Misplaced Pages

Revision as of 18:28, 19 July 2005

Anti-Polonism (alternatively spelled antipolonism; also, Polonophobia) is a term denoting an irrational or malicious hostility towards Poles as a nation or as a cultural community. Anti-Polonism has been prominent in some countries during certain periods in history. It has manifested itself in individual behaviors as well as in institutionalized prejudice and persecution. It is often associated with a Polish "black legend" and a belief that almost any evil or folly may be laid at the doorstep of the Poles.

It should be noted that the term anti-Polonism has not found wide currency in the English language. It does not appear in major English-language dictionaries, and LexisNexis shows it to have been used rarely in English-language dailies or magazines within the past 10 years. It has, however, appeared in some scholarly works (). To the extent that people believe that Poles, Polonia and Poland continue to be treated as objects of ridicule, discrimination and exploitation, "anti-Polonism" and the kindred term "Polonophobia" may enter more widespread use.

Hostility toward Poles—analogously to other ethnic phobias—has been used as a tool by demagogues seeking their own personal, or their own ethnic group's, aggrandizement at the expense of a disparaged, demonized or dehumanized people.

Forms of hostility toward Poles have included:

• Racist hostility, a variety of xenophobia;
• cultural hostility: a strong prejudice against Poles and Polish-speaking persons;
• organized persecution of Poles as an ethnic or cultural group, often based on a belief that Polish culture or interests are a threat to one's own national aspirations.

Timeline

Origins of antipolonism, Organized persecution of ethnic Poles (to 1918)

Antipolonism as organised persecution and cultural prejudice against Poles and their culture started to apear in 18th century.Its place of origin was the Prussian state, which competed against Poland. Writers such as Johann Georg Forster rejected the idea that Poles were part of european culture, compared them to primitive tribes, and portayed Poland as underdeveloped uncivilized land waiting for cultivation, thus creating seeds for German ideas of Lebensraum, as well as creating stereotypes which Nazism would later use in its ideology. Prussian officials often created a view that Poles were culturaly inferior and in need of Prussian tutelage. Frederick the Great is known for his particular hatred and contempt for Polish people that reflects antipolonism existing in Prussia of that era.His comments towards the Polish people like "the slovenly Polish trash", "Iroquois of Europe" or "a barbarous people sunk in ignorance and stupidity" are well known.Such views had consequences for Polish population, nobility of Polish origin had to pay higher taxes then that of German roots, Polish language was persecuted in Prussia, Polish monasteries were viewed as "lair of idleness" and their property was often seized by Prussian officials. The catholicism of Poles was also seen as negative trait. When the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth totally lost its independence in 1795 and remained partitioned for 123 years, ethnic Poles were subjected to Germanization under Prussian and later under German rule, and to Russification in areas annexed by Imperial Russia. This efforts led to increase in antipolish sentiments both in Russia and in Germany. In Russia being a Pole was enough to be view guilty of a crime, and sometimes authorites used antipolish riots as policy to influence population. Polish culture was seen as a threat to Russian imperial ambitions and officials often engaged in activites meant to weaken or destroy it. Later on with emergance of Panslavism ideology Russian writers, ideologists viewed Poles as betraying their "slavic family", due to Polish attempts to regain independence from Russian Empire (viewed by Russian panslavists and ideologists as natural leader of slavic nations), prejudice and negative views towards Poles are present in many of Russia's cultural works of that time. Russia used deportations, Russification, mass murder and other means such as confiscation of noble's property to destroy Polish culture and society. The fact that Poles were of Catholic faith and not Orthodox was also a source of persecution. In Prussia and later Germany similar persecution was taking place. Poles were forbidden to build homes, their land and property was target of forced buy outs, financed by Prussian and German government.Polish language was forbidden leading to such events as torture of Polish children in schools for speaking Polish (Wrzesnia).Poles were also subjet to forced deportations (Rugi Pruskie).

Organized persecution of ethnic Poles (1918-1939)

After Poland regained her independence following the First World War as the Second Republic of Poland, the question of her borders was not settled. Poles were persecuted in the disputed territories, especially in Silesia, where this led to the Silesian Uprisings. During the Polish-Soviet War of 1919-21, many Polish prisoners of war were summarily executed by the Red Army.

The aftermath of the Polish-Ukrainian War (1918-19), the Polish-Soviet War (1919-21) and the Treaty of Riga (1921), coupled with Soviet propaganda, led to growing tensions between Poles and Ukrainians in eastern Poland.

Genocide against Poles (1939-1945)

Hostility toward Poles reached a particular peak during World War II, when all of Polish society was an object of German genocidal policies. Poland lost approximately a third of her population. Millions of Poles died in German concentration camps such as Auschwitz, where Poles were the second most numerous victims after the Jews.

The Soviet occupation of Polish territories during World War II was also extremely brutal. Polish prisoners of war were executed in the infamous Katyn Massacre and at other sites, and thousands of Polish intelligentsia, including academics and priests, were sent to labor camps (GuLags).

With the conclusion of the Second World War, Nazi atrocities perforce ended. Soviet atrocities, however, continued. Soldiers of Poland's Home Army (Armia Krajowa) and returned veterans of the Polish Armed Forces that had served with the Western Allies were persecuted, imprisoned and often executed following staged trials (as in the case of Witold Pilecki, organizer of Auschwitz resistance).

Persistent prejudices against Poles (1945 to present)

The continued references to World War II-era "Polish death camps" and "Polish concentration camps" are often cited as examples of anti-Polonism. (The afore-mentioned camps were German concentration camps set up and run by Nazi Germans, on occupied Polish territory, whose victims included millions of Poles.) Those who object to this usage argue that the phrase is intended to place responsibility for these camps on Poles, rather than simply being a neutral description of their location. The World Jewish Congress stated in January 2005:

This is not a mere semantic matter. Historical integrity and accuracy hang in the balance.

Robert Hurst, President of the CTV News argues that the usage is common in news organizations and clearly intended as either a reference to the location of the camps, or to the victims of the camps.

Also cited as examples of anti-Polonism are other phrases relating to Poland during the time of World War II, such as "Nazi Poland". In addition, they cite persistent German canards, dating back to World War II and meant to illustrate Polish stupidity or incompetence. Such stories include that Polish cavalry "bravely but futilely" charged German tanks, and that the Polish Air Force was wiped out on the ground on the opening day of the war. Neither of these tales are true, as discussed at Myths of the Polish September Campaign. "Milder" forms of hostility toward Poles have included disparaging "Polish jokes".

Polish minority rights are being increasingly abused in the totalitarian regime of Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus, where approximately 0,5 million Poles live. The Belarusian authorities claim that their pro-western Polish neighbours are trying to destabilise the regime, and attempt to picture the Polish minority as a fifth column. In May and June 2005 they closed a Polish-language newspaper and replaced the democratically elected leadership of a local Polish organisation, the Union of Poles in Belarus (UPB), with their own nominees.

Antipolish sentiments continue to exist today in Germany, and expressed variously as accusations that Poland was the cause of WWII to several cases where courts have forbidden parents to teach and speak with their children in Polish, as well as raising them with Polish culture, claiming that to do so would be harmful to their development. German media frequently shows Poles as underveloped nation with criminality as main activity of Polish people.The press created an insulting term "Heute gestohlen, morgen in Polen", which means "Stolen today, tomorrow in Poland", which is to suggest to the reader that Poland is a country of thiefs. Another example of antipolish bias present in German media is "Harald Schmidt Show", one of the main points of this extremely popular program were insulting jokes about Poles, polish culture and Poland. Despite the fact that the author of the show enforced antipolonistic views and stereotypes , which just half century earlier led to German attempts of genocide towards polish people and destruction of their state Harald Schmidt received the viewers choice award Bambi, the Grimme Award, the Golden Camera and the Golden Lion as best showmaster.

Poles are also blamed for unemployment in France after EU expansion (despite the fact that it brought more jobs to French people). Antipolish sentiment has grown in that country due to Poland's close relationship with United States. The fact that Poland remains both an US ally as well as a deeply religious nation, has led to enforcing of negative and antipolish views in several layers of European politics. Josep Borrell the President of European Parliament has been reported to express antipolish remarks several times, accusing Poland of "taking orders from USA". Another example of antipolonism sentiments are comments from Martin Schulz a member of European Parliament who demanded to silence polish representatives calling them "hooligans" (during the WWII the term "polnische Banditen" was commonly used by German propaganda) during European Parliament session on 27.10.2004.

Anti-Polish quotes

• "I have issued the command – and I'll have anybody who utters but one word of criticism executed by a firing squad – that our war aim does not consist in reaching certain lines, but in the physical destruction of the enemy. Accordingly, I have placed my Totenkopf Units in readiness – for the present only in the East – with orders to them to send to death, mercilessly and without compassion, men, women, and children of Polish race and language. Only thus shall we gain the living space (Lebensraum) which we need. Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?" Adolf Hitler

• "All Poles will disappear from the world.... It is essential that the great German people should consider it as its major task to destroy all Poles." Heinrich Himmler

• "Cattle in human form." Johann Georg Forster

• "Every Pole sucks anti-Semitism with his mother's milk" Yitzhak Shamir

• "Heute gestohlen, morgen in Polen"-"Stolen today, tommorow in Poland" German proverb

See also

• Anglophobia
• Anti-Catholicism
• Anti-Semitism
• Anti-Slavism
• Lebensraum
• List of Polish Martyrdom sites
• Massacre of Lwów professors
• Nur für Deutsche
• -phobia
• Racism
• Western betrayal
• Xenophobia

Specific articles

Alfons Flisykowski • Armenian quote • Außerordentliche Befriedungsaktion • Auschwitz cross • Consequences of German Nazism • Drang nach Osten • Drzymała car • General Government • Generalplan Ost • German camps in occupied Poland during World War II • World War II • Mikhail Katkov • Katyn Massacre • Koniuchy Massacre • Kulturkampf • Lebensborn • List of Polish Martyrdom sites • List of Soviet Union prison sites that detained Poles • Massacre of Lwów professors • Massacre of Praga • Massacres of Poles in Volhynia • Master race • Maus (graphic novel) • Mein Kampf • Massacre of Wola • Myths from Polish history • Nazism • Nur für Deutsche • Operation Tannenberg • Paneriai • Pawiak • Piaśnica • Polish operation of the NKVD • Racial purity • Racial segregation • Salomon Morel • Settlement Commission • Sonderaktion Krakau • The Painted Bird (novel) • Trial of the Sixteen • Trojan donkey • Untermensch • Western betrayal • You forgot Poland • Łapanka

Bibliography

• Lukas, Richard C. and Norman Davies (foreword) Forgotten Holocaust: The Poles Under German Occupation 1939-1944, (2001, c1996)
• Lukas, Richard C.: Forgotten Survivors: Polish Christians Remember The Nazi Occupation
• Lukas, Richard C.: Did the Children Cry: Hitler's War Against Jewish and Polish Children, 1939-1945
• Mikołaj Teres: Ethnic Cleansing of Poles in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia, Alliance of the Polish Eastern Provinces, Toronto, 1993, ISBN 0969802005.
• Ryszard Torzecki: Polacy i Ukraińcy; Sprawa ukraińska w czasie II wojny światowej na terenie II Rzeczypospolitej; Warsaw, 1993.
• Wiktor Poliszczuk: Bitter Truth. Legal and Political Assessment of the OUN and UPA, Toronto-Warsaw-Kiev, 1995.
• Władysław & Ewa Siemaszko: Ludobojstwo na ludności polskiej Wołynia 1939-1945 (eng: The Genocide Carried Out by Ukrainian Nationalists on the Polish Population of the Volhynia Region 1939-1945., Warsaw, 2000.
• Filip Ozarowski: Wolyn Aflame, Publishing House WICI, 1977, ISBN 0965548813.
• Tadeusz Piotrowski: Genocide and Rescue in Wolyn: Recollections of the Ukrainian Nationalist, Ethnic Cleansing Campaign Against the Poles During World War II, McFarland & Company, 2000, ISBN 0786407735.
• Tadeusz Piotrowski: Vengeance of the Swallows: Memoir of a Polish Family's Ordeal Under Soviet Aggression, Ukrainian Ethnic Cleansing and Nazi Enslavement, and Their Emigration to America, McFarland & Company, 1995, ISBN 0786400013.
• Dr. Bronislaw Kusnierz: Stalin and the Poles, Hollis & Carter, 1949.

External links

• The Civic Identity of Russifying Officials in the Empire’s Northwestern Region after 1863
• The Crystallization of Ethnic Identity in the Process of Mass Ethnophobias in the Russian Empire DOC format
• The Forgotten Holocaust (mass deportations of Poles to the Soviet Union during WWII) article
• A Forgotten Odyssey (mass deportations of Poles to the Soviet Union during WWII) website
• Incorrect terminology used for naming Germany's Nazis concentration camps - Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs report
• The Institute of National Remembrance
• Linguistic imprecision? (anti-Polish bias in the English-language media)
• Non-Jewish Holocaust Victims - the 5 Million Others
• World Jewish Congress statement

• Anti-Polonism
• Discrimination
• History of Poland
• Neologisms
• Persecution
• Phobias
• Racism