Polish History via Tragedy

Josh Marshall posted the following at Talking Points Memo earlier this evening.  Like him, I didn't know this, which I find strange.  It seems that this info would have -- should have! -- popped up on my radar at some point.  Anywho, quoted here in full.

You have read about the tragic plane crash which killed a swath of the highest ranking leadership of the Polish Republic, including the incumbent president, Lech Kaczynski. Here's a small part of that story I just read about.

If you're familiar with the history of World War II, you probably know that somewhat like General Charles de Gaulle's Free French Forces, there was a Polish government-in-exile operating in London during the war. Indeed, the 'Government of the Republic of Poland in exile' had much more continuity with the pre-war Polish government and functioned much more like a government than the entity set up by General de Gaulle.

What I did not know is that the Polish government-in-exile continued in existence in London until 1990, with an unbroken succession of presidents and prime ministers-in-exile going back to 1939. And according to wikipedia, until the end, it maintained regular cabinet meetings every two weeks at its headquarters in London.

The last president was Ryszard Kaczorowski, born in 1919. In 1990, under his leadership, the government-in-exile dissolved itself and handed over various insignia and symbols of government (in addition to some pre-war government archives) to the new post-Communist government under President Lech Walesa. Relatedly, the new Polish government recognized the legitimacy of the London-based government. So that among other things Kaczorowski received a state pension like any other former president.

Kaczorowski, now 90 years old, was one of the 96 killed in the jet crash near Smolensk.

As always, check out TPM for this and other great news.

11 April 2010