World War II: keep it a history (Poland) | Page 10

transported to labour camps, Soviet forced-labour camps and
prisons throughout the USSR.
Minerals mined by prisoners were earmarked for export to
Germany. Hundreds of Poles had to settle in the surroundings of
Kazakhstan or Siberia. Many of them stayed there till these
days and are invited as a guest or for permanent settling on the
area of our country.
Just like Germans, the Soviets destroyed all the traces of
the Polish identity. They closed Polish bookshops, destroyed
books, closed churches... They introduced the Russian language
everywhere. They integrated Polish young people into the Red
Army by force. Polish people were intimidated.

POLISH CONTRIBUTION TO WORLD WAR II
World War II started with the German invasion of Poland
(Friday, September 1, 1939). The Polish Army was defeated after
over a month of fighting. The Polish Army was recreated in the
West, as well as in the East.
Poles provided help to the Allies throughout the war, fighting
on land, on the seas and in the air. They were present in the North
Africa campaign, the Italian campaign and in the battles following
the invasion of France.
There was Polish Underground State, which was one of the
three largest partisan forces in existence and rare example of an
underground government, which wasn't witnessed in many other
occupied countries.