Tajna Organizacja Wojskowa
Encyclopedia
Tajna Organizacja Wojsowa (TOW) or "Secret Military Organization", was the name given to a underground group, or groups, which was supposed to be formed in Poland
in the case Polish territory was occupied by foreign powers. The main, country wide, organization was active in the early days of World War II
and during the Nazi occupation of Poland, while some of the offshoots or independently organized local "TOWs", such as Tajna Organizacja Wojskowa Gryf Pomorski ("TOW Pomeranian Griffin
") or Tajna Organizacja Wojskowa Gryf Kaszubski ("TOW Kaszubian Griffin") were active throughout the whole of the German occupation.
During the interwar period, Polish intelligence services in the Grupa Operacyjnej Dywersji (Operational Group for Diversion) developed contingency plans for creating an underground movement in case the country was occupied by either Nazi Germany
or Soviet Russia
. The sub unit within this service codenamed Zygmunt was charged with preparing diversionary and sabotage actions to be carried out during the possible occupation.
The main, country-wide, TOW was organized by Major (later colonel) Jan Mazurkiewicz
, codename Radosław, in late 1939, in Stanisławów
, after the Polish defeat in the September campaign. Mazurkiewicz's founding of the group received approval from Gen. Władysław Sikorski and the Polish government in exile
. Originally the coordinating headquarters of this TOW were located in Budapest
, but were transferred to occupied Poland in 1940. In March of 1943 the main TOW became part of the general anti-Nazi organization the Home Army and the cells of the organization were transformed or transferred into the newly organized "Directorate for Diversion", Kedyw
.
Some of the other TOWs, such as the Pomeranian Griffin, continued to exist independently of the Home Army, or were only nominally subordinated to it.
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish history in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland , the Polish state was...
in the case Polish territory was occupied by foreign powers. The main, country wide, organization was active in the early days of 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...
and during the Nazi occupation of Poland, while some of the offshoots or independently organized local "TOWs", such as Tajna Organizacja Wojskowa Gryf Pomorski ("TOW Pomeranian Griffin
Pomeranian Griffin
The Pomeranian Griffin secret military organization was a Polish anti-Nazi resistance group active in Pomerania and East Prussia during World War II...
") or Tajna Organizacja Wojskowa Gryf Kaszubski ("TOW Kaszubian Griffin") were active throughout the whole of the German occupation.
During the interwar period, Polish intelligence services in the Grupa Operacyjnej Dywersji (Operational Group for Diversion) developed contingency plans for creating an underground movement in case the country was occupied by either Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
or Soviet Russia
Soviet Russia
Soviet Russia usually refers to the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, one of the fifteen republics of the Soviet Union. It may also denote:* Soviet Russia , magazine of the Friends of Soviet Russia in the United States...
. The sub unit within this service codenamed Zygmunt was charged with preparing diversionary and sabotage actions to be carried out during the possible occupation.
The main, country-wide, TOW was organized by Major (later colonel) Jan Mazurkiewicz
Jan Mazurkiewicz
Jan Mazurkiewicz , codename Radosław, was a Polish soldier, a veteran of World War I, and a colonel in the Polish anti-Nazi resistance Armia Krajowa during World War II...
, codename Radosław, in late 1939, in Stanisławów
Ivano-Frankivsk
Ivano-Frankivsk is a historic city located in the western Ukraine. It is the administrative centre of the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast , and is designated as its own separate raion within the oblast, municipality....
, after the Polish defeat in the September campaign. Mazurkiewicz's founding of the group received approval from Gen. Władysław Sikorski and 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...
. Originally the coordinating headquarters of this TOW were located in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, but were transferred to occupied Poland in 1940. In March of 1943 the main TOW became part of the general anti-Nazi organization the Home Army and the cells of the organization were transformed or transferred into the newly organized "Directorate for Diversion", Kedyw
Kedyw
Kedyw , was an underground movement - Armia Krajowa organization during World War II, which specialized in active and passive sabotage, propaganda and armed action against Nazi German forces and collaborators.-Operations:...
.
Some of the other TOWs, such as the Pomeranian Griffin, continued to exist independently of the Home Army, or were only nominally subordinated to it.