WHAT WAS POLAND LIKE IN WORLD WAR TWO?

WRITTEN BY MATTHEW A - YEAR 7

I chose this question because it resonates with me, as my Grandfather was from Poland, and he was born in World War Two. For his 80th birthday, we gave him an autobiography of his childhood which I recently read, and this sparked an interest in me because I already have an interest in World War Two. I predict that the answer to this question will be that it was traumatic, especially for a young child who experienced bombing and fleeing from large towns and cities Throughout this essay I will discuss how World War Two impacted on my Grandfather and on the country itself during and after the war. Finally, I will discuss any other relations or benefits on Poland such as the change of infrastructure My Grandfather was just 5 years old when the war ended, and he had to walk many miles to escape the war and bombing from the Germans, leaving behind the safety of his home. Despite the fact he was young, he remembered a lot from that time, especially as it was a traumatic experience for him and his family An example of this was when he was seventy-six on bonfire night, he said that he didn’t like the fireworks as they reminded him of the bombing. As we know, many people died in the war due to bombing, and there were many close calls to death, of which my Grandfather experienced.

Many people also had to resettle in different places throughout Poland Also, I will be discussing how World War Two may have had a positive effect on Poland, as well as a negative effect Of course, World War Two was bad on every country, but I will be discussing if any of the results of the war could have been at all positive.

My Grandad was born in 1940 which was in the middle of the war and was also about the time that the Germans had decided to try to decapitate and take over the Polish nation They put as many young Polish men into concentration camps as possible, whatever their faith This was before the Holocaust had started and eventually led to my Grandfather’s dad being put into Auschwitz when it was first created He was bought out of it by someone who paid for his release This was very relieving for my Grandfather and his family, as they knew he would be safe When he was four years old (in 1944) the war was coming to an end My great Grandfather was teaching physics in an underground University, which had to be created because the Germans were trying to eliminate any Polish culture and education there was left. Because he was teaching, he had associations with an underground movement known as the Armia Krajowa (AK), the largest group of freedom fighters in Europe at the time, which had around 20,000 people all over Poland Also in 1944, the Russians were standing on the side of the Vistuła River, and they had defeated the Germans in Russia with the idea that they were going to come to help the Polish underground in an uprising, and get rid of the Germans However, this was wrong, because when the Insurrection started, the Russians just stood there and watched as the Polish forces were absolutely destroyed by the Germans My Grandfather had to flee Warsaw with his parents, and his Grandmother due to the Insurrection and he walked to a place called Bernerowo, which is about 13 kilometres south of Warsaw This is only a sixteen minutes’ drive today, but walking in World War Two would have taken almost three days, which is what he had to do at just 4 years old, with a broken shoe.

The effect on Poland that World War Two had was catastrophic It lost over 5 million of its population (about 15% died) over the 5 years of the war and it was estimated that PLN (Polish Zloty) 6,202,060,900,000 was lost in damage which is about £1,175,600,000,000 During World War Two, Poland suffered the largest losses of all European countries in relation to the total population and national wealth which affected many people including my Grandfather’s family After the war, the entirety of Eastern Europe was taken over by Soviet troops The reason given was that Russia had to come to the aid of its “blood brothers”, the Ukrainians and Byelorussians, who were trapped in land which was illegally annexed by Poland Lots of citizens were forced to resettle by the Soviet rule over the country and also during the war many Poles were forced to move as they didn’t want to get involved in the battle and fighting There were also food shortages

During the war, Poland suffered many severe food shortages due to the German policies of agriculture and the destruction of infrastructure There was also forced labour, because the German authorities required Poles to work often in brutal conditions. Some were even sent to concentration camps and spent the rest of their days there As well as these, the destruction of infrastructure was horrific after many buildings were destroyed, including schools, hospitals, factories and even houses Despite the hardships of the war, many Poles engaged in an underground resistance as mentioned earlier against the Germans

These included acts of sabotage, propaganda and espionage There was also persecution of minorities in Poland as well as the rest of the world such as Jews, Romani people and members of the LGBTQ+ community According to the Polish government's 1931 census, there were 3,113,900 Jews living in Poland at that time. In fact, before World War Two, Poland had the largest Jewish population in Europe and the second largest Jewish population in the world after the United States of America

It could be argued that World War Two shaped the future of modern Poland This is because alongside all the destruction and losses it would have increased their global recognition from other countries as well as being a key participant in the Allied effort, and its contribution deserves its right place in the international community Also, it helped them establish new territorial gains and bigger borders, as at the end of the war their borders were redrawn, and the country was given new territory to the east, which was before part of the soviet union As well as this, the devastation allowed them to rebuild their infrastructure and modernise the economy. It also received aid from other countries such as the United States to help quicken the rebuilding process Finally, after the war had ended, a new political communist system was introduced into Poland and although this may not have been a great change, it did help shape the country's social structure and political system

The atrocities and war crimes committed in World War Two, including the Holocaust, led to a greater awareness of the need for human rights In Poland, this has helped to promote commitment to promoting tolerance, human dignity, and democracy World War Two also led to the creation of the United Nations and other international organisations made to get peace, security, and cooperation among nations. Poland is an active participant in these efforts Despite the devastation and destruction of the war, Poland has made strides in modernising its economy post-war and today, Poland is one of the fastest-growing economies in Europe Also, the war led to the destruction of many cultural treasures in Poland, such as buildings, art and literature Efforts to preserve and renew these assets is a major focus of post-war reconstruction too, helping to promote a sense of cultural identity among Polish people

In conclusion, the effect that World War Two had on Poland was catastrophic on the people and country itself. It resulted in the loss of over 5 million of its population and significant damage to the country's infrastructure For those who survived, it was a traumatic experience that affected them for the rest of their lives This is evident in the case of my Grandfather, who had to flee his home at a young age and experienced the horrors of war Despite this, Poles made an underground resistance against the Germans, showing their resilience and determination to fight back

It is clear that World War Two had a negative effect on Poland, but it could also be argued that it shaped the country's future Poland's contribution to the Allied effort in the war deserves recognition and has helped to increase its global recognition The war also ended in changes to the country's infrastructure and government, which may have had some positive effects However, it is to say that the devastating impact the war had on Poland and its people and remember the sacrifices made by those who fought and died in the war My Grandfather did not fight in the war due to him being too young, but we must remember all those who did.

World War Two shaped the future of modern Poland