Battle of Kuryłówka
This article includes a improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (February 2008) ) |
Battle of Kuryłówka | |||||||
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Part of Anti-communist resistance in Poland (1944–1946) | |||||||
Franciszek Przysiężniak | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
NKVD |
Polish Underground | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Unknown |
Major Przysiężniak | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
Two companies, around 300 men | 200 soldiers | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
56-70 agents | Unknown |
The Battle of Kuryłówka, fought between the
Background
In May 1945 World War II ended in Europe. But as Norman Davies wrote in No Simple Victory, even after Victory Day the war was not completely over: "In all Soviet-occupied countries the NKVD was hunting down a variety of political opponents and freedom fighters (...) Stalin and Stalinism were still in place - unregenerate, as murderous as ever, and victorious".
On May 7, a major battle between the
1944-1945 in the area of Rzeszów
Most of the area of today's
These organizations were oppressed mainly by the NKVD and later by the newly created Polish secret police,
In March 1945, Rzeszów's NZW created the so-called Command of the Forest Units, which oversaw partisan troops in the area. These units were commanded by Major Franciszek Przysiężniak.
Battle
In early May, an NZW unit numbering some 200 soldiers was stationed in the village of Kuryłówka, near the town of Leżajsk. It was commanded by Major Przysiężniak. NKVD troops, stationed in Biłgoraj, found out about the Poles and sent two companies there, which probably were part of the 2nd Border Regiment of the NKVD (establishing Soviet sources on this matter is very difficult).
According to other sources, the NKVD troops came to Kuryłówka searching for a group of deserters from Polish People's Army (
The battle took place on May 7. The Polish unit numbered some 200 soldiers; the exact number of NKVD troops is unknown, but most probably there were up to 300 of them. The skirmish ended in the NKVD unit's retreat. It is difficult to establish the number of NKVD victims; some sources claim that 56 agents died, some say up to 70. The number of Polish victims is unknown.
The next day
After the battle, the Polish unit, fearing reprisals, left the area of Kuryłówka. The next day, a strong NKVD force appeared in the village. The village of Kuryłówka was burned, more than 200 houses were razed to the ground. The Soviets then shot six persons, and two more died in the blaze. 920 people became homeless.
Aftermath
The Battle of Kuryłówka is commemorated on the
See also
References
- (in Polish) Wystawa „Żołnierze wyklęci. Antykomunistyczne podziemie na Rzeszowszczyźnie po 1944 roku” – Rzeszów, 1 marca 2001 r. Archived 2012-02-07 at the Wayback Machine
- (in Polish) Description of the Kuryłówka village, mentioning the battle Archived 2015-04-02 at the Wayback Machine
- Dionizy Garbacz "Zolnierze Wolyniaka", Stalowa Wola 1999,
- Dariusz Iwaneczko, Zbigniew Nawrocki "Rok pierwszy. Powstanie i dzialanosc aparatu Bezpieczenstwa Publicznego na Rzeszowszczyznie (sierpien 1944 – lipiec 1945)", Rzeszów 2005.
- Norman Davies, "No Simple Victory", Viking Penguin 2006.