What did the Russians do to the Polish?
Soviet troops also executed all the Polish officers they captured at the Battle of Szack on 28 September 1939. The NKVD killed 22,000 Polish military personnel and civilians in the Katyn massacre. Torture was widely used by the NKVD in various prisons, especially in small towns.
How did Communism affect Poland?
In post-1989 democratic Poland, declared communists have had a minimal impact on the political and economical life of the country and are ostracized. However, former communists, including members of the Politburo of the PZPR, remained active on the political scene after the transition to liberal democracy.
Why were Polish people deported to Siberia?
Stalin wanted to destroy eastern Poland and absorb it into the Soviet Union, so he confiscated land, property and businesses, and deported over 1.5 million Polish people to slave labour camps in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and the Arctic Circle.
What side was Poland on in ww2?
On 1 September 1939, Poland was invaded by Nazi Germany. Britain and France, bound by military alliances with Poland, declared war on Germany two days later.
When was Poland under communist rule?
The history of Poland from 1945 to 1989 spans the period of communist rule imposed over Poland after the end of World War II.
What was the movement in Poland that led to the fall of communism there?
The reform movement that ended communism in East Central Europe began in Poland. Solidarity, an anti-Communist trade union and social movement, had forced Poland’s Communist government to recognize it in 1980 through a wave of strikes that gained international attention.
How did the Soviet Union influence the Polish people?
The Soviet Union used this internationally recognized influence to foist communism and a single party political structure upon Poland, regardless of the will of the people. However, the will of the Polish people did manifest itself in the various strikes and riots that took place throughout Poland during the communist period.
What happened to Poland during the Nazi occupation?
Throughout the entire course of the occupation, the territory of Poland was divided between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union (USSR) both of which intended to eradicate Poland’s culture and subjugate its people.
Who was persecuted by the Soviet government in eastern Poland?
In Eastern Poland, controlled by the Soviet Union, the middle and upper classes of society were persecuted by the Soviet government, including the massacre of 22,000 Polish military officers ordered by Soviet premier, Joseph Stalin.
When was the last territorial exchange between Poland and the USSR?
The last Polish–Soviet territorial exchange took place in 1951. Some 480 km 2 (185 sq mi) of land along the border were swapped between Poland and the Soviet Union. The Constitution of the Polish People’s Republic was promulgated in July 1952 and the state officially became the Polish People’s Republic (PRL).