''Obóz Zjednoczenia Narodowego'' (, en, Camp of National Unity; abbreviated "''OZN''"; and often called "''Ozon''" (Polish for "

ozone Ozone (), or trioxygen, is an inorganic molecule with the chemical formula . It is a pale blue gas with a distinctively pungent smell. It is an allotrope of oxygen that is much less stable than the diatomic allotrope , breaking down in the lo ...

") was a Polish

political party A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology ...

founded in 1937 by sections of the leadership in the Sanacja movement. A year after the 1935 death of Poland's Chief of State

Marshal Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used for elevated o ...

Józef Piłsudski, in mid-1936, one of his followers,

Edward Rydz-Śmigły, attempted to unite the various government factions under his leadership. The attempt failed as another (opposing) Sanacja politician,

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

Ignacy Mościcki Ignacy Mościcki (; 1 December 18672 October 1946) was a Polish chemist and politician who was the country's president from 1926 to 1939. He was the longest serving president in Polish history. Mościcki was the President of Poland when Germany ...

, likewise had a large following; nevertheless, substantial numbers of people did throw their lot in with Rydz-Śmigły. On February 21, 1937, diplomat and Colonel

Adam Koc Adam Ignacy Koc (31 August 1891 – 3 February 1969) was a Polish politician, MP, soldier, journalist and Freemason. Koc, who had several ''noms de guerre'' (Witold, Szlachetny, Adam Krajewski, Adam Warmiński and Witold Warmiński), fought ...

formally announced the formation of ''OZN''. Its stated aims were to improve Poland's national defense and to safeguard the April 1935 Constitution. ''OZN'' was strongly pro-

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

, and its politicians sought to portray Marshal Rydz-Śmigły as Marshal Józef Piłsudski's heir, describing Rydz-Śmigły as the "second person in the country" after President Mościcki—a claim that had no foundation in the Polish Constitution. The party later went on to win the 1938 Legislative election. The OZN adopted 13 theses on the Jewish question. Modeled after the

Nuremberg laws The Nuremberg Laws (german: link=no, Nürnberger Gesetze, ) were antisemitic and racist laws that were enacted in Nazi Germany on 15 September 1935, at a special meeting of the Reichstag convened during the annual Nuremberg Rally of th ...

, they labelled Jews as a foreign element that should be deprived of all civil rights and ultimately expelled altogether.Murray Baumgarten, Peter Kenez, Bruce Allan Thompson ''Varieties of Antisemitism: History, Ideology, Discourse'' University of Delaware Press, Jun 30, 200
p. 173
/ref> ''OZNs first official leader was

, and its second was General

Stanisław Skwarczyński Stanisław Skwarczyński (1888–1981) was a soldier of the Austro-Hungarian Army, officer of Polish Legions in World War I, and General brygady of the Polish Army. He fought in several conflicts, including World War I, Polish-Czechoslovak War, Po ...

. After the 1939 German invasion of Poland and the start of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, ''OZN'' leadership passed to Colonel Zygmunt Wenda. In 1937, ''OZN'' claimed some 40,000–50,000 members; in 1938, 100,000. During World War II and the German occupation of Poland, ''OZNs underground military arm, created in 1942, was known as '' Obóz Polski Walczącej'' (the Camp of Fighting Poland).

References

Bibliography

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Camp Of National Unity Political parties established in 1937 1937 establishments in Poland Defunct political parties in Poland Nationalist parties in Poland Antisemitism in Europe Antisemitism in Poland Polish nationalism Polish nationalist parties Right-wing antisemitism Political parties disestablished in 1940 1940 disestablishments in Poland

See also

References

Bibliography