DOC Warsaw 1920 by Adam Zamoyski in History

Review

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful. Wars you never knewBy david brownI think that most readers would have the same reaction I did when hearing of Adam Zamoyski's book Warsaw 1920: gosh; I didn't know Poland and Russia went to war in 1920.Poland and Russia had a long and often violent joint history. In 1920 there was communist unrest in Germany and Lenin assembled an army to cross Poland and support the German revolutionaries. The Polish; acting on intelligence; preempted any invasion by attacking the Russians. Consequently there is debate as to who "started" this war. The Russians drove back the Poles to the gates of Warsaw but were subsequently routed when the Polish army; under Marshall Jozef Pilsudski; outflanked them. Of interest to me was the youth of the Russian commanders; many in their early twenties and most fated to disappear in Stalin's show trials in the 1930s; and the involvement of figures such as Joseph Stalin (political commissar on the southern front) and Charles de Gaulle (the French military observer).The strength and weakness of Zamoyski's book are one in the same: a concentrated focus on the military activities in the field. Consequently the reader has a good understanding of the strategies; the battles and why the Polish army routed the Russians. The author is very clear about the military focus but it does leave the reader; especially those without prior knowledge; only the most rudimentary understanding of the political context and even less understanding of the concurrent social and economic effects of the war.Although Adam Zamoyski is a Polish historian I; without prior knowledge of the subject and independent of any Polish or Russian cultural ties; considered the book to be reasonably impartial. He is clearly pro-Polish and occasionally an adjective or adverb describing the Russians "pops" out as being deliberately negative. However the focus on military rather than political activities definitively minimizes any bias.The writing itself is quite clear and direct. The material is well organized; primarily on a chronological basis; and benefits significantly from the maps and photographs. The author; presumably recognizing the minimal context provided; has included an appendix with suggested further reading in English.To my mind the best type of book because I learnt something with every page.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. A Succinct Introduction To An Obscure ConflictBy Kurt HardingWhen the Treaty of Versailles was signed; the war wasn't really over in many parts of Europe. Many countries like Germany and Russia were still riven by internal turmoil and in Southeastern Europe; the Greeks and the Turks went at it again. Additionally; many states born of the treaty like Yugoslavia and Poland struggled mightily to maintain independence and territorial integrity.In this slim volume; author Adam Zamoyski recounts how Lenin and Trotsky sent ragged armies pouring into Poland in an attempt to forcibly export Bolshevism and revolution throughout Europe; even though their own civil war still raged and the immediate future of the Communist experiment was far from certain. It is a story of savagery and heroism; as Marshal Pilsudski and the Poles came within a whisker of losing and yet were able to turn the tables on the numerically superior Russian hordes with a mixture of luck and tactical surprise.In Warsaw 1920; the reader is introduced to a number of Poles such as Sikorski; Pilsudski; and Smigly-Rydz who will be important in Poland for years to come. On the Soviet side; names such as Stalin; Budionny; Tukhachevsky; Chicherin; and Gai are among those who will be similarly important.The author seems to share my own view that the humiliation of the 1920 defeat led Stalin to treat the Poles with unbridled savagery from 1939 onwards once he and Hitler partitioned Poland. As you read; you might be amazed that anyone had any fight left in them on either side after the years of WWI which had essentially devastated both Russia and the territory of Poland to the point of pre-industrial subsistence. Yet poorly equipped and poorly trained troops on both sides often fought; pillaged; raped and murdered as if possessed by demons.Warsaw 1920 is a succinct introduction to an obscure conflict. Knowing something of it helps to make some sense of events 20 years later. If history animates your mind; you'll find this a quick; informative; and exciting read.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Europe saved from Bolshevism!By James D. CrabtreeZamoyski presents a great story; that of Poland's finest hour when it stood alone; against the Reds who were on the march to spread their revolution around the world. Poland; which had risen from the ashes of the Great War and which was struggling to reestablish itself on the map of Europe after two centuries of occupation and division managed to stop the Red Army at the very gates of Warsaw.Lenin was not satisfied with taking over Russia when revolution broke out in the Russian Empire. Cutting a deal with the Germans for a respite he also signed several treaties with Georgia; Armenia and Azerbaijan and would later recognize the Far Eastern Republic... and eventually incorporate each into his Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. In dealing with Poland the Bolsheviks only saw another errant property of Czarist Russia; a White outpost which was in the way of spreading Red Revolution to Germany; Hungary; Italy and beyond.Zamoyski's writing brings to life the struggle between Poland and the Soviets. Pilsudski; Poland's leader; is portayed as the leader he was; gruff and unsure had times but the man who could hold the fragile country together long enough to defeat the the Red units sent to crush the freedom-loving Poles (even as Lenin "negotiated" another treaty) and turned defeat into victory. He managed to stop the Bolsheviks and cause them to be more introspective and concentrate on "socialism in one country." He bought almost 20 years of peace for Poland and the rest of Eastern Europe; a legacy of democracy which would serve as a cornerstone for the post-USSR world.This is a great book and includes photos and; more importantly; maps to explain the action. I only wish it was longer!