Here we have a map of Polish conquests in the war. It resembles greatly those maps of conquered territory put out by wartime Germany when it began referring to itself as Gross Reich. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.
This really is a fascinating stamp. The map shows land gained from Germany in the north and the west. What it does not show is land lost in the east. It describes what happened as the “return” of the western and northern territories. The stamp issue also shows 12th century Polish Prince Boleslaw. who had ambitions in Pomerania. Boleslaw seems more famous for blinding his brother than actually conquering territory. This stamp shows the Prime Minister another shows the governor of Danzig, errr Gdansk. In 1946 there was a three times yes referendum on the new western, no vote on the eastern, border and the imposition of a communist system. The vote was faked as a 3 yes victory but the only vote actually won was the new border. Only by two thirds and not including all the Germans uprooted in defeat.
Todays stamp is issue A842, a 10 Zloty stamp issued by Poland on May 8th, 1985. It was a three stamp issue on VE day. There was another stamp the next day with Polish troops brought in behind the Red Army at Brandenburg Gate in 1945. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 25 cents used or unused.
Several time Prime Minister Wladyslaw Gomulka had an interesting road. With little formal education, he apprenticed in metalworking and worked in a refinery during the 1920s reconstituted Polish state. From this he became involved in the trade union movement and became readicalized. As such he was persecuted by the Polish government whom he viewed as fascist. Communists in Poland were divided between trade unionist and the internationalist intellectuals of mainly Jewish heritage. Though he was not himself of that heritage, Gomulka changed his first name in his writings to Weislaw to try to get ahead. He also self taught himself the Ukrainian language because Poland of the time was looking east to go gross.
Stalin in the late thirties purged many communist parties of the internationalists because he thought they were not loyal enough to him personally. That does not mean they did not head east when both the Soviets and the Germans invaded in 1939. Gomulka stayed in Warsaw and completely renounced the internationalists and let his first name revert. He was in place to be named prime minister during the Red Army occupation. However he did not last long as he was not adequately close to Stalin.
People remembered the new territories stuff. After worker uprisings in the new territories had to be suppressed. Stalin’s buddy himself was conveniently fatally ill and Gomulka was brought back from a persecuted retirement to again be Prime Minister. He managed to end the uprising and prevent the Soviets from invading. Gomulka was getting older however and when workers on the new territories got unruly again in 1970, he put them down brutally and then was forced to resign. Interesting how so many of the uprisings against the communist Polish government came from their “returned” teritories. Maybe they didn’t get rid of as many Germans as they thought?
Well my drink is empty and I will pour another while I consider the benefits of stable borders. Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.