Government Delegate's Office at Home
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The Government Delegation for Poland was an agency of the Polish Government in Exile
during World War II
. It was the highest authority of the Polish Secret State
in occupied Poland and was headed by the Government Delegate for Poland, a de facto deputy Polish Prime Minister.
The Government Delegation for Poland was intended as a provisional government of Poland until the Exiled Polish Government
could safely return to a liberated Poland.
was never appointed. From 1942, power was consolidated and there was only one delegate, in the rank of deputy prime minister. He in turn had 6 deputies for each of the regions, whose responsibilities were further delegated to county
-level officers.
In July 1944 the delegate's three deputies were promoted to ministers, and a Home Council of Ministers (Krajowa Rada Ministrów) was created. The Home Council became the local counterpart of the Polish Government in Exile
.
The Delegation's political body was the Political Consultative Committee
(Polityczny Komitet Porozumiewawczy), a council comprising 4 main political parties. On March 21, 1943, it was renamed the Home Political Representation
(Krajowa Reprezentacja Polityczna) and became an underground coalition parliament, comprising members of the Polish Socialist Party
, National Party
, People's Party and Labor Party
. It became the controlling body of the Delegation and the Headquarters of the Home Army (Armia Krajowa). On January 9, 1944, it was turned into a Council of National Unity
(Rada Jedności Narodowej), the parliament
of underground Poland.
During Operation Tempest
, in 1944, the Council's local representatives and local Home Army commanders, as the representatives of the legitimate Polish government and the Polish Army, emerged from underground and welcomed the advancing Red Army
. Despite several instances of successful cooperation with the Soviet Union
, most of the Polish representatives and commanders were soon arrested by the NKVD
and sent to Russian prisons or to the GULag
.
During the Warsaw Uprising
, the central Government Delegation for Poland likewise came out of hiding and began acting officially as the Polish parliament in the liberated areas of Poland. After the Uprising's suppression, most of the Delegation's members left Warsaw with the civilian population and managed to evade the Germans. However, contact with local branches in Soviet- and German-occupied areas was broken.
In February 1945, the Government Delegate, most members of the Council of National Unity
, and the Home Army Commander-in-Chief were invited by Soviet General Ivan Sierov
to a conference on their eventual inclusion in the Soviet-backed Provisional Government. They were given safe conducts but were arrested by the NKVD
and brought to Moscow
, where they were tried in a staged Trial of the Sixteen
.
The Delegation was reconstructed and continued in its duties until disbanded on July 1, 1945.
Near the end of the war, Departments of Foreign Affairs and of War Matters were created, but they have not played any significant role.
Other notable units and bureaus included:
With regard to territorial structure, there were:
Polish government in Exile
The Polish government-in-exile, formally known as the Government of the Republic of Poland in Exile , was the government in exile of Poland formed in the aftermath of the Invasion of Poland of September 1939, and the subsequent occupation of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, which...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It was the highest authority of the Polish Secret State
Polish Secret State
The Polish Underground State is a collective term for the World War II underground resistance organizations in Poland, both military and civilian, that remained loyal to the Polish Government in Exile in London. The first elements of the Underground State were put in place in the final days of the...
in occupied Poland and was headed by the Government Delegate for Poland, a de facto deputy Polish Prime Minister.
The Government Delegation for Poland was intended as a provisional government of Poland until the Exiled Polish Government
Polish government in Exile
The Polish government-in-exile, formally known as the Government of the Republic of Poland in Exile , was the government in exile of Poland formed in the aftermath of the Invasion of Poland of September 1939, and the subsequent occupation of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, which...
could safely return to a liberated Poland.
History
Initially there were two delegates: one for the Polish areas annexed by Germany, and one for the General Gouvernment. A delegate for the Polish areas annexed by the Soviet UnionPolish areas annexed by the Soviet Union
Immediately after the German invasion of Poland in 1939, which marked the beginning of World War II, the Soviet Union invaded the eastern regions of the Second Polish Republic, which Poles referred to as the "Kresy," and annexed territories totaling 201,015 km² with a population of 13,299,000...
was never appointed. From 1942, power was consolidated and there was only one delegate, in the rank of deputy prime minister. He in turn had 6 deputies for each of the regions, whose responsibilities were further delegated to county
Powiat
A powiat is the second-level unit of local government and administration in Poland, equivalent to a county, district or prefecture in other countries. The term powiat is most often translated into English as "county", although other terms are also sometimes used...
-level officers.
In July 1944 the delegate's three deputies were promoted to ministers, and a Home Council of Ministers (Krajowa Rada Ministrów) was created. The Home Council became the local counterpart of the Polish Government in Exile
Polish government in Exile
The Polish government-in-exile, formally known as the Government of the Republic of Poland in Exile , was the government in exile of Poland formed in the aftermath of the Invasion of Poland of September 1939, and the subsequent occupation of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, which...
.
The Delegation's political body was the Political Consultative Committee
Political Consultative Committee
Political Consultative Committee was the beginning of the political arm of the Polish Secret State in occupied Poland during World War II. It was formed on 26 February 1940 by several Polish political parties continuing their activities underground...
(Polityczny Komitet Porozumiewawczy), a council comprising 4 main political parties. On March 21, 1943, it was renamed the Home Political Representation
Home Political Representation
Home Political Representation was the representation of the four major Polish political parties continuing their activities underground . It was the political arm of the Polish Secret State in occupied Poland during World War II...
(Krajowa Reprezentacja Polityczna) and became an underground coalition parliament, comprising members of the Polish Socialist Party
Polish Socialist Party
The Polish Socialist Party was one of the most important Polish left-wing political parties from its inception in 1892 until 1948...
, National Party
National Party (Poland)
Stronnictwo Narodowe was a Polish political party formed on 7 October 1928 after the transformation of National Populist Union. It gathered together most of the political forces of Poland's National Democracy right-wing political camp. SN was one of the main opponents of the Sanacja regime...
, People's Party and Labor Party
Stronnictwo Pracy
Stronnictwo Pracy was a Polish Christian democratic political party, active from 1937 in the Second Polish Republic and later part of the Polish government in exile. Its founder and main activist was Karol Popiel....
. It became the controlling body of the Delegation and the Headquarters of the Home Army (Armia Krajowa). On January 9, 1944, it was turned into a Council of National Unity
Council of National Unity
Rada Jedności Narodowej was the quasi-parliament of the Polish Underground State during World War II...
(Rada Jedności Narodowej), the parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
of underground Poland.
During Operation Tempest
Operation Tempest
Operation Tempest was a series of uprisings conducted during World War II by the Polish Home Army , the dominant force in the Polish resistance....
, in 1944, the Council's local representatives and local Home Army commanders, as the representatives of the legitimate Polish government and the Polish Army, emerged from underground and welcomed the advancing Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
. Despite several instances of successful cooperation with the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, most of the Polish representatives and commanders were soon arrested by the NKVD
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Joseph Stalin....
and sent to Russian prisons or to the GULag
Gulag
The Gulag was the government agency that administered the main Soviet forced labor camp systems. While the camps housed a wide range of convicts, from petty criminals to political prisoners, large numbers were convicted by simplified procedures, such as NKVD troikas and other instruments of...
.
During the Warsaw Uprising
Warsaw Uprising
The Warsaw Uprising was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance Home Army , to liberate Warsaw from Nazi Germany. The rebellion was timed to coincide with the Soviet Union's Red Army approaching the eastern suburbs of the city and the retreat of German forces...
, the central Government Delegation for Poland likewise came out of hiding and began acting officially as the Polish parliament in the liberated areas of Poland. After the Uprising's suppression, most of the Delegation's members left Warsaw with the civilian population and managed to evade the Germans. However, contact with local branches in Soviet- and German-occupied areas was broken.
In February 1945, the Government Delegate, most members of the Council of National Unity
Council of National Unity
Rada Jedności Narodowej was the quasi-parliament of the Polish Underground State during World War II...
, and the Home Army Commander-in-Chief were invited by Soviet General Ivan Sierov
Ivan Serov
State Security General Ivan Aleksandrovich Serov was a prominent leader of Soviet security and intelligence agencies, head of the KGB between March 1954 and December 1958, as well as head of the GRU between 1958 and 1963. He was Deputy Commissar of the NKVD under Lavrentiy Beria, and was to play a...
to a conference on their eventual inclusion in the Soviet-backed Provisional Government. They were given safe conducts but were arrested by the NKVD
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Joseph Stalin....
and brought to Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, where they were tried in a staged Trial of the Sixteen
Trial of the Sixteen
The Trial of the Sixteen was a staged trial of 16 leaders of the Polish Underground State held by the Soviet Union in Moscow in 1945.-History:Some accounts say approaches were made in February with others saying March 1945...
.
The Delegation was reconstructed and continued in its duties until disbanded on July 1, 1945.
Departments
The Delegation's activities encompassed all areas of organized society. It comprised 12 branches, roughly corresponding to the ministries of the Polish Government-in-Exile in London.- Internal Affairs
- Security of the Delegation
- Provisional AdministrationProvisional AdministrationProvisional Administration was one of the branches of the Department of Internal Affairs of the Government Delegate’s Office at Home in Poland during World War II....
- shadow administration to take over the administrational duties after liberation or during an all-national uprising - Państwowy Korpus BezpieczeństwaPanstwowy Korpus BezpieczenstwaPaństwowy Korpus Bezpieczeństwa was a Polish underground police force organized by the Armia Krajowa and Government Delegate's Office at Home under German occupation during World War II...
-underground police - Council to Aid the Jews
- preparing reports on the situation in occupied Poland
- Information and Press
- providing the society with news from abroad
- propaganda
- printing RzeczpospolitaRzeczpospolitaRzeczpospolita is a traditional name of the Polish State, usually referred to as Rzeczpospolita Polska . It comes from the words: "rzecz" and "pospolita" , literally, a "common thing". It comes from latin word "respublica", meaning simply "republic"...
, the official organ of the Office
- Labour and Social Affairs
- cooperation with Polish Red CrossPolish Red CrossPolish Red Cross is the Polish member of International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. It was founded in 1919 by Dr. Benjamin Reschovsky of Warsaw City Hospital and recognized by the Red Cross on July 24th 1919, and its first president was Paweł Sapieha....
and Central Welfare CouncilCentral Welfare CouncilCentral Welfare Council was one of the very few Polish social organizations that were allowed to work under the German occupation of Poland in both wars World War I and World War II.It was created during World War I in 1916, and again re-created in February 1940 in the General...
- cooperation with Polish Red Cross
- Education and Culture
- Organisation of the Underground schools and universities
- Industry and Trade
- Agriculture
- Justice
- Liquidation of the Effects of the War
- Public Works and Reconstruction
- Treasury
- Post Offices and Telegraphs
- Communications
Near the end of the war, Departments of Foreign Affairs and of War Matters were created, but they have not played any significant role.
Other notable units and bureaus included:
- Bureau of the Newly Acquired Lands (PolishPolish languagePolish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
Biuro Ziem Nowych)- Established 1942. The Bureau's main task was to document the Polish claims on German lands east of the OderOderThe Oder is a river in Central Europe. It rises in the Czech Republic and flows through western Poland, later forming of the border between Poland and Germany, part of the Oder-Neisse line...
river and the area of PrussiaPrussiaPrussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
as well as planning of their post-war development. Despite the AlliesAlliesIn everyday English usage, allies are people, groups, or nations that have joined together in an association for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out between them...
agreement to grant PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
with the lands east of the Oder-Neisse LineOder-Neisse lineThe Oder–Neisse line is the border between Germany and Poland which was drawn in the aftermath of World War II. The line is formed primarily by the Oder and Lusatian Neisse rivers, and meets the Baltic Sea west of the seaport cities of Szczecin and Świnoujście...
, the plans of the bureau were never fulfilled since most of its workers were arrested by the NKVDNKVDThe People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Joseph Stalin....
and sent to GULagGulagThe Gulag was the government agency that administered the main Soviet forced labor camp systems. While the camps housed a wide range of convicts, from petty criminals to political prisoners, large numbers were convicted by simplified procedures, such as NKVD troikas and other instruments of...
s across Russia (see, however, Recovered TerritoriesRecovered TerritoriesRecovered or Regained Territories was an official term used by the People's Republic of Poland to describe those parts of pre-war Germany that became part of Poland after World War II...
).
- Established 1942. The Bureau's main task was to document the Polish claims on German lands east of the Oder
- Kierownictwo Walki Cywilnej (Directorate of Civil Resistance) (since 1941)
With regard to territorial structure, there were:
- in General GovernmentGeneral GovernmentThe General Government was an area of Second Republic of Poland under Nazi German rule during World War II; designated as a separate region of the Third Reich between 1939–1945...
:- Regional Delegation for KielceKielceKielce ) is a city in central Poland with 204,891 inhabitants . It is also the capital city of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship since 1999, previously in Kielce Voivodeship...
- Regional Delegation for KrakówKrakówKraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
- Regional Delegation for LublinLublinLublin is the ninth largest city in Poland. It is the capital of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 350,392 . Lublin is also the largest Polish city east of the Vistula river...
- Regional Delegation for WarsawWarsawWarsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
-City - Regional Delegation for WarsawWarsawWarsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
-voivodeshipVoivodeshipVoivodship is a term denoting the position of, or more commonly the area administered by, a voivod. Voivodeships have existed since medieval times in Poland, Romania, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Russia and Serbia....
- Regional Delegation for Kielce
- in the Polish territories annexed by Nazi Germany:
- Regional Delegation for CiechanówCiechanówCiechanów is a town in north-central Poland with 45,900 inhabitants . It is situated in Masovian Voivodeship . It was previously the capital of Ciechanów Voivodeship.-History:The grad numbered approximately 3,000 armed men....
- Regional Delegation for Łódź
- Regional Delegation for Pomorze (Pomerania) in ToruńTorunToruń is an ancient city in northern Poland, on the Vistula River. Its population is more than 205,934 as of June 2009. Toruń is one of the oldest cities in Poland. The medieval old town of Toruń is the birthplace of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus....
- Regional Delegation for PoznańPoznanPoznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
- Regional Delegation for Śląsk (Silesia) in KatowiceKatowiceKatowice is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, on the Kłodnica and Rawa rivers . Katowice is located in the Silesian Highlands, about north of the Silesian Beskids and about southeast of the Sudetes Mountains.It is the central district of the Upper Silesian Metropolis, with a population of 2...
- Regional Delegation for Ciechanów
- in the Polish territories annexed by the Soviet Union:
- Regional Delegation for Białystok
- Regional Delegation for Lwów (Lviv)
- Regional Delegation for Nowogródek (Navahrudak)
- Regional Delegation for Polesie
- Regional Delegation for Wilno (Vilnius)
- Regional Delegation for Wołyń (Volhynia)
See also
- World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
- Participants in World War IIParticipants in World War IIThe participants in World War II were those nations who either participated directly in or were affected by any of the theaters or events of World War II....
- List of Government Delegates for Poland
- Armed Forces Delegation for Poland
External links
- Grzegorz Ostasz, The Polish Government-in-Exile's Home Delegature