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The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact - ELTE BTK Történelem Szakos Portál

The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact - ELTE BTK Történelem Szakos Portál

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division because of the general attack on Lemberg which had been planned by<br />

Germans. Three Soviet soldiers were killed and three German soldiers were<br />

killed too. Soviet delegation, which came to Winniki required of Germans to<br />

back away from eastern Galicia. Germans did not want to do it. 22<br />

On the same day Germans edited a leaflet in Polish to the Polish inhabitants<br />

and Polish defense ordering them to surrender Lviv in 2 days. <strong>The</strong> leaflets were<br />

spread by planes. <strong>The</strong> main sentences were: „<strong>The</strong> Polish government escaped<br />

abroad. […] <strong>The</strong> Polish army has been totally beaten-up. […] Russians are<br />

well-disposed to Germans. […]<strong>The</strong> city must surrender by September 21” 23 .<br />

<strong>The</strong> German ultimatum was refused by general Langer.<br />

On the same day the Soviet head-quarters edited leaflets in Polish to the<br />

Polish defense, which were also spread by planes. <strong>The</strong> main sentences were:<br />

„Soldiers! 60.000 Polish soldiers joined voluntarily to the Red Army. […] Do<br />

not believe your officers! <strong>The</strong>y want your death! Let’s beat your officers! […]<br />

Only the Red Army can liberate one Polish nation from war” 24 .<br />

In the eastern suburbs of Lviv the agents of the Polish defense had a<br />

meeting with a group of Soviet officers. A Soviet officer said that <strong>The</strong> Red<br />

Army had come to fight against Germans. He demanded to come to the city.<br />

Polish agents rejected. On the same day the Nazi army surrounded Lviv. In the<br />

evening Germans gave Soviets an ultimatum to back away to the east. Soviets<br />

refused.<br />

In the evening of the 20 th of September Soviets came to an agreement with<br />

Germans. Germans agreed to desist from attacking Lviv because of the<br />

Führer’s command: „Lemberg has to be left for the Red Army. <strong>The</strong> attack on<br />

Lemberg planned before should be immediately halted” 25 . On the 21th of<br />

September in the morning German army started to move away from the<br />

surroundings of Lviv. <strong>The</strong> Red Army was ready to attack Lviv. General Langer<br />

commanded not to shoot to Soviets. <strong>The</strong>re was the first meeting between Polish<br />

and Soviet command. <strong>The</strong> Soviet commander said that the Red Army came to<br />

help fight against Germans.<br />

Lviv under the Soviet occupation<br />

In the evening there was a meeting between the mayor of Lviv, Stanisław<br />

Ostrowski, and general Langer. General Langer decided to capitulate although<br />

in the city there were about 15.000 Polish soldiers ready to fight with the Red<br />

22<br />

WŁODARKIEWICZ,Wojciech: Lwów 1939. Warszawa, 2007. 176; see also: Kronika<br />

2350 dni wojny i okupacji Lwowa 1IX 1939 – 5 II 1946, [edited by] MAZUR, Grzegorz,<br />

SKWARA, Jerzy, WĘGIERSKI, Jerzy. Kraków, 2007. 52.<br />

23<br />

Kronika 2350 dni wojny i okupacji Lwowa 1IX 1939 – 5 II 1946, [edited by] MAZUR,<br />

Grzegorz, SKWARA, Jerzy, WĘGIERSKI, Jerzy. Kraków, 2007. 53.<br />

24<br />

Ibidem. 54.<br />

25<br />

Ibidem. 55.<br />

159

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