Abstract
After the September defeat, the continuation of the struggle abroad was both politically and psychologically important to the Poles. The downfall of Poland only fueled the fires of the Polish romantic tradition epitomized in the observation of Lukasiewicz, Polish Ambassador to France, that a nation that intends to preserve its freedom “must be determined to fight (and) to pay the sacrifice of life.”1 This ideal of salvation through arms stiffened Polish resolve against any thought of compromise and was a motivating force for the creation of an armed forces abroad. By the end of the war the number of Polish forces under British command in Western Europe had reached about 200,000 plus with another 380,000 in the underground army in Poland. Current sources in Poland give a figure of 500,000 for the underground army. The larger estimate includes resistance movements in addition to the home army.2
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References
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© 1979 Martinus Nijhoff Publishers bv, The Hague
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Kacewicz, G.V. (1979). Polish Forces in Britain: Legal Status. In: Great Britain, The Soviet Union and the Polish Government in Exile (1939–1945). Studies in Contemporary History, vol 3. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-9272-6_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-9272-6_3
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