Slavery Under Hitler’s “New Order” – A wartime firsthand documentation of Poland’s transformation into a slave state, serving as a model for the Nazis’ intentions in the rest of Europe. Published by Victoria House, London, 1941 – First edition. With a foreword by Walter Citrine, a prominent figure in the British Labour movement – written in support of the Polish workers.
“Has there ever been in history a more diabolical system for enslaving an entire nation? Hitler seeks to impose upon the world a universal feudalism in which the Nazis will be the overlords of the conquered peoples. That is the meaning of the New Order, however it may be disguised. It is scientifically planned. For each nation invaded, a special technique of control is devised. But for Poland… there is no mercy! A calculated and degrading humiliation; the destruction of all the liberties Poland had created for herself!”
An important publication issued during the early stage of World War II, revealing how Polish workers were stripped of their political rights following the Nazi occupation of Poland. In his foreword, Walter Citrine details how approximately one million Polish workers were deported to Germany for forced labor, feeding the Reich’s war machine. They were forced to wear identifying patches on their clothing. Those who remained in Poland—around 800,000 individuals—were subjected to labor under starvation wages, given minimal food, all in service of the German “master.” All social reforms introduced in Poland since the end of World War I were immediately dismantled by the Nazis. Trade unions were dissolved, their assets confiscated, all organized activity was banned, and the legal system abolished. Just a month after the fall of Warsaw, forced labor was imposed on all males aged 14 to 60. Social insurance programs were eliminated, Poland’s natural resources were expropriated for Germany, and German forces conducted raids on Polish homes to conscript workers, who were then subjected to inhumane labor conditions and severe deprivation.
Already at this early stage of the war, the author warns and alerts that these policies in occupied Poland were intended as a blueprint for the rest of Nazi-occupied Europe:
“The sole Nazi plan is the absolute subjugation of all free nations, the elimination of their rights, and the transformation of their territories into a pantry for a rich future German Reich. This fact is made clear by the outline of German actions in Poland… So far, not all of the German-occupied countries have been treated as brutally as Poland—likely because the Nazis still hope to exploit them in the war against the rest of Europe. Eventually, when Germany sees no further use for them, these nations will suffer the same fate as Poland… In plain English, this means that Poland is to become a German colony, and the experience gained in Poland will be used to convert all of Europe into a colony of the Greater German Reich.”
Walter Citrine [1887–1983] served as President of the International Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU)—the most influential global trade union body at the time—from 1928 to 1945. He issued this publication out of a deep sense of solidarity between the British trade union movement and its Polish counterparts. During the war years, Citrine, together with Ernest Bevin, who would later become Minister of Labour and National Service, helped to mobilize and direct the enthusiastic productive efforts of Britain’s organized working class toward victory. In recent years, historians have increasingly recognized the decisive role Citrine played during the war, acknowledging the significance of his leadership and organizational influence within the broader context of the Allied effort.
11 [1] pp. Impressive cover design – depicting the hands of a shackled worker. Very good condition.
