declare war on the Soviets. The Soviets while legally neutral has sined an allince with the NAZIS (August 1939). And they proceeded to supply the NAZIS with vast quantities of oil, grains and other needed strategic materials.
The German invasion resulted in the death and injury of large numbers of civilians and huge material loss destroying thousands of dwelings and business estanishments. This was caused by both Luftwaffe bombing of cities as well as artillery shelling.Wasaw in particukarwas devestated.
Both Jews and non-Jews suffered, but in many Jewish neighborhooda and buildings were specifically targeted. The German military operations resulted in the death of an estimated 20,000 Jews (September 1939). Material damage was also substantial. Large areas of Warsaw were destroyed, including about 30 percent of the Jewish-owned buildings. The Germans destroyed or burned whole Jewish neighborhoods. Some 50,000 Jewish homes, factories, workshops, and stores were destroyed in about 120 Jewish communities. In some of these communities, nearly all the nouses were destroyed. Many were burned.
The German invasion created a massive wave of refugees, but accyrates counts are unavailable. Poles had few iptions escaping the vice if the Geran Wheremancht and Soviet Red Army, so it was refufees largely contained within occupied Poloand. In many ways they are probably more accurately described as deportees. Poles had few iptions because the Germans attacked from the north, west, and south. And the Soviers attacked from the east. Danzig was the country's only port, but Escape through Danzig was impossible because the German launched the campaign there with salvos from theheavy cruiser Schleswig-Holstein and quickly seized the port. The Baltic countries clised their birders. Some Jews managed to escape theough KLithuania, but the Sob=viets seized the all three Blatic Republics (June 1940). The Gerans had occu=pied Czechoslovakia. Some Poles git out through Romania, but the Germans wuicklu=y brought that country under its control. The major refugee movement was Poles the Germnans uprooted from wesrern Poland whuch it abnwxed and forced into the Geberal Government (GG). Poles in the GG strugked to offer even muniimal assistance to these these desperate prople. Few tried to escape into the Soviet ovvipirf eastern zome. Poles and Soviets had becone fervebt ebenoes as a resuklt of the Polish Soviet War (1919-21), the Soviet effort to regain controlm of Poland. (The Soviets after World War I tried to regain control of all territory of the former Russian Empire. Jews did attemot to escape the western NAZI zone. We are not sure just how many tried we are not sure. One source claims taht hundreds of thousands of Poles moved east to escape the NAZIs onslaught. For more than 2 weeks, eastern Poland was still inoccupies, The NAZIs knowing that the Red Army was about to strike afcanced largely in the west. The refugees included both Jews and non-Jews, but the Jews in particular were involved, desperate to escape the NAZIs. The Soviets after they invaded attempted to stop the refugee movenent, actually firing on refugee groups trying to cross the demarcatinn line. One source reports that many refugees Poles who were succeed in reaching the Soviet zone were were sent to labor camps. We are not sure how accurate this is. At times the Soviets allowed them to enter. Thousandsof Jews were reportedly killed trying to cross the Bug River, shot by both Russian and German troops. [Gilbert, pp. 285-86.])
The Polish Government fled to Romania and then on to Paris where it set up a government in exile. Umlike the Allies, the GIE in London saw both the NAZIs and Soviers as invaders and ftom the beginning received reports of terrible attrooties in bith the NAZI and Soviet occuoatiin zones.
The fighting was over in onlyna month. Than deprtationd=ns began. Both the Soviers and NAZIs pursued a policy of mass rrests and deportations. THe NAZIs annexed western Poland and began expelling Poles and almost all Jews into the General Government (GG), cfntral Poland, replacing them with the Germans that had been orders out of the Baltics--Hone to the Reich.
The Soviets also deported large numbers of Poles, probably more than amillion people. Some were sent to mlabor camps. families were deprted into Central Asia and Siberia under horific circumstance. No preparations were vmadevin the places where they were sent. Many of the deportees perished. Both the NAZIs and Soviets began shooting groups like politicans, authots, intelectuals governmentbofficals, and others seen as national, leaders. The goal of both was to destroy Poland as a nation. . was, but we do know that the Soviets not onlybshot many Poles, but sent others to labor camps or deprted them to Cebtral Asia. Our assessment, was that these were Poles seen as hostile to the Soviers more than refugees.
during World War, the Gemans created the Genral Government (GG) to govern the area of Pokad seized from the Russians, including Warsaw. After Poland's surrender, the NAZIs restabloshed the GG in theareas of occupoed Poland not annexed. They dis nit call in Poland because the objectbwas to destoy the Polish state and eventually as part of Generalplan Ost the Polish people. One source reports that NAZI officials in the Government General dragged Jews from their homes and drove them into the Soviet occupation zone. Some were killed by the SS on the way.86.] Refugees within the German occupation zone flocked to Warsaw and other cities cereating a humanitarian disaster. It is at this point that the NAZI confiscation measures stripped more Jews of their property, including homes creating more refugees and leaving the Jews who had not yet become refugees with few resources to assist the refugees.
The German invasion and bombing created chaos. Epidemics, starvationvfollowed. NAZI actions against the Jews resulted in large numbers of orpjaned chilkdrem. The sutuation was different in theeast. The Polisg Gob=vernmentbordered the Arny not to resust the Soviets. Many children were orphaned or separated from their parents. Thesechildren were forced into ghettos that began to be forned. Unaccompanied children began dying in large numbers without oarents to protect them. In the Soviet Zoine, there was some effort to care for the children. Tgey wwre placd in varius shelters and orph=hanages. The Jewisg chikdren were not separated.
The Germans struck the Soviet Uniin in the largest invasion in history (June 22, 1941). Stalin had comvinvded himsekf that an invasion was nit iminent. The German Wehrmacht advanced araidly in border areas, at first enciuntering little organized resistance. One sources suggests that "thousands of Polish Jews were sent deeper into the interior of the Soviet Union". We are not sure that was the case. Clise to the birder therevwas no tine to do this. Further East the oriority was tonger indudtry band industrial workers into safe areas ti=o the east. More children were separated from their families.
The NAZIs and Soviets after invading Poland, paritioned Poland (September 1939). This was provided for under the terms of the NAZI-Soviet Non-Agression Pact. Both countries launched a horific occupation designed to destroy not only the country, but the very notion of Polish nationality. Polish leaders and the iunteligensia were arrested and many executed in an effort to ensure that Poland would never again become a nation. The NAZIs pursued this policy throughout the War. Soviet policy changed after the NAZI invasion (June 1941). Faced with the rapidly advamcing NAZI Wehrmacht, Stalin decidedvto make peace with the PolisgbGovernment in exile (July 1941).
Stalin in the desperate situatiin now saw the Poles as possible allies. The Germans rapidly occupied the Soviet eastern zone of pre-War Poland, but the Soviets had large numbers of Poles, both POWS and civilians deported from Poland as part of the process of suppressing Polish resistance. The Soviet Government signed an agreement with the London-based Polish Government in exile--the Sikorski-Maisky agreement. This invalidated the border arrangenents negotiated with the Germans (July 30, 1941). The agreement also changed the status of the Poles detained in the Soviet Union. The Sovietst released tens of thousands of Polish (POWs) which were being killed and brutalized in Soviet Labor and POW Camps (August 1941). They were given the choice of joining the Red Army or a Polish national army being formed on Soviet soil -- Anders Army named for its commander, General Wladyslaw Anders.
Władysław Anders commanded the Nowogródzka Cavalry Brigade at the time the Germans invaded Poland (Seoember 1939). He immediately went into action, participating in the Battle of Mława. with the the collapse of the Polish Northern Front, his Brigade withdrew toward Warsaw. They fought a heavy actions around Minsk Mazowiecki and in the second phase of the Battle of Tomaszów Lubelski. After Soviet invasion (September 17), Anders retreated south in the direction of Lwów (Lviv), hoping to reach Hungary or Romanian border to reach the West. He was wounded by Red Army units and captured (September 29). He was incarcerated in Lwów and then moved to the Lubyanka prison in Moscow (February 29, 1940.). He was interrogated, tortured, and urged to join the Red Army.[Sarner, p. 10.]
After the launch of Barbarossa and the signing of the Polish-Soviet Agreement, the Soviets released Anders along with the other Polish POWs. Initially Stalin invisioned Anders leading a force fighting alongside the Red Army on the Eastern Front. This did not work out. Conflict with the Soviet officials on a range of political issues including the where abouts of large numbers of Polish officers known to be in Soviet hands as well as te Soviet to properly equip and arm his men, led to Anders and the London Poles demanding the evacuation of Anders' men to the West. Only the desperate situatiin Stalin foud himself in led to his allowing this. Far mnore Poles joinrd Anders than had been anticioated.. In additiin to the POWs, large numves of Polish civilians had been deported to the Soviet Union. Many saw the evacuatiin of Anders Army through the Persian Corridor as their only oppority to scape Soviet captivity. As a result, they did their best to tag along with the soldiers. The Soviets, however, provided no supplies and trabsport for cuvikians. Anders men did theirbbest to assust the cuvikuans who included chikdren. The evacuation was conducted (March 1942) was based on the British-Soviet-Polish understanding. An epic movement from Central Asia endued, some of it on foot. They made their way to Iean and then through Iraq to Brtish Palestine Mandate. Here they came under British command. Anders formed and led the Polish 2nd Corps. He continued to work for the release of Polish nationals still in the Soviet Union. As the military situation on the Eastern Front changed in favor of the Red Army, Stalin refised tograbtba ecind opportunuty.
After the German invasion of the Soviet Union, Iran took on considerable stratgic importance. (Shah) Reza Shah Pahlavi maintained Iranian neutralit, but was seen as leaning toward the Germams. British and Soviet troops jointly occupied Iran (August 1941) and forced the Shah to abducate in favor of his son, Mohammed Reza Pahlavi. Given the circumstances of the Anglo-Soviet occupation, the new Shah was prepared to cooperate with the Allies. Iran was imprtant fir two reasons. First was the country's oil resource. Second was aneed for a route to deliver Amerivan Kend Lease supplies to the Soviet Union. This supply route became known as the Persian/Iranian Corridor. Units of the Polish Anders Army deployed to the Iranian port of Pahlavi (Bandar-e Anzali).
The Polish cvilans who got out if Sivuer caitivity with Abders Army included both Christain and Jewish children. Thevcivilans had to make sone of the trek on fo=oo. And the Soviets did not supply food and clothing. Some of the surviving Poles were allowed to leave through Iran. Some 18,000 of the surviving Polish children managed to reach Iran. Many were girls. We are not sure why that was, probably many teenage boys manged to join the Army. Not all of them were orphans. Some had parents, but had become separated. The condition of the children was especially desperate. They were terribly emaciated and dangerously malnourished. Orphanages were immediately set up in Pahlavi, Tehran, and Ahvaz to deal with the children on an emergency basis. The first major orphanage was opened in Mashhad and was operated by an order of Christian nuns (March 12, 1942). The children at this orphanage were mostly those who had been transported overland by trucks. Authorities chose Isfahan as the principal center to care for the Polish children, especially the younger ones under age 7 years. The first children arrived April 10. The pleasant surroundings and healthy air of this beautiful Iranian city were seen as a kind of sanatorium where the children could have a better chance of recovering their physical and mental health. The British and American provided emergency aid supplies. The Red Cross was very active. The local people in a charitable spirit welcomed the children. I
Iran was the only available gateway out of the Soviet Union for the Poles deported by the NKVD (1939-41). Ideally they could have used the Trans-Siberian Railyway. Stalin did not permit this even though trains moving east usually had plenty of space availavle. These were people that he was not all that excited to allow out of the Soviet Union haaving deported them from Poland. They were a suspect group. The only way out was to walk and with the Germans to the west and the Arctic Ocean to the north, the only way out of the Soviet Uniomn was south through Iran. It was was only exit point and a rare outlet for the many different people deported by the NKVD. Iran was never to be a permanent haven. When thy began arriving in Iran (1942), shipping was at a premium for priority military transport. As war conditions gradually improved and American Liberty ships added to the allied merchant fleet, transport became available. Ships carrying Lend Lease supplies to the Soviet Union arrived in Irania ports full and generally left empty. As a result, the Polish refugees in Iran were gradully relocated. This included many children. D.P camps were opened in British colonies and Dominions: India, New Zealand, Tanganyika (modern Tanzania), and the United Kingsom itself. Mexico took in some of the children. As a result the U.S. Coast Guard got involved in moving the children to safety. The major exit port from Iran was Ahvaz near the port of Basra in Iraq. The port had been modernized and expanded by the United states. An area of the city is still called Campolu from Camp Polonia. The last children departed Ahvaz (June 10, 1944). The last transport of orphans overland left Isfahan for Lebanon (October 12, 1945).
After the German invasion of the Soviet Union (June 1941), British and Polish rekations with the Soviet Union changd dramatically. A Polish-Soviet Agreement change the circumstance under which Poles were being held by the soviets. The British and Jews in Palestine began sending relief supplies to the Poles being held in the Soviet Union, often in terrible conditions and arrangements were made for Poles who desired to leave the Soviet Union. This only became possible after the Soviets and Britain intervened in Iran (August 1941). The Arabs in Palestine had no interest in assisting the Poles. The Jews did. This newspaper after an agreement was reached between the British and Soviet Governmebts February 1, 1942, describes the effort in Palestine. "The Soviet and the British governments have reached an agreement under which Palestine inhabitants will be able to send packages of food and clothing duty-free to the Polish citizens now stranded in Soviet Russia as refugees, it was learned here today. The packages will have to be transmitted through the Red Cross in Palestine and their weight is not to exceed five kilos, about twelve and a half pounds. It was also learned here today that the Soviet authorities have permitted the first group of 600 Polish and Jewish children from the parts of Poland formerly occupied by the Soviet armies to proceed to Palestine. The children have lost their parents or were separated from them during the war and were being cared for in Soviet child-welfare institutions. They are expected to reach Palestine within the coming fortnight. A report reaching Polish circles here today by cable from Moscow states that Mrs. Sommerstein, the wife of the leader of the Jewish fraction in the Polish, parliament, has been released from Soviet internment and is now in Bukhara. The whereabouts of her husband are still unknown. Similarly the whereabouts of the famous Bobover Rebbe who was interned by the Soviets as a Polish citizen, has not yet been ascertained." ['Soviet permits ...'] The article is notable for the obvious glossing over the fact that Poles were in the Soviet Union because Stalin invaded Poland as a NAZI ally and like the NAZIs brutally supressed the Polish people. While many Poles (mostly the women and girls) stayed in Iran for the duration.' Others were relocated in various British colonies (India, Palestine, New Zealand, and British Africa) as well as in Mexico. Many of the military age men and many boys wanted to join the fight against the Germans. This meant traveling from Iran to Egypt which was apparently done through Palestine. The first Polish refugees fromthe Soviet Union raeched Palestine (summer 1942). They were boys and some girls (aged 14 to 18 years) who were members of a scout organization formed by the Polish Army. This was in part a subterfuge so he children would qualigy for Soviet rations. The Scout transports reaching Palestine, were directed to Camp Bashit. They were divided into groups and began their education, including military training. The older boys could eventually transfer to Anders Army which became the reconstituted Polish Army. Two schools were established for them for instruction in Polih (August 1942). One school was for the younger children (aged 8 –15 years) and the other for the older children. Classes began (September 1, 1942). These Polish schools operated in Palestine until the British began to leave (1947). Some 1,632 students attended. Other Polish schools were opened in Egypt (Tall al Kabir and Heliopolis). There were 26 schools opened for Polish refugee children in the Near East during the War.
Gilbert, Martin. A History of the Twentieth Century Vol. 2 1933-54 (William Morrow and Company, Inc.: New York, 1998), 1050p.
Sarner, Harvey. General Anders and Soldiers of the Polish II Corps. (Brunswick Press: 2006).
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