Leaders of the Home Army

Though many thousands of Eastern Europeans are individually struggling in the greater umbrella of the resistances, the revitalized Home Army has attracted several leaders that stand out both to the Allies and Soviets.

## Civilian Leaders

### Václav Havel

As the old cliched saying goes, "The pen is mightier than the sword." Going by this quote, Havel has used his pen's strokes to inflict more damage to the Soviet cause than any Home Army cavalry saber slicing through a horde of conscripts.

Beginning his work as a stagehand in Prague's theater scene, Václav Havel eventually worked his way to becoming the Theatre on the Balustrade's resident playwright. There, he dipped his hand in absurdist theater, itself a form of defiance against the Soviet-mandated socialist realism that pervaded the arts at the time. Some of his most well-received works included *The Garden Party*, which tackled how the Soviet bureaucratic system destroys a person's sense of identity, and *The Memorandum*, which is about how artificial languages imposed on a bureaucracy lead to the dissolution of human relationships.

Havel's plays granted him acclaim from Western countries after a performance of *The Memorandum* at The Public Theater in New York. The Allies heralded him as a dissident voice in the arts, while Continental-aligned directors plan to adapt his plays into movies. When the Home Army Faction rose in prominence, some wrote to him to take a more militant role in fighting the Soviets, only for Havel to argue that the military front isn't the only sphere where the HAF needed to fight. Surprisingly enough, Dubček allowed his plays' performances in Czechoslovakia during the Prague Spring, and rumors spread about Davidova being a fan of his behind closed doors, sending observers to his plays to learn how to not repeat her predecessors' mistakes.

Recently, Havel started writing essays on the daily lives people had inside the Eastern Bloc, commonly published by samizdat presses and spread around Europe and North America. One that caught the attention of American readers was that of two brothers (made anonymous, of course) joining the Continental Freedom Guard, and the other was a group of Jewish-descended peasants trying to get by in a Soviet apartment. While many Home Army fighters looked up to him, older, more prejudiced HAF members did not take kindly to the latter, and wrote him all sorts of horrible names only to be met back with dead silence. Unmoved by old hatreds, the playwright keeps publishing his work to the day people like him gain the freedom to create whatever they want in Eastern Europe.

### Pres. August Zaleski

When World War 2 started, Poland's leaders scattered, eventually reuniting in Britain thanks to the security offered by the seas. Safe, they formed a government-in-exile, with their own parliament (of sorts), and a new leadership to guide the government and thousands of new exiles now living in Allied territories. The only man anyone could decide capable of leading such a government was Poland's famous diplomat. August Zaleski made a name for himself during the First World War, managing to convince the Triple Entente that the Polish Legion in the war was interested only in fighting the Imperial Russian forces, not willing to fight against the Western allies in their struggle for freedom. Dropping off from politics in 1935, Zaleski became the chairman of the Bank Handlowy, and was instrumental during the Soviet invasion when he spirited the majority of Poland's finances out of the country to France, and Britain following the Soviet movements on the French-German border.

Having been the "president" of the government in exile since the loss of their homeland, Zaleski has entered into a tumultuous relationship with the elite of the Polish exile community. Many of the other leaders feel that Zaleski is trying to gain a stranglehold on power, and have formed a counter to his power, an executive group calling itself Rada Trzech, the Council of Three. Though claiming power, both the council and Zaleski hold executive power simultaneously in a strange case of dual-executives. While the Polish people are somewhat annoyed at the situation, many agree that at least some check on the attempt by Zaleski to hold power for so long necessitates a need for a counterbalance.

### Cardinal Karol Józef Wojtyła

Trained as a priest in the years leading up to the Soviet occupation, Karol Wojtyła could be found more often holding mass in the forests and hills than inside of a church. This came in handy during the Soviet occupation, as the actions of the Soviet armies towards Polish Catholics was less than appropriate. Priests were now outlaws, churches shuttered and in some cases demolished. Wojtyła, who asked those who walked with him to always call him Wujek, uncle, to try their best in allaying the Soviet suspicions.
Wojtyła was a priest in Krakow when the Soviets invaded, and watched firsthand various failed rebellions and revolutions against the Soviets, each ending in disaster. The Soviets again and again crushed these movements, and this had a profound affect on the young priest, watching as people from all walks of life were rounded up and eliminated by the Soviets.

On his promotion to cardinal, Wojtyła made the choice to both reach out to other Polish emigre communities in the Allied Nations, as well as campaigning for the freedom of nations held in communist hands. Though he does not actually hold position in the Home Army or any other revolutionary group, the cardinal has stated numerous times that the Soviets affect all nations, not just the Polish people. These tours have raised hackles on both sides of the Iron Curtain. To the Soviets, Wojtyła is a dangerous influence on the people under their control. His constant outspokenness against communism and the Soviet Union has forced the KGB to investigate several options on neutralizing the cardinal.

ACIN also considers Wojtyła a danger. His constant actions in rallying the expatriate communities in the Allied Nations, and his choice to speak to members of the Confederate Revolutionaries in direct violation of Allied orders to keep all civilians away is a blatant slap in the face of the Allies. Wojtyła, his only concern for the greater brotherhood of humanity, ignores both threats and continues to preach against communism and the Allies lack of action.

## Military Leaders

### Gen. Władysław Anders

 **Occupation** | Military General

Władysław Anders started his career as a cavalry officer, leader of the 15th Poznań Uhlans during the Second World War, primarily in the Mediterranean campaign. Having suffered under the Soviets after being captured before the full outbreak of the war, Anders escaped and started to form up Polish units to fight. He helped form the Polish II Corps, and was charged with protecting supplies being funneled up the Persian Corridor to the Middle East. Anders also ordered the protection of civilians moving through the Mideast to escape Soviet occupation.

After the war ended with Poland still occupied, Anders moved to Britain, where he is constantly in contact with the resistance movements via a token few spies. He has tried innumerably to rally the Allies to at least free Poland, but the Allies are either unwilling or perhaps content with the situation in Poland. Anders has instead tried to rally the Polish expat community, working with the Polish government-in-exile to find a solution.

Like all Poles who fought, Anders has been livid about the situation of Poland. Attempts to convince the Allies to grant Polish self-rule again are killed consistently, both in the Allied parliament and in individual member states. Anders has not applied for British citizenship, and many feel he will only ever be Polish until death. He believes that the Soviets will again attempt to conquer Europe, and has been quoted as saying, "It is impossible to imagine that humanity has suddenly become blind and has really lost the consciousness of a mortal danger."

### Col. Ion Gavrilă Ogoranu

The Carpathian Mountain ranges provide a perfect operations center for the anti-Soviet partisans based in Romania; inaccessible to most Red Army vehicles save for specialized walkers due to the extreme weather and perilous terrain. One of their most famous haiduci (folk heroes) is Ion Gavrilă Ogoranu, the leader of the resistance movement based in the Southern Făgăraş Mountains.

At high school, Ogoranu was involved with the Frăția de Cruce (The Brotherhood of the Cross), the youth wing of the Iron Guard, a Romanian nationalist paramilitary organization of that time. Eventually, he joined their ranks until their dissolution under the hands of their former ally Ion Antonescu, who was assassinated by an unknown party. During the early years of the communist occupation, Ogoranu, like many others such as Toma Arnăuțoiu, formed his own anti-communist resistance movement, installed himself on the Carpathian mountains, and fought a guerrilla war against the occupying Soviets.

The *Grupul Carpatin Făgărăşan* and the other Romanian resistance groups have become hardy; strictly partaking on a mission of survival from attackers, waiting for Allied agents to be dispatched to help them like they did a decade ago. Their only real reprieve is that the village communities in each of their mountain bases have been very cooperative with them, forming a mutual relationship where the fighters provide protection for the civilians, while the villagers provide food, shelter, and information back. Due to the resistances being a spontaneous reaction against the Soviet purges in Romania, the movements remain fragmented until today, although this has resulted in them developing more multiformity and cohesion, making them harder for the Securitate to exterminate them. Ogoranu stands out from the rest as he has manage to go completely undetected, forcing KGB agents to plan to go after the mountain villages the extract info from the residents.

But when many of their leaders elected to integrate themselves with the Home Army once word of its creation spread through the Carpathians, Ogoranu remains to be also their most controversial. Based from the communication the HAF receives from the Făgăraş, he expressed displeasure for the inclusion of Romani families in the movement, stating them to be most prone to criminal behaviors. More disturbing is that some documents from his time in the Iron Guard state Antonescu's plans to compulsory deport every last Romani out of the country, the solution to the 'gypsy problem'. Often times, Ogoranu has called for the Home Army's leaders to remove any leftist from their ranks, which even includes anti-Stalinist ones that just despise the Soviet Union as he does. Understandably, this has not made him popular with the Hungarian fighters.

## Field Commanders

### Izaak Orzechowski

Izaak Orzechowski grew up a factory worker, like his father and fathers before him. The Orzechowski family have also always been proud nationalists, hanging a Polish flag in the main room of their small house and daring the Soviet dogs to take it. It hangs above a small picture of Izaak's father and uncles, standing together under that same flag during the Warsaw Uprising, one of the few real memories of his father that Izaak has.

Becoming part of the rebel sympathizers in his factory, Izaak organized raids on Soviet bread supplies, clothing depots, and medical convoys to get the people in his neighborhood what they needed. When the Soviets tried to stamp down on these actions, the rebels fought back, and over a period of weeks a running street battle between Orzechowski's cell and the Soviet forces turned the industrial sector of Warsaw into a battleground. Factories often had to cease production in the middle of the day from the fighting (not that the workers minded; under Soviet law they still got paid for their work when under fire). Along with halting production, it also taught hard lessons about combat and fighting. Hemmed in by the city, Orzechowski knew that cavalry could do little. Instead, his cell became the best infantry the world has yet know outside of the Confederacy. The ghettos of Warsaw are now only controlled by the Soviets through raw force, and whole blocks have been leveled and rebuilt. Targeting of commissars is also popular, and many now try to find safety inside transports of propaganda walkers, which only further demoralizes the Soviet forces.

Izaak is a young, hot-headed man, and prefers to seize the advantage in battle before the Soviets can react. It's also rumored he has a small fleet of Kubus armored cars in hiding around the city, waiting to be brought into the fight. He's also popular with Roma families, since his belief that anything stolen from the Soviets is simply "redistribution to the people" allows many of them carte blanche as long as they help in return. His actions have made him quite the target for KGB operatives in Poland, who consider his actions a danger to their attempts to solidify their control in case of another conflict. The file on Izaak back in KGB headquarters has made note of his brazen actions, but that so many people are loyal to his cell that he is often well informed of potential assassinations beforehand.

### Col. Edmund Wozniak

One of the few actual military leaders left in Poland with a real rank, Col. Wozniak served under Gen. Anders during the Second World War II Corps. Not only a dear friend of the Soldier Bear, Wozniak also learned quickly that Soviet armor is always the most dangerous force in any battle.

On his decision to remain in Poland and aid the resistance forces, Wozniak found his forces pitifully organized. Many were boys from the city, others old soldiers past their prime. Organizing the stock of horses into breeders and war horses, taking a tally of the weapons and supplies, and finally establishing contact through an ACIN agent known only as "The Aquila". With a source of resources at least partially secured (Wozniak knows that ACIN is at best a house of cards held together with toothpicks), Wozniak has put Poland's open plains to good use. The slower Soviet forces can't react properly when hit to the rear of a convoy, and sabotage of roads and railways has eaten up much of the Soviet resources to certain areas. Twinblades would normally handle this as they have in the Middle East, but the Poles' recent use of anti-tank rifles against aircraft means Wozniak's trained forces are able to effectively strike, run, and survive. Wozniak fights a conventional war in an unconventional environment, using cavalry to strike and the dismounted to steal what they can. He is, however, biased against the urban street fighters and Roma, both due to old prejudices against civilians in war and "gypsy thieves".

Wozniak's cavalry in particular are incredibly aggressive against enemy forces, baiting them and drawing them apart from each other. The dismounted and anti-tank squads often move in after, seizing vehicles and supplies for further operations. Heavier vehicles are kept in reserve for when they're actually needed. Like Gen. Anders, Col. Wozniak knows the Soviets are preparing for a final conflict, one last rush against the gates to try and secure Europe, and with it the rest of the world. He steals what intelligence he can, but ensures that only the most valuable pieces make their way to Gen. Anders only. ACIN has not been pleased with these actions, but can do little since Anders will eventually share the hard won gains in time. What is the most worrying is that Wozniak is an outspoken man against joining the Allies once Poland is finally free again. Especially in Eastern Europe, that kind of fervor is worrying should the Slavic nations again become independent.