Polish prisoners and internees in Soviet Union and Lithuania (1919-1921)
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The condition of Polish POWs held by the Soviets and Lithuanians during Polish-Soviet War is one of the less researched controversies of that period.
About 20,000 out of about 51,000 Polish POWS died in Soviet and Lithuanian camps[1] Similar number of Soviet POWs - from 16,000 to 20,000 out of 80,000 - perished due to disease and poor conditions in Polish camps in that period.[2]
While the conditions for Soviet prisoners were clearly exposed by the free press in Poland,[1] no corresponding fact-finding about Soviet camps for Polish POWs could be expected from tightly controlled Soviet press of the time. Available data shows many cases of mistreatment of Polish prisoners.[1] There have been also cases of Soviet army executing Polish POWs when no POW facilities were available.[1]
While majority of Polish POWs were held by the Soviet Union, several thousands were held by the government of Lithuania; from soldiers captured during the Polish-Lithuanian War, Żeligowski's Uprising or interned during the Polish-Soviet War. Cases of mistreatment of Polish POWs in Lithuania were frequent and similar to situation in Soviet camps.[1]
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[edit] See also
- Camps for Russian prisoners and internees in Poland (1919-1924)
- Camps for soldiers of the UNR Army interned in Poland (1919-1924)
- Camps for Polish prisoners and internees in Soviet Union (after 1939)
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e Karpus, Zbigniew, Alexandrowicz Stanisław, Zwycięzcy za drutami. Jeńcy polscy w niewoli (1919-1922). Dokumenty i materiały (Victors behind the fences. Polish POWs (1919-1922). Documents and materials). Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Mikołaja Kopernika w Toruniu, Toruń, 1995, ISBN 83-231-0627-4
- ^ POLISH-RUSSIAN FINDINGS ON THE SITUATION OF RED ARMY SOLDIERS IN POLISH CAPTIVITY (1919–1922). Official Polish government note about 2004 Rezmar, Karpus and Matvejev boook. Last accessed on 26 May, 2006.
