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The origins of All-Polish Youth date back to 1922. At that time between 25th and 26th of March the representatives of Academic Youth National Union (NZMA) established a new organisation named All-Polish Youth Academic Union. As Włodzimierz Żychowicz (All-Polish Youth activist at the Jagiellonian University in 1930s) recalled: All-Polish Youth grouped veterans fighting for Polish Lvov with Ukrainians and against Bolshevism in 1920. This is the source of their willingness to fight hard on the premises of domestic schools to master new generation`s hearts.
Their constant, indomitable spirit and willingness to fight serving God and Poland came from the structure-establishing they had done within the ranks of the organisations that were formed and run by the activists of Polish Youth Union Zet founded in 1886. Within "Zet" structures there were the leading figures and ideologists of the National Movement: Roman Dmowski and Zygmunt Balicki. The principal objectives of Zet were first of all pursuing the rebuilding of a united and independent Polish State through inspiring national forces of all social strata, boosting self-confidence and opposing socialist (revolutionary) influence among classes. After such an ideological schooling, Zet`s activists formed similar self-teaching groups in all three partitions. At the turn of 19th and 20th century there were between ten and twenty national youth organisations. Of utmost importance are: under the German rule (Poznań, Pomorze and Śląsk) Czerwona Róża (Red Rose) and Tetezet (Tomasz Zan Association) whose members read national writings: Przegląd Wszechpolski (All-Polish Review) and Teka whose target audience were secondary school students. The main readings came to be works of Roman Dmowski: "Myśli nowoczesnego Polaka" ("Thoughts of a Modern Pole") "Niemcy, Rosja i kwestia polska" ("Germany, Russia and the Polish Question") "Upadek myśli konserwatywnej w Polsce" ("The decline of a Conservative Thought in Poland") and many others. With the start of the 20th century new educational organisations came into being in the Polish Kingdom, the so-called Iks (X), Pet (Przyszłość- Future) and Jan Kiliński Union. Iks embraced the best students from the secondary schools. Pet was to function in three partitions but under German rule Czerwona Róża (Red Rose) had already existed. In turn, Jan Kiliński Union had Warsaw youth from the working and artisan class background as its target group. Here, the main focus was on Geography, History and the Polish language. All activists who belonged to Zet were obliged to expand their knowledge by reading Dmowski, Popławski and the writings recommended by Teka. One of the most important achievements of Zet before WW I was a successful battle for restoring Polish to schools under Russian rule fought also by Towarzystwo Oświaty Narodowej (National Education Association). Finally in June 1905 the Russian Ministry Committee restored Polish back to schools. After the capture of Warsaw by Germans in 1915 national student groups were formed which followed a similar ideology and policy as Roman Dmowski. Among them were: Mochnacki group at Szczepanowski University at Polytechnics and Zamoyski group at the Agriculture College. These two groups merged into the above-mentioned Academic Youth National Union in 1918 which after the cessation of hostilities in revived Republic of Poland decided to start a new, long and successful battle for Academic Youth. At the first Founding Convention of All-Polish Youth in 1922 Roman Dmowski was chosen honorary chairman who for successive young generations has remained one of the greatest moral authorities. The first Chief Council consisted of: chairman Jan Rembliński, J.W. Chwalewik, J. Rabski, J. Bąkowski and as deputies: W. Łącki, H. Rossman, E. Gajowczyk, H. Niewodniczański (later a famous nuclear physicist), K. Hrabyk, Z. Stahl, J. Zdzitowiecki and several others who represented all the then academic centres in Poland. Apart from their activity at universities, All-Polish Youth took an active part in socio-political work initiated in the 1920s by the National Movement (Popular-National Union). This is exactly what happened during a successful strike-breaking campaign when communist circles did not go to work in industrial and public buildings in Poznań and Kraków during printers` strike in 1922. All-Polish Youth organised Mutual Assistance Association which helped dwellers travel to work and distributed daily press. Pre-electoral struggle was nothing new to them. In the autumn 1922 MW (All-Polish Youth) assisted Christian Bloc of Nation`s Integrity Union in the electoral campaign. Young academics took part in pre-election rallies, putting up posters and handing out leaflets. In December the same year National Democratic Youth protested against electing Narutowicz president of the Republic of Poland who was a mason. Numerous demonstrations of MW against Narutowicz were later interpreted by the leftist historians as a hard campaign against him which led to his death. This judgement and putting the blame on the National Movement is groundless, unjust and unfair. The Founding Convention of MW adopted Ideological Credo which referred to issues crucial both for academic youth at large and a revived state. In the declaration Slavonic minorities were to assimilate and the remaining Germans in Poland were called upon to be loyal towards the Polish state. At universities the National Democratic Youth demanded Jewish students be separated from Polish students and a numerus clausus principle (pertaining to Jewish students) be introduced. The idea behind it was that the numer of Jewish students was to be proportional to the percentage of Jewish population. This demand gained popularity of the then Polish parliament. This and similar initiatives of MW academics were to show public opinion how difficult it was for Polish youth of the working and peasant class background to be admitted at studies. Delineating the trends of structure-establishing work All-Polish Youth vowed to fight cosmpolitan and class-based views, which meant fighting socialist and communist youth movement. In the first phase of its activity MW was supported by numerous academic associations which were emerging then. Since the first convention of Polish Academic Associations Union (ZPKA) in April 1921 you could see ideological proximity to NZMA and later MW. Many members of All-Polish Youth were associations` activists. All-Polish Youth influenced a lot the work of Assistance Associations. All-Polish Youth continued to establish structures among the youth of working and artisan class background in a specially formed section called United All-Polish Youth. In this way they alluded to a similar activity done by Zet`s activists many years ago. Each member of MW leaving for holidays had the duty to organise peasant youth in the spirit of the national ideology and form groups of MW, Sokół and the National Guard (Straż Narodowa) in the provinces. At first, the academic organisation developed fast. At the beginning of 1922 it totalled 300 members. Powerful structures existed in Warsaw, Lvov, Vilnius, Cracow and Poznań. There began a long march of All-Polish Youth to capture masses of young academics and inculcate them with national ideology and an idea of a faithful service to God and Poland. Since the beginning of its activity All-Polish Youth rejected the idea that young Polish academics should not enter politics. The Second Convention of MW which was held from 22nd to 24th April 1923 passed a resolution that political activity was a natural thing for a Polish young generation and it was to be shaped by MW. The organisation was becoming close-knit and homogeneous. All-Polish Youth were present among scientific groups, Akademicki Związek Sportowy (Academic Sports Association) and Bratniaki. In 1924 Independent National Youth joined MW which operated in Warsaw, Lvov and Vilnius and was headed by Kazimierz Gluziński. Following the second convention establishing structures of MW in gymnasiums (secondary schools) was under way. A series of groups in the provinces were established among others in Nowy Sącz, Bielsko-Biała, Tarnów and Przemyśl. They took part in political campaigns of Związek Ludowo Narodowy (Popular-National Union). In October and November 1923 MW along with monarchists, association "Revival" (Odrodzenie) began the work of the striking. In Poznań Academic Defence Committee was formed and rallies supporting the policy of popular-national rule were staged. The third convention of MW was held in Warsaw in 1925. Faithfulness to the national ideology was reaffirmed as well as the role of the Catholic Faith and the Church in the life of the nation. Young National Democrats emphasised the leading role of the Catholic Church in upbringing and education. They pointed out to the role of family in the Nation and the Army as an element of security and strength. They demanded those students who had been proved to engage in communist activities to be expelled from universities. They took a firm stance on communism and socialism since they were considered anti-Polish and dangerous. During the convention the MW chairman Jan Rembieliński was replaced by Janusz Rabski. MW exerted its enormous influence on the course of events in the National Movement in 1926. During the May coup launched by Piłsudski young academics took an active part in defending the lawful government. Academic teams were formed to stand up for Witos`s government. After the imposition of the sanacja rule MW representatives travelled to Roman Dmowski`s estate to Chludowo in Wielkopolska (Greater Poland) asking him to take the initiative and reform the National Movement. Dmowski inquired them about their manpower, the state of their organisational structures and how they saw the reforming of the National Movement. Lengthy talks, different concepts ended with the establishment of Camp of Great Poland (OWP - Obóz Wielkiej Polski) on December 4th 1926. All-Polish Youth was enthusiastic about the founding of a new organisation and Dmowski as its leader. It handed over its own academic structures to Young Movement OWP (RM OWP). Then, structure-establishing and expansion followed. The next convention in December 1928 was marked by the election of Jan Mosdorf as the chairman of the organisation. After a six-year-activity MW confirmed its powerful influence at Polish universities. The new chairman urged all activists to engage in the work of scientific and provincional circles, extending military knowledge and joining trade unions. Between 1928 and 1932 MW launched a series of spectacular campaigns at universities and outside them. In Lvov between October and November 1928 the Ukrainians desecrated Polish monuments on the anniversary of capturing Lvov by Poles. Young National Democrats actively opposed Ukrainian excesses and formed Academic Committee which demanded Ukrainian associations from Lvov University be disbanded. Since 1928 All-Polish Youth had assisted the newly-formed National Party and Camp of Great Poland in their electoral struggle. Two years later Academic National Electoral Committee was founded which encouraged to vote for its tickets. After graduating most MW activists joined the National Party ranks taking part in major political campaigns. In 1932 MW elected a new chairman Jerzy Kurcjusz. A new Ideological Credo was adopted. It showed in an even more pronounced way a crucial fight for Great Poland where the dominant party would be Poles and public life would be influenced by Catholic ethics and the Church`s social teachings. The national economy and civil law were planned to be based on the Church`s teachings. A very important event in the 1930s where All-Polish Youth played a prominent role were Academic Youth`s Vows made in Jasna Góra (Claromontana) on May 24th 1936. This event culminated in Jasna Góra Vows in which Polish academics vowed to defend the Faith and practise it in their private and social lives. The Vows were read out by a student of the Jan Kazimierz University in Lvov an MW activist Witold Nowosad. The idea of the Catholic State of the Polish Nation was promoted. That meant a powerful state free from foreign influences. Shortly before the German aggression on Poland in 1939, numerous hosts of All-Polish Youth entombed Honorary Chairman Roman Dmowski who passed away on January 2nd in Drozdów near Łomża. The burial of Dmowski proved to be the biggest street demonstration of the Second Republic of Poland. He was buried in the family tomb in the Warsaw District of Bródno. Up until now, in winter mornings after the New Year successive generations have been coming to the Dmowski`s tomb. You cannot forget to mention numerous papers edited by MW. The first one to appear was Warsaw Academic Voice (Warszawski Głos Akademicki), then in Poznań Academic (Akademik) which turned into a magazine Avantgarde (Awangarda). Another official MW paper was Polish Academic (Akademik Polski) which finally changed into a weekly "Wszechpolak" which has been published since 1937 until now. The outbreak of WW II made it neccessary for the national youth associated in MW to take part in defending the Homeland. Next, hundreds of MW activists joined the ranks of the National Military Organisation and the National Armed Forces. The newly-formed MW appeared only in mid-February 1944 when All-Polish Youth Warsaw Flag was brought into being. It was chaired by Tadeusz Łabędzki who was also the editor-in-chief of "Wszechpolak" reactivated during the period of occupation. The work in the organisation was divided into sections consisting of several people. After the end of the war the National Movement had to remain in hiding and could not restart its structure-establishing, political and cultural activities. Most leaders of the National Party and All-Polish Youth if not killed in action by the Germans were brutally murdered (public beheadings), quite a number of National Democrats remained in exile in England, the USA or Canada. Shortly after the war the communist terror used by the Secret Police (Urząd Bezpieczeństwa UB) liquidated successive leaders of the National Movement. In the dungeons of UB the following people lost their lives: Tadeusz Łabędzki tortured to death by Adam Humer, also Lech Haydukiewicz, Jan Morawiec and out of former activists Włodzimierz Marszewski and Adam Doboszyński. Their killers - Berman, Światło, Michnik, Różański, Wolińska and Fejgin as Jewish communists who settled their scores for the alleged harms suffered in the inter-war period. The biggest ideologically-political Polish camp was liquidated by the Germans during the war and after that by communists. After 1945 the Polish Nation lost its best, trustworthy and well-educated elites who were faithful to God, Poland and the Church`s teachings. Successive Polish generations had to wait until December 1989 for the return of All-Polish Youth when it started propagating the National Ideology once again. The rebirth of All-Polish Youth was preceded by a number of signs in the underground editing office. Yet in December 1988 in Poznań a magazine All-Polish Youth appeared in which the authors reprinted the national thought classics among others: "Thoughts of a modern Pole", "Church, Nation, State" by Roman Dmowski and many others. In January 1989 a magazine "Gimnazjalista" devoted to secondary school students was published which circulates in three former voivodeships: gorzowskie, poznańskie and kaliskie. It is soon noticed by a leftist weekly "Polityka" which started to reprint some articles on its pages. All the above-mentioned initiatives were promoted by Roman Giertych the then student of History at the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. At that time he was a member of Polish Academic Association (PZA) which defended the upholding of the military knowledge subject at higher schools. However, it was then that he thought about reactivating All-Polish Youth. Since summer in 1989 Roman Giertych had travelled throughout the country to establish organisational cells of MW. The preliminary work was finished at the close of 1989. At the Founding Convention on December 2nd 1989 in Poznań All-Polish Youth was reactivated. After a solemn Holy Mass the delegates at the convenion assembled at Collegium Novum of Poznań University. The delegates represented the former voivodeships: poznańskie, warszawskie, białostockie, konińskie, łódzkie, gdańskie, kaliskie, wrocławskie and bydgoskie. The meeting started with the reading out of the letter of MW deputy chairman in 1930-1931 lawyer Jacek Nikisch. The main speech was delivered by Roman Giertych in which he stressed the classless name of the organisation, he spoke of the damage that was caused by the absence of the national circles during the last decades of Polish People`s Republic (PRL). He closed his speech with formulating the objectives that All-Polish Youth would declare in the forthcoming months and years. Among them were: establishing organisational structures for national youth in the whole country, active work in secondary schools, education at schools through distribution of newspapers and national literature, creating a nationwide magazine for youth, cooperation with PZA on the premises of higher schools. The first elected chairman of the MW Chief Council after 1945 was Roman Giertych. After the meeting the Ideological Credo was adopted as well as the MW`s statement. It stated: We want to refer to the tradition of a pre-war organisation under the same name as well as the National Movement particularly the political writings of Roman Dmowski... Furthermore, four basic platform principles were adopted:
After 1989 MW structures started to expand. The organisational circles began to appear in new parts of Poland, leaflets and posters informed about reactivating MW in Olsztyn, Białystok and Cracow. The organisation could be noticed in the media. MW coorganised the Congress of Polish Right in May 1990 and a big demonstration in Poznań the same year under the banner of "Do not let Poland be sold out to Germans!", picketing and marches defending the conceived life. The "Wszechpolak" magazine was relaunched. In 1991 during the 6th World Day of Youth in Częstochowa All-Polish Youth organized a camp of their own where more than three hundred pilgrims stayed. The MW activists will always go on walking pilgrimages to Claramontana. Between 30th and 31st of May 1992 in Poznań the Worldwide Convention of All-Polish Youth was organized on the occasion of a seventy-year-long existence of the organisation. At the conference several lectures were delivered devoted to the issues concerning the Church, Nation and State whose authors were profesor Maciej Giertych, profesor Stanisław Borkacki, Roman Giertych, a lawyer Leon Mirecki, Anna Podhorodecka, a deputy chairman of Polish Education, deputy Marek Jurek and many others. A chronicle of MW is full of signatures from many distinguished guests of the convention. A year later MW organizes a Congress of the Youth of the Right in Olsztyn. The secretary of the Congress became Stanisław Kryściński, the then editor-in-chief of "Wszechpolak". Several lecturers took part in it among others profesor Maciej Giertych. In 1994 Roman Giertych published his book "Kontrrewolucja Młodych" ("Counterrevolution of the Young") which left a deep mark on the generation of the national youth. The work of the MW chairman reminded us and showed the ideological principles of the national youth`s conduct. It also contains the platform of the national rule (improving teh economy, foreign and interior policy) the building of independent press and books distribution and other precious advice. Six years later R. Giertych published another book "Lot Orła" ("The Eagle`s Flight") which shows in a captivating way the path of the Polish young generations in the 21st century. The first one hundred days of the National Government`s activity is precious adcive how to resolve the pressing problems in the modern Poland. The author does not fail to mention what faithfulness and service to God, Church, Poland, Family mean for you. Certainly, both books by Roman Giertych include the all-polish platform for the 21st century. Since 1989 All-Polish Youth have not evaded the political activity though its main objective is the educating of teh new activists. More than once did All-Polish Youth assist the National Party in the electoral campaigns. In 1997 MW particiapted in the parliamentary campaign of the Bloc for Poland (Blok dla Polski) where they stood against the emerging prelection coalition of AWS-UW (Solidarity Electoral Action and Union for Freedom). Out of other nationwide campaigns MW received quite a publicity during an antipornography campaign supported by Radio Maryja, picketing in the defence of Father Tadeusz Rydzyk, a founder and a chairman of the radio, opposition to the EU and the illegal buyout of the Polish land, places of work by the Germans. However, the real work of MW is done on its own premises during the regular lectures on subject matters such as political, ideological and historical or during the meetings at camps in summer and winter. Once a year All-Polish Youth meet at a special retreat. A quarterly "Wszechpolak" appears along with the publishing list of Biblioteka Wszechpolaka that has published more than twenty book items. At the end of the century All-Polish Youth took an active part in the final unification of the National Movement which was on 19th April 1999 in Warsaw. As a result a National Party came into being. One cannot fail to menton the contribution of All-Polish Youth to the last electoral success of the League of Polish Families (LPR). At the very beginning these were All-Polish Youth who enlisted the LPR`s ranks. They worked hard during teh electoral campaign, some of them ran on the LPR`s tickets. The determination came to fruition: Honorary Chairman of MW Roman Giertych became a deputy to the Seym and the League became a significant parliamentary force. Today, All-Polish Youth assist LPR deputies in difficult parliamentary work. Roman Giertych is an extraordinarily active deputy and leader of LPR and wins recognition even among the unfavourable press. In the third millenium All-Polish Youth has organised structures in all big Polish cities and many lower level territorial units. MW is regaining its former position also at domestic institutions of higher education. MW shaped a host of activists who are capable of taking responsibility for the matters of the Polish State who treat politics as service and not the way to enrich themselves. One of the banner of MW is: Your own victory is the nation`s victory. Poland awaits the changes. They will not be made by corrupt-ridden round-table elites. Only members of All-Polish Youth can build a strong and great Poland. This will be done through a patient structure-establishing and perseverance in thinking and acting.
Translation: Kamil Szczęch | ||
