Figure 1.--America played a huge role in providing food and other relieff supplies devestated by Wirkd war I abd then a Soviet invasion. Most of this was pribide by the American Relief Administration, but the Red Cross was also active. Here we see a photograph taken by an American Red Cross worker in Poland. The caption read, "The Barefoot School Master: A teacher in the schools of Czestochowa, the famous shrine city of Poland, who goes barefoot and enciurages his pupils todo likewise. He was one of the first in his city to catch the spirit of helpfulness taught by the Junior Red Cross. The barefoot schoolmastercalls his children together with a bugle and teaches them to climb trees and gather linden blooms and other medicunal herbs and sell them to the apothecaries. He says the school children of merica are doing a great service in helping the children of Poland with gardens, playgrounds and workrooms. Twenty thousand Cestochowa children have joined the Junior Red Cross." The phoyograph is December 8, 1920, but this when the phograoh reached the Red Cross in America, given how the chikdren are dressedm it musr=t have been taken earlier. Source: American Red Cross. Decades later Czestochowa would become a major point of contention between the Commnist Governmebtvand the Catholic Church.

The Polish Red Cross did not come into existence until the end of World War I. Poland was part of the Tsarist Russian Empire. There may have been some Russian Red Cross activity in Poland. We do not have aby details. Once Poland was estanlished at the end of the War, the Polish Red Cross was founded. The process began only 2 months after the end of the War. The Polish Samaritan Society, a Catholic organization, organized a meeting of all Polish charities that followed the Red Cross principles (January 10, 1919). Helena Paderewska played a najor role in forming the Polish Red Cross Society. A temporary committee of 30 was elected to draft statutes and to proceed with preparations to organize a Polish Red Cross. Dr. Benjamin Reschovsky of Warsaw City Hospital also played a major role in fonding the Polish Red Cross (Polski Czerwony Krzyż--PCK). It was recognized by the International Red Cross (July 24, 1919). The first President was Paweł Sapieha. Poland was experiencing food shortages and was in a desperate condition after the War The United States was conducting a major effort relief effort under the American Relief Administration (ARA). We do not know to what extent if any the PCK was involved. The PCK was involved in the Polish-Soviet War (1920-22). The PCK operated ambulances for the new Polish Army. At the end of the War, the PCK participated in an exchange of Polish and Russian prisoners. The PCK awarded Ekaterina Peshkova the chairwoman of the Assistance to Political Prisoners Organization (Помощь политическим заключенным, Помполит--Pompolit) the order of Polish Red Cross for her participation in the POW exchange. NAZI Germany and the Soviet Union invaded Poland, launching World War II (1939). They dismanteled the Polish state and partioned the country. We assume they sized the facilities of the Polish Red Cross, but have no details. Polish POWs were treatd brutally by both the NAZIs and Soviets. Large numbers were murdered. They had no access to the Red Cross assistance. We believe the Polish Government in Exile in Britain attempted to establish contact, but were denied access by both the NAZIs and Soviets. This only cganged when the Germans invaded the Soviet Union and the Soviets were desperate for Western assistance.

Founding (1919)

The Polish Red Cross did not come into existence until the end of World War I. Poland was part of the Tsarist Russian Empire. There may have been some Russian Red Cross activity in Poland. We do not have aby details. Once Poland was estanlished at the end of the War, the Polish Red Cross was founded. The process began only 2 months after the end of the War. The Polish Samaritan Society, a Catholic organization, organized a meeting of all Polish charities that followed the Red Cross principles (January 10, 1919). Helena Paderewska played a najor role in forming the Polish Red Cross Society. A temporary committee of 30 was elected to draft statutes and to proceed with preparations to organize a Polish Red Cross. Dr. Benjamin Reschovsky of Warsaw City Hospital also played a major role in fonding the Polish Red Cross (Polski Czerwony Krzyż--PCK). It was recognized by the International Red Cross (July 24, 1919). The first President was Paweł Sapieha.

Post-World War I Food Shortages

Poland was experiencing food shortages during World War I and was in a desperate condition after the War. The United States was able to aid Belgium and France during the War, but had no way of getting food to Poland and other parts of Eastern Europe during the War. After the War, the United States began a major relief effort under the American Relief Administration (ARA). We do not know to what extent if any the PCK was involved.

Polish-Soviet War (1920-22)

The PCK was involved in the Polish-Soviet War (1920-22). The PCK operated ambulances for the new Polish Army. At the end of the War, the PCK participated in an exchange of Polish and Russian prisoners. The PCK awarded Ekaterina Peshkova the chairwoman of the Assistance to Political Prisoners Organization (Помощь политическим заключенным, Помполит--Pompolit) the order of Polish Red Cross for her participation in the POW exchange. ["Fighters ..."]

Inter-War Era

Poles in America and Britain organized to collect money for the Polish Red Cross. A major concer was typhus.[PRCSGB, p. 884.] The American Red Cross also provided assistance. American school children through the Junior Red Cross sent funds for gardens, playgrounds, and workrooms. The photograph here was taken by an American Red Cross worker in Poland (figure 1).

World War II (1939-45)

NAZI Germany and the Soviet Union invaded Poland, launching World War II (1939). They dismanteled the Polish state and partioned the country. We assume they sized the facilities of the Polish Red Cross, but have no details. The Germans apparently allowed Red Cross Director Plapert to continue some activites after moving his office to Cracow. Polish POWs were treated brutally by both the NAZIs and Soviets. Large numbers were murdered. They had no access to the Red Cross assistance. We believe the Polish Government in Exile in Britain attempted to establish contact, but were denied access by both the NAZIs and Soviets. This only changed when the Germans invaded the Soviet Union and the Soviets were desperate for Western assistance. Polish cryptologists Marian Rejewski and Henryk Zygalski playe an imprtant role in cracking the German Enigma Machine. They managed to escapr from Poland after the NAZI-Soviet invasion (Septenber 1939). Thy mnaged to reach France abd then after the Germans invaded France esaped to Spain. They werevinterned by Spanish authorities. The Red Cross (we think mening the Bitish Red Cross) made arrangements for food packages to be delivered to the prisoners. The Red Cross sent a list in Polish of "Polish Prisoners" who were to receive packages. The Red Cross eventually secured their release. The PCK was reformed as part of Anders' Army operating with the British Eighth Army. The director was Count Stefan Tyszkiewicz. [Piotrowski] The PCK operated hospitals in the liberated German concentration camps as they were liberated..

Cold War

Poland at the end of World War II was in the vortex of one of the greatest population movements in history. It involved mostly Germas and Poles. Many Germans had left Poland with the retreating Wehrmacht. The remaining Germans were expelled by Polish authorities. Millions of Poles were also in motion. The Soviet Union annexed eastern Poland abd expelled the polish population. There were also Poles returning home from concentration camps in the Reich. There was organizational chaos. There was poor coordination between responsible institutions. The National Repatriation Office (NRO) was the responsible agency. There were areas in which the NRO had no branches and inadequate resources. As a result the Polish Red Cross (PCK) played a vital role in sanitary and relief activities. his was especially true in northern and western Poland. Here the Poles deported from their homes by the Soviets, the Poles returning from inentration camps, the Poles returning from forced labor and POW camps in the Reich all came together. The Polish Red Cross was dressing, feeding and treating people in desperate need, especially the repatriates and children. [Medycyny and Lekarskiej] The United States through UNRRA and Catholic charities managed to get food and relief supplies to Poland. This ended as the Red Army and NKVD imposed Communist police states on Poland and other countries in Eastern Europe. After the Soviets established the Lublin Government, the Polish Red Cross was targetted (1944). The Red Army entered Warsaw (January 1945). Communists officials began seizing control of the Polish Red Cross (May 1945). The non-Communist durector was Lackert. The Communists replaced him with Gen. Szeptycki. He was a respocted eldely man, 81 years old who had worked with the Red Cross. As a result he was the perfect front man for the Communists. He was judged to be too old to acively be involved nd would not be aware of what the Communists were doing. But he surprised the Communists and resisted efforts to appoint Cimmunist Party members into rhe Executive Committee (Rada Naczelna) of the PCK hich until the Communists seized power was a non-political orgarnization. As a result, they renoved Gen. Szeptycki (September 1945). They replaced him with firner PCK Counsel Lufwik Christiabus. He was genil individual, but also believd that the PCK should be non-political. He negan to make cincessiins acceoting Communist Party members. He was judged nit fully cooperative and was also removed as the Party felt les need to compromise (April 1946). He was replaced by Col. Koskiewicz, a psychiatrist and Party member who soentbmuch of the war in the Soviet Union. He oversaw the renoval of all menbers of the Executive Committee that were blocking the appointment of Communist Party members or affilited parties. The Red Cross shifted from being an independnt non-politick charity organjzation relying on public appeal and government grants to being a Governmnt agency. It was organizationally made part of the Ministry of Defense. [CIG]

Sources

Central Intelligence Group--CIG. "Polish Red Criss," Inteligence Report (1947).

Medycyny, Zakład Historii and Etyki Lekarskiej. "Sanitary and relief activity of the Polish Red Cross in the repatriation and displacement action in the Western Pomeranian region," Arch Hist Filoz Med. (2001), Vol. 64, No. 2-3, ):175-88.

Piotrowski, Jacek, ed. Dzienniki czynności Prezydenta RP Władysława Raczkiewicza, 1939-1947 (Wrocław: Wydawn. Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego, 2004). (Acta Universitatis Wratislaviensis; 2687). "(The) Polish Red Cross Society of Great Britin--PRCSGB." British Medical Journal (June 26. 1920), p. 884.

"Fighters for human rights" Novaya Gazeta No. 81 (2002).

Created: 11:54 AM 9/14/2017
Last updated: 11:54 AM 9/14/2017