Historians discuss civilian survival in Warsaw and roots of nationalism

Historian Alexandra Richie, author of ‘Warsaw 1944. A Tragic Uprising’, discusses the civilian experience during the Warsaw Uprising. She emphasizes that for civilians, war is defined by the heroism of survival rather than greatness. Richie shares harrowing accounts of survival, including the story of Wanda Lurie, who survived being shot during an execution by hiding under a pile of bodies.

Separately, academic discussions in Poland have addressed the ideological roots of Ukrainian nationalism. Historian Wiktor Poliszczuk notes that the doctrines formulated by Dmytro Dontsov in the 1920s viewed the nation as a biological species, leading to an ideology of permanent hostility toward neighboring nations to ensure survival and territorial expansion.