Stanislaw Kot
Encyclopedia
Stanisław Kot was a Polish
historian
and politician
, member of the Polish Government in Exile
.
, Austria-Hungary
, Kot studied philosophy
at the University of Lwów, obtaining a PhD
in 1911. He made several study trips to France, Germany, Sweden and Italy. In 1911 he married Ida Proksch. In his youth he was an active member of the organization of the Polish Studying Youth (Independent Group), under the Austro-Hungarian regime in the former Galicia. During the First World War he worked together with Władysław Sikorski in the Supreme National Committee
(Naczelny Komitet Narodowy). From 1914 to 1919 he published a newspaper Wiadomości Polskie (Polish News).
After Poland regained independence as the Second Polish Republic
, from 1919 he started the publication of book series Biblioteka Narodowa (National Library), which has been continued until the present day. From 1921 until 1939 he published a historical magazine Reformacja w Polsce (Reformation in Poland). From 1920 he was a professor
at the Jagiellonian University
in Kraków
(Cracow). From 1921 he was a member of the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences (Polska Akademia Umiejętności). He wrote 54 historical books and dissertations. The most important ones are relevant to the history of education
, history of civilisation and history of culture in Europe
in 16th century and 17th century. In September 1933 he was discharged by the Sanacja
government from the chair of University of Cracow in connection with the resistance of professors against the suppression of autonomy at the University and the prostest against imprisonment of Centrolew
politicians. From that time he also joined the right wing of the Stronnictwo Ludowe
political party
.
After the German invasion of Poland
and the start of the Second World War in Europe in 1939, he escaped to France, where he took part in the formation of the Polish Government in Exile
, first serving as Minister of Internal Affairs Following the German invasion of the Soviet Union
in 1941 and the subsequent reestabilishment of diplomatic relations between Poland and Soviet Union, which had been broken after Soviet participation in the invasion of Poland, Stanisław Kot became the Polish ambassador
to the Soviet Union in Moscow
until 1942. Then until 1943 he served as Minister of State
(Minster Stanu) in the Middle East
, where Poland had substantial armed forces. From 1943 he was Minister of Information (Press and of the Propaganda Department) and his department played an important role when relations with the Soviet Union
were broken off in 26 April 1943 after the discovery of the Katyn massacre
, where the Soviets murdered thousands of Polish officers prisoners of war. After Prime Minister
General Władysław Sikorski's death on July 4, 1943, President Władysław Raczkiewicz called upon Stanisław Mikołajczyk, who had been acting as Prime Minister in General Sikorski absence, to form a Government. Kot retained his position as Minister of Information in Mikolajczyk's cabinet.
From 1945 to 1947 he cooperated with the Provisional Government on National Unity (Tymczasowy Rząd Jedności Narodowej), which attempted to bring together the Polish Government in Exile and Soviet-sponsored Polish communist government. During that time he was the Polish ambassador to Rome. Eventually, as the Soviets persecuted all symphatisers of the London-based government, Stanisław Kot resigned his post in 1947 and remained in exile, fearing a return to Poland, where he was likely to face charges of treason and possible execution. He remained a supporter of the London-based government in exile, and a leader of Polskie Stronnictwo Ludowe in exile from 1955, until his death in Middlesex
, United Kingdom in 1975.
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...
historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, member of the Polish Government in Exile
Polish government in Exile
The Polish government-in-exile, formally known as the Government of the Republic of Poland in Exile , was the government in exile of Poland formed in the aftermath of the Invasion of Poland of September 1939, and the subsequent occupation of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, which...
.
Life
Born in 1885 in Ruda, Ropczyce-Sędziszów CountyRuda, Ropczyce-Sedziszów County
Ruda is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Sędziszów Małopolski, within Ropczyce-Sędziszów County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship, in south-eastern Poland. It lies approximately north of Sędziszów Małopolski, north-east of Ropczyce, and north-west of the regional capital Rzeszów. Ruda...
, Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
, Kot studied philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
at the University of Lwów, obtaining a PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in 1911. He made several study trips to France, Germany, Sweden and Italy. In 1911 he married Ida Proksch. In his youth he was an active member of the organization of the Polish Studying Youth (Independent Group), under the Austro-Hungarian regime in the former Galicia. During the First World War he worked together with Władysław Sikorski in the Supreme National Committee
Supreme National Committee
Naczelny Komitet Narodowy was a quasi-government for the Poles in Galicia, Austro-Hungarian Empire, from 1914-1917...
(Naczelny Komitet Narodowy). From 1914 to 1919 he published a newspaper Wiadomości Polskie (Polish News).
After Poland regained independence as the Second Polish Republic
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish history in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland , the Polish state was...
, from 1919 he started the publication of book series Biblioteka Narodowa (National Library), which has been continued until the present day. From 1921 until 1939 he published a historical magazine Reformacja w Polsce (Reformation in Poland). From 1920 he was a professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
at the Jagiellonian University
Jagiellonian University
The Jagiellonian University was established in 1364 by Casimir III the Great in Kazimierz . It is the oldest university in Poland, the second oldest university in Central Europe and one of the oldest universities in the world....
in Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
(Cracow). From 1921 he was a member of the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences (Polska Akademia Umiejętności). He wrote 54 historical books and dissertations. The most important ones are relevant to the history of education
History of education
The history of education its part of the past and present teaching and learning. Each generation, since the beginning of human existence, has sought to pass on cultural and social values, traditions, morality, religion and skills to the next generation. The passing on of culture is also known as...
, history of civilisation and history of culture in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in 16th century and 17th century. In September 1933 he was discharged by the 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...
government from the chair of University of Cracow in connection with the resistance of professors against the suppression of autonomy at the University and the prostest against imprisonment of Centrolew
Centrolew
The Centrolew was a coalition of several Polish political parties after the 1928 Sejm elections...
politicians. From that time he also joined the right wing of the Stronnictwo Ludowe
Stronnictwo Ludowe
The People's Party was a Polish political party, active from 1931 in the Second Polish Republic. An agrarian populist party, its power base was composed mostly from peasants....
political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
.
After the German invasion of Poland
Invasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
and the start of the Second World War in Europe in 1939, he escaped to France, where he took part in the formation of the Polish Government in Exile
Polish government in Exile
The Polish government-in-exile, formally known as the Government of the Republic of Poland in Exile , was the government in exile of Poland formed in the aftermath of the Invasion of Poland of September 1939, and the subsequent occupation of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, which...
, first serving as Minister of Internal Affairs Following the German invasion of the Soviet Union
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
in 1941 and the subsequent reestabilishment of diplomatic relations between Poland and Soviet Union, which had been broken after Soviet participation in the invasion of Poland, Stanisław Kot became the Polish ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to the Soviet Union in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
until 1942. Then until 1943 he served as Minister of State
Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
(Minster Stanu) in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, where Poland had substantial armed forces. From 1943 he was Minister of Information (Press and of the Propaganda Department) and his department played an important role when relations with 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....
were broken off in 26 April 1943 after the discovery of the Katyn massacre
Katyn massacre
The Katyn massacre, also known as the Katyn Forest massacre , was a mass execution of Polish nationals carried out by the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs , the Soviet secret police, in April and May 1940. The massacre was prompted by Lavrentiy Beria's proposal to execute all members of...
, where the Soviets murdered thousands of Polish officers prisoners of war. After Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
General Władysław Sikorski's death on July 4, 1943, President Władysław Raczkiewicz called upon Stanisław Mikołajczyk, who had been acting as Prime Minister in General Sikorski absence, to form a Government. Kot retained his position as Minister of Information in Mikolajczyk's cabinet.
From 1945 to 1947 he cooperated with the Provisional Government on National Unity (Tymczasowy Rząd Jedności Narodowej), which attempted to bring together the Polish Government in Exile and Soviet-sponsored Polish communist government. During that time he was the Polish ambassador to Rome. Eventually, as the Soviets persecuted all symphatisers of the London-based government, Stanisław Kot resigned his post in 1947 and remained in exile, fearing a return to Poland, where he was likely to face charges of treason and possible execution. He remained a supporter of the London-based government in exile, and a leader of Polskie Stronnictwo Ludowe in exile from 1955, until his death in Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
, United Kingdom in 1975.
Works
- "History of Poland's Cultural Relations with other Countries"
- 1919 "Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski"
- 1932 "Ideologia polityczna i społeczna braci polskich zwanych arianami" (Polish 1932) English edition: Socinianism in Poland: the social and political ideas of the Polish Brethren called Arians (1957)
- 1934 "Historia wychowania " (2 vols. 2nd revised edition 1934).
- 1958 Chyliński's Lithuanian Bible: origin and historical background Stanisław Kot, Poznańskie Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Nauk. Komisja Filologiczna - Bible - 1958 - 25 pages