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Kotwica
The (; Polish for 'anchor') was an emblem of the Polish Underground State and (AK; 'Home Army') used during World War II. It was created in 1942 by members of the Wawer minor sabotage unit within the AK, as an easily usable emblem for the struggle to regain the country's independence. The initial meaning of the initialism ''PW'' was (We shall avenge Wawer), in reference to the 1939 Wawer massacre, which was considered to be one of the first large scale massacres of Polish civilians by German troops in occupied Poland. At first, Polish scouts from sabotage units painted the whole phrase upon walls. However, it was soon abbreviated to PW, which came to symbolise the phrase (fighting Poland). In early 1942, the AK organised a contest to design an emblem to represent the resistance movement, and the winning design by Anna Smoleńska, a member of the Gray Ranks who herself participated in minor sabotage operations, combined the letters P and W into the . Smoleńska was ar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gray Ranks
Grey Ranks () was a codename for the underground paramilitary Polish Scouting Association () during World War II. The wartime organisation was created on 27 September 1939, actively resisted and fought German occupation in Warsaw until 18 January 1945, and contributed to the resistance operations of the Polish Underground State. Some of its members ( – Assault Groups) were among the Home Army's best-trained troops. Though formally independent, the Grey Ranks worked closely with the Government Delegation for Poland and Home Army Headquarters. The Grey Ranks had known under the cryptonym ( bee yard) staffed by the Chief Scout of Grey Ranks plus three to five deputies in the rank of ( Scoutmaster). Overview Since its organization in 1916, scouts from the Polish Scouting and Guiding Association ( (ZHP)) had taken an active part in all the conflicts Poland was engaged in around this time: Great Poland Uprising, Polish-Bolshevik War, Silesian Uprisings, and the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Warsaw Uprising
The Warsaw Uprising (; ), sometimes referred to as the August Uprising (), or the Battle of Warsaw, was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance movement in World War II, Polish underground resistance to liberate Warsaw from German occupation. It occurred in the summer of 1944, and it was led by the Polish resistance Home Army (). The uprising was timed to coincide with the retreat of the German forces from Poland ahead of the Soviet advance. While approaching the eastern suburbs of the city, the Red Army halted combat operations, enabling the Germans to regroup and defeat the Polish resistance and to Planned destruction of Warsaw, destroy the city in retaliation. The Uprising was fought for 63 days with little outside support. It was the single largest military effort taken by any European Resistance during World War II, resistance movement during World War II. The defeat of the uprising and suppression of the Home Army enabled the pro-Soviet Polish administra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wawer Massacre
The Wawer massacre refers to the execution of 107 Poland, Polish civilians on the night of 26 to 27 December 1939 by the Nazi Germany, German occupiers of Wawer (at the time a suburb and currently a dzielnica, neighbourhood of Warsaw), Poland. The execution was a response to the killing of two German soldiers in a shootout by two petty criminals. An order to arrest at random any men inhabiting Wawer and the neighboring Anin, Warsaw, Anin between the ages of 16 and 70 was given and, as a result, 120 men, who were unrelated to the shootout, were gathered, and a show trial was hastily organized. 114 were declared "guilty" and sentenced to death, the others were spared to bury the dead. In total, 107 were killed and 7 survived, as they withstood the gunfire and were not finished off later. It is considered to be one of the first Nazi crimes against ethnic Poles, large scale massacres of Polish civilians by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland. Background Nazi Germany invasion of Poland ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Powstanie Warszawskie
The Warsaw Uprising (; ), sometimes referred to as the August Uprising (), or the Battle of Warsaw, was a major World War II operation by the Polish underground resistance to liberate Warsaw from German occupation. It occurred in the summer of 1944, and it was led by the Polish resistance Home Army (). The uprising was timed to coincide with the retreat of the German forces from Poland ahead of the Soviet advance. While approaching the eastern suburbs of the city, the Red Army halted combat operations, enabling the Germans to regroup and defeat the Polish resistance and to destroy the city in retaliation. The Uprising was fought for 63 days with little outside support. It was the single largest military effort taken by any European resistance movement during World War II. The defeat of the uprising and suppression of the Home Army enabled the pro-Soviet Polish administration, instead of the Polish government-in-exile based in London, to take control of Poland afterwards. P ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stefan Rowecki
Stefan Paweł Rowecki (pseudonym: ''Grot'', "Spearhead", hence the alternate name, Stefan Grot-Rowecki; 25 December 1895 – 2 August 1944) was a Polish general, journalist and the leader of the Armia Krajowa. He was murdered by the Gestapo in prison on the personal order of Heinrich Himmler. Life Rowecki was born in Piotrków Trybunalski. In his home town he was one of the organizers of a secret scouting organization. During World War I he was conscripted into the Austro-Hungarian army and later into the First Brigade of the Polish Legion. He was interned in August 1917 after the majority of his unit had refused to pledge loyalty to the Emperor of Austria. In February 1918, he was released from the internment camp in Beniaminów and joined the Polska Siła Zbrojna. After the establishment of the newly independent Poland, he joined the Polish Army. Rowecki fought in the Polish–Soviet war (1919–1920). After the war, he remained in the army and organized the first mili ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Biuletyn Informacyjny
''Biuletyn Informacyjny'' ("Information Bulletin") was a Polish underground weekly published covertly in General Government territory of occupied Poland during World War II. The magazine was edited by Aleksander Kamiński and distributed as the main organ of ZWZ- AK headquarters in Warsaw, initially in order to inform the AK soldier about ongoing resistance activities. By 1944 ''Biuletyn Informacyjny'' had a circulation of 42,000-43,000 copies. The publishers recommended readers to have the articles reprinted in provincial underground publications throughout Poland. History The Bulletin was started in November 1939 in Warsaw as the main press release of the SZP, the first underground resistance organisation in Poland. Soon it was taken over by the Armia Krajowa and the Bureau of Information and Propaganda of the Polish government-in-exile. Since 1941 it had also several regional versions in all major cities of Poland, both under German and Soviet occupation. During the Warsaw ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Banknote
A banknote or bank notealso called a bill (North American English) or simply a noteis a type of paper money that is made and distributed ("issued") by a bank of issue, payable to the bearer on demand. Banknotes were originally issued by commercial banks, which were legally required to Redemption value, redeem the notes for legal tender (usually gold or silver coin) when presented to the chief cashier of the originating bank. These commercial banknotes only traded at face value in the market served by the issuing bank. Commercial banknotes have primarily been replaced by national banknotes issued by central banks or monetary authority, monetary authorities. By extension, the word "banknote" is sometimes used (including by collectors) to refer more generally to paper money, but in a strict sense notes that have not been issued by banks, e.g. government notes, are not banknotes. National banknotes are often, but not always, legal tender, meaning that courts of law are required to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Postage Stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper issued by a post office, postal administration, or other authorized vendors to customers who pay postage (the cost involved in moving, insuring, or registering mail). Then the stamp is affixed to the face or address-side of any item of mail—an envelope or other postal cover (e.g., packet, box, mailing cylinder)—which they wish to send. The item is then processed by the postal system, where a postmark or Cancellation (mail), cancellation mark—in modern usage indicating date and point of origin of mailing—is applied to the stamp and its left and right sides to prevent its reuse. Next the item is delivered to its address. Always featuring the name of the issuing nation (with the exception of the Postage stamps and postal history of the United Kingdom, United Kingdom), a denomination of its value, and often an illustration of persons, events, institutions, or natural realities that symbolize the nation's traditions and values, every ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anchor
An anchor is a device, normally made of metal, used to secure a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the craft from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ', which itself comes from the Greek (). Anchors can either be temporary or permanent. Permanent anchors are used in the creation of a mooring, and are rarely moved; a specialist service is normally needed to move or maintain them. Vessels carry one or more temporary anchors, which may be of different designs and weights. A sea anchor is a drag device, not in contact with the seabed, used to minimize drift of a vessel relative to the water. A drogue is a drag device used to slow or help steer a vessel running before a storm in a following or overtaking sea, or when crossing a bar in a breaking sea. Anchoring Anchors achieve holding power either by "hooking" into the seabed, or weight, or a combination of the two. The weight of the anchor chain can be more than that of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Władysław Sikorski
Władysław Eugeniusz Sikorski (; 20 May 18814 July 1943) was a Polish military and political leader. Before World War I, Sikorski established and participated in several underground organizations that promoted the cause of Polish independence. He fought with distinction in the Polish Legions in World War I, Polish Legions during World War I, and later in the newly created Polish Armed Forces (Second Polish Republic), Polish Army during the Polish–Soviet War of 1919–1921. In the latter war, he played a prominent role in the decisive 1920 Battle of Warsaw (1920), Battle of Warsaw. In the early years of the Second Polish Republic, Sikorski held government posts including Prime Minister of Poland, prime minister (1922–1923) and Minister of Military Affairs of Poland, minister of military affairs (1923–1924). Following Józef Piłsudski's May Coup (Poland), May 1926 Coup and the installation of the Sanation government, he fell out of favor with the new régime. During Wo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wojsko Polskie
The Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland (, ; abbreviated SZ RP), also called the Polish Armed Forces and popularly called in Poland (, roughly "the Polish Military"—abbreviated ''WP''), are the national Military, armed forces of the Poland, Republic of Poland. They comprise five main service branches: the Polish Land Forces (), the Polish Navy (), the Polish Air Force (), the Polish Special Forces (), and the Territorial Defence Force (Poland), Polish Territorial Defence Force (), under the command of the Ministry of National Defence (Poland), Ministry of National Defence of Poland. According to SIPRI, Poland spent $38 billion on its defense budget in 2024, ranking List of countries by military expenditures, 13th in the world. In 2023, Poland spent the greatest share of its GDP for military expenditures (3.9%) among all NATO members. With over 292,000 active personnel in 2025, the Polish Armed Forces are the third largest military in NATO, after Turkish Armed Forces, Turkey ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
