# Polish Underground State (1939)

URL: https://poland-history.com/timeline/1939-polish-underground-state
Location: Warsaw

The Service for Poland's Victory was founded on the eve of Warsaw's surrender, the start of the Polish Underground State, the largest underground resistance in occupied Europe. Within the broader World War II period: Invaded by Germany and the Soviet Union, Poland suffered brutal occupation and the Holocaust, while its underground state and armed forces fought on every front of the war. At this point in the timeline (27 September 1939), the governing authority was Ignacy Mościcki (President of Poland). Chemist and inventor elected with Piłsudski's backing; interned in Romania in 1939 he transferred office to Raczkiewicz. Polish Underground State mattered because it altered the structure of power and the direction of Polish statehood. The event is placed here so readers can follow it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion and culture across Polish history.

## Why it matters
Polish Underground State mattered because it altered the structure of power and the direction of Polish statehood.

Ruler at the time: [Władysław Raczkiewicz](https://poland-history.com/rulers/wladyslaw-raczkiewicz)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Polish Underground State](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_Underground_State)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Polish Underground State](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Polish+Underground+State)
- [Wikipedia — History of Poland (1939–1945) (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Poland_(1939%E2%80%931945))