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Zwiazek Harcerstwa Polskiego (Polish Scouting and Guiding Association, ZHP) is the Polish Scouting organization recognized by the World Organization of the Scout Movement. It was founded in 1918 and currently is the biggest scouting organization in Poland.
290px Cross of the ZHP
The Polish scout movement was started in 1910. Initially the ideas of scouting were implemented by Andrzej Malkowski and his wife Olga . The three main branches of Polish scouting included Strzelec paramilitary organization for boys, sport and education society Sokól and the anti-alcoholic association Eleusis. However, it wasn't until the Partitions of Poland came to an end when the ZHP could be founded.
In 1918 the ZHP units started to spark in almost every part of Poland. Their members fought in all conflicts Poland was engaged in: Great Poland Uprising, Polish-Bolshevik War, Silesian Uprisings, and Polish-Ukrainian War. All of the units joined together in 1918 and formed the ZHP, one of the founding members of the World Organization of the Scout Movement. Although many units retained their own traditions, a common law, common symbols and common oath was passed. The main difference between all scouting organizations and Polish Harcerstwo was described by Andrzej Malkowski:
Harcerstwo is Scouting plus independence.
Until 1939 the ZHP became one of the biggest social and educational associations in Poland with over 200 000 members. Among the "protectors" of the Polish scouting were all presidents of Poland and several high-ranking officers, including general Józef Haller.
After the September Campaign of 1939 the ZHP was delegalized by Germany, but it went underground. The association was nick-named Szare Szeregi (Grey Ranks) and became a part of the Armia Krajowa. The older scouts carried out sabottage and armed resistance duties. The Girl Guides formed auxiliary units working as nurses, liaisons and munition carriers. At the same time the youngest scouts were involved in so-called small sabotage under auspice of the Wawer organization, which included dropping leaflets or painting the kotwicaKotwica ( Polish anchor was the symbol of the Polish Secret State and the Armia Krajowa during World War II. It was created in 1942 by the members of the Wawer "Small Sabotage" unit of the Armia Krajowa as an easily-usable symbol of the Polish struggle fo sign on the walls. During the Operation TempestOperation Tempest ( Polish Plan Burza sometimes also translated as Operation Storm was a series of planned local uprisings prepared by the Polish Home Army during World War II. The main aim of the operation was to seize control of the cities and areas whe and especially during the Warsaw UprisingThe Warsaw Uprising Powstanie Warszawskie was an armed struggle during the Second World War by the Polish Home Army (Armia Krajowa) to liberate Warsaw from German occupation and Nazi rule. It started on August 1 1944 as a part of a nationwide uprising, Op the scouts participated in the fights with some of the Szare Szeregi units being ones of the most effective in combat.
Polish Boy Scouts fighting in the Warsaw UprisingThe Warsaw Uprising Powstanie Warszawskie was an armed struggle during the Second World War by the Polish Home Army (Armia Krajowa) to liberate Warsaw from German occupation and Nazi rule. It started on August 1 1944 as a part of a nationwide uprising, Op
In 1945Events January January 5 The Soviet Union recognizes the new pro-Soviet government of Poland. January 7 British General Bernard Montgomery holds a press conference in which he claims credit for victory in the Battle of the Bulge. January 12 World War II: the ZHP restored its former name and emerged from the resistance. However, the communist authorities of Poland pressured the organization to become a member of the Pioneer Movement. The ZHP was banned in 1950, but after Stalin's and Bierut's death it was restored in 1956.
The Polish Scouting and Guiding Association became one of the very few social organizations that retained some independence from the communist party. Because of that it quickly grew and in 1980 it had more than 3 millions active members. The Polish Scouts were engaged in a variety of duties, varying from helping in the fields of the most poor regions to organizing the visits of pope John Paul II. After the martial law had been imposed in Poland in 1981 the ZHP was the only big social organization not to be banned. However, many of its high ranking officials were interned because of their involvement in the Solidarnosc movement.
In 1989 after the period of peaceful transformation started, several groups of instructors formed separate scouting organizations. At the same time ZHP returned to the pre-war traditions: the original oath and Scouts Law were reintroduced. In 1993 Lech Walesa became the honorary protector of the ZHP, just like all former Polish presidents were.