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Bolesław Bogdan Piasecki, alias Leon Całka, Wojciech z Królewca, Sablewski (18 February 1915 – 1 January 1979) was a Polish
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,
politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...
and
political theorist A political theorist is someone who engages in constructing or evaluating political theory, including political philosophy. Theorists may be academics or independent scholars. Ancient * Aristotle * Chanakya * Cicero * Confucius * Mencius * ...
. During the war, he was active in the anti-German and anti-Soviet armed underground. Initially of national radical views, he became associated after the war with the ruling Polish communists and led a group of lay Catholics who collaborated with the communist regime. In the
Second Polish Republic The Second Polish Republic, at the time officially known as the Republic of Poland, was a country in Central and Eastern Europe that existed between 7 October 1918 and 6 October 1939. The state was established in the final stage of World War I ...
he was one of the more prominent Polish nationalist politicians, playing an important role in the leadership of
National Radical Camp The National Radical Camp () was an ultranationalist and antisemitic political movement which existed in the pre-World War II Second Polish Republic, and an illegal Polish anti-communist,Bereza Kartuska Prison Bereza Kartuska Prison (, "Place of Isolation at Bereza Kartuska") was operated by Poland's Sanation government from 1934 to 1939 in Biaroza, Bereza Kartuska, Polesie Voivodeship (today, Biaroza, Belarus). Because the inmates were detained with ...
. After his release, he became the leader of the illegal, extreme right faction
National-Radical Movement "Falanga" The Falanga officially the National-Radical Movement (Polish language, Polish: ''Ruch Narodowo-Radykalny'' or RN-R), was an illegal political organization formed as a result of a split by Bolesław Piasecki, Boleslaw Piasecki in the National Radica ...
. This organisation advocated "
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
totalitarianism" and is considered by many to have been a fascist movement with ideological influences from
anti-Semitism Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...
, Spanish Falangism, and
Italian Fascism Italian fascism (), also called classical fascism and Fascism, is the original fascist ideology, which Giovanni Gentile and Benito Mussolini developed in Italy. The ideology of Italian fascism is associated with a series of political parties le ...
. Nevertheless Piasecki refused to cooperate with the
occupation of Poland Occupation commonly refers to: *Occupation (human activity), or job, one's role in society, often a regular activity performed for payment *Occupation (protest), political demonstration by holding public or symbolic spaces *Military occupation, th ...
after the Nazi invasion of 1939. During the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
he was a member of the Polish resistance, leading the grouping Confederation of the Nation (merged into the
Armia Krajowa The Home Army (, ; abbreviated AK) was the dominant resistance movement in German-occupied Poland during World War II. The Home Army was formed in February 1942 from the earlier Związek Walki Zbrojnej (Armed Resistance) established in the ...
in 1943) and taking part in the fighting around
Vilnius Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...
. He was imprisoned by the
Gestapo The (, ), Syllabic abbreviation, abbreviated Gestapo (), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe. The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of F ...
in 1939, and after his release fought with the
Home Army The Home Army (, ; abbreviated AK) was the dominant resistance movement in German-occupied Poland during World War II. The Home Army was formed in February 1942 from the earlier Związek Walki Zbrojnej (Armed Resistance) established in the ...
in the
Warsaw Uprising The Warsaw Uprising (; ), sometimes referred to as the August Uprising (), or the Battle of Warsaw, was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance movement in World War II, Polish underground resistance to liberate Warsaw from ...
. Afterwards, he was arrested by the Soviet
NKVD The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (, ), abbreviated as NKVD (; ), was the interior ministry and secret police of the Soviet Union from 1934 to 1946. The agency was formed to succeed the Joint State Political Directorate (OGPU) se ...
and imprisoned in
Lublin Castle The Lublin Castle () is a medieval castle in Lublin, Poland, adjacent to the Old Town district and close to the city center. It is one of the oldest preserved royal residencies in Poland, initially established by High Duke Casimir II the Just. It ...
. After being interrogated by Marshal
Ivan Serov Ivan Alexandrovich Serov (; 13 August 1905 – 1 July 1990) was a Soviet intelligence officer who served as Chairman of the KGB from March 1954 to December 1958 and Director of the GRU from December 1958 to February 1963. Serov was NKVD Commis ...
, in a drastic conversion from his previous stance began to cooperate with the Communist
Polish People's Republic The Polish People's Republic (1952–1989), formerly the Republic of Poland (1947–1952), and also often simply known as Poland, was a country in Central Europe that existed as the predecessor of the modern-day democratic Republic of Poland. ...
. After the war, in 1945, he co-founded and directed a so-called social progressive movement of lay Catholics, grouped around the weekly publication ''
Dziś i Jutro ''Dziś i Jutro'' (, ) was a Catholic weekly illustrated magazine which was published between 1945 and 1956 in Warsaw, Poland. It was one of the publications supported by the ruling Communist Party. History and profile ''Dziś i Jutro'' was fou ...
''. The magazine attacked the
Polish People's Party The Polish People's Party (, PSL) is a conservative political party in Poland. It is currently led by Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz. Its history traces back to 1895, when it held the name People's Party, although its name was changed to the pre ...
opposition and endorsed the government in the
1946 Polish people's referendum 1946 (Roman numerals, MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1946th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 946th year of the 2nd millennium, the 46th year of the 20th centur ...
campaign. In 1947 he created the PAX Association and was the chairman of its governing body until his death. Piasecki described the newspaper's primary aim as "the reconstruction of a Catholic doctrine with respect to the ongoing conflict between
Marxism Marxism is a political philosophy and method of socioeconomic analysis. It uses a dialectical and materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to analyse class relations, social conflict, ...
and
capitalism Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their use for the purpose of obtaining profit. This socioeconomic system has developed historically through several stages and is defined by ...
." The organization also managed the Polish branch of the Catholic charity
Caritas Internationalis Caritas Internationalis (Latin for ) is a confederation of 162 national Catholic relief, development, and social service organisations operating in over 200 countries and territories worldwide. The name Caritas Internationalis refers to both the ...
after it was nationalized by the government. In 1955 several important members of Pax, including Janusz Zabłocki and future Prime Minister
Tadeusz Mazowiecki Tadeusz Mazowiecki (; 18 April 1927 – 28 October 2013) was a Polish author, journalist, philanthropist and politician, formerly one of the leaders of the Solidarity movement, and the first non-communist Polish prime minister since 1946, hav ...
, revolted and quit their posts at the party and newspapers. Afterwards, the importance of PAX diminished (and Piasecki's role along with it). Piasecki had also never been accepted by the mainstream
Catholic Church in Poland Polish members of the Catholic Church, like elsewhere in the world, are under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Holy See, Rome. The Latin Church includes 41 dioceses. There are three eparchies of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in th ...
, with Cardinal
Stefan Wyszyński Stefan Wyszyński (3 August 1901 – 28 May 1981) was a Polish Roman Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Warsaw and Archbishop of Gniezno from 1948 to 1981. He previously served as Bishop of Lublin from 1946 to 1948. He was created a ...
prohibiting the
clergy Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...
from subscribing to Piasecki's newspapers. In 1957 Piasecki's teenage son Bohdan was abducted, possibly by agents of the Polish
Ministry of Public Security Ministry of Public Security can refer to: * Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Brazil) * Ministry of Public Security of Burundi * Ministry of Public Security (Chile) * Ministry of Public Security (China) * Ministry of Public Security of Co ...
. Nonetheless Pax remained a prominent organisation until 1989 and its successors still exist today. In later years, Piasecki was a member of the Polish
Sejm The Sejm (), officially known as the Sejm of the Republic of Poland (), is the lower house of the bicameralism, bicameral parliament of Poland. The Sejm has been the highest governing body of the Third Polish Republic since the Polish People' ...
from 1965, where he presided over the grouping of members associated with PAX. In 1971-1979 he was a member of the
Polish Council of State The Council of State of the Polish People's Republic, Republic of Poland () was introduced by the Small Constitution of 1947 as an organ of executive (government), executive power. The Council of State consisted of the President of Poland, Presid ...
.


Biography


Interwar period


Early life

The parents of Piasecki were Ludomir Piasecki and Pelagia Piasecka nee Kotnowska, both from a minor noble background. Piasecki was born in Łódź, but when he was two years old, his parents moved to Warsaw, where his father took a position as the manager of estates and forests of the Prison Department. There, Piasecki attended the prestigious Jan Zamoyski Gymnasium. Both at home and at school, national traditions prevailed, but initially, Piasecki did not show an active interest in politics. This changed dramatically in 1929 when, at the age of 14, Piasecki joined the (NOG), also known as "Noga", ). According to his associates, as a reason for his sudden interest in politics he reportedly replied at the time, "I realized that I will be ruling Poland." The NOG was a clandestine youth organization of the National Party operating in high schools where political activity was prohibited. Soon Piasecki became the administrator of ''Życie Szkoły'' a magazine edited and published by students, there he published theoretical texts in which he for the first time expressed the basis of his later political activity and beliefs: anti-individualism, the role of social activity, mono-ethnicity.


Beginnings of political activity

In 1931, Piasecki enrolled in the Faculty of Law at Warsaw University. As a student, he joined the Academic Branch of the Camp of Great Poland (OWP). The OWP was intended as an organization founded by National Democracy activists to bring together all right-wing parties against the rule of
Sanation Sanation (, ) was a Polish political movement that emerged in the interwar period, prior to Józef Piłsudski's May 1926 ''Coup d'État'', and gained influence following the coup. In 1928, its political activists went on to form the Nonpartisa ...
. However, it was quickly dominated by radical activists originating from the OWP Youth Movement (Ruch Młodych OWP). The Academic Branch was the Warsaw University-only counterpart of the All-Polish Youth, which was the main student organization of the nationalist movement. He quickly became one of the leading activists of the Academic Branch, and was ahead of others in the radicalism of his views. In 1932, a brochure published by the Academic Branch of the PLO appeared: ''Guidelines on issues: Jewish, Slavic minorities, German, principles of economic policy''. The pamphlet was anonymous, but Piasecki was most likely one of the authors. The brochure advocated depriving Jews of most of their civil rights, giving them the status of " belongers," as well as the universalization of property, and limiting the influence of big capital. Piasecki also became a member of the elite National Guard, which was secretive internally within the nationalist camp. It was active in all leadership bodies of the SN and OWP. It was divided into three grades: White Eagle, Zet and the highest Home Fire, headed by Roman Dmowski. Piasecki had been a member of the White Eagle since 1932 and Zet since 1934. The National Guard existed to sustain activity in the event of the outlawing of the openly operating OWP and SN. In mid-1932 this actually happened in the two strongest voivodeships,
Poznań Poznań ( ) is a city on the Warta, River Warta in west Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business center and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint John's ...
and Pomeranian. In 1933, the OWP protested against the planned abolition of university autonomy. The strike, co-organized by Piasecki, collapsed and was a pretext for the complete outlawing of the OWP which happened in March 1933. These events influenced Piasecki, who decided to form his own radical organization in the belief that the struggle between Endecja and Sanation would lead to radicals taking power in both camps. He was given an opportunity to do so by becoming editor-in-chief of ''Akademik Polski'' in 1933, around which he began to gather like-minded activists. In the articles he published, he concretized his own theory of a future totalitarian Polish state. In his mind, power was to belong to the best, judged by their intellectual level, quality of character and degree of social commitment. Only Poles could be the citizens, but he also recognized Belarusians and Ukrainians as Poles, but excluded Germans, Jews and others from this group. The state was to be governed by the Political Organization of the Nation, its members elected the Superior for a 5-year term and the legislature (a collegial body). The Superior appointed the government. The system also provided for a referendum among the Organization's members. The education of children would be handled by the Political and Educational Organization of the Nation, mainly concerned with the selection of the best, as well as the Polonization of Slavic minorities. Piasecki also developed the theory of the "ideological attack," a sudden ideological transformation of Polish society, achieved through the activities of the nationalist youth. His main political adversary in ''Academic Polski'' editorial staff was . At the beginning of 1934, Piasecki became head of the Youth Section of the National Party, and later co-founded the National-Radical Camp (ONR). After the
assassination Assassination is the willful killing, by a sudden, secret, or planned attack, of a personespecially if prominent or important. It may be prompted by political, ideological, religious, financial, or military motives. Assassinations are orde ...
of Interior Minister
Bronisław Pieracki Bronisław Wilhelm Pieracki (28 May 1895 – 15 June 1934) was a Polish military officer and politician. Life As a member of the Polish Legions in World War I, Pieracki took part in the Polish-Ukrainian War (1918–1919). He later supported J� ...
by Ukrainian nationalists, 600 ONR activists ended up in the Bereza Kartuska camp. Among them was Bolesław Piasecki.


Falanga

At this point, a split occurred in the ONR. Piasecki's group (called bepists after his initials) first gathered around the ''Akademik Polski''. After it was banned, it began publishing a new magazine, ''Ruch Młodych'' (Youth Movement), and in July 1936, the magazine ''Falanga''. From the name of the latter the name RN-R "Falanga" adhered to the group. Piasecki sought to expand the group's influence and, in 1936, established the Youth Press Committee, which was tasked with the cooperation of all right-wing, anti-communist magazines. In 1937, Piasecki established cooperation with the ruling
Sanation Sanation (, ) was a Polish political movement that emerged in the interwar period, prior to Józef Piłsudski's May 1926 ''Coup d'État'', and gained influence following the coup. In 1928, its political activists went on to form the Nonpartisa ...
, primarily with the
Camp of National Unity ''Obóz Zjednoczenia Narodowego'' (, OZN; ), often called ''Ozon'' (Polish for "ozone"), was a Polish political party founded in 1937 by sections of the leadership in the Sanation movement. A year after the 1935 death of Poland's Chief of Stat ...
led by
Adam Koc Adam Ignacy Koc (31 August 1891 – 3 February 1969) was a Polish politician, Member of parliament, MP, soldier, journalist and Freemasonry, Freemason. Koc, who had several ''noms de guerre'' (Witold, Szlachetny, Adam Krajewski, Adam Warmiń ...
. On 22 June 1937, the OZN youth organization, the Union of Young Poland, was established. Formally at its head was
Adam Koc Adam Ignacy Koc (31 August 1891 – 3 February 1969) was a Polish politician, Member of parliament, MP, soldier, journalist and Freemasonry, Freemason. Koc, who had several ''noms de guerre'' (Witold, Szlachetny, Adam Krajewski, Adam Warmiń ...
, but in fact its leadership was exercised by Jerzy Rutkowski, on 28 October 1937 Rutkowski formally became the head of the ZMP. Rutkowski was an associate of the RNR Falanga. Officially, Koc denied any connection with Falanga and Piasecki, but de facto ZMP soon came under Piasecki's influence. Koc himself was deeply fascinated by the young, then 22-year-old nationalist. At the same time Piasecki formed the terrorist . Piasecki's militia carried out anti-Semitic attacks, attacked left-wing organizations, and fought against a rival part of the ONR, the ONR ABC. It was the highest point in Piasecki's pre-war career. However, it ended rather quickly. The OZN's cooperation with the RNR discredited Koc, who was removed from his post, and on 22 April 1938 new chief of OZN
Adam Skwarczyński Adam Franciszek Ksawery Skwarczynski (''Stary, Adam Sliwinski, Adam Plomienczyk'', 1886–1934) was a Polish independence activist and politician, one of main ideologists of the Sanacja movement. A supporter of Józef Piłsudski and his polic ...
severed any cooperation between the OZN and the ONR. Contributing to Koc's downfall were rumors that, at the behest of Gen. Edward Rydz-Śmigły, he was preparing, in cooperation with Piasecki, an assassination attempt on the Śmigły's political opponents in the Sanation camp. Several attempts to re-establish cooperation with the Sanation were unsuccessful, and Piasecki's organization was losing ground, with more collaborators leaving him. In July 1939 he was forced to close ''Falanga'' magazine due to lack of funds.


Second World War


Confederation of the Nation

In September 1939, he took part in the defense of Poland against the German invasion as a soldier in the Warsaw Armored Motorized Brigade. The brigade fought until 20 September, when, faced with the impossibility of further fighting, its commander Colonel Stefan Rowecki ordered the destruction of equipment. Piasecki decided to return to Warsaw, where he arrived in early October. Piasecki's steps after returning to Warsaw are not clear. According to some accounts, he was supposed to cooperate with the NOR organization (the acronym in Polish stands for either the National Revolutionary Camp or the National Radical Organization), which attempted to collaborate with the Germans. Given Piasecki's strong anti-Germanism, this is unlikely. It seems more likely that he collaborated with the National People's Military Organization or attempted to form his own organization: National Fight Organization. The beginnings of conspiratorial activity were interrupted by the arrival of Stanisław Brochowicz, who, released from prison, sought revenge on the people who had led to his imprisonment. Brochowicz collaborated with the Gestapo and denounced a number of ONR members, including Piasecki, who were arrested on 13 December 1939. Piasecki was released on 16 April 1940 thanks to the intercession of Luciana Frassati Gawronska, who maybe even intervened with
Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who, upon assuming office as Prime Minister, became the dictator of Fascist Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his overthrow in 194 ...
. After his release from prison, he descended into the underground. On 24 May, a German special court sentenced him to death. During this period, Piasecki became close to the conspiratorial nationalist organization Pobudka () led by pre-war ONR-Falanga activist . There Piasecki became close to a group led by . Pobudka was one of the organizations that refused to subordinate themselves to the
Union of Armed Struggle The Union of Armed StruggleThus rendered in Norman Davies, ''God's Playground: A History of Poland'', vol. II, p. 464. (; ZWZ), also translated as the Union for Armed Struggle, Association of Armed Struggle, and Association for Armed Struggle ...
(ZWZ), which at that time was considered to be sanationist organisation. In April 1940, these organizations formed the Committee of Agreement of Independence Organizations, and in September 1940 the more compact Confederation of the Nation (KN). At that time, he also began editing the KN newspaper ''Nowa Polska'' (, around which he began gathering his supporters and also published the ideological manifesto "The Grand Ideology of the Polish Nation". The political goals and objectives expressed therein became the basis of the organizations led by Piasecki. In "The Grand Ideology," Piasecki outlined a vision of a Poland ruled by a morally high and law-abiding elite that would lead the nation to its historical goal, that is, the creation of a Slavic Empire, in which Poland is to be a guiding force. In Piasecki's thought, compared to the pre-war period, there is a shift away from totalitarian ideals to "universalism," while maintaining an aversion to democracy. Piasecki's program remained strongly
anti-communist Anti-communism is political and ideological opposition to communist beliefs, groups, and individuals. Organized anti-communism developed after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia, and it reached global dimensions during the Cold War, when th ...
,
anti-Semitic Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...
, anti-German,
anti-Russian Anti-Russian sentiment or Russophobia is the dislike or fear of Russia, Russian people, or Russian culture. The opposite of Russophobia is Russophilia. Historically, Russophobia has included state-sponsored and grassroots mistreatment and di ...
, anti-liberal, and
elitist Elitism is the notion that individuals who form an elite — a select group with desirable qualities such as intellect, wealth, power, physical attractiveness, notability, special skills, experience, lineage — are more likely to be construct ...
, but anti-Ukrainian aspects appeared. At the beginning of 1941, the Confederation of the Nation was split into two branches: the political, which remained with the name Confederation of the Nation, and the military, which took the name Armed Confederation. Piasecki took over the leadership of the former, while
Jan Włodarkiewicz Lieutenant Colonel Jan Włodarkiewicz (28 May 190019 March 1942; ; noms de guerre ''Damian'', ''Darwicz'' and ''Odważny'') was a Polish soldier, an officer of the Polish Army and a freedom fighter during World War II. He is notable as the first ...
took over the latter. The Armed Confederation merged with the Union of Armed Struggle during 1941. The KN, meanwhile, continued to take a position that was hostile to the Polish government in exile and its representatives in the country, while respecting their legality, causing other affiliated organizations to leave. As a result, by the spring of 1942, only Piasecki's supporters remained in the KN, and he became its undisputed leader as the Main Commander. His deputy was, with the title of Head of the Home Organization or Head of the New Poland Movement, Jan Moszyński, and, after his arrest, Jerzy Hagmajer. Piasecki directly controlled the strike (combat) section.


The Strike

From this point on, Piasecki focused on carrying out the ambitious plan of the Strike (), that is, to take military action that would eventually lead to the realization of the idea of a Slavic Empire. In Piasecki's mind, the German-Soviet struggle will not end in victory for either side, and into the resulting vacuum will step the troops he is creating, whose bold strike will impress the masses who will follow in their footsteps. To this end, he undertook the organization of partisan units that were to set out for the eastern territories of Poland and take up arms there against the Germans and the Soviet partisans. Piasecki's group was small in number, but supported but one of the most important cultural periodicals of the Polish Underground '' Sztuka i Naród'' () which gave their cause significant symbolical halo. The march of the 1st Striking Cadre Battalion (UBK) began on 18 and 19 October 1942, with the fighters heading for the Sterdyń forests in the
Sokołów Podlaski Sokołów Podlaski is a town in Poland, in Masovian Voivodeship, about east of Warsaw. The town lies on the Cetynia river, in the historical region of Podlachia and is the capital of Sokołów County. The first settlement was in the 6th century a ...
area. This first expedition ended in failure, the unit was broken up by the Germans, 4 members were killed, 30 were taken prisoner, some returned to Warsaw. The defeat of the expedition caused dissatisfaction in the AK Headquarters, with General Stefan Rowecki demanding that the UBK be disbanded and the soldiers conscripted into the AK. Piasecki was not strong enough to refuse, but dragged out the talks. However, he did not stop the implementation of the Strike. He sent a patrol beyond the Bug River in January 1943, under the command of Ryszard Reiff "Jacek", which turned into a detachment of the 8th Striking Cadre Battalion. In May, the 1st, 4th, and 6th UBKs went into the field, heading towards the village of Dalekie, near Wyszków. On 28 May Piasecki joined the units. However, clumsy synchronisation resulted in the troops being surrounded by the Germans, who managed to break through near
Trzcianka Trzcianka (; ) is a town in the Greater Poland region in northwestern Poland. Since 1999, it has been part of the Greater Poland Voivodeship and Czarnków-Trzcianka County. From 1975 to 1998, it was located in the Piła Voivodeship. In May 2007 ...
. The grouping of 160-200 men was divided into three parts. One of them was almost completely broken up, the others reached the vicinity of Knyszyn. There the grouping was divided into 5 detachments, commanded by: Ryszard Reiff, Stanisław Karołkiewicz "Szczęsny", Julian Jagodziński, Zbigniew Łakiński "Grodniak" and Zbigniew Czarnocki "Czarny". Bolesław Piasecki was in the unit commanded by Ryszard Reiff. After the arrest of Stefan Rowecki, Bolesław Piasecki returned to Warsaw. There, he quickly concluded merger talks with the Home Army and, on the basis of General
Tadeusz Komorowski ''Tadeusz'' is a Polish first name, derived from Thaddaeus. Tadeusz may refer to: * Tadeusz Bednarowicz (1906–1939), Polish footballer * Tadeusz Bór-Komorowski (1895–1966), Polish military leader * Tadeusz Borowski (1922–1951), Polish ...
's order of 17 August 1943, the units of Confederation of the Nation officially became part of the Home Army. They were to undertake activities in the Nowogródek District of the AK. He then decided to return to the unit, handing over the leadership of the KN temporarily to Jerzy Hagmajer. Piasecki then rejoined the unit and reached the Nowogródek District of the Home Army in October. There, the UBK was named the 3rd Battalion of the 77th Infantry Regiment of the Home Army. His direct superior was Józef Świda "Lech," and the district commander was Janusz Prawdzic-Szlaski. There were about 5500 soldiers in the district. On 9 December, the UBK was attacked by Germans in . Piasecki was wounded and went to Warsaw for recuperation. There he helped organize another UBK unit under the command of Ryszard Reiff. In February 1944 he was again in the unit. In March, the district commander Świda faced a field court for contacts with the Germans. Piasecki, as a lawyer, was on the jury. A death sentence was issued, which was suspended but Świda was forced to leave the district area, he was replaced by Maciej Kalenkiewicz "Kotwicz". In March, Piasecki's unit, then numbering between 480 and 700 men, became part of the Group East, commanded by Stanislaw Dedelis "Pal," and undertook a series of combat actions: six against Soviet partisans and thirteen against Germans. Piasecki did not abandon his plans to create a Slavic Empire. To this end, he attempted to pull the Litauische Sonderverbände (also called
Lithuanian Territorial Defense Force The Lithuanian Territorial Defense Force (; , LVR) was a short-lived Lithuanian volunteer military unit created in spring 1944, during the last year of the German occupation of Lithuania during World War II, German occupation of Lithuania in World ...
), formed by the Germans and commanded by Povilas Plechavičius, over to his side. To this end, he sent patrols to the territory of pre-war Lithuania, and also entered into talks with the AK district command on his plans. These attempts, however, led to nothing. In May, in preparation for the
Operation Tempest file:Akcja_burza_1944.png, 210px, right Operation Tempest or Operation Burza (, sometimes referred to in English as "Operation Storm") was a series of uprisings conducted during World War II against occupying German forces by the Polish Home Arm ...
and Operation Ostra Brama, the Nowogródek District of the AK was subordinated to the Wilno District, with Aleksander Krzyżanowski "Wilk" as commander of both.


Ostra Brama

The aim of Operation Ostra Brama was to take advantage of the Soviet offensive and seize Vilnius during the retreat of the German army before the Soviet army arrived in the city, so that the Polish army would welcome the Soviet army as a host. Piasecki's unit was part of the eastern grouping of the Home Army, commanded by Major Antoni Olechnowicz "Pohorecki". The grouping concentrated on 4 July in the area of the village and was to attack the city from the east towards Subocz Street (today Subačiaus gatvė). Piasecki's unit numbered 711 soldiers, entered the battle at midnight from 6 to 7 July 1944, met resistance in the area of the village of , where it fought a long battle to capture a fortified German point. This battle was successful, however, further advance collapsed. The Home Army resumed fighting alongside Soviet troops, and the Soviet occupation of Vilnius began on 13 July. The UBK (3rd Battalion, 77th AK Infantry) suffered losses of up to 40%. Piasecki was due to go after the fighting to a meeting of Polish and Soviet officers in on 16 July, at which Polish officers were arrested. However, Piasecki, not trusting the Soviets, departed in the direction of Rūdninkai Forest, where he encountered other AK units that avoided the Soviet trap. Piasecki and Lieutenant Colonel decided to march towards Warsaw. Piasecki arrived there in mid-August, when the uprising was already underway. He did not decide to break through to the city. Piasecki's wife , née Kopeć, and his brother Zdzisław were killed in the
uprising Rebellion is an uprising that resists and is organized against one's government. A rebel is a person who engages in a rebellion. A rebel group is a consciously coordinated group that seeks to gain political control over an entire state or a ...
. As a result of the betrayal of UBK soldier Ryszard Romanowski "Babinicz", Bolesław Piasecki was arrested on the night of 11-12 November 1944 in Józefów.


Communist Poland

After the war, in 1945, he co-founded and directed a so-called social progressive movement of lay Catholics, grouped around the weekly publication ''
Dziś i Jutro ''Dziś i Jutro'' (, ) was a Catholic weekly illustrated magazine which was published between 1945 and 1956 in Warsaw, Poland. It was one of the publications supported by the ruling Communist Party. History and profile ''Dziś i Jutro'' was fou ...
'' (Polish: Today and Tomorrow). The magazine attacked the
Polish People's Party The Polish People's Party (, PSL) is a conservative political party in Poland. It is currently led by Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz. Its history traces back to 1895, when it held the name People's Party, although its name was changed to the pre ...
opposition and endorsed the government in the
1946 Polish people's referendum 1946 (Roman numerals, MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1946th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 946th year of the 2nd millennium, the 46th year of the 20th centur ...
campaign. In 1947 he created the PAX Association and was the chairman of its governing body (until his death). Piasecki described the newspaper's primary aim as "the reconstruction of a Catholic doctrine with respect to the ongoing conflict between
Marxism Marxism is a political philosophy and method of socioeconomic analysis. It uses a dialectical and materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to analyse class relations, social conflict, ...
and
capitalism Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their use for the purpose of obtaining profit. This socioeconomic system has developed historically through several stages and is defined by ...
." The organization also managed the Polish branch of the Catholic charity
Caritas Internationalis Caritas Internationalis (Latin for ) is a confederation of 162 national Catholic relief, development, and social service organisations operating in over 200 countries and territories worldwide. The name Caritas Internationalis refers to both the ...
after it was nationalized by the government. In 1955 several important members of Pax, including Janusz Zabłocki and future Prime Minister
Tadeusz Mazowiecki Tadeusz Mazowiecki (; 18 April 1927 – 28 October 2013) was a Polish author, journalist, philanthropist and politician, formerly one of the leaders of the Solidarity movement, and the first non-communist Polish prime minister since 1946, hav ...
, revolted and quit their posts at the party and newspapers. Afterwards, the importance of PAX diminished (and Piasecki's role along with it). Piasecki had also never been accepted by the mainstream
Catholic Church in Poland Polish members of the Catholic Church, like elsewhere in the world, are under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Holy See, Rome. The Latin Church includes 41 dioceses. There are three eparchies of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in th ...
, with Cardinal
Stefan Wyszyński Stefan Wyszyński (3 August 1901 – 28 May 1981) was a Polish Roman Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Warsaw and Archbishop of Gniezno from 1948 to 1981. He previously served as Bishop of Lublin from 1946 to 1948. He was created a ...
prohibiting the
clergy Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...
from subscribing to Piasecki's newspapers. In 1957 Piasecki's teenage son Bohdan was abducted and later found murdered, possibly by agents of the Polish
Ministry of Public Security Ministry of Public Security can refer to: * Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Brazil) * Ministry of Public Security of Burundi * Ministry of Public Security (Chile) * Ministry of Public Security (China) * Ministry of Public Security of Co ...
. Nonetheless Pax remained a prominent organisation until 1989 and its successors still exist today. In later years, Piasecki was a member of the Polish
Sejm The Sejm (), officially known as the Sejm of the Republic of Poland (), is the lower house of the bicameralism, bicameral parliament of Poland. The Sejm has been the highest governing body of the Third Polish Republic since the Polish People' ...
from 1965, where he presided over the grouping of members associated with PAX. In 1971-1979 he was a member of the
Polish Council of State The Council of State of the Polish People's Republic, Republic of Poland () was introduced by the Small Constitution of 1947 as an organ of executive (government), executive power. The Council of State consisted of the President of Poland, Presid ...
.


Selected publications

* ''Wielka Ideologia Narodu Polskiego'' (), Warsaw June-July 1940. (clandestine)


Honours and awards

* Silver Cross of the
Virtuti Militari The War Order of Virtuti Militari (Latin: ''"For Military Virtue"'', ) is Poland's highest military decoration for heroism and courage in the face of the enemy at war. It was established in 1792 by the last King of Poland Stanislaus II of Poland, ...
(1944) * Commander's Cross with Star of the
Order of Polonia Restituta The Order of Polonia Restituta (, ) is a Polish state decoration, state Order (decoration), order established 4 February 1921. It is conferred on both military and civilians as well as on alien (law), foreigners for outstanding achievements in ...
(1964), previously awarded the Commander's Cross (1955) * Order of the Banner of Work, 1st Class (1969)


References


Further reading

* * *Mikołaj Kunicki (2005). "The Red and the Brown: Boleslaw Piasecki, the Polish Communists, and the Anti-Zionist Campaign in Poland, 1967-68". East European Politics & Societies 19 (2): pp. 185–225. {{DEFAULTSORT:Piasecki, Boleslaw 1915 births 1979 deaths Politicians from Łódź Polish Roman Catholics Polish nationalists Camp of Great Poland politicians Falangists PAX Association members Members of the Polish Sejm 1965–1969 Members of the Polish Sejm 1969–1972 Members of the Polish Sejm 1972–1976 Members of the Polish Sejm 1976–1980 Polish military personnel of World War II Home Army officers University of Warsaw alumni Recipients of the Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari Commanders with Star of the Order of Polonia Restituta Recipients of the Order of Polonia Restituta (1944–1989) Recipients of the Order of the Banner of Work National Radical Camp politicians Polish magazine founders Polish magazine editors Inmates of Bereza Kartuska Prison Recipients of the Medal of the 10th Anniversary of the People's Republic of Poland