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Union of Retaliation (Polish: Związek Odwetu or Z.O.) was a Polish World War II resistance organisation established on 20 April 1940. It was created by General Stefan Rowecki, head of the Armed Resistance, as that organization's branch dedicated to sabotage and covert operations.

Early history

The ZO was formed out of a variety of previously existent sabotage groups which were then merged into the ZWZ. Initially a part of the ZWZ, all of them were then separated. Thus the risk of eliminating the whole ZWZ by destruction of one of its sabotage cells was eliminated.

Initially headed by Maj. Franciszek Niepokólczycki Teodor, the organization was aimed at diminishing the German military and industrial potential by means of active and passive sabotage. It also carried out a number of revenge actions as a reprisal for particularly brutal German mass shootings, łapankas or other actions aimed at Polish civilians. The net of sabotage and intelligence cells organized by the ZO included almost every major German-controlled factory in occupied Poland, as well as a number of special detachments, used by the ZO's headquarters for particularly difficult actions.

Increased resistance measures

In February 1942, the commander in chief of the Polish forces and the prime minister of Poland, Gen. Władysław Sikorski, withdrew his order of limiting armed resistance in Poland, the ZO's network started to grow significantly. It also organized a number of spectacular actions against the German war effort. Out of several hundred thousand actions (mainly in Silesia, Lesser Poland, Holy Cross Mountains and Mazovia), perhaps the best known is the Wieniec. During that action, carried out in October 1942, the Polish resistance blew up all railways leading from and to Warsaw, destroyed 4 German supply trains going for the Eastern Front and disrupted the supply transport for several days (with the Warsaw train hub being cut out for roughly 15 hours). In December, the action was continued by the ZO in Eastern Poland, as a reprisal for the German terror in the area around Zamość.

Merger into Armia Krajowa

After the ZWZ was reformed into the Armia Krajowa, the ZO was again incorporated into it, merged with the Wachlarz and OSA units and formed the backbone of the Kedyw organization. During the later stages of its existence, the ZO was headed by Maj. Jan Wojciech Kiwerski.

References

(in Polish) Związek Odwetu

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+{{Short description|Polish World War II resistance organisation}}
-{{Polish Secret State small}}
+{{Polish Underground State sidebar}}
-'''Związek Odwetu''' ('''ZO''', Polish for ''Union of Retaliation'') was a [[Poland|Polish]] [[World War II]] resistance organization established to on [[April 20]], [[1940]]. It was created by Gen. [[Stefan Rowecki]], the head of the [[Związek Walki Zbrojnej]], as the branch of that organization focused on [[sabotage]] and diversion. The ZO was formed out of a variety of previously-existent sabotage groups which were then merged into the ZWZ. Initially a part of the ZWZ, all of them were then separated. Thus the risk of eliminating the whole ZWZ by destruction of one of its sabotage cells was eliminated.
+'''Union of Retaliation''' (Polish: '''''Związek Odwetu''''' or '''''Z.O.''''') was a Polish [[World War II]] resistance organisation established on 20 April 1940. It was created by General [[Stefan Rowecki]], head of the [[Związek Walki Zbrojnej|Armed Resistance]], as that organization's branch dedicated to [[sabotage]] and [[covert operations]].
-[[Image:ZwOdwetu 1942.jpg|thumb|200px|right|One of the trains ditched by the Związek Odwetu in 1942]]
-Initially headed by Maj. [[Franciszek Niepokólczycki]] ''Teodor'', the organization was aimed at diminishing the German military and industrial potential by means of active and passive sabotage. It also carried out a number of revenge actions as a reprisal for particularly brutal German mass shootings, [[łapanka]]s or other actions aimed at Polish civilians. The net of sabotage and intelligence cells organized by the ZO included almost every major German-controlled factory in occupied Poland, as well as a number of ''special detachments'', used by the ZO's headquarters for particularly difficult actions. In February of 1942 the commander in chief of the Polish forces and the prime minister of Poland, Gen. [[Władysław Sikorski]], withdrew his order of limiting armed resistance in Poland, the ZO's network started to grow significantly. It also organized a number of spectacular actions against the German war effort. Out of several hundred thousand actions (mainly in [[Silesia]], [[Lesser Poland]], [[Holy Cross Mountains]] and [[Mazovia]]), perhaps the best known is the ''[[Wieniec]]''. During that action, carried out in October of 1942, the Polish resistance blew up all railways leading from and to Warsaw, destroyed 4 German supply trains going for the Eastern Front and disrupted the supply transport for several days (with the Warsaw train hub being cut out for roughly 15 hours). In December the action was continued by the ZO in Eastern Poland, as a reprisal for the German terror in the area around [[Zamość]].
-[[Image:ZwOdwetu 1942 2.jpg|thumb|200px|left|German supply train after one of ZO's actions]]
-After the ZWZ was reformed into the [[Armia Krajowa]], the ZO was again incorporated into it, merged with the [[Wachlarz]] and [[Osa]] units and formed the backbone of the [[Kedyw]] organization. During the later stages of its existence, the ZO was headed by Maj. [[Jan Wojciech Kiwerski]].
-== Reference ==
+== Early history ==
+The ZO was formed out of a variety of previously existent sabotage groups which were then merged into the ZWZ. Initially a part of the ZWZ, all of them were then separated. Thus the risk of eliminating the whole ZWZ by destruction of one of its sabotage cells was eliminated.
-* {{pl icon}} [http://wilk.wpk.p.lodz.pl/~whatfor/zwiazek_odwetu.htm Związek Odwetu]
+Initially headed by Maj. [[Franciszek Niepokólczycki]] ''Teodor'', the organization was aimed at diminishing the German military and industrial potential by means of active and passive sabotage. It also carried out a number of revenge actions as a reprisal for particularly brutal German mass shootings, [[łapanka]]s or other actions aimed at Polish civilians. The net of sabotage and intelligence cells organized by the ZO included almost every major German-controlled factory in occupied Poland, as well as a number of ''special detachments'', used by the ZO's headquarters for particularly difficult actions.
-[[Category:National liberation movements]]
-[[Category:Polish resistance during World War II]]
+== Increased resistance measures ==
-[[Category:World War II Polish forces]]
+[[File:AK trains2.jpg|thumb|250px|German supply train derailed in a ''[[Zwiazek Odwetu]]'' [[sabotage]] operation in occupied Poland, ca. 1942.]]
-[[Category:World War II resistance movements]]
+In February 1942, the commander in chief of the Polish forces and the prime minister of Poland, Gen. [[Władysław Sikorski]], withdrew his order of limiting armed resistance in Poland, the ZO's network started to grow significantly. It also organized a number of spectacular actions against the German war effort. Out of several hundred thousand actions (mainly in [[Silesia]], [[Lesser Poland]], [[Holy Cross Mountains]] and [[Mazovia]]), perhaps the best known is the ''[[Operation Wieniec|Wieniec]]''. During that action, carried out in October 1942, the Polish resistance blew up all railways leading from and to Warsaw, destroyed 4 German supply trains going for the Eastern Front and disrupted the supply transport for several days (with the Warsaw train hub being cut out for roughly 15 hours). In December, the action was continued by the ZO in Eastern Poland, as a reprisal for the German terror in the area around [[Zamość]].
-{{WWII-stub}}
-[[Category:1940 establishments]]
+== Merger into Armia Krajowa ==
-[[pl:Związek Odwetu]]
+After the ZWZ was reformed into the [[Armia Krajowa]], the ZO was again incorporated into it, merged with the [[Wachlarz]] and [[Organization of Special Combat Actions|OSA]] units and formed the backbone of the [[Kedyw]] organization. During the later stages of its existence, the ZO was headed by Maj. [[Jan Wojciech Kiwerski]].
+==References==
+* {{in lang|pl}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20060430214711/http://wilk.wpk.p.lodz.pl/~whatfor/zwiazek_odwetu.htm Związek Odwetu]
+{{Armia Krajowa}}
+[[Category:1940 establishments in Poland]]
+[[Category:Units and formations of Polish resistance during World War II]]
+[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1940]]