# Trial of the Sixteen (1945)

URL: https://poland-history.com/timeline/1945-trial-of-the-sixteen
Location: Moscow

Sixteen leaders of the Polish Underground State were arrested by the NKVD and tried in Moscow. 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 (1945), the governing authority was Bolesław Bierut (President of the State National Council, later President of Poland). Communist leader who headed the KRN from 1944, was President 1947–1952 and led Poland through its Stalinist period. Trial of the Sixteen mattered because it defined rights and institutions that shaped Polish government and society. 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
Trial of the Sixteen mattered because it defined rights and institutions that shaped Polish government and society.

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

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