Polish government-in-exile

The Polish government that continued abroad after Germany and the Soviet Union invaded Poland in 1939, directing Polish forces and resistance while asserting legal continuity with the prewar state.

Sikorski–Mayski agreement: A 1941 agreement restoring diplomatic relations between the Soviet Union and the Polish government-in-exile and enabling Polish citizens’ release from Soviet captivity. It reopened cooperation with the Soviet Union and allowed a Polish army to form there.
Invasion of Poland: The 1939 military campaign in which Germany and the Soviet Union occupied Poland and began the Second World War in Europe. The invasion destroyed the government’s territorial control and triggered its flight abroad.
Yalta Conference: The February 1945 meeting of Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill that addressed the postwar order in Europe and Asia. Its provisions promised a reorganized Polish government but left the exile authorities without decisive influence.
Władysław Sikorski: A Polish general and politician who led the government-in-exile and its armed forces from 1939 until his death in 1943. As prime minister and commander-in-chief, he organized the government’s early wartime role.
Polish Committee of National Liberation: A Soviet-backed Polish administrative authority established in 1944 that became the basis of the postwar communist government. It competed with the exile government for authority as Soviet forces advanced into Poland.
Polish Armed Forces in the West: Polish military formations that fought alongside Allied forces during the Second World War. They gave the government-in-exile forces it could command in Allied campaigns.
Polish government in France: The Polish government-in-exile’s first headquarters after its leaders escaped Poland in 1939. France became its initial base before the German invasion forced another relocation.
Provisional Government of National Unity: A Polish coalition government formed in June 1945 under Soviet influence, incorporating some noncommunist politicians. Its establishment displaced the exile government as the internationally recognized Polish authority.
Stanisław Mikołajczyk: A Polish politician who served as prime minister of the government-in-exile from 1943 to 1944. His diplomacy with the Soviet Union exposed the narrowing room for an independent Polish government.
Polish Provisional Government: A Soviet-backed Polish government formed in Lublin in December 1944 and recognized by the Soviet Union. It embodied the rival state authority that challenged the exile government before the 1945 coalition.

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