National Identity, Historical Narratives, and the Fate of Poland in World War II

Abstract This paper explores the fate of Poland during, and immediately after, the Second World War and examines the question of Western betrayal of Poland. This paper looks into why some Poles felt, and continue to feel, a sense of betrayal by their allies during the war. The main focus of this paper is how the Poles came to understand their fate and position in the world during and after World War Two. The thesis of this paper is that Poles define their national narrative in the modern era as glorious victimhood and that this definition of glorious victimhood is how Poles understood their situation during and after World War Two. In pursing this aforementioned thesis, the paper presents sub-narratives of victimhood, martyrdom, and betrayal in the history of Poland from the First Partition of Poland (1772) to the imposition of communist rule following World War Two (1948). The Warsaw Uprising (August-October 1944) provides a case study for the Polish experience of World War Two and the narrative of glorious victimhood. This case study focuses on the degree of Allied support and intervention, along with the failures of the Polish Government-in-Exile and the Polish Home Army during the Warsaw Uprising

Halting the Revolution: Poland and the “Miracle at the Vistula”

This paper is principally concerned with explaining the causes, course, and outcome of the Polish-Soviet War of 1919-1921. It provides a background of the reasoning behind both camps’ geo-political motivations leading up to the conflict. Although the background of the conflict is largely explored by this paper, some basic understanding of the situation is assumed. The paper goes on to describe the major events of the conflict and its results, with a strong emphasis on the Battle of Warsaw. Finally, the paper provides a narrative as to how the conflict influenced the foreign policies of both nations during the interwar era