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Podgaje Massacre
The Podgaje massacre refers to the mass murder of Polish People's Armies POWs, who were captured in January 1945 by the Waffen SS The (, "Armed SS") was the combat branch of the Nazi Party's '' Schutzstaffel'' (SS) organisation. Its formations included men from Nazi Germany, along with volunteers and conscripts from both occupied and unoccupied lands. The grew from t .... The massacre took place in the village of Podgaje during the night of 31 January, during which approximately 160–210 POWs of the 4th Company, 3rd Infantry Regiment, of the 1st Tadeusz Kościuszko Infantry Division were executed. The murders were most likely committed by the 48th Dutch SS Grenadier regiment and/or the Latvian 15th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS. While some older sources claimed that 32 of the victims were burned alive, newer research does not support that conclusion. The Polish soldiers were captured during the First Polish Army's attempt of breaking through the German defe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Polish People's Army
The Polish People's Army ( pl, Ludowe Wojsko Polskie , LWP) constituted the second formation of the Polish Armed Forces in the East in 1943–1945, and in 1945–1989 the armed forces of the Polish communist state ( from 1952, the Polish People's Republic), ruled by the Polish Workers' Party and then the Polish United Workers' Party. The communist-led Polish armed forces, allowed and facilitated by Joseph Stalin, were the result of efforts made in the early 1940s in the Soviet Union by Wanda Wasilewska and Zygmunt Berling. The official name of those formations were: ''Armia Polska w ZSRR'' (Polish Army in the USSR) from 1943–1944, ''Wojsko Polskie'' (Polish Troops) and ''Siły Zbrojne Rzeczpospolitej Polskiej'' (Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland) from 1944–1952 and from 1952 ''Siły Zbrojne Polskiej Rzeczypospolitej Ludowej'' (Armed Forces of the Polish People's Republic). On 7 October 1950, the anniversary of the Battle of Lenino was declared the official "Day ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Waffen SS
The (, "Armed SS") was the combat branch of the Nazi Party's '' Schutzstaffel'' (SS) organisation. Its formations included men from Nazi Germany, along with volunteers and conscripts from both occupied and unoccupied lands. The grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions during World War II, and served alongside the German Army (''Heer''), ''Ordnungspolizei'' (uniformed police) and other security units. Originally, it was under the control of the (SS operational command office) beneath Heinrich Himmler, the head of the SS. With the start of World War II, tactical control was exercised by the (OKW, "High Command of the Armed Forces"), with some units being subordinated to (Command Staff Reichsführer-SS) directly under Himmler's control. Initially, in keeping with the racial policy of Nazi Germany, membership was open only to people of Germanic origin (so-called " Aryan ancestry"). The rules were partially relaxed in 1940, and after the Operation Barbarossa invasi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Podgaje, Greater Poland Voivodeship
Podgaje (german: Flederborn) is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Okonek, within Złotów County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. It lies approximately south of Okonek, north-west of Złotów, and north of the regional capital Poznań. Before 1648 the area was part of Duchy of Pomerania, 1648-1945 Prussia and Germany. For the history of the region, see ''History of Pomerania''. The village was a scene of Massacre in Podgaje in January 1945, when Waffen-SS troops murdered dozens of Polish Army The Land Forces () are the land forces of the Polish Armed Forces. They currently contain some 62,000 active personnel and form many components of the European Union and NATO deployments around the world. Poland's recorded military history stret ... prisoners-of-war. References Villages in Złotów County {{Złotów-geo-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1st Tadeusz Kościuszko Infantry Division
The Polish 1st Tadeusz Kościuszko Infantry Division ( pl, 1 Polska Dywizja Piechoty im. Tadeusza Kościuszki) was an infantry division in the Polish armed forces formed in 1943 and named for the Polish and American revolutionary Tadeusz Kościuszko. Formed in the Soviet Union, it was the first division of the First Army (''Berling Army''), and of what later became the post-war Polish Armed Forces (''Ludowe Wojsko Polskie'') after Invasion of Poland in 1939 and defeating the Nazi Germany in 1945. Formation An infantry division, it was formed in May 1943 in Sielce (near the Oka River) under the command of general Zygmunt Berling. It was organised according to the ''Shtat'' (Table of Organisation and Equipment) of a Red Army Guards Rifle Division, with minor amendments. In accordance with a decision of Joseph Stalin, Col. Zygmunt Berling took over the command of the division. Political control of the division was held by the Union of Polish Patriots. On July 15, 1943, the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
15th Waffen Grenadier Division Of The SS (1st Latvian)
The 15th ''Waffen'' Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Latvian) (german: 15. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (lettische Nr. 1)), lv, 15. SS grenadieru divīzija (latviešu Nr. 1)) was an Infantry Division of the ''Waffen-SS'' during World War II. It was formed in February 1943, and together with its sister unit, the 19th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Latvian) formed the Latvian Legion. World War II After forming of Latvian Police Battalions in Reichskommissariat Ostland, Heinrich Himmler formed Latvian legion (''Lettische SS-Freiwilligen-Legion'') in January 1943. In February 1943 ''Lettische SS-Freiwilligen-Division'' was formed which later received the numerical designation 15. The Legion was renamed the ''Lettische SS-Freiwilligen-Brigade'', with the numerical designation added soon after. Unlawful conscription of Latvians for military service by the Germans was based on Alfred Rosenberg's compulsory labor decree of 19 December 1941. It was carried out by Dep ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
First Polish Army (1944–1945)
The Polish First Army ( pl, Pierwsza Armia Wojska Polskiego, 1 AWP for short, also known as Berling's Army) was an army unit of the Polish Armed Forces in the East. It was formed in the Soviet Union in 1944, from the previously existing Polish I Corps in the Soviet Union, as part of the People's Army of Poland (LWP). The First Army fought westward, subordinated to the Soviet 1st Belorussian Front, during the offensive against Nazi Germany that led to the capture of Warsaw in January 1945, and the capture of Berlin in May 1945. Formation The First Army was formed in the Soviet Union in 1944, from the previously existing Polish I Corps as part of the People's Army of Poland (LWP). On 10 August 1943, the Soviets gave permission for enlarging the Polish 1st Tadeusz Kościuszko Infantry Division into a Corps ( Polish I Corps).Grzelak, p. 101 The new formation was to be composed of two infantry divisions, one artillery and one armor brigade, one support and one air regiment, fo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pomeranian Wall
The Pomeranian Wall, Pomeranian Line or Pomeranian Position (german: Die Pommernstellung, pl, Wał Pomorski) was a line of fortifications constructed by Nazi Germany in the Pomeranian Lakeland region. It was constructed in two phases. In the years 1930-1935 it was constructed as a light defensive position in case of an attack from the Second Polish Republic The Second Polish Republic, at the time officially known as the Republic of Poland, was a country in Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe that existed between 1918 and 1939. The state was established on 6 November 1918, before the end of ... against the German republic. The line of fortifications stretched from Landsberg an der Warthe (Gorzów Wielkopolski) to Baldenburg (Biały Bór) and Pollnow (Polanów). The fortifications had several impressive strong points, particularly near Deutsch-Krone (Wałcz) and the 'Hangman Mountain'. The second phase took place during the Second World War, in 1944, when after a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier, Warsaw
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier ( pl, Grób Nieznanego Żołnierza) is a monument in Warsaw, Poland, dedicated to the unknown soldiers who have given their lives for Poland. It is one of many such national tombs of unknowns that were erected after World War I, and the most important such monument in Poland. The monument, located at Piłsudski Square, is the only surviving part of the Saxon Palace that occupied the spot until World War II. Since 2 November 1925 the tomb houses the unidentified body of a young soldier who fell during the Defence of Lwów. Since then, earth from numerous battlefields where Polish soldiers have fought has been added to the urns housed in the surviving pillars of the Saxon Palace. The Tomb is constantly lit by an eternal flame and assisted by a guard post provided by the three companies of the 1st Guards Battalion, Representative Honor Guard Regiment of the Polish Armed Forces. It is there that most official military commemorations take place i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1945 In Poland
1945 marked the end of World War II and the fall of Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan. It is also the only year in which nuclear weapons have been used in combat. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: ** Germany begins Operation Bodenplatte, an attempt by the ''Luftwaffe'' to cripple Allied air forces in the Low Countries. ** Chenogne massacre: German prisoners are allegedly killed by American forces near the village of Chenogne, Belgium. * January 6 – WWII: A German offensive recaptures Esztergom, Hungary from the Russians. * January 12 – WWII: The Soviet Union begins the Vistula–Oder Offensive in Eastern Europe, against the German Army. * January 13 – WWII: The Soviet Union begins the East Prussian Offensive, to eliminate German forces in East Prussia. * January 16 – WWII: Adolf Hitler takes residence in the ''Führerbunker'' in Berlin. * January 17 ** WWII: The Soviet Union occupies Warsaw, Pol ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
January 1945 Events In Europe
January is the first month of the year in the Julian calendar, Julian and Gregorian calendars and is also the first of seven months to have a length of 31 days. The first day of the month is known as New Year's Day. It is, on average, the coldest month of the year within most of the Northern Hemisphere (where it is the second month of winter) and the warmest month of the year within most of the Southern Hemisphere (where it is the second month of summer). In the Southern hemisphere, January is the seasonal equivalent of July in the Northern hemisphere and vice versa. Ancient Roman observances during this month include Cervula and Juvenalia, celebrated January 1, as well as one of three Agonalia, celebrated January 9, and Carmentalia, celebrated January 11. These dates do not correspond to the modern Gregorian calendar. History January (in Latin, ''Ianuarius'') is named after Janus, the god of beginnings and transitions in Roman mythology. Traditionally, the original Roman ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Massacres In 1945
A massacre is the killing of a large number of people or animals, especially those who are not involved in any fighting or have no way of defending themselves. A massacre is generally considered to be morally unacceptable, especially when perpetrated by a group of political actors against defenseless victims. The word is a loan of a French term for "butchery" or "carnage". A "massacre" is not necessarily a "crime against humanity". Other terms with overlapping scope include war crime, pogrom, mass killing, mass murder, and extrajudicial killing. Etymology The modern definition of ''massacre'' as "indiscriminate slaughter, carnage", and the subsequent verb of this form, derive from late 16th century Middle French, evolved from Middle French ''"macacre, macecle"'' meaning "slaughterhouse, butchery". Further origins are dubious, though may be related to Latin ''macellum'' "provisions store, butcher shop". The Middle French word ''macecr'' "butchery, carnage" is first recor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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