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The eastern half of Poland known as the Kresy, was annexed into the Soviet republics of Ukraine, Belarus, and Lithuania. After Germany terminated the Hitler-Stalin pact and invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941, Poland was completely occupied by German troops.  

The eastern half of Poland known as the Kresy, was annexed into the Soviet republics of Ukraine, Belarus, and Lithuania. After Germany terminated the Hitler-Stalin pact and invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941, Poland was completely occupied by German troops.  

The Poles formed an underground resistance movement and a government in exile, first in [[Paris]] and later in [[London]], which was recognized by the Western powers (the USA, the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union). During World War II, 400,000 Poles fought in the [[Polish Peoples Army]] under Soviet command, whereas 200,000 served in the [[Polish Home Army]] in underground resistance in Poland, North Africa, Italy, and the Western front and remained loyal to the Free Polish government in exile.  

The Poles formed an underground resistance movement and a government in exile, first in [[Paris]] and later in [[London]], which was recognized by the Western powers (the USA, the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union). During World War II, 40,000 Poles fought in the [[Polish Peoples Army]] under Soviet command, whereas 200,000 served in the [[Polish Home Army]] in underground resistance in Poland, North Africa, Italy, and the Western front and remained loyal to the Free Polish government in exile.  

After the German military announced that they had discovered mass graves of murdered Polish army officers at [[Katyn]] in April 1943, the Soviet Union broke relations with the Polish government in exile. The Soviets claimed that the Poles had insulted them by requesting that the [[Red Cross]] investigate these reports. In July 1944, the Soviet Red Army entered Poland and established a communist-controlled "Polish Committee of National Liberation" (PKWN) at Lublin.  

After the German military announced that they had discovered mass graves of murdered Polish army officers at [[Katyn]] in April 1943, the Soviet Union broke relations with the Polish government in exile. The Soviets claimed that the Poles had insulted them by requesting that the [[Red Cross]] investigate these reports. In July 1944, the Soviet Red Army entered Poland and established a communist-controlled "Polish Committee of National Liberation" (PKWN) at Lublin.  

Resistance against the Nazis in [[Warsaw]], including uprisings by Jews in the Warsaw ghetto and by the Polish underground, was brutally suppressed. As the Germans retreated in January 1945, they leveled the city while Red Army units waited just outside.<ref>Solzhenitsyn writes: "''in October, 1944, the Germans threw in Kaminsky's brigade—with its Moslem units—to suppress the Warsaw uprising. While one group of Russians sat traitorously dozing beyond the Vistula, watching the death of Warsaw through binoculars, other Russians crushed the uprising!"'' The Gulag Archipelago Three (1918-1956: An Experiment in Literary Investigation I-II, p. 257. [http://ia700304.us.archive.org/BookReader/BookReaderImages.php?zip=/29/items/Gulag_Archipelago_I/Gulag_Archipelago_jp2.zip&file=Gulag_Archipelago_jp2/Gulag_Archipelago_0267.jp2&scale=6&rotate=0]</ref>

Resistance against the Nazis in [[Warsaw]], including uprisings by Jews in the Warsaw ghetto and by the Polish underground, was brutally suppressed. As the Germans retreated in January 1945, they leveled the city while Red Army units waited just outside.<ref>Solzhenitsyn writes: "''in October, 1944, the Germans threw in Kaminsky's brigade—with its Moslem units—to suppress the Warsaw uprising. While one group of Russians sat traitorously dozing beyond the Vistula, watching the death of Warsaw through binoculars, other Russians crushed the uprising!"'' The Gulag Archipelago Three (1918-1956: An Experiment in Literary Investigation I-II, p. 257. [http://ia700304.us.archive.org/BookReader/BookReaderImages.php?zip=/29/items/Gulag_Archipelago_I/Gulag_Archipelago_jp2.zip&file=Gulag_Archipelago_jp2/Gulag_Archipelago_0267.jp2&scale=6&rotate=0]</ref>

During the war, about 6 million Poles were killed, and 2.5 million were deported to Germany for forced labor. More than 3 million Jews (all but about 100,000 of the Jewish population) were killed in death camps like those at Oswiecim ([[Auschwitz]]), Treblinka, and Majdanek.  

During the war, about 6 million citizens of Poland were killed, and 2.5 million were deported to Germany for forced labor. More than 3 million Jews (all but about 95% of the Jewish population) were killed in death camps like those at Oswiecim ([[Auschwitz]]), Treblinka, and Majdanek.  

Following the [[Yalta Conference]] in February 1945, a Polish Provisional Government of National Unity was formed in June 1945; the U.S. recognized it the next month. Although the Yalta agreement called for free elections, those held in January 1947 were controlled by the Communist Party. The communists then established a regime entirely under their domination.  

Following the [[Yalta Conference]] in February 1945, a Polish Provisional Government of National Unity was formed in June 1945; the U.S. recognized it the next month. Although the Yalta agreement called for free elections, those held in January 1947 were controlled by the Communist Party. The communists then established a regime entirely under their domination.