National Party (Stronnictwo Narodowe, SN) uniforms?

[StefanM]

Recently came across this interesting photo (NSZ?) of soldier or paramilitary wearing an arm patch which depicts nationalist emblem of sword entwined with Polish banner flag.

Are there any detailed reference books to the various insignia worn by the nationalist forces and paramilitaries?

Is anyone on the forum collecting in this area?

I noticed that the uniform in the photo is the same style as that worn by the fascistic right-wing National Party shown in an "Illustrated Poland" magazine of 1938 which illustrates the "3rd of May" marches by the National Party (Stronnictwo Narodowe) in Lodz—one anti-Jewish banner reads " The Polish nation fights the Jews".

The foreground banner reads "Crush the Red International" ... or words to that effect.



... and below similar SN march in Poznan



Former SN activists joined the National Armed Forces (Narodowe Siły Zbrojne or NSZ) and National Military Organization (Narodowa Organizacja Wojskowa) resistance organizations.

[mr dogtag]

I noticed that the uniform in the photo is the same style as that worn by the fascistic right-wing National Party shown in an "Illustrated Poland" magazine of 1938 which illustrates the "3rd of May" marches by the National Party (Stronnictwo Narodowe) in Lodz—one anti-Jewish banner reads " The Polish nation fights the Jews".



Former SN activists joined the National Armed Forces (Narodowe Siły Zbrojne or NSZ) and National Military Organization (Narodowa Organizacja Wojskowa) resistance organizations.

Scorpion - can you explain why do you call Stronnictwo Narodowe fascist right-wing? Was Roman Dmowski or any of the SN leaders a fascist or perhaps I'm not aware of something? I would advise not to use term fascist in this case because it may misguide anyone unfamiliar with Polish pre-war history. Besides fascist isn't in fact right wing because it's just another version of socialism which is definitely leftist philosophy/thought.
So, yes, Stronnictwo Narodowe was definitely right wing (nationalist and catholic) but in no means fascist ( unless you consider pur esthetics of uniforms etc.).
When it comes to uniform - it's typical OWP ( Obóz Wielkiej Polski) uniform.
Regards
Alex

[StefanM]

Hello Allex,

If you kindly PM me your email I will gladly address this subject with you in the new year

Piotr S. Wandycz, "Fascism in Poland: 1918-1939," in Native Fascism in the Successor States, 1918-1945, ed. by Peter F. Sugar

[Adrian Stevenson]

All new to me, so very educational.

Cheers, Ade.

[A.J. Zawadzki]

. . . nationalist emblem of sword entwined with Polish banner flag. . . .

Interesting thread. I can't offer too much more on this topic other than pictures of this badge. I recall also seeing a variant with a letter on each of the flag sections.

Regards,
Tony

[StefanM]

Thanks for posting your badge Tony

Have attached images of some further "SN" and "OWP" variants I found online...

[StefanM]

Some further pre-war SN and ONR „Falanga” rally images...









Below: January 2, 1939—Funeral of R. Dmowski founder of SN party.

[dastier]

This is a very interesting, informative and somewhat disturbing thread. Thanks to all who have contributed.

[Krakow1]

This is a very interesting, informative and somewhat disturbing thread. Thanks to all who have contributed.

And that response is exactly why it is irresponsible to post images like the above without translating the captions. What is somewhat disturbing? Without knowing the translation the people raising hands in a salute appear to be greeting hitler--where it just is not so.(By the way Romans saluted like that: were they fascist?) The commies in spain during the civil war saluted with a raised hand with a fist, this salute, the "Raised hand" salute (which is what translation of the caption says) is merely opposite to the communist salute. How about the swastika in the Polish pre war badges: is that fascist also? We have to be responsible and careful when posting things out of context, otherwise people that just look at something like that will bellieve that Poland was fascist before the war. An idea that some hired writers for certain interest groups are already spreading.

[StefanM]

And that response is exactly why it is irresponsible to post images like the above without translating the captions. What is somewhat disturbing? Without knowing the translation the people raising hands in a salute appear to be greeting hitler--where it just is not so.(By the way Romans saluted like that: were they fascist?) The commies in spain during the civil war saluted with a raised hand with a fist, this salute, the "Raised hand" salute (which is what translation of the caption says) is merely opposite to the communist salute. How about the swastika in the Polish pre war badges: is that fascist also? We have to be responsible and careful when posting things out of context, otherwise people that just look at something like that will believe that Poland was fascist before the war. An idea that some hired writers for certain interest groups are already spreading.

With the utmost respect, I think you will agree that the context is given with the accompanying text I wrote for the posted photos!

For example:

....marches by the National Party (Stronnictwo Narodowe) in Lodz—one anti-Jewish banner reads " The Polish nation fights the Jews".

and:

The foreground banner reads "Crush the Red International" ... or words to that effect.

and:

"Some further pre-war SN and ONR „Falanga” rally images..."

and again:

"Below: January 2, 1939—Funeral of R. Dmowski founder of SN party."

and a further reading source:

Piotr S. Wandycz, "Fascism in Poland: 1918-1939," in Native Fascism in the Successor States, 1918-1945, ed. by Peter F. Sugar


Is the above not adequate context?

I would say that seeing a paramilitary parade of "brown shirts" giving the Fascists' "roman slaute" and carrying banners with a slogan: "The Polish nation fights the Jews" would be pretty disturbing to the Jews of Lodz at the time... would you not agree?

You will know that there are many sources that discuss the influence of Italian Fascism (in particular), the Spanish Falanga and Carlists, and the influence of the Nazis on Polish politics of the pre-war era just as these movements had influenced to larger or lesser degrees the politics in most European countries of the period. To suggest that Poland was not so influenced would be total distortion of the facts.

* * * *

Sources such as:

Piotr S. Wandycz, "Fascism in Poland: 1918-1939," in Native Fascism in the Successor States, 1918-1945, ed. by Peter F. Sugar

Some other reference work quotes:

… After the May coup, Dmowski, in an attempt to recover his lost political influence, founded the Oboz Wielkiej Polski (Great Poland Camp) in 1926. It was soon banned in Eastern Galicia for anti-Jewish excesses in 1927, and then throughout the country in 1933. In 1928, influenced by Italian fascism, Dmowski founded the Stronnictwo Narodowe (SN, National Party). In 1934, some of the young radicals broke away from SN and founded Oboz Narodowo-Radykalny (ONR, National-Radical Camp), which had a totalitarian program inspired by Nazism. Its leaders included J. Mosdorf and B. Piasecki. ONR formed units that were used during anti-Jewish excesses, terrorist acts and unrest at universities (getto lawkowe, or "bench ghettos", referring to the quotas for Jewish students in higher education); as a result, it was already banned in 1934. It was influential in many student organizations, of which only "Arconia" accepted Jewish members. In clerical circles, there was a great deal of support for SN and anti-Semitism. Most Catholic publications backed a program stipulating that Jews should be economically and culturally segregated. Their aggressive tone and spreading of hatred were conducive to acts of violence, though these were officially condemned by the Church. The anti-minority policies of Poland's interwar government contributed to the Jewish community's isolation, which later made it more difficult to organize aid for Jews during the German occupation.


"The clash of moral nations: cultural politics in Piłsudski's Poland, 1926-1935"
...The fusion of Catholicism with right-nationalism is perhaps best represented in the Camp of Great Poland (Obóz Wielkiej Polski). The camp was established by Dmowski in Poznań in December 1926 as a supraparty far-right political and social movement. Its goal was to rejuvenate the nationalist right especially in light of the existence of the sanacja political camp, and to effect a kind of rebirth within Nationa! Democracy. The camp described itself as "an organization of the conscious strengths of the nation" and affirmed its commitment to the Roman Catholic faith, to fighting Jewish influences on Poland, as well as to maintaining "a high level of morality and moral discipline".

It operated outside the Sejm, was extremely hierarchical, and incorporated elements of Italian Fascism into its structure and ideas. The camp served as a radical right-nationalist counterweight to the sanacja vision of moral rebirth and as such offered an altogether different kind of rebirth for the Polish nation.

"In the Shadow of Hitler"
… In response to the establishment of the Sanacja regime, Dmowski set up in 1926 the Obóz Wielkiej Polski (Greater Poland Camp, or OWP), which was influenced by the Italian Fascist model, with which he himself was fascinated. Dmowski considered the OWP not as a political party but as a mass movement following the Fascist example.

"World Fascism: A Historical Encyclopedia"
…. Dmowski tried to emulate Italian Fascism by setting up the extra-parliamentary Greater Poland Camp (Oboz Wielkiej Polski; OWP)….

"Historical dictionary of Poland, 966-1945"
… After the 1926 Pilsudski coup d'état, Dmowski's young followers organized the semi-fascist Camp of Greater Poland (Oboz Wielkiej Polski [OWP]),with Dmowski as its ideologue.

* * * *

The National Democrats advocated "Catholic totalitarianism" and modeled themselves in part on Italian Fascism hence intended a fascistic state for Poland—the brown shirt uniforms and 'roman' salute of those in the photos were not chosen by accident or for aesthetic reasons alone!

However no-one could argue that the Polish "brown shirts" were any different to any other European falangist or fascist group (including those in Britain) at the time, they were not, nor can anyone argue that they were responsible for the Holocaust—they were not. Nor would I call them all Nazis—the majority were not. But some Polish "nationalists" as you know were inspired by the Nazis and some did also collaborate with the Nazis, but they were in the smallest minority.

There was of course collaboration between the Polish nationalists and Jewish nationalists and some well known and openly anti-semites such as Zofia Kossak-Szczucka (who co-founded Żegota) aided some Jews during the Holocaust etc, etc. History is always shades of grey.

An interesting aspect mentioned in one of the references re the ONR "...It was influential in many student organizations, of which only "Arconia" accepted Jewish members..." is that Gen. Anders was a member of the "Arconia" fraternal student organisation (as were many of his chosen officers in so the called "Anders Army") and might explain why Anders turned a blind eye to the Jews who went AWOL when his forces were in Palestine, reportedly blocking all attempts by the British to get the Poles go after those who absconded. 2PolCorps went on to help smuggle hundreds of European Jews into Palestine at the end of the European war in return the Jewish Brigade helping smuggle Polish families into Italy when they were barred entry by the Italian government.

A further point of interest are Polish contacts with Franco's fascist Spain and can be found in Gen. Anders post-war contacts with Franco's regime with a view to setting up a joint Spanish-Polish military force in Spain, the transfer of 2PolCorps funds, and the setting up of a Free Polish radio station in Madrid after WWII. It was an open secret that Anders was attempting to set up a Conservative-Catholic anti-communist alliance (or bridgehead) in Spain, as he believed a "Third World War" was soon to break out with the USSR and the West and that the Soviets would sweep easily through Europe until it reached Spain.

Although most of the above (from an earlier PM) is probably not for a militaria collectors forum... hence my earlier offer of using the forum PM system ... so mods please feel free to edit away if needs must