the text - Corvinus Library - Hungarian History

Soviet's point of view.
A break in the relations between Moscow and the government
in-exile in London came about in 1943: in April of that year the mass
graves of the Polish officers who were murdered by the Soviets in
Katyin were discovered. Moscow put the blame on the Germans.
On April 25, 1943, the Polish government broke off diplomatic
relations with the Soviet Union.
The year 1943 brought several momentous turning points to the
European conduct of the war: on the eastern front, it marked the
beginning of the German retreat, it saw the landings in Italy and, in
Poland, the increased activities, code-named "storm", of the Home
Army causing incredible losses to the occupying forces. By that
time, Tadeusz Bor-Komorowski*26 led the Home Army instead of
general Rowecki who had been arrested by the Gestapo. The
differences between the Home Army and the Popular Guard became
more and more acute as the Popular Guard tried to prepare the
country for a Soviet-style take-over after the war. Moscow made no
secret of her intentions to shape post-war Poland's future. The
activities of the Popular Guard took on increased importance with
the advance of the Soviet troops. This political direction created the
National Public Council which immediately contacted the Polish
communist emigres in Moscow. Stalin accepted this organism as
official representatives of Poland. At the same time, Stalin refused
Churchill's plea that Moscow re-establish diplomatic relations with
the London-based government-in-exile even though the Polish
question was central to the on-going discussions among the four
great powers. As soon as on July 21, 1944 in Chelmsk the first
Polish city occupied by the Soviet troops - the Polish Committee for
National Liberation was formed, Stalin immediately recognized it as
the provisional Polish government and urged it to create a new
public administration.
A tragic consequence of this conflict was the Warsaw Revolt
when the Home Army fought the Germans heroically for 66 days
while the Soviet army stood by, on the other side of the Vistula,
watching with indifference as the revolt was crushed and tens of
thousands of Poles lost their lives. Only after the last Polish soldier
died and Warsaw was reduced to rubble did the Soviet Army cross
the Vistula and take possession of the ruined capital. Thereafter,
members of the Home Army were subjected to a manhunt and
Moscow reported to her allies that these soldiers commit atrocities
behind the Soviet lines. Moscow never acknowledged the existence
of the other Poland. On April 21, 1945, she signed the Soviet-
Polish pact of friendship, mutual assistance and cooperation with the
government she installed herself.
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