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Introduction
ThehistoryofthePolishArmedForcesintheEastandofthePolishIICorps
underthecommandofGeneralWładysławAndershavebeenthesubjectofnumer-
ousscholarlystudiessince1989.Theyfocusprimarilyontheprogressandachieve-
mentsofthearmyfromthemomentoftheirleavingoftheKinhumanland”ofSoviet
imprisonmentin1942,throughtheItalianperiodof1943-1945associatedwiththe
army’sactivitiesontheApenninePeninsulaandthevictoryatMonteCassino,up
totheyears1946-1947,whentheactualdemobilizationoftheIICorpstookplace.
Writtenfromdifferentscholarlyperspectivesandbydifferentauthors(bothPolesand
foreignauthors),thosestudiesoftenpresentnewinsightsintotheevaluationofthe
achievementsofthePolishArmedForcesontheEastandPolishIICorps,andtherole
theirsoldiersplayedduringtheSecondWorldWar28.However,noattempthasbeen
madesofartoresearchandevaluatetheartisticachievementsinthefieldofplastic
arts(especiallypaintingandsculpture,butalsographicartsandartsandcrafts)ofthe
soldier-artistswho,togetherwithGeneralAnders,tookpartincombatandexperi-
encedexilethroughtheroadsoftheNearandMiddleEast,ApenninePeninsula,up
toGreatBritain.AdistinguishedarthistorianKarolinaLanckorońskaclaims:KIdon’t
thinkthatonecanfindanotherarmyinthehistoryofwarfarewhich,fromthebe-
ginningofitscreation,throughtheirmarchoverhalftheworld,finallyinthemidst
oftheverycombatconsciouslyorganizedandconductedasecond,entirelydifferent
28
AfterthefirsteditionofthebookbyW.AndersentitledBezostatniegorozdziału.Wspomnieniazlat
1939-1946,London1949(secondeditionin1950;inPolandpublishedbyBellonain2007),thehistoryof
thePolishIICorpsbecamethesubjectofnumerouspublicationsbyvariousauthors,includingM.Nurowska,
Anders,Warszawa2008;GenerałWładysławAndersżołnierzczasupokojuiwojny,ed.A.Szczepaniak,Opole
2008;GenerałbroniWładysławAnders.Wybórpismirozkazów,ed.B.Polak,Warszawa2009.Amongthe
interestingpublications,onecannotbutmentionabookbyS.HerveyentitledZdobywcyMonteCassino.
GenerałAndersijegożołnierze,Warszawa2006,writtenfromtheperspectiveofanAmericangrandsonof
JewishemigrantsfromWołyń.Inhisreviewofthebook,J.DowgiałłowritesthatKitwaswrittenwithan
Americanreaderinmind,withwhomtheauthorwantedtosharethenewestandconstantlyupdatedknowl-
edgeaboutthetragichistoryofpeoplewho,havingavoideddeathintheGulagArchipelago,wereheading
forPolandviaaveryroundaboutway.Theyeithernevermadeittotheirdestination,dyingincombatduring
theItaliancampaignorremainingonemigrationafterthewar,or,havingarrivedinPoland,theystoodface
tofacewithbitterdisappointment,whichnotinfrequentlyresultedintheirimprisonmentoryetanother
deportationtotheeast”.Arichillustrativematerial(includingcopiesofdocuments)istobefoundinan
albumpublishedatthe115thanniversaryofGen.Anders’birth,entitledGenerałAnders,eds.J.L.Englertand
K.Barbarski,London2007.
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