Polish prisoners and internees in Soviet Union and Lithuania (1919-1921)
Encyclopedia
Polish prisoners of war and internees in Soviet Union and Lithuania — Polish soldiers and citizens who were captured and interned during the Polish-Soviet War
and remained in the custody of Soviet
and Lithuania
n authorities. Their condition is one of the less researched controversies of that period
.
's were captured after the capitulation
of the 5th Division on 11 January 1920 at Klukwiennaja
train station
as well as during the Soviet offensive in the early August.
Only a few Polish POW's were captured in other engagements, as the Soviet offensive terminated with the Battle of Warsaw
. Even fewer Polish POW's were taken from many tiny Polish military units participating in the Russian Civil War
.
After the capitulation of the 5th Division, the Soviet administration, disregarding a treaty
signed with Poland
, imprisoned the Polish POW's, and subsequently decided to treat them as guilty of crimes against the Soviet state.
) in the so-called Yenisey Brigade. The prisoners had no access to neither medical care, nor medication. Their daily food rations were made of half-a-pound of bread and watery soup. Moreover, the guards were robbing the prisoners, in some instances even taking their clothing
. The high mortality rate
was contributed to by the spread of diseases (like typhoid).
While the conditions for Soviet prisoners were clearly exposed in the Polish press, no corresponding fact-finding about Soviet camps for Polish POWs could be expected from tightly controlled
Soviet press. Available data shows many cases of mistreatment of Polish prisoners. There have been also cases of Soviet army executing Polish POWs when no POW facilities were available.
While majority of Polish POWs were held by the Soviet Union
, several thousand of them were held by the government of Lithuania
- soldiers captured during the Polish-Lithuanian War
, Żeligowski's Uprising or interned during the Polish-Soviet War (Lithuania was sympathetic to the Soviet side; see Soviet–Lithuanian Treaty
for further details). Cases of mistreatment of Polish POWs in Lithuania were frequent and similar to situation in Soviet camps.
About 20,000 out of about 51,000 Polish POWs
died in Soviet and Lithuanian camps A similar number of Soviet POWs - from 16,000 to 20,000 out of 80,000 - perished due to disease and poor conditions in Polish camps in that period.
Poland and the Soviet Union exchanged prisoners after the Peace Treaty in Riga was signed in late 1920. The POW exchange process begun in March 1921, with most POWs being transferred by May 1922.
Polish-Soviet War
The Polish–Soviet War was an armed conflict between Soviet Russia and Soviet Ukraine and the Second Polish Republic and the Ukrainian People's Republic—four states in post–World War I Europe...
and remained in the custody of Soviet
Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic , commonly referred to as Soviet Russia, Bolshevik Russia, or simply Russia, was the largest, most populous and economically developed republic in the former Soviet Union....
and Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
n authorities. Their condition is one of the less researched controversies of that period
Controversies of the Polish-Soviet War
Controversies of the Polish-Soviet War, fought in 1919–20, concern the behaviour of the military forces and crimes they committed. Both sides raised charges of many violations of international law in order to sway public opinion in the West which was felt to be important for both sides.-Prisoners...
.
Background
Most Polish POWPrisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
's were captured after the capitulation
Capitulation (surrender)
Capitulation , an agreement in time of war for the surrender to a hostile armed force of a particular body of troops, a town or a territory....
of the 5th Division on 11 January 1920 at Klukwiennaja
Ujar
Ujar Rayon is a rayon of Azerbaijan, situated to the south of Goycay, in the centre of the country. This region contains the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline to the south of the Shirvan plain. There are 32 villages and 1 city in Ucar...
train station
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
as well as during the Soviet offensive in the early August.
Only a few Polish POW's were captured in other engagements, as the Soviet offensive terminated with the Battle of Warsaw
Battle of Warsaw
Battle of Warsaw can refer to:* Siege of Warsaw , Warsaw retaken by Poles from Swedes on June 30, 1656, during The Deluge* Battle of Warsaw , battle outside the city on July 18-July 20, 1656, during The Deluge, following which Warsaw is captured by Swedes for the second time* Battle of Warsaw ,...
. Even fewer Polish POW's were taken from many tiny Polish military units participating in the Russian Civil War
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
.
After the capitulation of the 5th Division, the Soviet administration, disregarding a treaty
Treaty
A treaty is an express agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely sovereign states and international organizations. A treaty may also be known as an agreement, protocol, covenant, convention or exchange of letters, among other terms...
signed with 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...
, imprisoned the Polish POW's, and subsequently decided to treat them as guilty of crimes against the Soviet state.
POWs
Some POWs, primarily officers were executed, others were sentenced to serve time in jail, and the rest of the Polish soldiers were pressed to serve as forced labour (katorgaKatorga
Katorga was a system of penal servitude of the prison farm type in Tsarist Russia...
) in the so-called Yenisey Brigade. The prisoners had no access to neither medical care, nor medication. Their daily food rations were made of half-a-pound of bread and watery soup. Moreover, the guards were robbing the prisoners, in some instances even taking their clothing
Clothing
Clothing refers to any covering for the human body that is worn. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic and is a feature of nearly all human societies...
. The high mortality rate
Mortality rate
Mortality rate is a measure of the number of deaths in a population, scaled to the size of that population, per unit time...
was contributed to by the spread of diseases (like typhoid).
While the conditions for Soviet prisoners were clearly exposed in the Polish press, no corresponding fact-finding about Soviet camps for Polish POWs could be expected from tightly controlled
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
Soviet press. Available data shows many cases of mistreatment of Polish prisoners. There have been also cases of Soviet army executing Polish POWs when no POW facilities were available.
While majority of Polish POWs were held by the Soviet Union
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....
, several thousand of them were held by the government of Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
- soldiers captured during the Polish-Lithuanian War
Polish-Lithuanian War
The Polish–Lithuanian War was an armed conflict between newly independent Lithuania and Poland in the aftermath of World War I. The conflict primarily concerned territorial control of the Vilnius Region, including Vilnius , and the Suwałki Region, including the towns of Suwałki, Augustów, and Sejny...
, Żeligowski's Uprising or interned during the Polish-Soviet War (Lithuania was sympathetic to the Soviet side; see Soviet–Lithuanian Treaty
Soviet–Lithuanian Treaty
Soviet–Lithuanian Treaty can refer to three treaties between the Soviet Union and Lithuania:* Soviet–Lithuanian Peace Treaty of 1920* Soviet–Lithuanian Non-Aggression Pact of 1926* Soviet–Lithuanian Mutual Assistance Treaty of 1939...
for further details). Cases of mistreatment of Polish POWs in Lithuania were frequent and similar to situation in Soviet camps.
About 20,000 out of about 51,000 Polish POWs
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
died in Soviet and Lithuanian camps A similar number of Soviet POWs - from 16,000 to 20,000 out of 80,000 - perished due to disease and poor conditions in Polish camps in that period.
Poland and the Soviet Union exchanged prisoners after the Peace Treaty in Riga was signed in late 1920. The POW exchange process begun in March 1921, with most POWs being transferred by May 1922.
See also
- Camps for Russian prisoners and internees in Poland (1919-1924)Camps for Russian prisoners and internees in Poland (1919-1924)Camps for Russian prisoners and internees in Poland that existed during 1919-1924 housed two main categories of detainees:*personnel of the Imperial Russian Army, and Russian civilians, captured by Germany during World War I and left on Polish territory after the end of the war; and*Soviet military...
- Camps for soldiers of the UNR Army interned in Poland (1919-1924)Camps for soldiers of the UNR Army interned in Poland (1919-1924)Camps for soldiers of the UNR Army interned in Poland.Combatants of the UNR Army were interned in Poland initially at the end of 1919 in Łańcut immediately after they organized 6 Rifle divisions...
- Camps for Polish prisoners and internees in Soviet Union (after 1939)