Polish Politics During WWII

Lublin Poles

• Established in 1944 by the USSR to create a government in Poland with a majority of Communists.
• Stalin viewed them as trustworthy due to their allegiance to Communist ideology.
• First official meeting occurred in Lublin.

London Poles

• Comprised of Polish government members who fled to London during WWII, forming a government-in-exile.
• Strongly anti-Soviet and anti-Communist, primarily composed of Catholic landowners.
• Aware of their potential hostility towards the USSR due to historical events like the Nazi-Soviet Pact.

Warsaw Uprising: August 1944

• Inspired by the need to frustrate Stalin, the London Poles sought control of Warsaw before the Red Army arrived.
• Polish resistance fighters targeted Germans in Warsaw without support from the nearby Red Army.
• Resulted in approximately 300,000 Polish casualties, with survivors sent to concentration camps.
• When the Red Army captured Warsaw in January 1945, they aligned with the Lublin regime, sidelining the London Poles.

Truman Doctrine

• In February 1947, Britain could no longer sustain troop support in Greece and Turkey against Communist threats.
• President Truman announced support for nations opposing Communism, marking a shift from traditional American isolationism.
• Aimed at preventing Soviet expansion in Europe.

Marshall Plan

• Formulated by Truman in response to the economic devastation in Europe post-WWII, with American General George Marshall assessing the situation.
• Europe was significantly indebted to the USA, totaling $11.5 billion, with dire shortages of goods and resources.
• Churchill characterized Europe as a "rubble heap," emphasizing the urgent need for recovery.
• Initially proposed $17 billion for economic rebuilding, although there was Congressional hesitance to approve the funds.
• The USSR saw the Marshall Plan as a threat to its influence and forbade satellite states from accepting aid.

Why Marshall Aid?

• Driven by Altruism: aimed to alleviate the aftermath of WWII and promote recovery.
• Dollar Imperialism: sought to create reliance on the US dollar and influence global markets.
• Intended to prevent the spread of Communism, addressing poverty conditions that fostered such ideologies.
• Aimed to expand Capitalism and eliminate Communist regimes.
• Responded to Soviet expansion, particularly after the coup in Czechoslovakia, undermining their sphere of influence.