Pacification operations in German-occupied Poland
Encyclopedia
The pacification operations in German-occupied Poland was the use of military force and punitive measures conducted during World War II
by Nazi Germany
with the goal of suppressing any Polish resistance
.
"Pacification" operations are one example of the extermination policies used against Poland and were of a massive scale, resulting in the murders of approximately 20,000 villagers. They were mainly conducted in the areas of General Government
, Pomorze, and in the vicinities of Białystok and Wielkopolska. The number of villages which were an object of pacification in Poland is approximately 825. Collective punishment
was used during such operations to discourage both the hiding of Jews
or Soviet POWs, and the aiding of any guerilla forces. Pacifications included the extermination of entire villages including women and children, expulsions, the burning of homes, confiscation of private property, and arrests. In many instances these operations were characterized by extreme brutality. An example of such behaviour is the burning alive of 81 civilians and the shooting of 15 others in the village of Jabłoń-Dobki.
The first pacifications were conducted on the ground by Wehrmacht
officers and soldiers, and took place in Złoczew on September 3 and 4, 1939, in which the German soldiers murdered some 200 Poles. From the air, Luftwaffe
planes bombed the villages of Momoty Dolne, Momoty Górne, Pawłów, Tokary, Sochy and Klew. Some places were subjected to multiple pacification operations. In the town of Aleksandrów in Biłgoraj County between 1939 and 1944, German authorities murdered 290 civilians (444 according to WIEM), wounded 43, deported 434 to forced labour camps, and burned at least 113 households.
At least 750 villages had at least 10 inhabitants murdered and at least 75 villages were destroyed completely (see: table for partial list of names of villages and the number of dead victims).
Modern international law considers these kinds of actions to be genocide
, whether conducted within national boundaries or in occupied territories.
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...
by Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
with the goal of suppressing any Polish resistance
Polish resistance movement in World War II
The 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...
.
"Pacification" operations are one example of the extermination policies used against Poland and were of a massive scale, resulting in the murders of approximately 20,000 villagers. They were mainly conducted in the areas of General Government
General Government
The General Government was an area of Second Republic of Poland under Nazi German rule during World War II; designated as a separate region of the Third Reich between 1939–1945...
, Pomorze, and in the vicinities of Białystok and Wielkopolska. The number of villages which were an object of pacification in Poland is approximately 825. Collective punishment
Collective punishment
Collective punishment is the punishment of a group of people as a result of the behavior of one or more other individuals or groups. The punished group may often have no direct association with the other individuals or groups, or direct control over their actions...
was used during such operations to discourage both the hiding of Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
or Soviet POWs, and the aiding of any guerilla forces. Pacifications included the extermination of entire villages including women and children, expulsions, the burning of homes, confiscation of private property, and arrests. In many instances these operations were characterized by extreme brutality. An example of such behaviour is the burning alive of 81 civilians and the shooting of 15 others in the village of Jabłoń-Dobki.
The first pacifications were conducted on the ground by Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
officers and soldiers, and took place in Złoczew on September 3 and 4, 1939, in which the German soldiers murdered some 200 Poles. From the air, Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
planes bombed the villages of Momoty Dolne, Momoty Górne, Pawłów, Tokary, Sochy and Klew. Some places were subjected to multiple pacification operations. In the town of Aleksandrów in Biłgoraj County between 1939 and 1944, German authorities murdered 290 civilians (444 according to WIEM), wounded 43, deported 434 to forced labour camps, and burned at least 113 households.
At least 750 villages had at least 10 inhabitants murdered and at least 75 villages were destroyed completely (see: table for partial list of names of villages and the number of dead victims).
Modern international law considers these kinds of actions to be genocide
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
, whether conducted within national boundaries or in occupied territories.
Villages and dead victims
| Village name | Killed | Village name | Killed | Village name | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Borów Borów, Krasnik County Borów is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Annopol, within Kraśnik County, Lublin Voivodeship, in eastern Poland. It lies approximately south of Annopol, south-west of Kraśnik, and south-west of the regional capital Lublin.... |
232 (103 children) | Cyców Cyców Cyców is a village in Łęczna County, Lublin Voivodeship, in eastern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Cyców. It lies approximately east of Łęczna and east of the regional capital Lublin.... |
111 | Jamy Jamy, Lublin Voivodeship Jamy is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Ostrów Lubelski, within Lubartów County, Lublin Voivodeship, in eastern Poland.... |
147 |
| Kaszyce Kaszyce Kaszyce is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Orły, within Przemyśl County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship, in south-eastern Poland. It lies approximately north of Przemyśl and east of the regional capital Rzeszów.... |
117 | Kitów Kitów Kitów is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Sułów, within Zamość County, Lublin Voivodeship, in eastern Poland. It lies approximately north of Sułów, west of Zamość, and south-east of the regional capital Lublin.-References:... |
174 | Krasowo-Częstki Krasowo-Czestki Krasowo-Częstki is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Nowe Piekuty, within Wysokie Mazowieckie County, Podlaskie Voivodeship, in north-eastern Poland.... |
257 (83 children) |
| Krusze Krusze, Masovian Voivodeship Krusze is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Klembów, within Wołomin County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It lies approximately north-east of Klembów, north-east of Wołomin, and north-east of Warsaw.-References:... |
148 | Kulno Kulno Kulno is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Kuryłówka, within Leżajsk County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship, in south-eastern Poland. It lies approximately north of Kuryłówka, north-east of Leżajsk, and north-east of the regional capital Rzeszów.... |
100 | Lipniak-Majorat Lipniak-Majorat Lipniak-Majorat is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Długosiodło, within Wyszków County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland.... |
over 370 |
| Łążek | 187 | Michniów Michniów Michniów is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Suchedniów, within Skarżysko County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, in south-central Poland... |
203 (48 children) | Milejów Milejów Milejów may refer to the following places:*Milejów, Piotrków County in Łódź Voivodeship *Milejów, Wieluń County in Łódź Voivodeship *Milejów, Lublin Voivodeship... |
150 |
| Mrozy Mrozy Mrozy may refer to the following places:*Mrozy, Mińsk County in Masovian Voivodeship *Mrozy, Żyrardów County in Masovian Voivodeship *Mrozy, Pomeranian Voivodeship... |
over 100 | Olszanka Olszanka, Gmina Krasniczyn Olszanka is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Kraśniczyn, within Krasnystaw County, Lublin Voivodeship, in eastern Poland.... |
103 | Rajsk Rajsk Rajsk is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Bielsk Podlaski, within Bielsk County, Podlaskie Voivodeship, in north-eastern Poland. It lies approximately north of Bielsk Podlaski and south of the regional capital Białystok.-References:... |
over 143 |
| Różaniec Rózaniec Różaniec may refer to the following places in Poland:*Różaniec, Lower Silesian Voivodeship *Różaniec, Lublin Voivodeship *Różaniec, Gmina Braniewo in Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship... |
circa 200 | Skłoby | 265 | Smoligów Smoligów Smoligów is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Mircze, within Hrubieszów County, Lublin Voivodeship, in eastern Poland, close to the border with Ukraine. It lies approximately south-east of Mircze, south of Hrubieszów, and south-east of the regional capital Lublin.-References:... |
circa 200 |
| Sochy | 183 | Sumin Sumin Sumin may refer to:*Avenir Ivanovitch Sumin, Russian jewellery-maker*Sumin, Brodnica County in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship *Sumin, Lipno County in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship... |
118 | Szczecyn Szczecyn Szczecyn is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Gościeradów, within Kraśnik County, Lublin Voivodeship, in eastern Poland. It lies approximately south-west of Kraśnik and south-west of the regional capital Lublin.-References:... |
368 (71 children) |
| Wanaty Wanaty, Masovian Voivodeship Wanaty is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Łaskarzew, within Garwolin County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It lies approximately west of Łaskarzew, south-west of Garwolin, and south-east of Warsaw.... |
109 | Zamość Zamosc Zamość ukr. Замостя is a town in southeastern Poland with 66,633 inhabitants , situated in the south-western part of Lublin Voivodeship , about from Lublin, from Warsaw and from the border with Ukraine... |
470 | Szczebrzeszyn Szczebrzeszyn Szczebrzeszyn is a city in southeastern Poland in Lublin Voivodeship, in Zamość County, about 20 km west of Zamość. From 1975–1999, it was part of the Zamość Voivodeship administrative district. The town serves as the seat to Gmina Szczebrzeszyn. A 2004 census counted 5,357 inhabitants... |
208 |
| Łabunie | 210 | Krasnogród | 285 | Mokre Mokre Mokre may refer to the following places:*Mokre, Grudziądz County in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship *Mokre, Mogilno County in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship... |
304 |
| Nielisz Nielisz Nielisz is a village in Zamość County, Lublin Voivodeship, in eastern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Nielisz. It lies approximately north-west of Zamość and south-east of the regional capital Lublin.... |
301 | Nowa Osada | 195 | Radecznica Radecznica Radecznica is a village in Zamość County, Lublin Voivodeship, in eastern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Radecznica. It lies approximately west of Zamość and south of the regional capital Lublin.... |
212 |
| Skierbieszów Skierbieszów Skierbieszów is a village in Zamość County, Lublin Voivodeship, in eastern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Skierbieszów. It lies on the river Wolica, approximately north-east of Zamość and south-east of the regional capital Lublin. The village has a population of 1,317... |
335 | Stary Zamość Stary Zamosc Stary Zamość is a village in Zamość County, Lublin Voivodeship, in eastern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Stary Zamość. It lies approximately north-west of Zamość and south-east of the regional capital Lublin.... |
287 | Suchowola Suchowola Suchowola is a town in north-eastern Poland in Sokółka county, located on both banks of the Olszanka River. Its population is 2,500 .... |
324 |
| Sułów | 252 | Tereszpol Tereszpol Tereszpol is a village in Biłgoraj County, Lublin Voivodeship, in eastern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Tereszpol. It lies approximately east of Biłgoraj and south of the regional capital Lublin.... |
344 | Wysokie Wysokie Wysokie may refer to the following places in Poland:*Wysokie, Lower Silesian Voivodeship *Wysokie, Biała Podlaska County in Lublin Voivodeship *Wysokie, Hrubieszów County in Lublin Voivodeship... |
203 |
| Zwierzyniec Zwierzyniec Zwierzyniec is a town on the Wieprz river in the Zamość County, Lublin Voivodeship, Poland. It has 3,324 inhabitants .Zwierzyniec is the northernmost town of the Roztocze National Park. The park comprises some of the last remaining sections of the primordial forest of Central Europe, especially... |
412 | Kitowa | 165 | Królewiec Królewiec Królewiec may refer to:*The Polish name for Kaliningrad, Russia *Królewiec, Lower Silesian Voivodeship *Królewiec, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship *Królewiec, Masovian Voivodeship... / Szałas |
over 100 each |
See also
- GenocideGenocideGenocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
- Anti-Polonism
- Operation TannenbergOperation TannenbergOperation Tannenberg was the codename for one of the extermination actions directed at the Polish people during World War II, part of the Generalplan Ost...
- Generalplan OstGeneralplan OstGeneralplan Ost was a secret Nazi German plan for the colonization of Eastern Europe. Implementing it would have necessitated genocide and ethnic cleansing to be undertaken in the Eastern European territories occupied by Germany during World War II...
- World War II crimes in Poland
- Nazi crimes against ethnic PolesNazi crimes against ethnic PolesIn addition to about 2.9 million Polish Jews , about 2.8 million non-Jewish Polish citizens perished during the course of the war...
- Valley of Death (Bydgoszcz)Valley of Death (Bydgoszcz)Valley of Death in Fordon, Bydgoszcz, northern Poland, is a site of Nazi German mass murder and a mass grave of 5,000 – 6,600 Poles and Jews murdered in October and November 1939 by the local Germans and the Gestapo...
- Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of GenocideConvention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of GenocideThe Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 9 December 1948 as General Assembly Resolution 260. The Convention entered into force on 12 January 1951. It defines genocide in legal terms, and is the culmination of...
External links
- Poles: Victims of the Nazi Era
- Pacyfikacja Wanat description of pacification of the village of Wanaty - in Polish
- Pacyfikacje Polish Encyclopedia of PWN entry on pacifications on territory of Poland in Polish
- Pacifications in Białystok Voivodeship