Against the tumultuous backdrop of the Second World War, any study of Poland invariably delves into the actions of the Polish Underground State. Initially established to resist the German occupation, it transformed the conflict and evolved into an anti-Communist entity to expel the Soviet regime from the nation.
The brave men and women who took up arms against the Red Army and the NKVD are commemorated as the “Cursed Soldiers,” a title that encapsulates their unwavering resolve in facing formidable challenges head-on.
Polish resistance to the German occupation
The commencement of World War II was marked by Germany’s invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939. Not long after, several underground organizations emerged throughout the country, all vehemently opposed to the occupation. By the end of the year, it was estimated that Warsaw, Poland’s capital, harbored 40 of these groups. This number swelled to 140 by 1940.
The proliferation of groups posed a challenge, as there was no means for coordinated strikes against the Germans. Consequently, the Polskie Państwo Podziemne (Polish Underground State) and Armia Krajowa (Home Army) were established, with their main objective being the restoration of Poland’s independence.
Despite being outnumbered and armed with fewer weapons than the occupiers, the country’s underground resistance consistently launched covert attacks. The Home Army orchestrated the largest of these actions, the Warsaw Uprising, in August 1944, as part of Operation Tempest. The uprising aimed to expel the Germans, re-establish Poland’s independence and present the nation as an equal to the Soviet Union.
The success of these efforts hinged on support from the Red Army. However, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin had different intentions. His goal was to weaken the Polish resistance as much as possible, prompting him to instruct his forces to delay the liberation of Warsaw.
This decision resulted in significant losses for the partisans, leading to the Home Army’s surrender in October 1944. The intense fighting devastated much of the capital city’s infrastructure, and civilians faced reprisals for the actions of the resistance fighters.
Joseph Stalin is given control of Poland
With the Germans eventually pushed out of Poland by the advancing Soviet forces, Stalin set up a puppet regime in the country, which he called the Polish Committee of National Liberation. Those making up the new government were aware that the Polish Underground State was still loyal to the government-in-exile and would need to be destroyed. The task of eradicating the Home Army and other underground resistance fighters was given to the NKVD – the Soviet secret police.
Using intelligence obtained from partisans who were sympathetic to the Communist cause, the NKVD, with the help of the Red Army’s Northern Group of Forces, rounded up between 50,000 and 60,000 Poles and sent them to labor camps. Not long after, the Home Army announced its disbandment, in January 1945.
A month later, Britain, the United States and the Soviet Union held the Yalta Conference, where British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and US President Franklin D. Roosevelt agreed to let Stalin have control of Poland. This, understandably, upset those within the resistance movement, as they were largely against Communism and angered by the continued oppression placed upon them.
‘Cursed Soldiers’ make up Poland’s new resistance groups
Following the disbandment of the Home Army, various resistance groups emerged, with the most prominent being the Wolność i Niezawisłość (Freedom and Independence Association). Its primary aim was to assist former partisans in discreetly transitioning back into civilian life, avoiding any revelations that could jeopardize their efforts against the NKVD.
As the Home Army dissolved in January 1945, several resistance fighters became victims of false assurances from the Soviets. Despite laying down their arms and registering in anticipation of freedom, they were swiftly betrayed, leading to arrests and deportations to labor camps. Others faced unofficial judicial proceedings and/or met tragic fates.
From the conclusion of WWII until the collapse of the Soviet Union, resistance groups ebbed and flowed. The individuals within these became known as the “Cursed Soldiers.” Their numbers peaked at 20,000, but they were significantly outnumbered by the Soviets. Nevertheless, they found support among 200,000-250,000 Polish civilians during their challenging endeavors.
Battle of Kuryłowka
Between 1944-47, the Cursed Soldiers conducted a number of “hit-and-run” strikes against the Soviets occupying Poland, with the aim of either rescuing their captured comrades or killing high-ranking enemy officials. The typical plan of action saw them launch surprise attacks against Red Army garrisons and military installations, after which they would run into the surrounding forest for cover.
The biggest strike came between May 6-7, 1945 with the Battle of Kuryłowka, in southeastern Poland. It saw 200 fighters attack the 300-strong Soviet 2nd Border Regiment. The partisans came out victorious, killing between 56-70 NKVD agents. Those who survived retreated, only to return to Kuryłowka and burn down more 730 buildings, displacing around 1,000 residents.
This was followed a few weeks later by the attack by a resistance unit against the NKVD camp in Rembertów, on the outskirts of Warsaw. Led by Col. Edward Wasilewski, the partisans destroyed the encampment and freed the hundreds of Polish citizens being held prisoner.
Soviet actions against the ‘Cursed Soldiers’ of Poland
The Soviet authorities were particularly brutal toward those partisans with whom they came into contact. In the autumn of 1946, between 100 and 200 Cursed Soldiers were lured into a trap and killed. Additionally, former members of the Home Army were under constant surveillance for decades, with them being cleared of any wrongdoing only after the fall of the Soviet Union.
The biggest anti-resistance operation conducted by the Soviet forces during this era was the Augustów Roundup. A joint operation by the NKVD, the Red Army, SMERSH battalions, the Ministry of Public Security (UB) and the Polish People’s Army (LWP), it was personally ordered by Stalin and saw the capture of over 2,000 partisans.
Considered one of the largest crimes committed by the Soviets against Poles following the Second World War, it resulted in the deaths of 600 anti-Communist fighters, many of whom died in Soviet custody. Their bodies were subsequently burned and buried in mass graves.
It wasn’t just resistance fighters who were targeted, either. The NKVD also targeted Polish civilians, with an estimated 300,000 arrested between 1944-55 – some sources put the number even higher, at two million. Around 6,000 death sentences were given, with the majority carried out, and 20,000 everyday citizens were left to die in Soviet prisons. On top of that, an additional six million Poles were deemed as suspected members of underground organizations and subjected to investigation.
Poland’s last ‘Cursed Soldier’ is taken out in an ambush
As the 1940s gave way to the ’50s, partisan groups persisted in launching guerrilla attacks against Soviet prisons, state security offices and detention facilities. They also undertook propaganda missions aimed at countering the Communist information that was being disseminated by the Stalinist regime.
Nonetheless, as the 1950s neared their end, the underground resistance in Poland began to wane. A number of partisans fell into the clutches of NKVD agents and UB officials. In due course, only one Cursed Soldier remained: Józef Franczak.
Franczak’s journey into this clandestine world had its origins in his conscription into the Polish Second Army in 1944. During his service, he bore witness to the executions of his Home Army comrades at the hands of the Communist Polish government. This experience prompted his defection, and after going into hiding for several months, he became actively engaged in the country’s anti-Communist movement.
Sought by the Soviets since 1951, it wasn’t until 1963 that they finally apprehended him. Franczak’s capture came about through a betrayal by his mistress, leading to his discovery in the small village of Majdan Kozic Górnych in eastern Poland. When the police ordered him to surrender, he presented himself as an ordinary peasant, only to open fire shortly thereafter.
A fierce firefight ensued, resulting in Franczak sustaining mortal injuries.
National Day of Remembrance of the ‘Cursed Soldiers’
In 2011, Polish President Bronisław Komorowski signed into law an act that created the National Day of Remembrance of the “Cursed Soldiers,” held annually on March 1. The date is the anniversary of the execution of seven members of the Wolność i Niezawisłość.
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The National Day of Remembrance is intended to pay tribute to the partisans who gave their lives for Polish independence. It also honors the memories of all who fought against Communism with the resistance movement and were persecuted for their actions.