Camp of National Unity

Obóz Zjednoczenia Narodowego (Polish pronunciation: [ˈɔbuz zjɛdnɔˈtʂɛɲa narɔdɔˈvɛɡɔ], English: Camp of National Unity; abbreviated "OZN"; and often called "Ozon" (Polish for "ozone")) was a Polish political party founded in 1937 by sections of the leadership in the Sanation movement.

Camp of National Unity Obóz Zjednoczenia Narodowego
Abbreviation	OZN
Leader	Adam Koc Stanisław Skwarczyński Zygmunt Wenda [pl]
Founded	21 February 1937
Dissolved	1940s
Preceded by	Sanation Right
Headquarters	Warsaw, Poland
Newspaper	Gazeta Polska[1]
Youth wing	Union of Young Poland
Paramilitary wing	Obóz Polski Walczącej
Membership (1938)	100,000
Ideology	Polish nationalism National conservatism Economic militarism Economic nationalism Anti-communism Antisemitism
Political position	Right-wing
Politics of Poland Political parties Elections

Declaration of OZN political program in Gazeta Polska on 22 February 1937

A year after the 1935 death of Poland's Chief of State Marshal Józef Piłsudski, in mid-1936, one of his followers, Marshal Edward Rydz-Śmigły, attempted to unite the various government factions under his leadership. The attempt failed as another (opposing) Sanacja politician, President Ignacy Mościcki, likewise had a large following; nevertheless, substantial numbers of people did throw their lot in with Rydz-Śmigły.

On February 21, 1937, diplomat and Colonel Adam Koc formally announced the formation of OZN.^[2] Its stated aims were to improve Poland's national defense and to safeguard the April 1935 Constitution. OZN was strongly pro-military, and its politicians sought to portray Marshal Rydz-Śmigły as Marshal Józef Piłsudski's heir, describing Rydz-Śmigły as the "second person in the country" after President Mościcki—a claim that had no foundation in the Polish Constitution. The party later went on to win the 1938 Legislative election.

OZN's first official leader was Adam Koc,^[3] and its second was General Stanisław Skwarczyński. After the 1939 German invasion of Poland and the start of World War II, OZN leadership passed to Colonel Zygmunt Wenda.^[3] In 1937, OZN claimed some 40,000–50,000 members; in 1938, 100,000.

During World War II and the German occupation of Poland, OZN's underground military arm, created in 1942, was known as Obóz Polski Walczącej (the Camp of Fighting Poland).

See also

• Nonpartisan Bloc for Cooperation with the Government (Bezpartyjny Blok Współpracy z Rządem, BBWR)
• National Radical Camp (1934) (Obóz Narodowo-Radykalny, ONR)

References

1. Gazeta Polska is the OZN body. "Newspaper Lvov," p. 1, No. 280, December 10, 1937.
2. "Gazeta Lwowska". Jagiellonian Digital Library. 23 February 1937. Retrieved 2020-06-22.
3. Patterson, Archibald L. (2010-07-01). Between Hitler and Stalin: The Quick Life and Secret Death of Edward Smigly Rydz, Marshal of Poland. Dog Ear Publishing. ISBN 9781608445639.

Bibliography

• Wynot, Jr., Edward D. (October 1971). "'A Necessary Cruelty': The Emergence of Official Anti-Semitism in Poland, 1936–39". The American Historical Review. 76 (4). The American Historical Review: 1035–58. doi:10.2307/1849240. JSTOR 1849240.
• Seidner, Stanley S. (1975). "The Camp of National Unity: An Experiment in Domestic Consolidation". The Polish Review. 20 (2–3): 231–36.