Obóz Wielkiej Polski
Encyclopedia
Camp of Great Poland was a far-right, nationalist political organization of National Democracy in interwar Poland
.
by National Populist Union
(Związek Ludowo-Narodowy, ZLN) and other organizations of right-wing National Democracy political camp, led by Roman Dmowski
, to unite Polish right-wing organizations and oppose sanacja
regime, which gained power following Józef Piłsudski's May Coup in 1926. After merging with National Pupulist Union in 1928 OWP retained its autonomy within newly established National Party
.
In 1927 youth branch of the organization was established ., which virtually dominated OWP by 1928. OWP positions in Polish universities among students were especially strong, it also gained popularity among workers and the lower middle class
. In January 1930 Camp of Great Poland had 35,000 members, in May 1932 its membership reached 120,000. By 1933 OWP claimed to have a quarter of a million followers..
Outbreaks of the anti-Jewish violence in Eastern Galicia in 1927 led the organization to be banned in that region that year. After a further wave of nationwide violence in 1933 OWP eventually banned in entire Poland. Government, alarmed by rapid growth of OWP, banned the organization together with its youth movement on 28 March 1933. on the grounds that these organizations threatened stability of the state.. After dissolution of the organization, even more radical young members of OWP formed the National Radical Camp . ONR would be banned soon after its establishment, in 1934.
; other notable members included Tadeusz Bielecki
, Marian Borzęcki, Stanisław Haller and Roman Rybarski.
.
OWP did not pursue its goals on the political scene, increasingly controlled by Piłsudskiite Sanacja
; instead it aimed to create a violent, revolutionary movement aimed at toppling the government. Camp of Great Poland even had its own fighting squads organized.
OWP front organization
, the Green Ribbon League actively propagated a boycott of the Jewish-owned businesses. In early 1930s OWP campaigned for numerus nullus, a policy of complete exclusion of Jewish students and academics from Polish universities. OWP anti-Jewish activities weren't however limited to political means only. OWP openly incited anti-Jewish riots
, and its youth movement advocated violence against Jewish students. OWP and related youth organizations were engaged in violent attacks against Jews. Those attacks eventually led the Polish government to ban the organization.
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...
.
History
Camp of Great Poland was founded on 4 December 1926 in PoznańPoznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
by National Populist Union
National Populist Union
Związek Ludowo-Narodowy was a Polish political party of the National Democracy political camp, which functioned in the Second Polish Republic. It gathered right-wing politicians with conservative and nationalist opinions....
(Związek Ludowo-Narodowy, ZLN) and other organizations of right-wing National Democracy political camp, led by Roman Dmowski
Roman Dmowski
Roman Stanisław Dmowski was a Polish politician, statesman, and chief ideologue and co-founder of the National Democracy political movement, which was one of the strongest political camps of interwar Poland.Though a controversial personality throughout his life, Dmowski was instrumental in...
, to unite Polish right-wing organizations and oppose sanacja
Sanacja
Sanation was a Polish political movement that came to power after Józef Piłsudski's May 1926 Coup d'État. Sanation took its name from his watchword—the moral "sanation" of the Polish body politic...
regime, which gained power following Józef Piłsudski's May Coup in 1926. After merging with National Pupulist Union in 1928 OWP retained its autonomy within newly established National Party
National Party (Poland)
Stronnictwo Narodowe was a Polish political party formed on 7 October 1928 after the transformation of National Populist Union. It gathered together most of the political forces of Poland's National Democracy right-wing political camp. SN was one of the main opponents of the Sanacja regime...
.
In 1927 youth branch of the organization was established ., which virtually dominated OWP by 1928. OWP positions in Polish universities among students were especially strong, it also gained popularity among workers and the lower middle class
Lower middle class
In developed nations across the world, the lower middle class is a sub-division of the greater middle class. Universally the term refers to the group of middle class households or individuals who have not attained the status of the upper middle class associated with the higher realms of the middle...
. In January 1930 Camp of Great Poland had 35,000 members, in May 1932 its membership reached 120,000. By 1933 OWP claimed to have a quarter of a million followers..
Outbreaks of the anti-Jewish violence in Eastern Galicia in 1927 led the organization to be banned in that region that year. After a further wave of nationwide violence in 1933 OWP eventually banned in entire Poland. Government, alarmed by rapid growth of OWP, banned the organization together with its youth movement on 28 March 1933. on the grounds that these organizations threatened stability of the state.. After dissolution of the organization, even more radical young members of OWP formed the National Radical Camp . ONR would be banned soon after its establishment, in 1934.
Organization
Camp of Great Poland was led by the Great Council . The head of the Council, with the title of the Great Camp-maker was Roman DmowskiRoman Dmowski
Roman Stanisław Dmowski was a Polish politician, statesman, and chief ideologue and co-founder of the National Democracy political movement, which was one of the strongest political camps of interwar Poland.Though a controversial personality throughout his life, Dmowski was instrumental in...
; other notable members included Tadeusz Bielecki
Tadeusz Bielecki
Tadeusz Bielecki was a Polish politician and writer. Personal secretary to Roman Dmowski, member of the National Party and Camp of Great Poland ; he was however opposed to radicals from National Radical Camp...
, Marian Borzęcki, Stanisław Haller and Roman Rybarski.
Views
Camp of Great Poland supported strongly religious corporative authoritarianism, borrowing some ideas from Italian fascismItalian Fascism
Italian Fascism also known as Fascism with a capital "F" refers to the original fascist ideology in Italy. This ideology is associated with the National Fascist Party which under Benito Mussolini ruled the Kingdom of Italy from 1922 until 1943, the Republican Fascist Party which ruled the Italian...
.
OWP did not pursue its goals on the political scene, increasingly controlled by Piłsudskiite Sanacja
Sanacja
Sanation was a Polish political movement that came to power after Józef Piłsudski's May 1926 Coup d'État. Sanation took its name from his watchword—the moral "sanation" of the Polish body politic...
; instead it aimed to create a violent, revolutionary movement aimed at toppling the government. Camp of Great Poland even had its own fighting squads organized.
OWP front organization
Front organization
A front organization is any entity set up by and controlled by another organization, such as intelligence agencies, organized crime groups, banned organizations, religious or political groups, advocacy groups, or corporations...
, the Green Ribbon League actively propagated a boycott of the Jewish-owned businesses. In early 1930s OWP campaigned for numerus nullus, a policy of complete exclusion of Jewish students and academics from Polish universities. OWP anti-Jewish activities weren't however limited to political means only. OWP openly incited anti-Jewish riots
Pogrom
A pogrom is a form of violent riot, a mob attack directed against a minority group, and characterized by killings and destruction of their homes and properties, businesses, and religious centres...
, and its youth movement advocated violence against Jewish students. OWP and related youth organizations were engaged in violent attacks against Jews. Those attacks eventually led the Polish government to ban the organization.