Writing about the Soviet deportations of Polish citizens during WWII
On a Twitter break, mostly
Feb 10, 2021 • 17 tweets • 6 min read
#OTD 81 years ago, the USSR began the first WWII mass deportation of Polish citizens from the eastern borderlands occupied by the Soviet Union on Sept. 17, 1939.
Polish fellers (incl. children) at the #Połdniewica posiołek, Gorky Oblast, USSR. 1940/41. (Collection of W. Maj)
During #WWII, Polish civilians were deported by the USSR in four waves: February 10, April 13, and June 29, 1940, and June 1941.
The deportations were executed as part of a campaign to rid the region of “anti-Soviet elements” deemed hostile to communist rule.
Jun 29, 2020 • 10 tweets • 3 min read
#OTD in 1940, the USSR began the third wave of deportations from Polish eastern borderlands occupied by the Soviets on Sept. 17, 1939.This deportation targeted Polish civilians who fled from western to eastern Poland following the German invasion of #Poland on Sept. 1, 1939.#WWII
Also targeted were professionals, merchants, the intelligentsia, and those who did not accept Soviet passports. Roughly 80 percent of these deportees were Jewish; the remainder included Poles, Belarusians, and Ukrainians.
Feb 10, 2020 • 25 tweets • 12 min read
#OTD 80 yrs ago, the USSR began the first #WWII mass deportation of citizens from Poland’s eastern borderlands occupied by the Soviets on Sept. 17, 1939. Deported from Stanisławów prov. at 11 yrs old, Adam J. drew the deportation train scene he witnessed from within a cattle car.
On the drawing, Adam noted: “Bolsheviks are chasing the civilian population away from train cars in which they were deporting Poles”. During #WWII, Polish civilians were deported by the USSR in four waves: February 10, 1940, April 13, 1940, June 1940, and June 1941.
Jun 29, 2018 • 6 tweets • 6 min read
#OTD in 1940, the #USSR began the third wave of deportations from occupied eastern #Poland. This deportation targeted refugees who had escaped from western to eastern Poland following the German invasion. #WWII
In December 1939, the #USSR and #Germany had agreed to repatriate refugees from their respective occupied territories. Those in the Soviet zone who wished to return to the German zone were required to register with the German authorities and vice versa. #WWII