Lesni
Encyclopedia
Leśni is one of the informal names applied to the anti-German partisan
groups operating in occupied Poland
during World War II
. The groups were formed mostly by people who for various reasons could not operate from settlements they lived in and had to retreat to the forests. Contrary to most of the organised groups of resistance, with the Armia Krajowa
being the most notable, the forest people formed a sort of a standing army
as opposed to regular partisan units that gathered shortly before an action and then retreated to their homes.
, mostly by marauders from the Polish Army and other people who evaded being arrested by the new Nazi
or Soviet
authorities. In March 1940 partisan unit of the first guerrilla
commanders in the Second World War in Europe - Henryk Dobrzański "Hubal"
completely destroyed a battalion
of German infantry in a skirmish near the village of Huciska. A few days later in an ambush near the village of Szałasy it inflicted heavy casualties upon another German unit. To counter this threat the German authorities formed a special 1,000 men strong anti-partisan unit of combined SS-Wehrmacht forces, including a Panzer
group. Although the unit of maj. Dobrzański never exceeded 300 men, the Germans fielded at least 8,000 men in the area to secure it. (the most famous was the group of Henryk Dobrzański
).
and then the Home Army, different realities made them remain largely independent.
In early 1943 strength of the leśni groups can be estimated at about 40 groups numbering in total 1,200-4,000 fighters, but the numbers grew significantly during Operation Tempest
in 1944.
Resistance during World War II
Resistance movements during World War II occurred in every occupied country by a variety of means, ranging from non-cooperation, disinformation and propaganda to hiding crashed pilots and even to outright warfare and the recapturing of towns...
groups operating in occupied Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The groups were formed mostly by people who for various reasons could not operate from settlements they lived in and had to retreat to the forests. Contrary to most of the organised groups of resistance, with the Armia Krajowa
Armia Krajowa
The Armia Krajowa , or Home Army, was the dominant Polish resistance movement in World War II German-occupied Poland. It was formed in February 1942 from the Związek Walki Zbrojnej . Over the next two years, it absorbed most other Polish underground forces...
being the most notable, the forest people formed a sort of a standing army
Standing army
A standing army is a professional permanent army. It is composed of full-time career soldiers and is not disbanded during times of peace. It differs from army reserves, who are activated only during wars or natural disasters...
as opposed to regular partisan units that gathered shortly before an action and then retreated to their homes.
After the Fall of Poland 1939
The first such groups were formed in 1939, shortly after the invasion of PolandInvasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
, mostly by marauders from the Polish Army and other people who evaded being arrested by the new Nazi
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
or Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
authorities. In March 1940 partisan unit of the first guerrilla
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
commanders in the Second World War in Europe - Henryk Dobrzański "Hubal"
Henryk Dobrzanski
Major Henryk Dobrzański aka "Hubal" was a Polish soldier, sportsman and partisan. He was the first guerrilla commander of the Second World War in Europe.-Early life and career:...
completely destroyed a battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
of German infantry in a skirmish near the village of Huciska. A few days later in an ambush near the village of Szałasy it inflicted heavy casualties upon another German unit. To counter this threat the German authorities formed a special 1,000 men strong anti-partisan unit of combined SS-Wehrmacht forces, including a Panzer
Panzer
A Panzer is a German language word that, when used as a noun, means "tank". When it is used as an adjective, it means either tank or "armoured" .- Etymology :...
group. Although the unit of maj. Dobrzański never exceeded 300 men, the Germans fielded at least 8,000 men in the area to secure it. (the most famous was the group of Henryk Dobrzański
Henryk Dobrzanski
Major Henryk Dobrzański aka "Hubal" was a Polish soldier, sportsman and partisan. He was the first guerrilla commander of the Second World War in Europe.-Early life and career:...
).
Under German occupation 1939-1945
Although most of the groups accepted the overall command of ZWZZwiazek Walki Zbrojnej
Związek Walki Zbrojnej was an underground army formed in Poland following its invasion in September 1939 by Germany and the Soviet Union that opened World War II.The precursor to the ZWZ was the Service...
and then the Home Army, different realities made them remain largely independent.
In early 1943 strength of the leśni groups can be estimated at about 40 groups numbering in total 1,200-4,000 fighters, but the numbers grew significantly during Operation Tempest
Operation Tempest
Operation Tempest was a series of uprisings conducted during World War II by the Polish Home Army , the dominant force in the Polish resistance....
in 1944.
Squads/troops
- Antyfaszystowska Organizacja BojowaAntyfaszystowska Organizacja BojowaAntyfaszystowska Organizacja Bojowa was an underground organization formed in 1942 in the Ghetto in Białystok by former officers of the Polish Land Forces...
- Armia KrajowaArmia KrajowaThe Armia Krajowa , or Home Army, was the dominant Polish resistance movement in World War II German-occupied Poland. It was formed in February 1942 from the Związek Walki Zbrojnej . Over the next two years, it absorbed most other Polish underground forces...
- Armia LudowaArmia LudowaArmia Ludowa was a communist partisan force set up by the Polish Workers' Party during World War II. Its aims were to support the military of the Soviet Union against German forces and aid the creation of a pro-Soviet communist government in Poland...
- Bataliony Chłopskie
- Brygada SwiętokrzyskaHoly Cross Mountains BrigadeThe Holy Cross Mountains Brigade was a tactical unit of the Polish underground NSZ organization during World War II, which did not obey orders to merge with the Home Army in 1944 and as a result was part of the NSZ-ZJ faction....
- Gwardia LudowaGwardia LudowaGwardia Ludowa or GL was a communist armed organisation in Poland, organised by the Soviet created Polish Workers Party. It was the largest military organization which refused to join the structures of the Polish Underground State. It was created in 1942 and in 1944 it was incorporated by the...
- Gwardia Ludowa WRNGwardia Ludowa WRNGwardia Ludowa WRN was a part of the Polish resistance movement in World War II. Created in 1939 by Polish Socialist Party - WRN faction, since 1940 it was subordinated to ZWZ with a degree of autonomy. In 1944 it numbered about 42,000 people...
- Narodowa Organizacja Wojskowa
- Narodowe Siły Zbrojne
- Obóz Polski Wałczącej
- Państwowy Korpus BezpieczeństwaPanstwowy Korpus BezpieczenstwaPaństwowy Korpus Bezpieczeństwa was a Polish underground police force organized by the Armia Krajowa and Government Delegate's Office at Home under German occupation during World War II...
- Polska Armia Ludowa
- Szare SzeregiSzare Szeregi"Gray Ranks" was a codename for the underground 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...
- ŻegotaZegota"Żegota" , also known as the "Konrad Żegota Committee", was a codename for the Polish Council to Aid Jews , an underground organization of Polish resistance in German-occupied Poland from 1942 to 1945....
- Związek OdwetuZwiazek OdwetuZwiązek Odwetu was a Polish World War II resistance organization established on April 20, 1940. It was created by Gen...
- Związek Walki ZbrojnejZwiazek Walki ZbrojnejZwiązek Walki Zbrojnej was an underground army formed in Poland following its invasion in September 1939 by Germany and the Soviet Union that opened World War II.The precursor to the ZWZ was the Service...
- Żydowska Organizacja BojowaZydowska Organizacja BojowaThe Jewish Combat Organization was a World War II resistance movement, which was instrumental in engineering the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. ŻOB took part in a number of other resistance activities as well...
- Związek Organizacji WojskowejZwiazek Organizacji WojskowejZwiązek Organizacji Wojskowej was an underground resistance organization formed by Witold Pilecki at Auschwitz concentration camp in 1940.-Beginning:...
- Żydowski Związek Walki
Uprisings, operations and battles
- Czortków UprisingCzortków UprisingThe Czortków Uprising was a failed attempt by anti-Soviet Poles, most of them teenagers from local high schools, to storm the local Red Army barracks and a prison, in order to release Polish soldiers kept there. It occurred during the night of January 21–22, 1940, in the Soviet-occupied...
- Zamość UprisingZamosc UprisingThe Zamość Uprising refers to the actions by Polish resistance against the forced expulsion of Poles from the Zamość region under the Nazi Generalplan Ost...
- Operation WieniecOperation WieniecOperation Wieniec was one of the large-scale anti-Nazi operations of the Armia Krajowa during the World War II that took place on the night from 7 to 8 October 1942. It targeted rail infrastructure near Warsaw....
- Operation ArsenalOperation ArsenalThe Operation Arsenal, code name: "Meksyk II" was the first major operation by the Szare Szeregi Polish Underground formation during the Nazi occupation of Poland. It took place on March 26, 1943 in Warsaw...
- Warsaw Ghetto Rising
- Operation BeltOperation BeltOperation Belt was one of the large-scale anti-Nazi operations of the Armia Krajowa Kedyw during the World War II.In August 1943 the headquarters of the Armia Krajowa ordered Kedyw to prepare an armed action against German border guarding stations on the frontier between the General Government and...
- Operation Heads
- Operation BürklOperation BürklOperation Bürkl , or the special combat action Bürkl , was an operation by the Polish resistance conducted on September 7, 1943...
- Operation Most IIIOperation Most IIIOperation Most III or Operation Wildhorn III was a World War II operation in which Poland's Armia Krajowa provided the Allies with crucial intelligence on the German V-2 rocket.-Background:...
- Operation KutscheraOperation KutscheraOperation Kutschera was the code name for the successful assassination of Franz Kutschera, SS and Reich's Police Chief in Warsaw, executed on 1 February 1944 by the Polish Resistance fighters of Home Army's Anti-Gestapo unit Agat...
- Battle of Murowana OszmiankaBattle of Murowana OszmiankaThe Battle of Murowana Oszmianka of May 13–May 14, 1944 was the largest clash between the Polish resistance movement organization Home Army and the Nazi Lithuanian Territorial Defense Force ; a Lithuanian volunteer security force subordinated to Nazi Germany...
- Battle of Porytowe WzgórzeBattle of Porytowe WzgórzeThe Battle of Porytowe Wzgórze took place on June 14, 1944, between Polish and Russian partisans and Nazi German forces. It was the largest battle between underground anti-Nazi resistance and German occupation forces in occupied Europe....
- Battle of OsuchyBattle of OsuchyThe Battle of Osuchy was one of the largest battles between the Polish resistance and Nazi Germany in occupied Poland during World War II, a part of the Zamość Uprising...
- Operation TempestOperation TempestOperation Tempest was a series of uprisings conducted during World War II by the Polish Home Army , the dominant force in the Polish resistance....
- Operation Ostra Brama
- Lwów UprisingLwów UprisingThe Lwów Uprising was the armed struggle started by the Polish resistance movement organization Polish Home Army against the Nazi occupiers in Lviv, during World War II. It began on July 23, 1944 as a part of a plan of all-national uprising codenamed Operation Tempest. The uprising lasted until...
- Warsaw UprisingWarsaw UprisingThe Warsaw Uprising was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance Home Army , to liberate Warsaw from Nazi Germany. The rebellion was timed to coincide with the Soviet Union's Red Army approaching the eastern suburbs of the city and the retreat of German forces...
- Attack on the NKVD Camp in RembertówAttack on the NKVD Camp in RembertówOn May 21, 1945, a unit of the Home Army , led by Colonel Edward Wasilewski, attacked a Soviet NKVD camp located in Rembertów on the eastern outskirts of Warsaw. The Russians incarcerated there many hundreds of Polish citizens; members of the Home Army and underground fighters, whom they were...
- Battle of Kuryłówka
- Augustów chase 1945Augustów chase 1945The Augustów roundup was a military operation against the Polish World War II anti-communist partisans and sympathizers following the Soviet takeover of Poland...
See also
- Belarusian partisansBelarusian partisansBelarusian partisans were fighters in irregular military groups participating in the Belarusian resistance movement, including against Nazi Germany and collaborationism during World War II.- World War II :...
- Estonian partisansEstonian partisans (Soviet partisans)The Soviet partisans in Estonia were Communist partisans who attempted to wage guerrilla warfare against the German armed forces during the German occupation of Estonia. Partisan activity was singularly unsuccessful in Estonia due to the general resistance of the population to the Soviet regime...
- Italian partisans
- Jewish partisansJewish partisansJewish partisans were fighters in irregular military groups participating in the Jewish resistance movement against Nazi Germany and its collaborators during World War II....
- Latvian partisansLatvian partisansLatvian partisans were fighters in irregular military groups participating in the Latvian resistance movement, including against Nazi Germany and collaborationism during World War II.- Latvian War of Independence :...
- Lithuanian partisansLithuanian partisansThe Lithuanian partisans can refer to various irregular military units in different historical periods active in Lithuania against foreign invaders and occupiers:...
- Polish partisans
- Soviet partisansSoviet partisansThe Soviet partisans were members of a resistance movement which fought a guerrilla war against the Axis occupation of the Soviet Union during World War II....
- Yugoslav Partisans
- Armia KrajowaArmia KrajowaThe Armia Krajowa , or Home Army, was the dominant Polish resistance movement in World War II German-occupied Poland. It was formed in February 1942 from the Związek Walki Zbrojnej . Over the next two years, it absorbed most other Polish underground forces...
- KresyKresyThe Polish term Kresy refers to a land considered by Poles as historical eastern provinces of their country. Today, it makes western Ukraine, western Belarus, as well as eastern Lithuania, with such major cities, as Lviv, Vilnius, and Hrodna. This territory belonged to the Polish-Lithuanian...
- Narodowe Siły Zbrojne
- Polish resistancePolish resistance movement in World War IIThe Polish resistance movement in World War II, with the Home Army at its forefront, was the largest underground resistance in all of Nazi-occupied Europe, covering both German and Soviet zones of occupation. The Polish defence against the Nazi occupation was an important part of the European...
External links
- Armia Krajowa
- Armia Krajowa
- Die "Stunde W"
- Leaflet of Polish resistance movement concerning mass executions conducted by the Nazis in Warsaw
- Narodowe Siły Zbrojne
- POLAND: HERE IS THE RECORD
- Polish Resistance in World War II
- Tadeusz WICHROWSKI - "Wicher"
- Warsaw Uprising 1944
- History of Warsaw's contributions levied by the German Occupation Authority
- Polský protinacistický odboj