"Our part of Poland was under Russian occupation from 1939-1941"

Roald Hoffmann's declaration, "Our part of Poland was under Russian occupation from 1939-1941", refers to a complex and unstable duration in Polish history during the early years of The second world war. This duration is marked by the partitioning of Poland and the subsequent profession by two of Europe's many formidable military powers at the time: Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union.

In September 1939, the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany, followed by the Soviet Union's invasion from the east, successfully marked the start of World War II. This dual intrusion was an outcome of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, a non-aggression treaty between Germany and the Soviet Union, that included a secret protocol to divide Poland and other parts of Eastern Europe into spheres of impact. As an outcome, Poland was sculpted up, with the eastern portion, where Hoffmann's household lived, coming under Soviet control.

The duration from 1939 to 1941 under Soviet profession was marked by substantial political, social, and financial upheaval. The Soviets carried out policies targeted at consolidating their control, consisting of the nationalization of industries, redistribution of land, and imposing Soviet political structures. For the regional population, this often indicated repression, deportations, and a curtailing of freedoms. Lots of Poles, particularly those in the intelligentsia, military, and political management, were detained, performed, or deported to labor camps in Siberia, in what became referred to as the Katyn massacre and other purges.

Roald Hoffmann, a chemist who later on won the Nobel Prize, was a kid during this turbulent time, and his family's experience was indicative of the more comprehensive suffering withstood by lots of Poles. His expression highlights not just an individual history but likewise acts as a testament to the sweeping and brutal changes imposed on millions by geopolitical arrangements and wartime aggressiveness. The profession ended in 1941 when Nazi Germany broke the pact with the Soviet Union and attacked Soviet-occupied Poland throughout Operation Barbarossa, leading to another stage of profession and challenge for the Polish individuals.