The attitude of the People’s Party in exile toward the Jews during the Second World War

Abstract

The article discusses the attitude of the People’s Party in exile toward the Jews during the Second World War. The peasant activists who ended up in France and then in Great Britain as a result of military activities played a major role in the process of forming the Polish government in exile. They were in charge of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which was responsible for cases of nationality issues and communication with the occupied country. The Ministry received reports detailing German crimes perpetrated in occupied Poland, including against Jews. In light of the information sent from Poland concerning the situation of Jews, the peasant activists tried to alert the international community and demanded that the Allied powers take immediate action to save the Jews. However, these efforts did not elicit a proper response.

Particularly dramatic was the plight of the people who ended up in territories occupied by the USSR. The Polish authorities, most notably prof. Stanisław Kot from the People’s Party, took steps to save their citizens, a significant portion of whom were Jews. They received help, thanks to which most of them survived, but it came too late for many, who died of starvation and disease in Soviet prison and labor camps.