Jacek Tebinka, DESANT NA BALKANU I UČEŠĆE POLJAKA U OPERACIJAMA SOE. NAJKRAĆI PUT DO OSLOBOĐENJA POLJSKE. STVARNOST ILI MIT?
DOI: 10.29362/2350.teb.127-136
Cilj ovog članka je da analizira stepen do kojeg su britanski koncepti invazije u Jugoslaviji tokom Drugog svetskog rata bili vezani za učešće poljskih oficira i vojnika u operacijama SOE na Balkanu. Arhivsko istraživanje je sprovedeno primarno u Nacionalnom arhivu Ujedinjenog Kraljevstva (Kew), Arhivu novih akata u Varšavi, Arhivu instituta i muzeja generala Sikorskog u Londonu, Studiju poljskog pokreta otpora u Londonu. Dopunjeno je analizom dokumenata, dnevnika i literature o toj temi. Utvrđeno je da je poljska vlada u egzilu u Londonu imala velike nade, bar od 1943. godine, da će zapadni saveznici da izvrše iskrcavanje na Balkanu. Čak su se nadali da će savezničke armije sa juga dopreti do Poljske pre Crvene armije. Poljske vlasti su stoga podržavale učešće Poljaka u operacijama SOE u Grčkoj i Jugoslaviji. Sa gledišta Komande SOE, učešće Poljaka u ovim aktivnostima je bilo praktično zbog mogućnosti da dopru do nemačkih vojnika poljskog porekla koji su bili stacionirani na Balkanu. Čerčil se zalagao za razvijanje vojnih operacija na Mediteranu posle pobede nad Nemcima u severnoj Africi, ali 1943. godine Britanci i Amerikanci odlučuju da otvore drugi front u Francuskoj. Posledično, konflikt između četnika i partizana u Jugoslaviji doveo je do povlačenja Poljaka iz operacija SOE na Balkanu.
Jacek Tebinka, INVASION IN THE BALKANS AND PARTICIPATION OF POLES IN SOE OPERATIONS. THE SHORTEST WAY TO LIBERATE POLAND. REALITY OR MYTH?
The aim of the article is to analyze the extent to which British concepts of invasion in Yugoslavia during World War II were related to the participation of Polish officers and soldiers in the Special Operations Executive (SOE) operations in the Balkans. Archival research was carried out primarily in the resources of The National Archives, Kew; Archiwum Akt Nowych, Warszawa, Archiwum Instytutu i Muzeum gen. Sikorskiego, London, Studium Polski Podziemnej, London. It has been supplemented by an analysis of the publications of documents, diaries and literature on the subject. It was established that the Polish government in exile in London had high hopes, at least since 1943, for the Western Allies to carry out a landing in the Balkans. It was even hoped that the Allied armies would reach from the south to Poland before advance of the Red Army. The Polish authorities therefore supported the participation of Poles in SOE operations in Greece and Yugoslavia. From the point of view of the British SOE headquarters, employing Poles in these activities was practical due to the possibility of them reaching German soldiers of Polish origin stationed in the Balkans. Churchill was an advocate of developing military operations in the Mediterranean after defeating the Germans in North Africa, but in 1943, the British and Americans decided to open a second front in France. In turn, the conflict between Chetniks and partisans in Yugoslavia led to the withdrawal of Poles from SOE operations in the Balkans.
