Partisan Units Research Articles

Kosova Devletinin Temeli Olarak Bujan Konferansı

In April of 1941 the fascist allies attacked Yugoslavia and disbanded the country. At the time Kosova was part of the Yugoslav Kingdom, therefore the new invading forces occupied Kosova and later divided the territory into three demarcation zones: the German, the Italian and the Bulgarian zone. The paper analyses the beginning of the conflict among various occupying forces and their collaborators against the partisan units, and those who fought for the liberation of Kosova and for a solution to the Albanian case. The most prominent event of this period is arguably the Conference of Bujan, held on December 31st 1943 until January 2nd 1944, where the Albanian people expressed their will for Kosova to unify with Albania proper after the war.

Życie i działalność ks. Stanisława Sikorskiego (1910–1993)

Niniejszy artykuł jest próbą syntetycznego opracowania monografii radomskiego kapłana. Analiza polegała na chronologicznym odtworzeniu poszczególnych etapów życia ks. Sikorskiego zgodnie z zebranym materiałem źródłowym. W pracy przedstawiono środowisko, z którego wyrósł, oraz scharakteryzowano pierwsze miejsca jego pracy kapłańskiej na wikariatach i posługę kapelana oddziałów partyzanckich AK. Omówiono okres probostwa w Głowaczowie wraz ze specyfiką prowadzonego duszpasterstwa, odbudową kościoła parafialnego oraz kontaktami z władzą państwową. W dalszej części ukazano działalność proboszcza w radomskiej parafii św. Jana Chrzciciela, opisano duszpasterstwo, wysiłki, które ks. Sikorski podejmował na rzecz powstawania nowych obiektów sakralnych w Radomiu, oraz postawę, jaką prezentował, pełniąc funkcję dziekana radomskiego. W pracy wykorzystano kościelne i państwowe źródła archiwalne oraz dostępne opracowania.

Biti partizan, vaški stražar ali domobranec

The article presents some motives that caused individuals during the Second World War to join either Village Guards, Partisan units, or Home Guard units. Of course, we recognise that there were also other reasons for this. We focus only on collected testimonies and other sources connected to the area of the southern Notranjska region, i.e. the six wartime municipalities of Begunje, Bloke, Cerknica, Rakek, Stari trg and Sv. Vid, which are today the municipalities of Bloke, Cerknica and Loška dolina.

The partisan unit under the command of captain R. Rajs (Bury) activity on the territory of Białystok region in 1944–1946 in the politics of memory of the Republic of Poland

The polish politics of memory concerning the activities of the unit under the command of captain R. Rajs (Bury) in Białystok region in 1944–1946 is considered in the article. The aim of the study is to analyse public practices, places of memory and their role in forming and reflecting the collective memory about R. Rajs’s unit (whose representatives are referred to as «cursed soldiers»). The analysis of public practices, memorable days and places of memory in Poland revealed a confrontation between two narratives. The first one is the nationalist and anti-communist narrative. It is transmitted by the state through the Institute of National Remembrance, museum institutions, as well as by right-wing political parties, movement, public organisations and the media close to them. According to them, R. Rajs is a hero who fought in the interests of the Polish state. Another narrative is presented by Belarusian national minority, their public organisations and mass media. They try to preserve the memory of the 1946 tragedy in the society and define the activities of the R. Rajs’s unit as crimes. The author emphasises that the judicial investigation completed in 2005 by the Institute of National Remembrance came to the conclusion that R. Rajs actions had signs of genocide. The author notes that the polish historical politics departs in some sense from humanistic, universal values. It focuses on the nationalist vision of history and actually ignores the interests of the Belarusians of Białystok region.

ESCAPE FROM THE DEATH CAMP, OR LUCKY BREAK OF PRISONER 13390 (BASED ON THE MEMOIRS OF LEONARD ZAWACKI)

The article analyzes the circumstances and conditions that led to the successful escape from the Auschwitz concentration camp of a group of Polish prisoners of war under the leadership of Leonard Zawacki, prisoner 13390. The escape was carried out on September 28, 1944 by a group of six prisoners of war, two of whom changed into SS uniforms and “escorted” four glaziers to work outside the camp. Zawacki’s memoirs, published in Poland in the form of a short-run pamphlet, as well as many hours of interviews in which he talked about his traumatic experience, life in imprisonment, partisan unit, and the very escape, are introduced into scientific circulation. Zawacki’s memoirs are a valuable source not only about the history of the World War II and the Holocaust, but also the deep experiences of a man who went through the hell of Auschwitz and survived against all odds.

“Рейдова війна” Сумського партизанського з’єднання під командуванням С. А. Ковпака та С. В. Руднєва

The article analyzes the raid activities of the Sumy partisan unit (Putivl partisan detachment, Putivl united partisan detachment) under the command of S. A. Kovpak – S. V. Rudnev during 1941 1943. The evolution of raiding factors, coverage area, tactical and strategic tasks set before the command and personnel of this partisan unit was researched. It was found that at the initial stage of deployment of active armed resistance of the detachment and unit with inadequate supply of weapons and ammunition, lack of communication with other units and a single command center, raids were caused by confrontation with the occupying forces and attempts to maintain personnel. The first two raids of the combined detachment in December 1941 – January 1942, were caused by pressure from the overwhelming forces of the enemy, which forced the unit to move from Spadschansky forest (Sumy region) to Hinelsky forests (Orel and Kursk regions), and later, after replenishment of personnel and provision of weapons and ammunition, with the fighting went to the territory of its previous deployment. The third and fourth raids (February – March 1942; May – July 1942) were carried out within the Sumy and adjacent regions both to spread the influence of the Sumy partisan unit and under pressure from enemy forces. The next stage of the raid activity of the Sumy partisan unit was closely connected with the centralization of the Soviet partisan resistance movement and was carried out within the framework of strategic plans developed by the leadership of the UHGM and CHGM. This is the so-called “Stalin raid”, which took place in October – November 1942, during which 835 km were covered in the occupied territories of Sumy, Chernihiv, Gomel, Polissya, Kyiv, Zhytomyr regions. In February – March 1943, during another raid, guerrillas operated in the Rivne, Zhytomyr and Kyiv regions. From June 12 to October 1, 1943, the Sumy partisan unit conducted a “Carpathian raid” on the territory of Zhytomyr, Rivne, Ternopil, Stanislavsk and Kamyanets-Podilsky regions. Inflicting significant damage to the enemy, the guerrillas suffered significant losses – more than 50 % of the fighters did not return from the raid, S. V. Rudnev was killed, S. A. Kovpak and G. Ya. Bazyma were wounded, which led to a significant renewal of the fighting force and a complete replacement. command. During the raids, the fighters of the Sumy partisan unit under the leadership of S. A. Kovpak – S. V. Rudnev successfully combined combat, sabotage, intelligence and propaganda activities, expanding the area of guerrillas and intensifying the resistance movement among the inhabitants of the new regions.

Історія куреня імені князя Святослава Української повстанської армії

In this article, the history of the Prince Sviatoslav Battalion which was a part of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army Ivan Bogun Detachment of the “Turiv” Group is investigated. For the first time in the historiography the battalion’s organizational structure and its evolution are thoroughly studied, as well as structure of companies, consisted of: “Viter” (later “Orlyk”), “Batko Bogun”, “Zaberezhny” and “Svitlana” NCO School. The battalion’s numerical strength ranged between 425 and 586 men. In addition, warfare waged by companies of the battalion against the German occupiers and Polish partisan units in the modern Volodymyr-Volynsky and Turiysk districts is described. These were numerous clashes with the Nazi occupational units from Volodymyr-Volynsky garrison (German troops and local police), road ambushes, and the massive assaults on the Polish Resistance strongpoint in the town of Kupychiv. Finally, reasons of the battalion disband in the early 1944 are analysed. They include partial demobilization and reorganization of units in order to prepare for future crossing of the German-Soviet frontline. In the middle of January, 1944 two new companies were created on the basis of the Prince Sviatoslav Battalion elements.

Powstanie kawalerii SS Totenkopf i jej rola w niemieckiej polityce okupacyjnej na ziemiach polskich w latach 1939–1941

The topic of the article is one of the German SS regiments stationed in occupied Poland and its role in The German occupation policy. While the history of the SS formation is very well known in both academic and popular science literature, its cavalry has not been elaborated in great detail thus far. Although this topic seems interesting, it has not yet been discussed in any book in the Polish language. Most of the literature related to this topic was published in German and English. The 1st SS Death’s Head Cavalry Regiment operated primarily in the General Government and was under the Higher SS and Police Command. Some of its squadrons also operated in areas annexed to the Reich, i.e. the Warta Voievodship (Reichsgau Wartheland). From this article we will learn about the formation of the SS Death’s Head cavalry and its gradual inclusion in the brutal occupation policy of the Third Reich in Poland. In the case of its formation, we are dealing with tasks such as combating the early partisan units, searching for weapons, participating in the creation of ghettos, or helping to eliminate Polish levels of the intelligentsia. Noteworthy is the participation of this unit in the production of the propaganda film “Kampfgeschwader Lützow”, in which Polish cavalrymen were presented attacking German tanks with sabres. This false image was reproduced after the war in some movies or books, and contributed to the distorted presentation of Polish soldiers in the defensive battles of 1939.

СТВОРЕННЯ ТА ФОРМУВАННЯ СУМСЬКОГО ПАРТИЗАНСЬКОГО ЗʼЄДНАННЯ: ДІЯЛЬНІСТЬ ПУТИВЛЬСЬКОГО ПАРТИЗАНСЬКОГО ЗАГОНУ (СЕРПЕНЬ 1941 р. – ЛЮТИЙ 1942 р.)

The article analyzes the first period of the activity of the Sumy partisan association in the period of the existence of the Putivl partisan detachment and partisan detachments of some regions of the Sumy region. The main tendencies of forming partisan detachments in the Sumy region are determined. On an example of the Putivl partisan detachment the process of training, staffing and selection of leadership, material and technical support for the underground partisan resistance movement is reflected. The reasons for failures at the initial stage of activity are determined. The activity of individual partisan detachments that operated from the beginning of the temporary Nazi occupation as separate combat units was investigated, and subsequently they became as a part of the Putivl combined partisan detachment (Sumy partisan association): the Putivl partisan detachment under the command of S. A. Kovpak, the Putivl partisan detachment of S. V. Rudnev, Glukhiv Partisan Detachment of P. L. Kulbaka, Shalyginsky (Kholopkovsky) Partisan Detachment of A. Ya. Saganyuk, Kharkiv Partisan Detachment of M. Y. Vorontsov, Krolevetsky guerrilla group of V. M. Kudryavskyj, Konotop guerrilla unit of V. P. Kochemazov and others. The system of relations between partisan detachments and their command structure with the command of the Putivl combined partisan detachment was determined. The evolution of the structural system of the Putivl combined partisan detachment and its dependence on combat conditions is shown. The battle line of the partisan detachment under the command of Kovpak – Rudnev during August 1941 – February 1942 was investigated. The military conflicts with the Nazi occupation forces and the methods of confrontation of partisan units, intelligence, sabotage, politico-propaganda activity of the Putivl combined partisan detachment (Sumy partisan Association) at the initial stage of its activity is analyzed.

Колумбия: мирный процесс и вызовы постконфликтного периода

The paper discusses the main trends in the social and political development of Colombia in the early 21st century. Due to a compromise between the struggling parties, on the one hand, and effective mediation by international community, on the other, the internal armed conflict ended with a peace treaty signed by both forces: government and left radical guerilla. During referendum, a majority of participants did not support peace agreement. In the context of a “right drift”, I. Duque, the supporter of a tougher policy towards former partisans, came to power. However, later, under pressure from international community and internal opposition, the President has taken a more cautious stance. Representatives of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) have occupied a number of seats in parliament; government does in general fulfill its financial obligations towards integrating the demobilized fighters into peaceful life, but it has failed to implement sound structural reforms. Former partisans are particularly concerned about growing attempts to revise conditions of transitional justice while the government is unable to offer them an adequate level of personal security. As a result, some dissident groups and their leaders have resumed hostilities, the guevarist (associated with the strategy of Ernesto „Che” Guevara) National Liberation Army (ELN) has also continued terrorist acts. Nevertheless, the renewal of a full-scale conflict is unlikely due to powerful security forces, small number and fragmentation of partisan units operating in some remote areas, their weak coordination and a rivalry between the FARC and the ELN. Despite relatively favorable economic situation, the President has attempted to unleash the unpopular measure of tax increase. Other challenges are student strikes demanding a reform of higher education, continuous drug trafficking, high level of violence and corruption, and the presence of more than a million of Venezuelan refugees on the Colombian land. According to the author’s conclusion, amid such extreme political polarization, unresolved social problems and high level of organized crime, definitive stabilization in Colombia is an extremely complicated matter. However, the country’s unconventional experience in overcoming acute armed confrontation may be useful to unblock protracted conflicts in other regions of the world. Acknowledgements. The article has been supported by a grant of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (RFBR). Project no. 18-09-00021 History of Colombia, from the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the XXI Century.

Sovetskie sudy v partizanskih otryadah i podpol'e: 1941—1944 gg.

Sovetskie sudy v partizanskih otryadah i podpol'e: 1941—1944 gg.

Ofenzivno delovanje enot slovenskega domobranstva

Based on the study of literature and of archival sources in the Archives of the Republic of Slovenia, the article deals with the changes in the tactics of operation of the Slovenian Home Guard units carrying out combat operations against Partisan units independently or together with German units particularly in the second half of 1944 and at the beginning of 1945, which was a very large and noticeable change compared with their combat operations before that time. They replaced their pre- vious operations from outposts and the organisation of large offensives with fast and powerful attacks on an open Partisan unit in order to destroy it or damage it as much as possible.

Revolucionarno nasilje na širšem cerkniškem območju 1942

The article presents the revolutionary violence in the wider Cerknica area in 1942, i.e. in the territory of the former municipalities of Begunje pri Cerknici, Cerknica, Rakek and Sv. Vid. The violence was directed at the real, alleged and potential opponents of the communist revolution. There was a total of 47 victims of revolutionary violence, 39 of which were civilians. The article describes some cases of murder, robbery and arson carried out by the Partisan units.

Visible as people, yet invisible as jews

Abstract Based on their fates, it is possible to categorise the Jewish population of Slovakia from 1938 to 1945 into four groups (which can be further subdivided). The most extensive group were the prisoners in the Nazi concentration camps and labour camps in Slovakia. They were followed by “legal Jews”, hidden Jews, “Aryan” Jews, who used false “Aryan” documents in the mainstream society, and last but not least, fighters in partisan units or allied armies. This study analyzes the way of survival of the “Aryan Jews” following the materials gained by oral history and information from professional literature and memoirs. I focused on preparation, way of obtaining false documents, life in the mainstream society, and hidden emotions when confronted with captured Jews. Although physically “nothing had happened” to most of them, the Aryan Jews were exposed to constant stress; psychological impacts of “the life in disguise” accompanied them a long time after liberation.

The hard way home: Italian troops in Yugoslavia after the 8 September 1943 Armistice

The paper deals with the fate of Italian troops stationed in Yugoslavia in theperiod from the 8 September 1943 Armistice between Italy and the Allies to the endof World War II. Based on Italian and foreign historiography, memoirs and documentsdrawn from Italian and foreign archives, the paper aims at examining the roleplayed by Italian troops fighting alongside the partisan units in Yugoslavia after thearmistice, and at closing some gaps in the historiography of World War II, specific tothis issue. It will also concentrate on the fate of the thousands of Italians taken byTito’s army as prisoners of war who suffered a very harsh treatment. Among the latterand the Italians fighting alongside the partisans, an antifascist propaganda activitywas carried out with the aim of re-educating them into antifascists. Thefinal partwill deal with the servicemen’s repatriation and will show how the Italian prisonersof war were used by Tito as a bargaining chip in order to obtain some advantages,such as the recognition by the Italian government of the new Yugoslav State

Z Lubelszczyzny na Pomorze

Stanisław Kulik was a pre-war professional non-commissioned officer of armored troops. He fought in September 1939, escaped from the German captivity, in a conspiracy in the Lublin region, he became a commander of a partisan unit, he was decorated many times. In 1945, he organized one of the biggest desertions from the Polish „folk” army. He continued his underground activity in the Lublin region. From September 1945 to March 1946, he was the commander of the underground movement in Pomerania, operating under the name KD-111. He was arrested and murdered on December 28th, 1946 in Gdańsk.

ПОЧАТОК ЕСКАЛАЦІЇ ПРОТИСТОЯННЯ МІЖ РАДЯНСЬКИМИ ПАРТИЗАНАМИ Й УКРАЇНСЬКИМ ПОВСТАНСЬКО-ПІДПІЛЬНИМ РУХОМ НА ВОЛИНІ

In the article base on wide circle of historical source is examined the question of beginning escalation of confrontation between soviet partisans and Ukrainian rebel-underground movement in Volyn’. The interrelation between T. Bul’ba-Borovets’s UPA (UPA B-B) and detachment HKVD USSR “Winners”, red partisans in the second half 1942 – in the beginning of 1943 years had analyzed. For the first time had revealed that UPA B-B conclude neutrality with 12-th battalion of Zhytomyr partisan unit. The first counter-insurgency operation of soviet partisans in Volyn’ during German occupation is explained. In the article is shown reasons of dissolution neutrality between UPA B-B and D. Medvedev’s, I. Shytov’s detachments.

РОЗВІДУВАЛЬНА, КОНТРРОЗВІДУВАЛЬНА Й АГЕНТУРНА ДІЯЛЬНІСТЬ РІВНЕНСЬКИХ РАДЯНСЬКИХ ПАРТИЗАНСЬКИХ З’ЄДНАНЬ У БОРОТЬБІ З ОУН(Б) І УПА (1943-1944 рр.)

In article based on archival materials for the first time had considered questions of the intelligence, counterintelligence and secret service of soviet partisan units that had been subordinated to the Rivne regional headquarters of partisan movement in struggle with Ukrainian rebel movement in Volyn. The secret service and counterintelligence of task force NKGB Ukrainian SSR «Rozgrom» that is arrived in Rivne partisan union № 1 are analyzed. It is shown that Ukrainian rebels attempted to created agents' position in Rivne soviet partisan units.

БОРОТЬБА ЗА ТЕРЕНИ ВПЛИВУ МІЖ РІВНЕНСЬКИМИ РАДЯНСЬКИМИ ПАРТИЗАНСЬКИМИ З’ЄДНАННЯМИ Й УПА (1943-1944 рр.)

In the article analysed causes the confrontation between Rivne soviet partisan units and Ukrainian rebels. It is shown that Bolsheviks got ahead of OUN(b) in deployment of partisan movement. Causes of the struggle for territory of influence between soviet partisan units and UPA are established. There are brought that the confrontation between red partisans and Ukrainian rebels in Rivne region had deployed predominately in Dubrovytsya and Volodymyrets' districts.

Działalność antykomunistycznego oddziału partyzanckiego „Niepodległość” na terenie ziemi Szadkowskiej

Od października 1945 r. do lutego 1946 r. ziemia szadkowska była objęta działalnością antykomunistycznego zgrupowania partyzanckiego „Niepodległość” pod dowództwem kpt. Eugeniusza Kokolskiego „Groźnego”. Zgrupowanie partyzanckie „Niepodległość” było zdyscyplinowanym wojskiem, które rozbijało posterunki MO i UB, a fundusz na działalność zdobywało wyłącznie w wyniku różnych akcji na instytucje państwowe (kasy zarządów gminnych, spółdzielni i urzędów pocztowych). Pozyskane fundusze i żywność przekazywano na żołd dla żołnierzy, dozbrajanie oddziału i wynagradzanie informatorów. Na terenie ziemi szadkowskiej zorganizowano kilka drobnych akcji zbrojno-rekwizycyjnych m.in. w Szadku, Zadzimiu, Wierzchach, Lichawie i Małyniu. Osobami nieodłącznie związanymi z oddziałem „Groźnego”, zamieszkującymi w różnych okresach teren ziemi szadkowskiej byli: Zenon Słowiński ps. „Czapla” (za działalność partyzancką skazany na 15 lat więzienia), Stanisław Brzozowski ps. „Kopacz” i Władysław Kupś (skazani na 2 lata pozbawienia wolności). Dopiero po upadku systemu komunistycznego w kraju, sąd wskazał, że działalność „Czapli” i „Kopacza” była działaniem na rzecz niepodległego bytu Państwa Polskiego, unieważniając wyroki „ludowego” wymiaru sprawiedliwości.