The attitude of the leadership of the Delegacy of Armed Forces at Home and the „Freedom and Independence” towards an agreement between DSZ/WiN and OUN-UPA in the Lublin Region

Abstract

The paper discusses the attitude of the leadership of the Delegacy of Armed Forces at Home (DSZ) and the „Freedom and Independence” organization (WiN) towards an agreement reached on 21 May 1945 near Ruda Różaniecka between former units of the Polish Home Army and the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists „Bandera” (OUN-B) and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). The agreement undoubtedly led to the cessation of hostilities that had been going on in the Lublin Region since spring 1944. Making use of previously unknown records, the author proves that contrary to what numerous testimonies of that period say, the DSZ leaders accepted this local non-aggression pact. Although the leadership of the Delegacy of Armed Forces at Home approved of the armistice from the very beginning, they did not, however, want to sign any treaties, closer cooperate with OUN-B and UPA or promote the Ukrainian cause on the international agenda. Following the establishment of the “Freedom and Independence” organization which advocated a model of civilian conspiracy and dissociated itself from the Polish Government in Exile, both the Polish and Ukrainian side began to show less and less interest in cooperation.