Thread by @JakubKumoch

Yesterday @LukaszAdamskiPL posted shocking documents proving that the Soviets, during the reconciliation with the Polish Gov't in exile (1941-43) applied racial criteria to deny Polish Jews right to serve in the Polish Army. Let me explain this story. Slowly. #THREAD 1/11

Poland was divided by the Nazi Germany and Soviet Union in 1939. Both countries unilateraly annexed part of prewar Polish territory. But in June 1941 a war broke between them and they became enemies. Under pressure from 🇬🇧🇺🇸 the Soviets recognized Poland's gov't in exile 2/11

The recognition did not mean, however, the Soviets recognized the territorial integrity of Poland. They still believed Eastern part of prewar Poland was theirs. They recognized ethnic Poles as citizens of the Polish State, but denied it to Ukrainians, Belorussians & Jews. 3/11

Many Polish Jews still wanted to leave the Soviet Union so, when applying to the Polish Army they declared Polish ethnicity. Poland did not object, because the ethnicity in Poland had been based only on individual declaration. Ethnicity: Pole, religion: Judaism, was common. 4/11

The Soviets however knew it 'better'. 'A Smogorzewski can be Pole, but a Lustgarten is a Jew', the Soviet civil servant declares. It's 1942. 'If somebody declares he's a Pole, he is a Pole', Polish diplomat replies. 5/11

The Soviets may have noticed, end of 1941, that the re-created Polish army consisted in 40% of Jews. They did not want an embarassing situtation in which Jews escape from the USSR. Internationally they played a role of a Jew-friendly country & blamed Poland of anti-Semitism. 6/11

In these circumstances another shocking report by the Embassy of Poland @PLinRussia appears: in some places the Soviets ordered ... medical check-up to decide whether Polish people were circumcised or not. It already smelled of Nurnberg. 7/11

Later on they spread rumors about alleged anti-Semitism among Polish soldiers. Without discussing it, this 'anti-Semitism' did not prevent thousand of Jews to continue with the Poles through Iran, Iraq and the Mandatory Palestine. 8/11

In Palestine thousands of Jews were discharged (officially "escaped") because Poland supported Zionist project. They would largely contribute to the Israel's independence. Among them was Menachem Begin. Here he is in Polish uniform in 1942 and in Soviet prison in 1940. 9/11

But many Jews decided to continue the fight alongside their non-Jewish brothers in arms. Their graves can be found at Monte Cassino, the largest battlefield of the Polish Armed Forces in the West and in many other places. 10/11

Those who remained in the Soviet Union, in many cases remained there forever. Those who bravely fought for the anti-Nazi case were often victims of post-war Stalinist crimes. Whitewashing Stalinist crimes, also against Jews, is taking part in them. 11/11

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_An…