Powojenne grupy nacisku i organizacje społeczne związane z japońskim rządem a kwestia pamięci o II wojnie światowej

Author(s): Olga Barbasiewicz / Language(s): Polish Issue: 3/2017

In this article I focus on so called ‘pressure groups’ and social organizations related to the Japanese government, which have a real impact on modern memory politics. I analyzed two organizations, such as The Association of Shinto Shrines (Jinja Honchō), and The Japan War-Bereaved Families Association Nihon Izokukai. To verify the hypothesis about the impact of these organizations onto the shape of contemporary politics of remembrance, the offi cial structures of these pressure groups were analyzed to show the formal principles they pursue when taking decisions on diff erent memorials and places of remembrance.

Franciszek Puchała, Budowa potencjału bojowego Wojska Polskiego 1945–1990. Obszary szpiegowskich działań

Author(s): Jan Pilżys / Language(s): Polish Issue: 1/2014

Historyczne, geograficzne i fortyfikacyjne uwarunkowania obszaru Cyrenajki. Charakterystyka i rola twierdzy Tobruk 1940–1941

Author(s): Andrzej Aksamitowski / Language(s): Polish Issue: 3/2014

The article presents an outline of the history of Cyrenajka, from the ancient times until the seventies of the 20th century. The author focuses on the military development of the region as well as on its geographic determinants important for wartime activities. The fundamental part of the article provides a description of the development of the fortification system of the area of Cyrenajka. The author starts the description from the Lebanese-Egyptian borderline presenting the fortresses of Mersa-Matruh and Sidi-Barani, and then moves on to giving a description of the fortress of Bardia and the fortress of Tobruk, constituting the main area of the defense activities in the region of Cyrenajka. The article includes a detailed characterization of the fortress of Tobruk and its division into three (red, blue and green) defensive lines. The article also presents the defense points of the western part of the area of Cyrenajka – the so called desert position – such as the fortresses of Derna, where the huge airport of Martuba was situated, and the desert fortress of El-Mechili. In the summary, the author assesses the military significance of the fortress of Tobruk and the entire area of , for the course of the military actions undertaken during the Second World War as well as the role of the region after 1945.

W stulecie organów bezpieczeństwa Federacji Rosyjskiej – od WCzK do KGB

Author(s): Kazimierz Kraj / Language(s): Polish Issue: 1/2018

In the article, in the shortened way, the history of the Soviet organs of the security was introduced, having conceived from VChK, having finished on Committee of State Security Author in the next parts of the article represents the organizational changes of the organs of the security, showing the most important moments in their history. Basic documents (legal files) regulating the activity of represented institutions were talked over

Cmentarze wojenne Twierdzy Kraków z lat 1914–1918 i ich autor, rzeźbiarz Karl Korschann

Author(s): Jan Schubert / Language(s): Polish Issue: 2/2018

Misje pokojowe ONZ na Bliskim Wschodzie w okresie zimnej wojny

Author(s): Grzegorz Ciechanowski / Language(s): Polish Issue: 2/2013

Bolesław Weszczak i grupa „Leśni”. Przyczynek do dziejów antykomunistycznego oporu społecznego w Łodzi

Author(s): Tomasz Szczepański / Language(s): Polish Issue: 4/2013

The article discusses the life and work of Bolesław Weszczak (1910–1977), a labourer, a prisoner of the German concentration camp in Dachau (1940–1945) and an associate of the nationalistic and neopagan “Zadruga”. It also presents the activities of the conspiratorial group he was leading. The article defends the thesis that the arrest of Weszczak was what started the series of arrests of members of the “Zadruga” in 1949.

Państwowy Urząd Wychowania Fizycznego i Przysposobienia Wojskowego jako element koordynacji systemu bezpieczeństwa w II RP w latach 1927–1939

Author(s): Janusz Wojtycza / Language(s): Polish Issue: 2/2012

It is not easy to evaluate the National Office of Physical Education and Civil Defence Training, as well as the whole activity related to preparing the civil population for military defence in the Second Polish Republic. Historians of physical culture accuse Sanation of subjugating the social trend in physical education and sport, which was consistently pursued, using both administrative pressure and personal means. The process ended in a formal act of agreement by social sport to come under the control of the state and the military. Both at the time and now, it was emphasised that issues of physical education and civil defence training were not treated equally; this was reflected in the assumed subsidiary role of physical education in comparison to military training, as well as in the financing of the two activities. However, it must be added that this was largely due to financial difficulties experienced during that time. The effectiveness of the Office with regard to civil defence training should be compared to similar systems functioning during the discussed period in other countries and the state’s financial condition should be considered. Military authorities could either establish a centralised state organisation in charge of civil defence training, or to leave such training in the hands of social organisations. As a result of (mainly financial) difficulties, the authorities decided to implement a partial solution: civil defence training was introduced in schools, but the training of young people outside the school system was left to social organisations.

Proces redukcji i kres istnienia Armii Republiki Serbskiej w Bośni (1995–2006)

Author(s): Dariusz Wybranowski / Language(s): Polish Issue: 3/2012

Interwencja NATO w Jugosławii w 1999 roku. W dwudziestą rocznicę ataku – przyczyny i konsekwencje

Author(s): Danuta Gibas-Krzak / Language(s): Polish Issue: 1/2019

The main aim is to present the historical and political conditions of NATO’s attack on Yugoslavia and to show the consequences of this operation, the main effect of which was the creation of the so-called the independent state of Kosovo, which is essentially an unstable controversial territory, constituting the basis for the development of organized crime and other asymmetrical threats. The air operation codenamed „Allied Force” began a new chapter in the history of the Alliance, which for the first time undertook military action without the mandate of the UN Security Council, thus creating a dangerous precedent for the future. The Serbs were forced to leave Kosovo under the supervision of the UN as a result of this operation. However, it is hard to talk about the defeat of the Serbs, because the army was not defeated, and the soldiers did not give up and could fight further. Their involvement could, however, lead to the total economic extermination of the country by the coalition of NATO states, which proved that it has no scruples in destroying civilian (also economic) purposes. The author emphasizes that the developed structures of organized crime and corruption of the so-called Kosovo states do not give hope for positive forecasting in the development of its statehood.

Wpływ wojen polsko-pomorskich na status prawny Pomorza do XIII wieku

Author(s): Tomasz Kruszewski / Language(s): Polish Issue: 1/2018

The purpose of this publication is a dynamic analysis of Polish-Pomeranian conflict’s power in legal-dogmatic and historical profile, to say nothing of geographical and military matters. Whereas it is particularly important to shape the problem, based on a settling of the way, in which Pomeranian dukes were relatives to Piast dynasty – agnate (paternal) or on mother’s side. Recently an old concept has started to spread – it says that Pomeranian dukes were of Piast descent, which leads to a ascertaining that there were no strong centres of power in Pomerania before conquest of Mieszko. Svatopluk Mieszkowic received the power over Pomerania, what led to exile of stepmother Oda and half-brothers and retrieval of power later subsequently caused conflicts between the two lines od dynasties in the next centuries. Considerations about the wars’ influence on legal status of medieval Pomerania have to be preceded by an analysis in the field of imperial power over this land. Historian of state and law must see – having looked at the sources – the fundamental thing, that the whole Pomerania, from Odra river to Gdańsk was a one entity, which came under the authority of Roman Empire. It stems unambiguously from medieval sources, Widukind from Korbea describes battles of Mieszko I with Wichmann and therefore clearly demarcate the legal status of Pomerania from other lands of Polish sovereign. It is similar by Merseburg bishop Thietmar. He wrote clearly, that Mieszko payed the Caesar a tribute „up to Warthe river“. It means, that the whole area of Pomerania was a belt of tributary lands of Empire. The conquest of Pomerania always began from the east area, and ended by the west. It was so at the time of Mieszko I. Then the full incarnation of Pomerania to Poland followed. At the period aft er the defeat of Mieszko II, and to the death of Władysław I Herman Pomerania were in a loose dependence on Poland. It changed by the rules of Bolesław III Wrymouth. The conquest of West Pomerania took place after 1113, maybe till 1124, but source records are a bit sparse. Tribute and duty to give help was a sign of dependence. Teodor Tyc outstandingly interpreted the law constructions of Merseburg treaty with Lotar III: „The authority of Polish duke is an indirect degree of something between Pomeranian duke and the highest sovereign, Caesar“. The Wrymouth King payed feudal homage, because Pomerania was under the authority of Empire. At the time of feudal regionalization the ultimate failure of Polish politics in Pomerania happened. Already in 1147 Germany, Denmark and Poland together stood against Pomeranians. The last attempt to maintain the balance between Polish and German influences in Pomerania was a ‘Kruszwica agreement’ in 1148, however Poland was being systematically tormented by feudal fragmentation and thus was losing control over Pomerania. It lasted till 1181, when Bogusław I admitted the victory of Caesar in Lübeck.

Pierwsza palestyńska intifada - 1987-1991

Author(s): Krzysztof Bojko / Language(s): Polish Issue: 4/2004

Polowe organy administracji wojska polskiego w sprawach rekwizycji żywności w okresie powstania listopadowego 1830–1831 roku

Author(s): Marcin Konarski / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2022

The article concerns the organisation and activities of the army food administration, which for most of the time during the November Uprising was carried out by the Army General Commissariat Service. During the 10 months of the uprising, the food administration underwent several organisational changes, and its execution was entrusted to various bodies. The discussion undertaken is related to issues concerning the organisation of this administration, with particular emphasis on the characteristics of the activity of its field administrative apparatus, which was entrusted to War Commissioners at individual army divisions and to Regional Commissioners as civilian requisitioning bodies in individual administrative regions which were links of the army’s food administration. On the other hand, in order to make the food requisitions enacted by the Sejm in June 1831 effective and rapid, Extraordinary Commissioners were established and entrusted with their supervision. In addition to the description of the powers conferred on all these officers, the author analyses the legal procedure applied by them to the requisitioning of food and fodder for the army against the background of events at the time.

La question polonaise au cours de la Grande Guerre et pendant la Conférence de la Paix – perspective française

Author(s): Tomasz Schramm / Language(s): French Issue: 2/2022

The Polish question did not arouse much interest in France after the Congress of Vienna, and its importance decreased after the Franco-Prussian War. Both political camps fighting for independence during the First World War based their strategies on cooperation with Russia, which soon proved futile (Dmowski), or on armed action on the side of Austria-Hungary (Piłsudski). France, on the other hand, saw Polish independence not accepted by Russia as a threat at the beginning of the war, and its autonomy within the Empire as the best solution. Its interest in an independent Poland as a bulwark against Germany began in 1917 with the manifesto of the Polish National Committee. Towards the end of the war, the national interests of France and Poland, for it was these and not feelings that determined policy, began to converge. Support for Poland at the peace conference was linked to the desire to weaken Germany. However, this must be qualified, because a detailed analysis shows that in the matter of the membership of Danzig and Upper Silesia, France supported the cautious and less favorable British position.

L’engagement militaire français dans la guerre polono-bolchévique et le moment polonais dans la trajectoire de Charles de Gaulle

Author(s): Frédéric Guelton / Language(s): French Issue: 2/2022

French participation in the Bolshevik war is presented in two ways, either minimizing its significance or making it a foregone conclusion of victory. Initial contacts between Polish and French officers are characterized by mutual polite distrust, an expression of differences in military culture and political interests. The crucial involvement in the establishment of military education in Poland and the subsequent active participation of French soldiers in the battle influenced the breaking of the distance. Polish prowess and French method yielded a joint victory. However, the true scale of French participation remains unexplored is requiring further archival research.

Waga dziedzictwa historii najnowszej w stosunkach francusko-polskich

Author(s): Tomasz Orłowski / Language(s): Polish Issue: 2/2022

The French Military Mission in Poland was established immediately after World War I, with the task of helping organize and train the Polish Army. It was part of a broader political project of French interest in Central European countries, which quickly proved unsustainable. However, during the Bolshevik War, its tasks fundamentally increased when a French soldier fought for the first time to defend the territory of independent Poland. This was then-Captain Charles de Gaulle’s experience, and deeply affected the role and place he assigned to Poland as President of the Fifth Republic in his vision of Europe. His recognition of the inviolability of the Oder-Neisse border, as the first Western leader as early as 1959, was one of its main elements.

Wpływ wojny na działalność edukacyjną szkół jezuickich (na przykładzie ziem wschodnich Prowincji Polskiej Towarzystwa Jezusowego w drugiej połowie XVII wieku)

Author(s): Serhij Sieriakow / Language(s): Polish Issue: 4/2023

The article analyzes the impact of the military threat on the operation of Jesuit schools in the eastern portion of the Polish Province of the Society of Jesus during the middle and second half of the 17th century. It has been found that the receipt of information about an impending danger of military action resulted in the discontinuation of the educational process, the return of pupils to their parents, and the evacuation of the majority of priests and religious brothers as well as material goods from the Order’s facilities. It has been established that the war caused shorter or longer closure of Jesuit educational institutions or their partial non-operation. It has also been demonstrated that the pace and magnitude of the resumption of educational activity were considerably influenced not only by the existence or absence of the fear of further assaults, but also by the extent of damage to a specific Jesuit center’s urban infrastructure and rural estates. The article also examines how the war affected the quality of Jesuit education. The violent death of many experienced teachers as well as the partial breakdown of the training system of the Polish Province of the Society of Jesus (especially during the years of the Deluge), coincided with a gradual renewal of the structure of many schools in the 1660s, resulting in an acute shortage of teachers. This problem was solved by more active participation in the educational process of young Jesuits with significant gaps in intellectual training and inadequate linguistic skills.

Biurokracja w machinie zagłady na przykładzie wybranych aspektów funkcjonowania administracji w getcie łódzkim

Author(s): Adriana Bryk,Hadrian Ciechanowski / Language(s): Polish Issue: 18/2024

The subject of the article is the question of the role of the bureaucracy in organizing and carrying out the extermination of the Jews during World War II. The authors treat bureaucracy in two ways. On the one hand, as a model for the functioning of Western societies, which base their decision -making on laws and existing procedures, and on the other hand, as a functioning administrative machine. The concept of bureaucracy described by Max Weber was comple mented by Martin Heidegger’s observations on modern technology and sociologists’ findings on the causes and course of the Holocaust. The theoretical models were confronted with the functioning of the Lodz Ghetto administration headed by Chaim Mordechai Rumkowski. In this aspect, attention was paid, among other things, to the excessive growth of the bureaucracy, its involvement in controlling the population and organizing deportations, and the significance of introducing its own currency or postage stamps. The entire study was based on the literature on the subject and archival materials.

Familientrennungen im nationalsozialistischen Krieg. Erfahrungen und Praktiken in Deutschland und im besetzten Europa 1939–1945

Author(s): Klaus-Peter Friedrich / Language(s): German Issue: 2/2024

Review of Familientrennungen im nationalsozialistischen Krieg. Erfahrungen und Praktiken in Deutschland und im besetzten Europa 1939–1945. Hrsg. von Wiebke Lisner, Johannes Hürter, Cornelia Rauh und Lu Seegers. (Das Private im Nationalsozialismus, Bd. 5.) Wallstein Verlag. Göttingen 2022. 379 S. ISBN 978-3-8353-5202-5. (€ 34,–.)

Growing in the Shadow of Antifascism. Remembering the Holocaust in State-Socialist Eastern Europe

Author(s): Sara Berger / Language(s): German Issue: 2/2024

Review of Growing in the Shadow of Antifascism. Remembering the Holocaust in State-Socialist Eastern Europe. Hrsg. von Kata Bohu s, Peter Hallama und Stephan Stach. CEU Press. Budapest u. a. 2022. 340 S., Ill. ISBN 978-963-386-435-7. ($ 85,–.)