ADSS 1.204 Cortesi to Maglione: Last Stand of the Polish Army

ADSS 1.204 Filippo Cortesi, Poland, to Luigi Maglione, Sec State

Reference: Telegram 44 (AES 6660/39)

Location and date: Zalesczyky (1), 17.09.1939

Summary statement: Last stand of the Polish army.  Chaplain General badly wounded. Cardinal Hlond is going to Rome.

Language: Italian

Text:

Romanian border.

Suddenly yesterday Government transferred quarters (?) followed by entire diplomatic corps in last stage painful route always threatened by air raids.

I doubt if it stops here or … I think Lublin taken (2) army continues strenuous defence of Warsaw, Leopolos [Lvov] of the Ruthenians (3), Luceoria [Łuck], repulse the repeated attacks with (?) very inferior material without visible hope of obtaining supplies. (4)

Chaplain General badly wounded (5), Cardinal Archbishop decided depart for Rome. (6)

Notes: 

(1) Zalesczyky or Zaleshiki, on the Romanian border.  The Red Army invaded Poland from the west the same day.  The Polish government made the decision to flee to Romania.  From there they made their way eventually to Paris and formed the Polish Government-in-exile by the end of the month.  This document is the last message of the Nuncio from Poland.  He arrived in Bucharest on 22.09.1939 and from there made his way to Rome.  The functions of the Nuncio to Poland were taken over by Cesare Orsenigo in Germany.

(2) Lublin fell to the Germans on 18.09.1939.

(3) On 12.09.1939 the Germans reached Lvov but encountered fierce resistance from the Polish defenders forcing a withdrawal.  The Red Army invaded Poland on 17.09.1939 and reached Lvov on 19.09.1939 linking up with the Germans. On Hitler’s orders the Germans were to leave the city to the Soviets.  The Polish forces regarded the situation as hopeless and surrendered to the Red Army on 22.09.1939.  217,000 Polish troops went into captivity.  The NKVD began arresting officers and removed them to separate camps. Many were to be murdered at Katyn in 04-05.1940.

(4) Łuck was captured by the Red Army within days of the invasion.

(5) Jozef Gawlina (1892-1964), Polish Ordinary for the Military 1933-47.

(6) August Hlond (1881-1948), Cardinal Primate, Archbishop of Poznan 1926-46.  Hlond received a frosty reception from Pius XII upon his arrival in Rome.  Most Polish bishops stayed in their diocese and suffered with their people.

ADSS 10.411* Tardini to Cicognani (USA) - efforts for Hungary

10.411* Domenico Tardini to Amleto Cicognani, Ap Del USA.

Reference: Telegram 2026 (AES 8088/44)

Location and date: Vatican, 04.12.1944

Summary statement: Cicognani is asked to report on his efforts for Hungary.

Language: Italian

Text:

Further to my telegram number 1963 (1), I bring to Your Excellency’s attention the following:

The Apostolic Nuncio to Hungary telegraphed me (2):  “Cardinal Seredi wishes that the Holy See make representation to the Allied Governments to take action to prevent the Russian armies advancing in Hungary, from committing abuses and especially violence against women.”

I ask Your Excellency to inform me what can be done. (3)

Notes:

(1) 06.11.1944 (AES 7193/44).  Concerning the situation in Lithuania,  not published in ADSS.

(2) See ADSS 10.405.

(3) See ADSS 10.413 and 429.

ADSS 10.407 Rottal to Sec State - Jews forced into ghetto; grave military situation

10.407 Angelo Rotta, Hungary to Secretariat of State

Reference: Telegram 324 (AES 7889/44)

Location and date: Budapest, 26.11.1944 @ 17.00 (Rec’d Rome 27.11.1944 @ 13.00)

Summary statement: News of persecution of the Jews – ghettos, inhumane, frequent murders, many suicides.  Military situation is grave

Language: Italian

Text:

The fight against the Jews is escalating, it is accomplished in a truly inhuman manner; all Jews are forced to live in the ghetto, great confusion; Arrow Cross party (1) believes everything is lawful against the Jews, theft, injuries, murders, frequent suicides.  The government promises but has neither the strength or good will; this Apostolic Nunciature continues to take steps in favour of the Jews, especially the converts; something has come of the collective appeal to the representatives of the neutral countries (2) since the enemy has threatened retaliation.  Military situation is very serious (3); great uncertainty about … Budapest; many ministry offices already evacuated; buildings (?) mined; the splendid Margaret Island (4) whether through criminal act or negligence was blown up causing many casualties.  I have heard of food and fuel shortages.

Notes:

(1) See ADSS 10.265,n3.

(2) See ADSS 10.408, appendix.

(3) Soviet and Romanian troops entered the eastern suburbs of Budapest on 07.11.1944 but halted their advance because of fatigue and overstretched lines.  They resumed the attack on the city on 19.12.1944 and encircled it on 26.12.1944.  Fighting was fierce and murderous.

(4) Margaret Island in the middle of the Danube links both sides of the city.  On 04.11.1944 the bridge on the Pest side were blown up; by whom has never been determined.  The explosion occurred during the day when there was heavy traffic on the bridge.  During the siege of the city the island was used as a parachute drop zone and for improvised airstrips.  Fighting on the island was brutal and merciless.  The Germans destroyed the bridge on the Buda side of the island on 18.01.1945 during their retreat from the city.

ADSS 10.405 Rotta to Sec State - Soviet troops in Hungary

 10.405 Angelo Rotta, Hungary to Secretariat of State

Reference: Telegram 322 (AES 8088/44)

Location and date: Budapest, 24.11.1944 @ 16.36 (Rec’d Rome 25.11.1944 @ 12.00)

Summary statement: Cardinal Seredi (Ezstergom) has asked that the pope use his influence with the Allies to prevent rape of women by Soviet troops in Hungary.

Language: Italian

Text:

The Cardinal Primate (1) asks that His Holiness would deign to ask the Allied governments to exercise influence on Russia to prevent abuses especially violence against women by soldiers in occupied Hungary. (2)

Note of Montini:

After audience with His Holiness: To the Nuncio in Berlin (sic). Received request.

Note of Tardini:

26.11.1944: His Excellency the Substitute communicated the order of the Holy Father to do something (telegram to Washington). (3)

Notes:

(1) Cardinal Primate Justinian Seredi.

(2) See ADSS 10.356.

(3) See ADSS 10.411*

ADSS 10.356 Secretariat of State to the UK Legation - violence of the Red Army in Hungary

Secretariat of State to the UK Legation

Reference: AES Hungary 124, minute

Location and date: Vatican, 16.10.1944

Summary statement: Request intervention with the Soviet government regarding occupied parts of Hungary.

Language: Italian

Text:

The Secretary of State has the honour to bring to the attention of the Legation of Great Britain to the Holy See the following:

From news sent directly to the Holy See from Budapest (1) we are informed that those parts of Hungarian territory occupied by the Russians and Romanians have not occurred without episodes of serious violence against the civilian population, episodes that have nothing to do with the conduct of the war.

To cite some examples, the cities of Nagyszalonta, Jöddeàk, Kesermy, Biharugra etc, were scenes of looting, plundering and burning, because of the ill-disciplined behaviour of the soldiers.

More painful than the damage to property has been the violence of the soldiers which has been so great, excessive and frequent that the people are in a state of panic and near despair because of the rash acts occurring here and there.  Not even the sanctity of the cloister has been respected (and some innocent and helpless Sisters have been subject to the most painful violence) (2)

The Secretary of State can not refrain from expressing to the Legation feelings of horror and painful concern that the above facts give rise to, while strongly urging you to appeal as much as you can to the various offices of His Britannic Majesty’s Government to ensure that the aforementioned troops are called back to a sense of discipline and humanity regarding the civilian population and above all to women and children. (3)

Note from the Office: 

22.10.1944

I talked with the Secretary of Mr Taylor. (4)

Notes:

(1) The news was passed to the Vatican via the Royal Hungarian Legation in a communiqué - dated 12.10.1944.
(2) As the Red Army moved deeper into Hungary a pattern quickly emerged.  Hungary was not being “liberated” in the way Poland or Czechoslovakia.  Hungary was a defeated enemy and “to the victor the spoils”.  Treatment of the civilian population by the Red Army varied but was, in general, exploitative and brutal.  Thousands of civilians were killed, tens of thousands of Hungarian women – irrespective of age, religion or Jewishness – were raped, and hundreds of thousands of Hungarians were deported to the Soviet Union where they died in the labour camps of the Gulag.  It was estimated that about 25,000 Jewish men who had been conscripted into the Hungarian army as labourers, were deported to the Soviet Union, along with about 10,000 Jewish women. See Zoltan Vagi et al, the Holocaust in Hungary: Evolution of a Genocide, p 334.  The total number of Hungarian women raped in the last months of the war will most likely never be known, but some contemporary (ie November 2013) research suggests the figure could be as high as 800,000.  Bishop Apor of  Gyor was killed by Soviet soldiers as he attempted to prevent local women from rape.

(3) Two telegrams were addressed to Berne on 27.10.1944 (telegram 718, AES 8272/44) and Washington (telegram 1941, AES 8271/44):  “News of Russian troop behaviour in occupied villages; treatment of some Hungarians is disastrous.  Sacking, burning, killing, numerous violations of religious women: religious practice is practically impossible”. (See ADSS 11).

(4) Franklin C. Gowen (1895-1981), employee of the State Department, was appointed Myron Taylor’s assistant, replacing Harold Tittmann in December 1941.