On Polish Opinions and Deliberations Concerning National Socialism and the III Reich

Abstract

In his article the author analyzes selected opinions of Polish politicians, social scientists and intellectuals on National Socialism from the period of 1933–1948.
The first part of the paper is devoted to the insights provided by politicians, diplomats, and military figures of the Second Polish Republic, such as Roman Dmowski, Józef Piłsudski, Józef Beck, and Władysław Sikorski. Next theauthor comments upon intellectual discussions held in Poland and concerning the definition of the IIIReich, its legal and systemic aspects, as well as social foundations. The author also analyzes the impact the outbreak of the War and the enormities committed by the Germans had on the Polish debate. He cites remarks offered by lawyers – such as Rafał Lemkin and Konstanty Grzybowski, sociologists – including Aleksander Hertz and Stefan Czarnowski, theologians – such as Father Jan Piwowarczyk, and finally writers, for instance Zofia Nałkowska.
In the conclusion the author points to several fundamental interpretationsof National Socialism offered in the cited texts. During the period underdiscussion, Nazism was construed among others as the crowning achieve¬ment of German imperialism and militarism, as a symptom of inexplicable civilizational regress, and as an experience closely related to the collapse of Christianity in Germany.