The Importance of the Polish Soldier’s Uniform in Cultivating Tradition and Patriotism among Canadian Poles Cover Image

Znaczenie munduru polskiego żołnierza w kultywowaniu tradycji i patriotyzmu wśród Polonii kanadyjskiej
The Importance of the Polish Soldier’s Uniform in Cultivating Tradition and Patriotism among Canadian Poles

Author(s): Sławomir Moćkun
Subject(s): History, Cultural history, Oral history, Political history, Recent History (1900 till today), Post-War period (1950 - 1989)
Published by: Instytut Historii im. Tadeusza Manteuffla Polskiej Akademii Nauk
Keywords: Polonia in Canada; Polish Combatants’ Association; Polish Army Veterans’ Association in America (SWAP); national holidays;

Summary/Abstract: For over a hundred years, the main carrier of patriotism among Canadian Poles, next to the Polish Church, school or choir, was the uniform of a Polish soldier. This factor was wrongly underestimated in research on Canadian Polonia. Canada was a recruitment and training centre for the Blue Army and the Polish Armed Forces in the West, also playing an important role in promoting Polish affairs in America and strengthening the patriotic feelings of Polish Canadians. After 1945, Canada became a safe haven for thousands of Polish soldiers unable to return to communist-controlled Poland. The uniform and banner are an inseparable, often the most important element, of Polish national holidays and patriotic celebrations in Canada.

  • Issue Year: 51/2019
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 187-210
  • Page Count: 24
  • Language: Polish