Warsaw 1920: Lenin's Failed Conquest of Europe
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- Author：Adam Zamoyski
- ISBN：0007225539
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Summary
The dramatic and little-known story of how， in the summer of 1920， Lenin came within a hair's breadth of shattering the painstakingly constructed Versailles peace settlement and spreading Bolshevism to western Europe。 In 1920 the new Soviet state was a mess， following a brutal civil war， and the best way of ensuring its survival appeared to be to export the revolution to Germany， itself economically ruined by defeat in World War I and racked by internal political dissension。
Between Russia and Germany lay Poland， a nation that had only just recovered its independence after more than a century of foreign oppression。 But it was economically and militarily weak and its misguided offensive to liberate the Ukraine in the spring of 1920 laid it open to attack。 Egged on by Trotsky， Lenin launched a massive westward advance under the flamboyant Marshal Tukhachevsky。
All that Great Britain and France had fought for over four years now seemed at risk。 By the middle of August the Russians were only a few kilometres from Warsaw， and Berlin was less than a week's march away。 Then occurred the 'Miracle of the Vistula': the Polish army led by Jozef Pilsudski regrouped and achieved one of the most decisive victories in military history。
As a result， the Versailles peace settlement survived， and Lenin was forced to settle for Communism in one country。 The battle for Warsaw bought Europe nearly two decades of peace， and communism remained a mainly Russian phenomenon， subsuming many of the autocratic and Byzantine characteristics of Russia's tsarist tradition。
Between Russia and Germany lay Poland， a nation that had only just recovered its independence after more than a century of foreign oppression。 But it was economically and militarily weak and its misguided offensive to liberate the Ukraine in the spring of 1920 laid it open to attack。 Egged on by Trotsky， Lenin launched a massive westward advance under the flamboyant Marshal Tukhachevsky。
All that Great Britain and France had fought for over four years now seemed at risk。 By the middle of August the Russians were only a few kilometres from Warsaw， and Berlin was less than a week's march away。 Then occurred the 'Miracle of the Vistula': the Polish army led by Jozef Pilsudski regrouped and achieved one of the most decisive victories in military history。
As a result， the Versailles peace settlement survived， and Lenin was forced to settle for Communism in one country。 The battle for Warsaw bought Europe nearly two decades of peace， and communism remained a mainly Russian phenomenon， subsuming many of the autocratic and Byzantine characteristics of Russia's tsarist tradition。
Reviews
Sean
，
A trim 138 page look at the post-WWI clash between a messianic Soviet Union and a newborn （reborn？） Polish state。 Zamoyski， an excellent writer， neatly filled in a gap in my knowledge of interwar Europe。 It’s surprising that this story isn’t better known in the rest of the world， but as Zamoyski points out， the Polish victory prevented something from happening （the spread of Bolshevism to Poland， and from there to a likely German revolution， etc。）。 It’s harder to wrap your head around the import A trim 138 page look at the post-WWI clash between a messianic Soviet Union and a newborn （reborn？） Polish state。 Zamoyski， an excellent writer， neatly filled in a gap in my knowledge of interwar Europe。 It’s surprising that this story isn’t better known in the rest of the world， but as Zamoyski points out， the Polish victory prevented something from happening （the spread of Bolshevism to Poland， and from there to a likely German revolution， etc。）。 It’s harder to wrap your head around the importance of things that didn’t happen。 But for the “Miracle on the Vistula，” we wouldn’t have had “Socialism in One Country，” and the 20th century would’ve looked quite different。A few observations:•tPilsudski’s early years remind me of nothing more than Stalin’s youth。 “…brought up in the cult of Polish patriotism。 In his youth he embraced socialism， seeing in it the only force that could challenge the Tsarist regime and promote the cause of Polish independence。 His early life reads like a novel， with time in Russian and German gaols punctuating his activities as polemicist， publisher of clandestine newspapers， political agitator， bank-robber， terrorist and urban guerilla。” The biggest difference being that Stalin was handsome， and Pilsudski had gigantic， moth-like eyebrows。•tTachanka， the Eastern European chariot。 Much like the technical of today’s MENA battlefields， the tachanka was a cheap， easily constructed solution to the problem of insufficient firepower in a mobile conflict between less-than-wealthy opponents。 Used extensively by the Russians， it was an open-topped， spring-suspension buggy with a heavy machine gun mounted in the rear。 They often accompanied cavalry formations， and provided serious punch that could attack and withdraw swiftly。•tArmored trains。 Armored trains are mentioned multiple times throughout this book – one， the Smialy， is mentioned by name – and I’ve read about them elsewhere。 What I’ve never read about is how they were actually used。 I imagine they’re useful for freighting VIPs about， for foiling ambushes and partisan attacks， and for defending fixed positions about a rail head， etc。 I’ve come to believe that armored trains were largely ineffective， or at least of quite minor importance， or we’d hear more about them。•tCavalry proved to be important in a dynamic conflict set in country with poor infrastructure。 The Soviet “Konkorpus” under Hayk “Gai” Bzishkyan （an ethnic Armenian） proved to be particularly effective， and brutal。 Zamoyski writes:“The cavalry of the respective sides encapsulated the fundamental characteristics of the two armies facing each other: the less numerous Poles relied on smaller， trained and equipped units operating according to established rules of war; the Russians on vast numbers of ofen entirely unsuitable men， equipped with whatever was at hand， on improvisation and on ignoring received methods in order to exploit any situation。 “The Russian army is a horde，” wrote the man who would lead it into Poland， “and its strength lies in its being a horde。” This would prove an advantage， given the terrain。”•tA history of underground resistance to occupation gave the Poles an interesting advantage: skill in cryptography and sigint。 “… a long tradition of encryption and decryption reaching back through a century of conspiracy and resistance。 Polish officers had also served in the monitoring services of the Russian， German and French armies， and as a result the intelligence-gathering unit set up by the Polish army at the beginning of 1919 had a wide knowledge of existing techniques and an unsurpassed range of skills。 By the summer of that year it had broken the Russian codes， and by the beginning of 1920 it was listening in to every radio station in western Russia， and intercepting and decrypting 50 per cent of all communications reaching and leaving the Red Army’s Western and South-Western Fronts。”•tThere’s record of a confrontation between Polish lancers and a Cossack cavalry unit that started off with a challenge of single combat between champions， something that might’ve been at home in the year 920。 One Kuzma Kruchkov issued a challenge， and one Captain Raciecki accepted。 After a brief clash， Raciecki cleaved Kruchov from collar to waist。•tThe English and French sent Poland military missions and something approximating moral support， but not much else。 Bitterly disappointed， at their first meeting Pilsudski asked the French representative， Maxime Weygand （one-time chief-of-staff to Marshal Foch）， “How many divisions have you brought？” Weygand of course had brought none。 Must’ve been an awkward meeting for Weygand。•tBlocking troops。 Movies about the Second World War love to show Russian soldiers stationed behind the front lines， in place to fire on their countrymen should they try to run from the enemy。 I’ve read about such things， too， but only that such blocking units existed， and never that they actually mowed down their own men。 Evidently， in their desperation the Poles resorted to the same idea; we also don’t hear of them gunning down retreating Polish troops:“[The generals] were so alarmed that they ordered a cordon of military police to take up positions behind the front line and to machine-gun any retreating troops。 These measures apparently did the trick， as observers noted a sudden change of heart and even a new self-assurance in the men who had been abandoning their positions only that morning。” I’ll bet they had a change of heart。 。。。more
Wieland Wyntin
，
De slag om Warschau is één van Zamoyski's beter leesbare boeken en staat in sterk contrast met de dikkere turven die hij meestal aflevert。 In dit verslag over de korte Pools-Russische oorlog （1919-1921） legt de Poolse auteur het ongelofelijke belang uit van de heroïsche strijd aan Poolse zijde om destijds een communistische invasie van Midden-Europa tegen te houden。 Met de val van Warschau lag de weg naar Berlijn open waar er toen nog steeds onrust heerste door de neergeslagen opstand van de rod De slag om Warschau is één van Zamoyski's beter leesbare boeken en staat in sterk contrast met de dikkere turven die hij meestal aflevert。 In dit verslag over de korte Pools-Russische oorlog （1919-1921） legt de Poolse auteur het ongelofelijke belang uit van de heroïsche strijd aan Poolse zijde om destijds een communistische invasie van Midden-Europa tegen te houden。 Met de val van Warschau lag de weg naar Berlijn open waar er toen nog steeds onrust heerste door de neergeslagen opstand van de rode Spartakisten onder leiding van Karl Liebknecht en Rosa Luxemburg。 Een opportuniteit die de Sovjets zeker uitgebuit zouden hebben。 Een aanrader voor wie meer te weten wil komen over dit vergeten stukje Europese geschiedenis。 。。。more
Monika
，
In this short（ish） book on the Communist aggression on the newly formed post-war Polish State， Zamoyski describes how The Red Army （only recently emerging from conquering Deniken's White） was prevented from spreading its Iron Hold into Western Europe by a series of decisive battles stretching between Minsk and The Wisła。 20 years later the Communists would try again。Zamoyski explains why， and interestingly， why Poland was represented badly in the International Press。 The fact that this battle is In this short（ish） book on the Communist aggression on the newly formed post-war Polish State， Zamoyski describes how The Red Army （only recently emerging from conquering Deniken's White） was prevented from spreading its Iron Hold into Western Europe by a series of decisive battles stretching between Minsk and The Wisła。 20 years later the Communists would try again。Zamoyski explains why， and interestingly， why Poland was represented badly in the International Press。 The fact that this battle is little known today perhaps represents the efficacy of Communist propaganda， whose legacy is the Western ignorance of their atrocities or failures （The Katyn Massacre springs to mind）。One thing that Zamoyski doesn't hide is his bias。 And while I normally greatly enjoy participating in swooning Polish Patriotism， I strongly suspect that it is not the case that every Red soldier was a pillaging， raping， venomous， brute， and every Polish soldier the epitome of goodness。 It is likely that there was a difference in the moral behaviours of both armies， but not in such a caricature。 His choice of language was striking and a bit embarrassing。（Let me note here that the only time that Zamoyski was critical of the Poles was with regards to their generally unfavourable treatment towards the Semitic population）。I did enjoy the portraits painted of various military leaders; Tukhachievsky （20-years old， and unrelenting）， Budionny （flamboyant）， Gai （tenacious and savage）， a younger Stalin （petulant） with the Communists。 Sikorski， Piłsudski， Haller， and even De Gaulle on the allied side。Less did I enjoy the entire middle portion of the book， which was quite a slog to make my way through。 It described the movements and positions of the various military regiments and battalions and their confused tactical decisions。 I suppose that I should have expected this - the book's chosen subject matter was "battle，" and I'm sure Nebel des Krieges had something to do with it too。 Maybe my feminine tendencies make me prefer descriptions of people rather than descriptions of battle （oh wooow， the stereotypes are true。 I hate myself。） Heck， I don't even really understand Military Divisions， and no matter how hard I try I don't think I ever will。My only moment of boyish excitement came with descriptions of cavalry-on-cavalry warfare （in the North of the country as the Poles surrounded the retreating the infamous KonArmia （could that name be any more Commie？）。 Quite incredible to think that at the time where planes and tanks and guns and armoured trains were in use， that there was a significant battle between advanced countries that used this form of warfare。 Indeed， that the cavalry would have been chosen over these technologies in some instances。 That it was preferable。 Zamoyski called it "The Last great Cavalry Battle。" What a thing it would have been to behold。 。。。more
Mastersonmcvoidson
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A fairly short history of the Polish-Soviet War， focusing on the Battle of Warsaw。 It covers the main war between Poland and the Soviets without giving much attention to the fighting in Ukraine or elsewhere。The book opens with the description of the general situation and gives a rundown of the state of affairs in Eastern Europe at the time of the war。 It focuses primarily on the Polish conflict with Soviet Russia and gives only passing mentions to the conflicts in Latvia， Ukraine and operations A fairly short history of the Polish-Soviet War， focusing on the Battle of Warsaw。 It covers the main war between Poland and the Soviets without giving much attention to the fighting in Ukraine or elsewhere。The book opens with the description of the general situation and gives a rundown of the state of affairs in Eastern Europe at the time of the war。 It focuses primarily on the Polish conflict with Soviet Russia and gives only passing mentions to the conflicts in Latvia， Ukraine and operations in 1919。 It does a good job of providing the political background and following the diplomatic developments that happened behind all the military operations， but I feel that it takes a somewhat biased view and is much more forgiving of Polish mistakes or aggression while taking a slightly harsher approach towards the Bolsheviks。 This is not too explicit or too impactful， but it does leave me a bit uneasy。The Polish-Soviet War itself starts getting covered in a bit more detail with the 1920 Polish offensive in Ukraine， which aimed to capture Kiev。 The battles are described in some detail with the atrocities and damage done by both sides being described in a vivid manner。 The main focus of the book is the Battle of Warsaw， which is covered in considerable detail。 My only complaint is that there are no clear numbers provided for the casualties and the forces engaged。 When compared to the Battle of Warsaw， the rest of the book seems somewhat lacking in detail and I think that it would've been better if the coverage was a bit more even。 The narrative is highly readable and filled with many vivid descriptions of the events that took place， shedding light on some interesting incidents and detailing obscure developments。 A highly readable history of the Polish-Soviet War with a detailed study of the Battle of Warsaw， but it does have some flaws and the feeling of unevenness caused by the overwhelming focus on that single battle rather than the entire war leaves much of the military and diplomatic context missing。 One of the better books on the Polish-Soviet War， but not flawless。 Final Rating: 7/10 。。。more
Wej
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Adam Zamoyski described the events leading to the Battle of Warsaw （1920）。 This history of Polish-Soviet war focuses mostly on the military campaign。 Very little place is given to the politics behind it and the social context。 Brief biographies of generals were included which shed light on their further actions， including their contributions in WW2。 The description of military manoeuvres can be confusing at times。 Luckily， the book was repleted with maps showing the positions of different forces Adam Zamoyski described the events leading to the Battle of Warsaw （1920）。 This history of Polish-Soviet war focuses mostly on the military campaign。 Very little place is given to the politics behind it and the social context。 Brief biographies of generals were included which shed light on their further actions， including their contributions in WW2。 The description of military manoeuvres can be confusing at times。 Luckily， the book was repleted with maps showing the positions of different forces。Overall， this is a good and concise description of this brief war。 A war which possibly is not as well known as others because its outcome was stopping something from happening （i。e。 the Bolsheviks taking over the Eastern Europe and potentially Germany）。 。。。more
Maziyar Yf
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کتاب ورشو 1920 یکی از مهمترین و البته ناشناخته ترین رخدادهای تاریخ اروپا پس از جنگ جهانی اول را بررسی می کند ، در سال 1920 روسیه درگیر جنگ داخلی ایست اما مانند دیگر رژیم های انقلابی به صدور انقلاب هم فکر می کند ، در حقیقت اروپای ورشکسته از جنگ و مردم خسته از سیاست مداران و حکومت ها ، از نظر لنین آماده یک انقلاب از نوع انقلاب سوسیالیستی روسیه هستند ، البته لنین پربیراه هم نمی گوید ، در آلمان ، فرانسه و ایتالیا کارگران اعتصاب کرده اند ، تمام عوامل آماده انقلاب سوسیالیستی و رسیدن کمونیست ها به قدرت کتاب ورشو 1920 یکی از مهمترین و البته ناشناخته ترین رخدادهای تاریخ اروپا پس از جنگ جهانی اول را بررسی می کند ، در سال 1920 روسیه درگیر جنگ داخلی ایست اما مانند دیگر رژیم های انقلابی به صدور انقلاب هم فکر می کند ، در حقیقت اروپای ورشکسته از جنگ و مردم خسته از سیاست مداران و حکومت ها ، از نظر لنین آماده یک انقلاب از نوع انقلاب سوسیالیستی روسیه هستند ، البته لنین پربیراه هم نمی گوید ، در آلمان ، فرانسه و ایتالیا کارگران اعتصاب کرده اند ، تمام عوامل آماده انقلاب سوسیالیستی و رسیدن کمونیست ها به قدرت در اروپای غربی هستند ، به جز کشور تازه به استقلال رسیده و ضعیف لهستان 。در حقیقت پیروزی بر لهستان و فتح ورشو راه را برای سقوط برلین و بعد پاریس و رُم هموار می کند 。 دموکراسی های غربی بدون آنکه اطلاعی از نیت لنین داشته باشند کاملا در خطر یک انقلاب کمونیستی هستند 。 اما اینجاست که معجزه ویستولا یا نبرد ورشو رُخ میدهد ، روسها که به نزدیکی ورشو و رود ویستولا رسیده اند متوقف می شوند و سپس بر اثر حمله لهستان تا مرز اصلی خود بر می گردند ، دو کشور به صلح می رسند و لهستان که از نقشه جهان حذف شده بود باز بر روی نقشه ها ظاهر می شود 。اما وجود لهستان فقط 19 سال طول می کشد ، در جنگ دوم هیتلر از غرب و شوروی از شرق به لهستان نگون بخت حمله و لهستان را بین خود تقسیم می کنند ، لهستان که تلفات غیر نظامی بسیارزیادی هم داده پس از جنگ در چنگال شوروی می ماند تا سال 1989 که آزاد می شود 。نویسنده بیشتر صفحات کتاب را به چگونگی نبرد اختصاص داده اما در مقدمه و چگونگی آغاز جنگ ریشه های نبرد را که اجتناب پذیر به نظر می رسد را کاملا شرح داده است ، همین طور توضیح داده است که چگونه به خاطر این نبرد یهود ستیزی بین هر دو ملت روس و لهستان تقویت شد و چگونه غرب مشغول به تقویت بنیان دیکتاتوری در آلمان و ایتالیا به منظور مقابله با غول کمونیست شد 。در پایان کتاب نویسنده انقلابهای مخملی در جمهوری های شوروی را در امتداد نبرد ورشو دانسته و به گونه ای پدید آمدن کشورهایی حوزه دریای بالتیک و استقلال لهستان را نتیجه مبارزات طولانی مردم لهستان در طول تاریخ و از جمله در این نبرد دانسته است 。 。。。more
JonasB
，
A great book that highlights a lesser-known moment in history。 It is remarkable though how many significant historical figures were directly or indirectly involved in this struggle。 Like always， the pace is just right and due to the limited scope it is a very quick and entertaining read
Bruce
，
A Fascinating Military History of a Forgotten WarI wanted to know more about this forgotten conflict。 The title of the book really says it all as Lenin’s ambition had no limits。 The ramifications from this conflict are apparent today。
Roderigo
，
Nice easy & focused book to read。 Very little explanations largely focusing on 1919-1920 & the actual battle for Warsaw。 It is a largely military/battle book with little politics included & next to no societal。 That said it was a very good & informative reason with dozen maps & large character outlines。。。。。only marked as 3 due to strict focus on the battle/war itself。 Very much enjoyed！！！ 🤓
Kiki023
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A detailed operational history， focused mostly on the Battle of Warsaw。 The author lays out his aims in the introduction: a concise summation of the events that led up to the battle， the battle itself， and the immediate aftermath。 The goods here are in the finer details。 As mentioned by other reviewers， a more comprehensive history can be found in White Eagle， Red Star: The Polish-Soviet War 1919-1920 and The Miracle on the Vistula。 Still， the characterization of the commanders involved， particu A detailed operational history， focused mostly on the Battle of Warsaw。 The author lays out his aims in the introduction: a concise summation of the events that led up to the battle， the battle itself， and the immediate aftermath。 The goods here are in the finer details。 As mentioned by other reviewers， a more comprehensive history can be found in White Eagle， Red Star: The Polish-Soviet War 1919-1920 and The Miracle on the Vistula。 Still， the characterization of the commanders involved， particularly that of Mikhail Tukhachevsky， and details concerning the haphazard composition of the armies on both sides were interesting additions that can only aid in any understanding of the conflict。 Zamoyski concludes with some thoughts on the consequences of the war。 Knowing what we know of Stalin's intentions in the international arena， it is something of a stretch to say that the memory of 1920 pushed him into making a pact with the Nazis， although it may go some way towards explaining the character of the occupation once it had occurred。 Furthermore， some 13 years after this was published， what could it mean to say that the "freedom" Eastern Europe enjoys now is owed to the two decades of respite won by Pilsudski and his entourage， when those very nations have slipped into an illiberal mode of government， and when those very individuals undermined the parliamentary order they had constructed so soon after its birth？ History may be repeating itself， but confused conclusions aside， this is a useful entry in a subject whose literature is not very vast to begin with。 。。。more
Huw Richardson
，
Not sure I buy the main premise regarding the value of the battle。
Krzysztof
，
Lenin was a mixture of the most extreme values "a la russe。" And it is known that the Russian soul is one of the highly complex ones that are hard to figure out and understand。 Adam Zamoyski beautifully unravel Lenin's failed conquest of Europe， the man who in April 1917 came to Russia from Switzerland via Germany in a sealed wagon; like a strange creation， and specimen of this world， who made the worst social upheaval ever recorded in history。 Lenin was a mixture of the most extreme values "a la russe。" And it is known that the Russian soul is one of the highly complex ones that are hard to figure out and understand。 Adam Zamoyski beautifully unravel Lenin's failed conquest of Europe， the man who in April 1917 came to Russia from Switzerland via Germany in a sealed wagon; like a strange creation， and specimen of this world， who made the worst social upheaval ever recorded in history。 。。。more
Sean McGuffin
，
A well written & enjoyable short military history that gives a good idea of the events and context they took place in。 It could have expanded in certain areas， but then it would have lost its brevity。 It is specifically a military history， so do not expect it to details outside of that sphere。
Daniel Minister
，
Zamoyski’s work on Warsaw 1920 is ok at best。 Uncordially the context is lacking and at times it just felt like a list of units clashing somewhere in the vortex。 With no real discussion of what different units were or doing， I had no real context for the campaign。 The saving grace is the short length which is the only reason I finished it。 This is not his fantastic work on 1812， but it still deserves 2 starts on the fact it highlights a forgotten historical events that has had many resulting con Zamoyski’s work on Warsaw 1920 is ok at best。 Uncordially the context is lacking and at times it just felt like a list of units clashing somewhere in the vortex。 With no real discussion of what different units were or doing， I had no real context for the campaign。 The saving grace is the short length which is the only reason I finished it。 This is not his fantastic work on 1812， but it still deserves 2 starts on the fact it highlights a forgotten historical events that has had many resulting consquences。 。。。more
Akram Khatam
，
چکیده ای از یک یورش مورد غفلت قرار گرفتهلهستان از ۱۶۱۲بین پروس و اتریش و روسیه تقسیم شده بود و جایی در جهان نداشت بعد از انقلاب اکتبر。 لنین تمام مناطق لهستان را واگذار کرد （مانند ایران） ولی دو سال بعد اولین کشور گشایی اش با حمله به لهستان اغاز شد و علت عقب ماندگی وسیع شوروی بود که هیچ راهی بجز صدور انقلاب به اروپا پیش پایش نگذاشته بود و المان هدف بسیار خوبی بود。لنین قبل از اکتبر هم در قرداد برست لیتوفسک مناطق وسیعی را به المان بخشیده بود چون خیال میکرد بنا به اموخته های مارکس بسرعت انقلاب های سو چکیده ای از یک یورش مورد غفلت قرار گرفتهلهستان از ۱۶۱۲بین پروس و اتریش و روسیه تقسیم شده بود و جایی در جهان نداشت بعد از انقلاب اکتبر。 لنین تمام مناطق لهستان را واگذار کرد （مانند ایران） ولی دو سال بعد اولین کشور گشایی اش با حمله به لهستان اغاز شد و علت عقب ماندگی وسیع شوروی بود که هیچ راهی بجز صدور انقلاب به اروپا پیش پایش نگذاشته بود و المان هدف بسیار خوبی بود。لنین قبل از اکتبر هم در قرداد برست لیتوفسک مناطق وسیعی را به المان بخشیده بود چون خیال میکرد بنا به اموخته های مارکس بسرعت انقلاب های سوسیالیستی همه کشورهای پیشرفته را فرا میگیرد اتفاقا در المان و مجارستان و اتریش در ۱۹۱۸ انقلاباتی رخ داد ولی بسرعت فرو نشست و این از جمله ایرادات به مارکس است که پتانسیل نظام سرمایه داری را برای مواجه با بحرانهایش ندیده بودرهبر نظامی شوروی مردی ۲۷ ساله بود به نام توخاچفسکی که قرار بود صدور انقلاب را به همه جا هدایت کند تروتسکی کمیسر جنگ هم هدایت انرا از داخل به عهده داشت لهستان در این هجوم وحشیانه تنها بود （مانند ایران زمانی که شوروی به ایران حمله کرد و جمهوری خلق گیلان را با کمک میزا کوچک خان ایجاد کرد。ایران قرار داد۱۹۱۹ را با انگلیس بست تا تحت حمایت او قرار گیرد ولی انگلیس به ان پایبند نماند ） انگار غرب نمیدانست در این موقعیت با کشور شورا ها چه در پیش گیرد。اشغال لهستان مورد غفلت جهان قرار گرفت ولی شکست شوروی در ان تاریخ این منطقه را دگرگون کرد امریکا و متفقین بعد از جنگ اول کشورهایی مثل چکسلواکی و。 استونی و لهستان را در شرق المان بوجود اوردند تا مانع جنگ بعدی این کشور زخم خورده شونداما اولین حمله هیتلر به لهستان بود استالین در ۱۹۳۹ قراردادی با هیتلر بست و مناطق اشغالی خود را （دوباره ） به هیتلر داد تا او در اینده به شوروی حمله نکند و روایت است که استالین در ۱۹۴۱ حمله المان به شوروی را باور نکرده بودلهستان دارای ریشه های عمیق مسیحیت کاتولیک بود و این هویت انرا در مقابل تیلیغات لنین به جذب کارگرانش به اردوگاه و همینطور فاشیسم المان ایمن کرده بود ولی یهودی ها در این کشور به حاشیه رانده شده بودنددر ریشه کشتار سنگین یهودیان در لهستان باید اشاره کرد که شوروی بعلت خروج سنگین سرمایه توسط یهودی ها بعد از انقلاب بشدت در پی نابودی انها بودند و در لهستان هم یهودی بودن تروتسکی و بسیاری از رجال شوروی بهانه خوبی برای این کشتار بود（البته ریشه یهود کشی عوامل متعدد دیگری هم دارد）。شوروی در این جنگ سهمگین یک ساله شکست خورد و اداوات و سرمایه انسانی و سیعی را از دست داد ولی انتقام انرا در حمله همزمان با هیتلر در ۱۹۳۹ به انجا گرفت 。این بار دیگر زور و سرکوب و نه تشویق به پیوستن به اردوگاه راهبر ان بود。لهستان تا ۱۹۸۵در جرگه اردوگاه ماند و در طی جنگ دوم هسته های مقاومت بسیاری در ان شکل گرفت که رمز های انیگما المان را برای متفقین باز میکرد و که نقش مهمی در ضربه به نازیسم بود 。。。more
William
，
A lively， lucid account of the Polish-Russian War of 1919-20。 Many of us in the United States are unaware of this conflict。 Zamoyski himself writes in the introduction: ‘It may come as something of a surprise to most people that a battle as decisive as Marathon or Waterloo took place in Europe between the end of the First World War in 1918 and the outbreak of the Second in 1939。 Dramatic and fateful as they were， the events that took place at the gates of Warsaw in August 1920 have sunk into obl A lively， lucid account of the Polish-Russian War of 1919-20。 Many of us in the United States are unaware of this conflict。 Zamoyski himself writes in the introduction: ‘It may come as something of a surprise to most people that a battle as decisive as Marathon or Waterloo took place in Europe between the end of the First World War in 1918 and the outbreak of the Second in 1939。 Dramatic and fateful as they were， the events that took place at the gates of Warsaw in August 1920 have sunk into oblivion。’ 。。。more
Krisley Freitas
，
Trecho da introdução:“Considerando que os bastidores políticos e diplomáticos já foram amplamente investigados por outras pessoas， concentrei-me nas operações militares， e especialmente em fazer uma síntese acessível ao leitor comum， dando uma visão ampla e sucinta do que aconteceu e como aconteceu， o que exclui necessariamente dezenas de fatos menores e o papel desempenhado por muitos atores secundários， alguns de importância crucial。”Apesar do foco do autor ser a parte militar， poderia ter tra Trecho da introdução:“Considerando que os bastidores políticos e diplomáticos já foram amplamente investigados por outras pessoas， concentrei-me nas operações militares， e especialmente em fazer uma síntese acessível ao leitor comum， dando uma visão ampla e sucinta do que aconteceu e como aconteceu， o que exclui necessariamente dezenas de fatos menores e o papel desempenhado por muitos atores secundários， alguns de importância crucial。”Apesar do foco do autor ser a parte militar， poderia ter trabalhado melhor tanto as causas como as consequências da guerra no cenário político/social， o livro ficou um pouco sem início ou fim。O livro é majoritariamente sobre a movimentação de exércitos e as dificuldades enfrentadas pelos soldados - que lutavam com falta de armas， alimentação， uniformes， transportes， etc。Contém 10 mapas e 40 fotos。 。。。more
Kit
，
Zamoyski's treatment of the little known war that saved Europe from being overrun by Bolshevik armies is a sheer joy to read。 Zamoyski skillfully sets up the contestants on either side and gives the reader a glimpse into the reasons that drove the Soviet armies， drunk with victory after a brutal civil war， headlong into the nascent armies of Poland with the goal of marching triumphantly into the tumult that was Germany after WWI。 Poland， having risen anew from the ashes of history， suddenly foun Zamoyski's treatment of the little known war that saved Europe from being overrun by Bolshevik armies is a sheer joy to read。 Zamoyski skillfully sets up the contestants on either side and gives the reader a glimpse into the reasons that drove the Soviet armies， drunk with victory after a brutal civil war， headlong into the nascent armies of Poland with the goal of marching triumphantly into the tumult that was Germany after WWI。 Poland， having risen anew from the ashes of history， suddenly found itself standing alone against a lumbering bear smarting from the insult of having its territory amended to furnish Poland with something like historical borders。 Zamoyski recounts how the Soviets were supremely confident that turbulent Germany would easily fall and then the workers' revolution would gobble up the rest of Europe。 Only the small nation of Poland stood between the eager Soviets and the reeling Germans。 Zamoyski details how the Poles preempted and diverted the Soviets， but the Red Armies still staggered forward until they reached the Vistula， poised to crush Warsaw and march west。 The Miracle on the Vistula delivered the knock-out blow to General Stalin and the Red Army， thus saving Europe from the Bolshevik Revolution。Zamoyski gives a rollicking good rendition of the movement and clashes of armies。 Sadly the paperback version has rather poor photographs and the many maps urgently need to be in at least 3 colors。 But otherwise， this is a fine primer into the crucial conflict that gets absolutely too little coverage。 I'm gonna pass this book on and pick up Norman Davies take on it。 。。。more
Samuel
，
Concise but thorough。 The maps are plentiful and make understanding events much easier。 Covers everything a reader without any knowledge of the subject would be interested in。
Jonathan
，
this book should be the start of your reading on this subject，the book deals with the battles that happen during 1920，and foreshadows the future，why the events of 1939，came out what happen back in 1920。
Hamide meraj
，
اول از همه بگم این کتاب، کتاب خیلی کاملی هست در مورد جنگ لهستان و شوروری ما بین دو جنگ بزرگ جهانی。 حدود 1920 。 علت اینکه دو ستاره دادم فقط برای این بود که خودم کتاب رو و محتوای ان رو زیاد دوست نداشتم。 راستش موقع گرفتن کتاب فک میکردم بیشتر کتاب جنبه تاریخ تحلیلی وقایع اون زمان رو دارد و نگاهی نقادانه تر به اتفاقات و رخدادهای اون موقع دارد 。 اما بیشتر کتاب تاریخ با شرح جزییات کامل و اتفاقات و حملات دو طرف نبرد و نحوه ی ارایش نظامی انها بود。 که خب من این جنبه از تاریخش برام خیلی کم اهمیت بود و زیاد اول از همه بگم این کتاب، کتاب خیلی کاملی هست در مورد جنگ لهستان و شوروری ما بین دو جنگ بزرگ جهانی。 حدود 1920 。 علت اینکه دو ستاره دادم فقط برای این بود که خودم کتاب رو و محتوای ان رو زیاد دوست نداشتم。 راستش موقع گرفتن کتاب فک میکردم بیشتر کتاب جنبه تاریخ تحلیلی وقایع اون زمان رو دارد و نگاهی نقادانه تر به اتفاقات و رخدادهای اون موقع دارد 。 اما بیشتر کتاب تاریخ با شرح جزییات کامل و اتفاقات و حملات دو طرف نبرد و نحوه ی ارایش نظامی انها بود。 که خب من این جنبه از تاریخش برام خیلی کم اهمیت بود و زیاد دوست نداشتم。 با این وجود این کتاب به من کمک زیادی کرد تا پازل ذهنیم از اتفاقات قرن بیستم کامل و کامل تر بشه。。 اتفاقی که بین دو تا جنگ جهانی بزرگ رخ داد و اهمیت خیلی بالاییی داشت اما به خاطر قرار گرفتن بین دو جنگ بزرگ اصولا فراموش شده 。 به طور دقیق تر تلاش نافرجام لنین برای صادر کردن انقلاب به اروپا و سلطه کامل بر انها که خب محقق نشد。 در ضمن یک شناخت کامل تری هم نسبت به کشور لهستان و تلاش مردمش برای ازادی و استقلال پیدا کردم。با این حال برای کسانی که این جنبه جزئی نگراز تاریخ رو دوست دارند توصیه اش میکنم。 。。。more
Wim Verburg
，
Interessant boek over een voor mij onbekende fase na de Eerste Wereldoorlog en na de Oktoberrevolutie in Rusland。 Veel militaire details， maar beknopt genoeg om te blijven boeien。
Brian Beatty
，
An efficient and detailed account of a pivotal battle， one that set the stage for Stalin and a number of attitudes of Polish and Russian leaders generally。It wasn't the most compelling read， but still among the best for this topic as far as I know An efficient and detailed account of a pivotal battle， one that set the stage for Stalin and a number of attitudes of Polish and Russian leaders generally。It wasn't the most compelling read， but still among the best for this topic as far as I know 。。。more
Joe Collins
，
I enjoyed it。 It does get down to a lower level of military operations then Norman Davies'， "White Eagle， Red Star"， but about half of it or more is covered in that book too。 Since I read Davies' book just before this one， I felt that I was re-reading a lot of the same material。 But had it been a couple of years in between my readings， I would not have felt that way。 I enjoyed it。 It does get down to a lower level of military operations then Norman Davies'， "White Eagle， Red Star"， but about half of it or more is covered in that book too。 Since I read Davies' book just before this one， I felt that I was re-reading a lot of the same material。 But had it been a couple of years in between my readings， I would not have felt that way。 。。。more
lärm
，
Not too many footnotes， not that difficult style， plenty of maps， the occasional anecdote to spice things up and make the otherwise dry facts more vivid。。。。 this is a great little book to read if you are interested in the battle between Poland and the Red Army。It's fascinating to read how the West is behaving right after WW1 when confronted with the red threat。 Not too many footnotes， not that difficult style， plenty of maps， the occasional anecdote to spice things up and make the otherwise dry facts more vivid。。。。 this is a great little book to read if you are interested in the battle between Poland and the Red Army。It's fascinating to read how the West is behaving right after WW1 when confronted with the red threat。 。。。more
Alex
，
Comprehension exploration of a relatively brief conflict， but the narrow area of focus means the reader isn't provided with enough time to come to understand the key figures on either side， and the constant switching between both Polish and Russian commanders and the various divisions they command quickly causes confusion。 Additionally， the author stresses the importance of the outcome of the conflict on the future of Europe， but these consequences are never explored in-depth。 Great for fans of Comprehension exploration of a relatively brief conflict， but the narrow area of focus means the reader isn't provided with enough time to come to understand the key figures on either side， and the constant switching between both Polish and Russian commanders and the various divisions they command quickly causes confusion。 Additionally， the author stresses the importance of the outcome of the conflict on the future of Europe， but these consequences are never explored in-depth。 Great for fans of military history， but inadequate for anybody hoping for a wider picture of the geopolitical scene。 。。。more
Daniel Kukwa
，
A very concise presentation。 You do need to come to it with a bit of pre-knowledge of the post-WWI situation for this book to be an ultimately satisfying experience， but it's worth it for the clear， straightforward presentation。 Mind you， like most military histories， your head can start spinning trying to keep the geography of all the battle tactics coherent。 Sometimes I think these books should come with a tabletop model， with toy soldiers to move around as you read about the battles。 A very concise presentation。 You do need to come to it with a bit of pre-knowledge of the post-WWI situation for this book to be an ultimately satisfying experience， but it's worth it for the clear， straightforward presentation。 Mind you， like most military histories， your head can start spinning trying to keep the geography of all the battle tactics coherent。 Sometimes I think these books should come with a tabletop model， with toy soldiers to move around as you read about the battles。 。。。more
Joe Mcmanis
，
Meh。 Not for any kind of real scholar， this book may only have merit for a certain type of armchair historian who has strong opinions about the Polish Martyr Complex。 Which isn't to say that the book is poorly written。 It has a very easy to read style that many history texts do not。 Meh。 Not for any kind of real scholar， this book may only have merit for a certain type of armchair historian who has strong opinions about the Polish Martyr Complex。 Which isn't to say that the book is poorly written。 It has a very easy to read style that many history texts do not。 。。。more
Bill V
，