Relationships between SL and ZWZ-AK

What is it about?

RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE LITTLE POLAND PEASANT PARTY AND THE HOME ARMY (AK) Despite huge repressive measures of both 3rd Reich and USSR in 1939, the ac-tivists initiated reconstruction of SL local networks. The LittlePoland branch of SL enjoyed the strongest position among regional structuresof SL. SL granted peasants the right to play a domineering role within the state.During the war however, the fight to liberate the country was the main task.When ZWZ (Armed Fight Union) was established, the Little Poland branchof SL recognized it and started close cooperation. Peasant Party members ofCracow believed, that both military and political affairs should be controlledby one headquarters. The weaker competitor within the peasant movement,Peasant Liberty Organisation „Racławice”, controlled by the pre-war sanacja regime followers, established Polish Armed Organization. Its structures,which were strong in Little Poland, cooperated loyally with ZWZ.Relationships between SL and ZWZ-AK in the given area can be dividedinto three periods, its boundaries being great arrests of the Area headquartersof ZWZ in April 1941 and the beginning of unification of the SL armed branch– Peasants’ Battalions and AK.In the 1939–1945 it was very difficult to negotiate the then contradictorymilitary and political reasons. National army, in which political views should give way to military reasons was the AK headquarter’s aim. Pre-war officerswere excellent at organizing the army. These were generally sanacja sup-porters. SL were very reluctant towards sanacja. Their aim was to carry outtheir ideas and reinforce influence within the army and the society. Due to theresistance conditions, invader’s terror, strength of pre-war political divisionsand the rolling German–Soviet front together with its consequences, it wasdifficult to find a compromise. Relacje Stronnictwa Ludowego „Roch” z ZWZ-AK na omawianym terenie można podzielić z grubsza na trzy okresy. Granice wewnętrzne wyznacza wielka dekonspiracja kierownictwa Obszaru ZWZ w kwietniu 1941 r. oraz rozpoczęcie scalania siły zbrojnej ludowców z AK. W trakcie scalania i po jego zakończeniu okazało się, jak trudne jest godzenie sprzecznych w tym wypadku racji militarnych i politycznych. Kierownictwo AK dążyło do budowy jednolitej ogólnonarodowej armii, w której poglądy polityczne muszą ustąpić racjom militarnym. Ludowcy chcieli realizować swe założenia ideowe i rozszerzać swe wpływy w armii i w społeczeństwie. Zawieranie kompromisów utrudniały konspiracyjne warunki, terror okupanta, siła przedwojennych podziałów politycznych i przetaczający się front z wszystkimi tego konsekwencjami. Biorąc to wszystko pod uwagę scalanie zakończyło się sukcesem.

Featured Image

Photo by Anna on Unsplash

Photo by Anna on Unsplash