Anti-Polish sentiment: Difference between revisions

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	] execute Poles against a prison wall, ], ], ] ].]]

	'''Anti-Polonism''' (alternatively spelled '''antipolonism'''; also, '''Polonophobia''') is a term denoting an irrational or malicious hostility toward Poles as a ] or as a ] ]. 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 "]" and a belief that almost any evil or folly may be laid at the doorstep of the Poles.

	] badge, which Polish inmates were required to wear.]]

	It should be noted that the term '''anti-Polonism''' has not found wide currency in the ]. It does not appear in major English-language ], and ] shows it to have been used rarely in English-language ] or ]s within the past 10 years. It has, however, appeared in some scholarly works (). To the extent that people believe that Poles, ] 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 ] ]s—has been used as a tool by ]s 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:

	* ] hostility, a variety of ];
	* 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 ])===

	], in western Poland, ], ].]]

	Antipolonism as organized persecution of, and prejudice against, Poles and their culture made its appearance in the ], in ], a rival of Poland in the European political arena. Writers such as ] dismissed the idea that the Poles were part of European culture, comparing them to primitive tribes and portraying Poland as an underdeveloped, uncivilized land awaiting the importation of ''Kultur'' from truly civilized countries. This planted the seeds for German ideas of ] and created stereotypes which Nazism would later exploit. Prussian officials encouraged the view that the Poles were culturally inferior and in need of Prussian tutelage.
	] nourished a particular hatred and contempt for Poles that reflected the antipolonism in the Prussia of his time. He spoke of the Poles as "slovenly Polish trash," "the Iroquois of Europe" and "a barbarous people sunk in ignorance and stupidity." The consequences were that nobility of Polish origin were obliged to pay higher taxes than nobility of German heritage, the ] was persecuted in Prussia, and Polish monasteries were viewed as "lairs of idleness" and their property often seized by Prussian authorities. The prevalent Catholicism among Poles was stigmatized.
	When the ] lost the last vestiges of its independence in ] and ], ethnic Poles were subjected to ] under ]n and later under ] rule, and to ] in the areas that had been annexed by ]. Antipolish sentiments were fanned in both Russia and Germany.

	In ], being a Pole was in itself culpable, and authorities sometimes employed antipolish riots as a matter of policy. ] was seen as a threat to Russian imperial ambitions, and officials often acted to disrupt Polish culture. Later, with the emergance of ] ideology, Russian writers saw the Poles as betraying their "Slavic family" because of Polish efforts to regain independence from the Russian Empire (the latter being viewed by Russian Panslavists as the natural leader of the ] nations). Prejudice and hostility toward Poles are present in many of Russia's cultural works of the time. Russia used deportations, Russification, mass murder, and confiscation of Polish nobles' property to undermine Polish culture and society. The fact that Poles were overwhelmingly of Catholic and not Orthodox faith, likewise gave impetus to persecution.

	In Prussia, and later in Germany, similar persecution was the order of the day. Poles were forbidden to build homes, and their properties were targeted for forced buy-outs, financed by the Prussian and German governments. The Polish language was banned from use, and Polish children were tortured at school for speaking Polish (]). Poles were also subject to forced deportations (]).

	=== Organized persecution of ethnic Poles (]-]) ===

	] Wood, near Smolensk in western ].]]

	After Poland regained her independence following the ] as the ], the question of her borders was not settled. Poles were persecuted in the disputed territories, especially in ], where this led to the ]. During the ] of 1919-21, many Polish ] were summarily executed by the ].

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

	] at the village of Łobozowa (] County), part of large-scale ] (in prewar southeastern Poland) by Ukrainians in ].]]

	=== Genocide against Poles (]-]) ===

	Hostility toward Poles reached a particular peak during ], when all of Polish society was an object of ] ] policies. Poland lost approximately a third of her population. Millions of Poles died in German ]s such as ], where Poles were the second most numerous victims after the ].

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

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

	=== Persistent prejudice against Poles (] to present) ===
	camps"]]
	] transport-plane fuselage during the ].]]
	Continued mass-media 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 in fact ]s set up and run by ] ], 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 the Poles, rather than simply being a neutral description of their location. The ] stated in January 2005: "This is not a mere semantic matter. Historical integrity and accuracy hang in the balance.... Any misrepresentation of Poland's role in the Second World War, whether intentional or accidental, would be most regrettable and therefore should not be left unchallenged."

	Robert Hurst of ] in ], however, has contended that the expression, "Polish death camps," is common usage in news organizations, including those in the United States, and is not misleading, and declined to issue a correction or an apology.

	Also cited as examples of anti-Polonism are other phrases relating to Poland during World War II, such as "Nazi Poland." Additionally cited are persistent German canards, dating back to World War II and meant to illustrate Polish stupidity or incompetence.{{fact}} Such stories include the false allegations that ] "bravely but futilely" charged German tanks, and that the ] was wiped out on the ground on the opening day of the war. Neither tale is true, as is discussed at ]. "Milder" forms of hostility toward Poles have included disparaging "Polish jokes."

	] on ], ].]]
	]": sign, in ], outside Wilson Park, ], ], ].]]

	==== Anti-Polonism in ] ====

	Polish-] rights are increasingly being abused by the ] ] of ] in ], where some half a million Poles live. The Belarus authorities claim that their pro-western Polish neighbors are intent on destabilizing the Belarus regime, and attempt to portray the Polish minority as a fifth column. In May and June 2005, the Belarus government closed down a Polish-language newspaper and replaced the democratically elected leadership of a local Polish organization, the ] (UPB), with persons of the Belarus government's choice.

	==== Anti-Polonism in ] ====

	Some Germans have expressed sentiments that are openly anti-Polish, while others have made remarks interpreted as insensitive or hostile in Poland or among Poles living in Germany.
	===== Reversal of war guilt =====
	Poland is accused by some groups of having caused ]. ] the president of the ] and the ] in his speech made in ] blamed the outburst of the war on, in his opinion, acts of aggression committed by Poles during the period 1918-1938.

	In addition radical German organisations expressing anti-Polish views (blaming Poles for WWII), are visited on regular basis by leading CDU and CSU politicians .

	===== Polish language supression =====
	German courts have not only forbidden divorced Polish-speaking parents to teach their children Polish, but also voiced objections to raising them in Polish culture, claiming that to do so would be harmful to their development., .
	In addition they have been cases were Polish workers have been ordered by their employers to talk in German during their private time outside of work.
	===== Stereotypes in German media =====
	German media frequently portray Poland as an underdeveloped country where criminality is the principal occupation of the populace. The German press has coined a derogatory saying, "''Heute gestohlen, morgen in Polen''" ("Stolen today, tomorrow in Poland"), suggesting that Poland is a land of thieves, especially car thieves.

	Another example of anti-Polish bias in the German media is the "Harald Schmidt Show." The highlights of this extremely popular program are insulting "jokes" about Poles, Polish culture and Poland. ], who exploits antipolish views and stereotypes that a few decades earlier accompanied German crimes of genocide against the Polish people, such as supposed inferior intellect or natural criminality of Poles, has received the Bambi viewers' choice award, the Grimme Award, the Golden Camera, and the Golden Lion as best show host.

	===== Proposed revival of Prussia =====
	], a former journalist with the conservative ] and best-selling author, also cashes in on a clear anti-Polish bias, with jokes on the Polish language and cleaners (see below). Incidentally, Illies actively supported a motion to reanimate name the name of "Preußen" (]) for a new German federal state to be formed by a merger of the capital ] with ]; hostility towards Poland had been one of the political cornerstones of historical Prussia .

	===== Accusations of U.S. lackeyism =====
	Also, German left-wing media show an anti-Polish bias. When Poland declared it would take over a zone of occupation in Iraq, the left-wing German daily ] commented that Poland was a had "self-pleasingly assumed the role of a great power", which it was only "by the grace of America", and that it was an "old dream" of the Poles to "belong to the winners for once".

	===== Germans-Polish friendship =====
	Aside these examples of anti-Polish prejudices, much was and is done to overcome the sentiments. Local groups of German protestants (Denkschrift) and catholics (Bensberger Kreis) demanded recognition of the Polish border on ]. Germans from ] organised transports with food and medicines for Poles during the ] and economical crisis of 1980's in Poland. Germans were advocates of Poland's admission to both ] and ]. Many local German ] cooperate with Polish counterparts within permanent partnerships. In 2005-2006 a Polish-German/German-Polish year has been organised by authorities in both countries.

	==== Anti-Polonism in ] ====

	Poles are also blamed for ] in France after EU expansion (despite the fact that it brought more jobs to French people). Antipolish sentiment has grown in that country {{dubious}} 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. ] the President of ] has been reported to express antipolish remarks several times, accusing Poland of "taking orders from USA". Another example of antipolonism sentiments are comments from ] 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.
	Shortly after the Polish EU accession, when the Polish government expressed its solidarity with the American war on terror, French president ] remarked they had missed "a good opportunity to remain silent", ignoring the fact that Poland had traditionally been a loyal ally to France.



	==See also==

	] on ], ].]]

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	===Specific articles===

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	==Bibliography==

	* Lukas, Richard C. and ] (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.
	*Dr. Dariusz Łukasiewicz: ''Czarna legenda Polski: Obraz Polski i Polaków w Prusach 1772-1815 (The black legend of Poland: the image of Poland and Poles in Prussia between 1772-1815)'' Wydawnictwo Poznanskiego Towarzystwa Przyjaciól Nauk, 1995. Vol. 51 of the history and social sciences series.ISBN 83-7063-148-7. Paper. In Polish with English and German summaries.

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Revision as of 15:25, 14 August 2005

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Revision as of 15:25, 14 August 2005

AGREED! THIS ARTICLE IS BULLSHIT!