World War II: Poland Under German Rule Reports

Description

Poland Under German Rule: A Timeline of Accounts

Timeline of Main Events in Poland Under German Rule (Based on Provided Sources)

This timeline focuses on the period of German occupation of Poland during World War II, drawing primarily from the provided descriptions of reports. It also includes the context of the German occupation during World War I.

Pre-World War II:

• October 16, 1938 – September 19, 1939: A. J. Drexel Biddle, Jr., United States Ambassador to Poland, reports on events in Poland. This period precedes and culminates with the German invasion.
• September 1, 1939: Germany invades Poland. This event is noted in President Roosevelt’s handwritten bedside note.

World War II – German Occupation:

• September 1939 – June 1941 (approx. 22 months): The period covered by “The Black Book of Poland,” which details German atrocities committed during the early phase of the occupation.
• 1939 – 1941 (through November 13): Thaddeus H. Chylinski, U.S. Vice-Consul in Warsaw, observes and reports on the early history of the war in Poland, various persecutions, arrests, executions, hostages, conditions in concentration camps, protests, confiscation of property, the condition of different social and ethnic groups, economic conditions, functioning industries, the authorities of the General Government, the Gestapo, the Polish Police Force, the situation in education, science, art, the press, and the Polish Underground movement. His report is dated November 13, 1941.
• January 1, 1942 – April 30, 1942: The period covered by the SHEAF Report, “Economic Life in Poland,” which includes a 13-page description of various concentration camps and focuses on economic conditions.
• December 10, 1942: The Polish government-in-exile publishes a brochure, “The Mass Extermination of Jews in German Occupied Poland.” This is described as the first official document informing the Western public about the Holocaust in German-occupied Poland.

World War I – German Occupation:

• 1916: Publication of a pamphlet titled “World War I – Poland Under The Germans.” The articles in this pamphlet originally appeared in “The London Times” and “The New Statesman,” indicating reporting and commentary on the German occupation of Poland during World War I.

Cast of Characters with Brief Bios:

• Franklin Delano Roosevelt: President of the United States during the German invasion of Poland. His handwritten bedside note indicates his immediate awareness of this significant event.
• A. J. Drexel Biddle, Jr.: United States Ambassador to Poland from 1937 to 1939. His report covers the period leading up to and including the initial phase of the German invasion, providing valuable insights into the pre-war and immediate post-invasion situation.
• Thaddeus H. Chylinski: Vice-Consul serving in the Warsaw office from 1920 to 1941. His OSS report, “Poland Under Nazi Rule” (November 13, 1941), offers a comprehensive overview of the early years of the German occupation, detailing various aspects of life under Nazi rule, including persecutions, economic conditions, and the emerging resistance. Notably, his report also contains some anti-Semitic concepts.
• Polish Government-in-Exile: The legitimate government of Poland that operated outside of German-occupied Poland during World War II. They were responsible for publishing “The Black Book of Poland” (1942) detailing German atrocities and “The Mass Extermination of Jews in German Occupied Poland” (1942), which aimed to inform the Western world about the Holocaust.
• Authors and Publishers of “World War I – Poland Under The Germans”: While not individually named in the source, the authors who contributed articles to “The London Times” and “The New Statesman,” and the publisher of the 1916 pamphlet, provided contemporary accounts and analysis of the German occupation of Poland during World War I.
• David Engel: Author of “In the Shadow of Auschwitz: The Polish Government-in-exile and the Jews, 1939–1942.” His work provides historical context for the significance of the Polish government-in-exile’s 1942 brochure on the mass extermination of Jews.

World War II: Poland Under German Rule Reports

A collection of 1,110  pages of reporting on German occupation of Poland.

Includes:

President Roosevelt’s Handwritten Bedside Note Regarding the German invasion of Poland, September 1, 1939

Biddle Report – A. J. Drexel Biddle, Jr., United States Ambassador to Poland, (1937-1939) report on events in Poland October 16, 1938 to September 19, 1939.

OSS Report Poland Under Nazi Rule (November 13, 1941) – A report by Thaddeus H. Chylinski, who was a Vice-Consul serving in the Warsaw office from 1920-1941. Topics covered includes early history of the war, various persecutions, arrests, executions, hostages, conditions in the concentration camps, protests, confiscation of property. Chylinski also reported on the condition of the people from the three social classes cultured, working and peasant, and ethnics and national groups, (Jews, Russians, French, Americans, etc.  Economic Conditions are detailed: fuel, food, clothing, relief and medical supplies. The Industries functioning in Germany are listed: communication and transportation (railways, postal system and telegraph) as are the authorities of the General Government, the Gestapo, and the Polish Police Force. The situation in education, science, art, and the press is detailed as is the status of the Polish Underground movement. Ironically Chylinski applies some anti-Semitic concepts in his evaluations.

The Black Book of Poland – A report published in 1942 by the Ministry of Information of the Polish government-in-exile, describing atrocities committed by Germany in occupied Poland in twenty-two months between the invasion of Poland in September 1939, and the end of June 1941

 SHEAF Report, “Economic Life in Poland”  (July 1942 )- A  report covering period from January 1st to April 30th, 1942, includes a 13-page description of various concentration camps.

The Mass Extermination of Jews in German Occupied Poland – A brochure published by the Polish government-in-exile on 10 December 1942. According to David Engel, author of “In the Shadow of Auschwitz: The Polish Government-in-exile and the Jews, 1939–1942,” (2014), this was the first official document informing the Western public about the Holocaust in German-occupied Poland.

World War I – Poland Under The Germans (1916) – In addition to the material above is a 1916 World War I pamphlet titled Poland Under The Germans. The first three articles included this pamphlet appeared originally in “The London Times,” the fourth in “The New Statesman.”