World War II Ethnic Clensing: Expullsion of Germans from Poland after World War II


Figure 1.--.

Following World War II, the Soviets pushed the Poland west. The new Polish state included areas that had been German for centuries. Most Germans living in the areas taken over by Poland had fleed with the retreating Wehrmacht. Whether they were officialy urged to flee – this would be deportation, isn`t it? – I don´t know. Many were fleeing when the German army had to leave these areas as they were anxious what the Soviet Russian army and soldiers would do; asking for the „Uru, Uru“ („Uhr“ in German for watch) by Russian soldiers certainly was harmless; but people were more anxious – and had some reason for it. Soviet troops in Germany engaged in widespread looting and raping. I assume this began with the Germand that they encounterd in Poland. Most Germans remaining were forced to migrate west to Germany without any assistance in doing so. Russian policy was to drive the Germans further west out of the new Poland. One account reported, "... the Russians are acting little better than thugs. They have wiped out all the liquid assets. No food cards are issued to Germans, who are forced to travel on foot into the Russian zone, often more dead than alive. An iron curtain has descended over the fate of these people and very likely conditions are truly terrible. The promises at Yalta to the contrary, probably 8 to 10 million people are being enslaved." [Dulles] It was not just the Russians forcing the Germans west. Poles who had been terribly abused by the Germans during the War, now took revenge on any Germans who tried to remain. The Polish Government reportedly mprisoned about 100,000 Germans, mostly civilians, who were judged to be threats to the state. The conditions were similar to those in NAZI concentration camps. About 15,000 are believed to have died from ill-treatment. Some of these Germans were not released until 1950.

New Polish Borders

After World War I, Poland defesated the Bolshevicks and added large areas to the east with Russian and Ukranian populations to the new independent Polish state that emerged from the Versailles Treaty. There were also conflicts with the Lithuanians over Vilnius. As a result of the NAZI-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact (1939), the Soviets not only recovered these areas, but sunstantial areas with largely Polish territories. Following World war II, the Soviets pushed the Poland west to the Oder-Niese line. The new Polish state included areas that had been German for centuries. Poles did not like the idea of essentially shifting their country west. This was a matter on which the Soviets insisted. Polish officials were entirely under the control of the Soviets and thus were unable to oppose Soviet plans. The result was not only the physical shift of the Polish state west. The new Polish state was also much more ethnically Polish than pre-War Poland which had substantial minority populations which had caused some difficulties.

Potsdam

At Potsdam, the Allies decided:

"XII. ORDERLY TRANSFER OF GERMAN POPULATIONS: The Three Governments, having considered the question in all its aspects, recognize that the transfer to Germany of German populations, or elements thereof, remaining in Poland, Czechoslovakia and Hungary, will have to be undertaken. They agree that any transfers that take place should be effected in an orderly and humane manner.

Since the influx of a large number of Germans into Germany would increase the burden already resting on the occupying authorities, they consider that the Control Council in Germany should in the first instance examine the problem, with special regard to the question of the equitable distribution of these Germans among the several zones of occupation. They are accordingly instructing their respective representatives on the Control Council to report to their Governments as soon as possible the extent to which such persons have already entered Germany from Poland, Czechoslovakia and Hungary, to submit an estimate of the time and rate at which further transfers could be carried out having regard to the present situation in Germany.

The Czechoslovak Government, the Polish Provisional Government and the Control Council in Hungary are at the same time being informed of the above and are being requested meanwhile to suspend further expulsions pending an examination by the Governments concerned of the report from their representatives on the Control Council." [United States Department of State, pp. 28-40.]

Germans and the Red Army

Most Germans living in the areas taken over by Poland had fleed with the retreating Wehrmacht. Whether they were officialy urged to flee – this would be deportation, isn`t it? – I don´t know. Many were fleeing when the German army had to leave these areas as they were anxious what the Soviet Russian army and soldiers would do; asking for the „Uru, Uru“ („Uhr“ in German for watch) by Russian soldiers certainly was harmless; but people were more anxious – and had some reason for it. Soviet troops in Germany engaged in widespread looting and raping. I assume this began with the Germand that they encounterd in Poland.

Expullsions

We do not yet have details on the expullsions of Germans after the War. We do not know for example if a law was passed expelling the Germans. Many Germans left as the Wehrmacht retreated West. We are am not sure at this time to what extentv this took place. Presumably many of those who arrived with the NAZIs after September 1939 left with the Wehrmacht. Other Germans lived in Polish areas for centuries. In addition the new Polish state included arreas that had been German for centuries. There were close ties to the land and villages, the local heimat, for many Germans. I am not sure to what extent these people left with the Wehrmacht in 1944-45. The Soviets and their Polish client officials were determined that the Germnans were to be removed from the new Polish state. This was a matter of stability as the Poles like other Eastern Europeans were all to aware of how Hitler and the NAZIs had used the issue of German minorities to destaboilize and attack neighboring statres. Poles were responsible for some brutal action against the Germans during the process. Some of this was vigilante actions and often brutal. German-owned farms and houses were seized by Poles. Ethnic Germans were rounded up by armed Polish militias. Transition camps were set up as the Germans transported en masse to west to Germany. We are not sure to the extent that the police and army were used. Germans remaining were forced to migrate west to Germany without any assistance in doing so. Russian policy was to drive the Germans further west out of the new Poland. One account reported, "... the Russians are acting little better than thugs. They have wiped out all the liquid assets. No food cards are issued to Germans, who are forced to travel on foot into the Russian zone, often more dead than alive. An iron curtain has descended over the fate of these people and very likely conditions are truly terrible. The promises at Yalta to the contrary, probably 8 to 10 million people are being enslaved." [Dulles] It was not just the Russians forcing the Germans west. Poles who had been terribly abused by the Germans during the War, now took revenge on any Germans who tried to remain.

Arrests

The Polish Government reportedly imprisoned about 100,000 Germans, mostly civilians, who were judged to be threats to the state. The conditions were similar to those in NAZI concentration camps. About 15,000 are believed to have died from ill-treatment. Some of these Germans were not released until 1950.

Modern Relations

Those expelled from Poland and other eastern countries fomed associations once they returned to Germany as a way of keeping touch with others and to remember the old heimat. A Polish reader writes, "Poland and Germany today coexistace amicalby in the European Union. There are even instances of Germans visiting and sharing a dinner with Poles that now lived on the farms that were in German hands for centuries."

Sources

Dulles, Allen W. "That was then: Allen W. Dulles on the occupation of Germany" Foreign Affairs (November/December 2003).

United States Department of State. A Decade of American Foreign Policy: 1941-1949, Basic Documents (Washington, DC: Historical Office, Department of State, 1950), pp. 28-40.






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Created: May 11, 2004
Last updated: 3:40 AM 2/13/2016