Plamy na honorze

Przedwojenne dezercje oficerów Wojska Polskiego

Abstract

HONOR DISGRACED: PRE-WORLD WAR II DESERTIONS OF POLISH ARMY OFFICERS

During the Interwar period, desertions plagued the Polish Army. Many officers were counted among the thousands of rank-and-file soldiers who deserted prior to 1939. The desertion of officers was the most shocking of all peacetime abandonments, as they were supposed to be patriotic leaders of the men under their command. Officers deserted for myriad reasons, including fear of prosecution for illicit behavior, such as theft, and the discovery of cooperation or collusion with foreign agents. Of all the officer desertions during this period, the most spectacular took place in 1930 when Major Stanisław Krauss defected to Belgium and France. In 1934, a French court sentenced him to 5 years in prison for spying on French forces for Germany. The trial hit press headlines worldwide.