Provisional Administration
Encyclopedia
Provisional Administration (Polish
Administracja Zastępcza) was one of the branches of the Department of Internal Affairs of the Government Delegate’s Office at Home in Poland
during World War II
.
It was created in 1940 as a joint initiative of the Headquarters of the Armia Krajowa
and the Delegate's Office
. It was a kind of shadow administration prepared for the moment of either liberation of Poland
or the start of an all-national armed uprising.
It was based on the Polish pre-war administrative division
, composed of three grades (voivodeship
-powiat
-gmina
), combined with the pre-war military division. In August 1943 the division of competences between the army and the civilian authorities was agreed. The organization of the Provisional Administration was later accepted by the President of Poland on April 26, 1944.
In 1944 during Operation Tempest
, as the sole representatives of the legitimate Polish government, the members of the Provisional Administration took power from the withdrawing German troops and welcomed the advancing Red Army
. However, most of them were arrested by the NKVD
and either sent to Russia for interrogation
, sent to the GULag
or killed on the spot.
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
Administracja Zastępcza) was one of the branches of the Department of Internal Affairs of the Government Delegate’s Office at Home in 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...
.
It was created in 1940 as a joint initiative of the Headquarters of 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...
and the Delegate's Office
Government Delegate's Office at Home
The Government Delegation for Poland was an agency of the Polish Government in Exile during World War II. It was the highest authority of the Polish Secret State in occupied Poland and was headed by the Government Delegate for Poland, a de facto deputy Polish Prime Minister.The Government...
. It was a kind of shadow administration prepared for the moment of either liberation of 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...
or the start of an all-national armed uprising.
It was based on the Polish pre-war administrative division
Voivodeships of Poland
The voivodeship, or province, called in Polish województwo , has been a high-level administrative subdivision of Poland since the 14th century....
, composed of three grades (voivodeship
Voivodeship
Voivodship is a term denoting the position of, or more commonly the area administered by, a voivod. Voivodeships have existed since medieval times in Poland, Romania, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Russia and Serbia....
-powiat
Powiat
A powiat is the second-level unit of local government and administration in Poland, equivalent to a county, district or prefecture in other countries. The term powiat is most often translated into English as "county", although other terms are also sometimes used...
-gmina
Gmina
The gmina is the principal unit of administrative division of Poland at its lowest uniform level. It is often translated as "commune" or "municipality." As of 2010 there were 2,479 gminas throughout the country...
), combined with the pre-war military division. In August 1943 the division of competences between the army and the civilian authorities was agreed. The organization of the Provisional Administration was later accepted by the President of Poland on April 26, 1944.
In 1944 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....
, as the sole representatives of the legitimate Polish government, the members of the Provisional Administration took power from the withdrawing German troops and welcomed the advancing Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
. However, most of them were arrested by the NKVD
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Joseph Stalin....
and either sent to Russia for interrogation
Interrogation
Interrogation is interviewing as commonly employed by officers of the police, military, and Intelligence agencies with the goal of extracting a confession or obtaining information. Subjects of interrogation are often the suspects, victims, or witnesses of a crime...
, sent to the GULag
Gulag
The Gulag was the government agency that administered the main Soviet forced labor camp systems. While the camps housed a wide range of convicts, from petty criminals to political prisoners, large numbers were convicted by simplified procedures, such as NKVD troikas and other instruments of...
or killed on the spot.