Military Organization Lizard Union

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Organizacja Wojskowa Związek Jaszczurczy (Military Organization Lizard Union, short for Związek Jaszczurczy, abbreviated OW ZJ) was an organization of Polish resistance in World War II. Created in 1939 and transformed into National Armed Forces (Narodowe Siły Zbrojne, NZS) in 1942, it represented far right of the Polish political spectrum (related to the National Radical Camp (Obóz Narodowo-Radykalny, ONR) political party) and thus refused to recognize the Polish Underground State (although there was some uneasy tactical cooperation for practical reasons).

Contents

[edit] History

It was created in October 1939 by Group Szaniec,[1] itself originating from the far right ONR-ABC, a faction of the National Radical Camp (Obóz Narodowo-Radykalny, ONR). On a structural level it was subordinated to Organizacja Polska, a military department of ONR.

ONR-ABC was not supportive of the mainstream Polish Underground State related to the Polish government in exile, and thus OW ZJ became an alternate Polish military, a counterweight to the ZWZ-AK of the Underground State.[1] Perhaps ironically, the far right OW ZJ and its nemesis, the communist Gwardia Ludowa/Armia Ludowa, were the two major factions of Polish resistance that did not recognize the mainstream ZWZ-AK.[2]

In late 1941 OW ZJ was dealt a significant blow, as a major part of its structure in the Polish territories annexed by Nazi Germany was discovered and destroyed (Gestapo has created a department dedicated to eradicating OW ZJ).

In September 1942 OW ZJ merged with part of National Military Organization (Narodowa Organizacja Wojskowa, the rest of which merged with ZWZ-AK) and formed the National Armed Forces (Narodowe Siły Zbrojne).[1] The OW ZJ faction would also be opposed when the NZS decided to cooperate with AK in 1944, and the so called NZS-ZJ faction would break off the main NSZ and refuse most cooperation with AK. Members of the OW ZJ, and later, NZS, considered Soviet Union to be enemy of the Polish people just as Nazi Germany was and thus were opposed to the Soviet communist regime which became estabilished in Poland after WWII, which in turn branded them enemies of the state and often equated them to pro-Nazis (see cursed soldiers).

[edit] Operations

OW ZJ did not carry many partisan operations (in any case uncommon until the 1942-1944 period), but instead had a well developed intelligence network.[1] It also engaged in psychological warfare, with various propaganda campaigns. Despite the uneasy relations between OW ZJ and ZWZ-AK, OW ZJ, not having many channels to pass the information to the Western Allies, was often passing its intelligence information to ZWZ-AK (in return, receiving financial compensation).

[edit] Structure and membership

OW ZJ commander for most of its period was Władysław Marcinkowski "Jaxa".[1]

In 1942 OW ZJ had most likely about 10,000 members, also some Polish historians, identified with the far right historiography, give a higher estimates, even up to the rank of 70,000.

OW ZJ had most influence in Warsaw, Kielce, Radom and Łódź.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e (Polish) Związek Jaszczurczy, Organizacja Wojskowa Związek Jaszczurczy, Encyklopedia WIEM
  2. ^ (Polish) Gwardia Ludowa, Armia Ludowa on the pages of the Polish Institute of National Rememberance

[edit] External links

[edit] Further reading

  • Zbigniew S. Siemaszko, Narodowe Siły Zbrojne, Londyn 1982
  • Stanisław Żochowski, O Narodowych Siłach Zbrojnych – NSZ, Lublin 1994
  • Władysław Marcinkowski "Jaxa", Wspomnienia 1934-1945, Warszawa 1998
  • Krzysztof Komorowski, Polityka i walka. Konspiracja zbrojna ruchu narodowego 1939-1945, Warszawa 2000
  • Kazimierz Litwiejko, Narodowa Organizacja Wojskowa. Okręg Białystok 1941-1945, Białystok 2001
  • Krzysztof Kaczmarski, Podziemie narodowe na Rzeszowszczyźnie 1939-1944, Rzeszów 2003
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