The Polish Soviet War 1919-1921 (Documentary)

The Polish-Soviet War was one of the most important conflicts in the aftermath of the First World War when Eastern Europe was in flux. Both the Polish and the Bolshevik Army had the advantage numerous times and at the Battle of Warsaw is looked like the Bolsheviks would carry the revolution into Western Europe.

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» SOURCES
Smele, Jonathan. The ‘Russian’ Civil Wars 1916-1926 (London: Hurst, 2015).
Mawdsley, Evan. The Russian Civil War (New York: Pegasus Books, 2005).
Leonhard, Jörn. Der überforderte Frieden. Versailles und die Welt 1918-1923 (CH Beck, 2018).
Macmillan, Margaret. The Peacemakers: Six Months That Changed the World (London: John Murray, 2001)
Davies, Norman. White Eagle Red Star (Random House, 2003 (1972))

Böhler, Jochen. Civil War in Central Europe, 1918-1921 (Oxford University Press, 2019)
Timothy Snyder. The Reconstruction of Nations. (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2003)
Centek, Jarosław: Polish-Soviet War 1920-1921 , in: 1914-1918-online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War, ed. by Ute Daniel, Peter Gatrell, Oliver Janz, Heather Jones, Jennifer Keene, Alan Kramer, and Bill Nasson, issued by Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin 2014-10-08
Borzecki, Jerzy. The Polish-Soviet Peace of 1921 and the Creation of Interwar Europe (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2008)
Engelstein, Laura. Russia in Flames (Oxford University Press, 2017).
Lehnstaedt, Stephan. Der Vergessene Sieg. Der Polnisch-Sowjetische Krieg 1919-1921 und die Entstehung des modernen Osteuropa (CH Beck, 2019)


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»CREDITS
Presented by: Jesse Alexander
Written by: Jesse Alexander
Director: Toni Steller & Florian Wittig
Director of Photography: Toni Steller
Sound: Toni Steller
Editing: Toni Steller
Motion Design: Toni Steller
Research by: Jesse Alexander
Fact checking: Florian Wittig

Channel Design: Yves Thimian

Contains licensed material by getty images and AP Archive
Maps: MapTiler/OpenStreetMap Contributors & GEOlayers3
All rights reserved - Real Time History GmbH 2022

[tdb]

Poland has such an interesting history. I am on the other side of the world in Australia with zero Slavic blood, but I cannot stop myself from watching videos on Poland.

[dcdrc]

Fact: The last veteran of the Polish-Soviet War, Józef Kowalski, passed away on December 7, 2013, age 113.

[leszyj]

My great-grandfather fought for 3 days near Radzymin, near Warsaw. He was a machine gun operator. Twenty-three years later, during the Second World War, the Soviet army entered his village. Three officers lived in his house, and when they drank vodka in the evening, it turned out that one of them had also fought in Radzymin on the side of the Bolsheviks. When my ancestor criticized Stalin, the officer who had fought at Radzymin beat him severely. The next morning, this officer approached him and said, "I had to beat you because my friend, an NKVD officer, would have shot you." He saved his life.

[morgwai]

it's worth to mention that the Polish victory in the battle of Warsaw was achieved in a huge extent thanks to the fact that the Polish army was able to finally break Soviet communication codes and ciphers and knew quite precisely all Soviet battle plans and where each red army unit was.

[avnrulz]

So many people think fighting stopped in November 1918 until September 1939.

[mareka]

The brother of my grandfather was a volunteer in that war when Russia wanted to recapture the newly independent Poland. Unfortunately he was killed by Russians in July 1920 in the region of Białystok defending his homeland. His body was never found. After more than 100 years we in our family still remember him, a young boy who sacrificed his life for the freedom of Poland.

[DunderSwist]

There was also a small but significant episode with the Czechs, who, counting on Poland's defeat, attacked and seized the town of Cieszyn.

[jn]

I love Poland, they are the definition of when the going gets tough, the tough get going. Much love from the Scotland..

[gienol]

This was an impressive experience. As a Pole I have never seen /listened such a comprehensive material about the war neither in school nor anywhere else. Many thanks.

[toastertastic]

Thank you so much for talking about lesser known conflicts during the Interwar period! It’s really fascinating to learn about what happened after WW1

[davidyoung]

Whatever tapes or books you sell i want to buy em all. This channel is awsome. You guys just don't pick the same battles or wars all the other channels cover, you guys cover everything. The Great War, Kings & Generals, History Marche, Armchair Historian are all top notch.

[samrowland]

Fantastic stuff! I really enjoyed this video because the Polish-Soviet war is not really something taught in schools in the UK 😊

[tomaszzap]

I am impressed, how well it is done. Correct prounciation of Polish, Russian Ukrainian names. Quite a lot of details, views from various parts of the conflict.

[factsoverfeelingss]

Such great videos, on Napoleon and this! Thanks!

[Randrico]

I appreciate that you adding subtitles. They are a relatively small detail but they improve the quality of a video by a lot.

[oszustoslaw]

So, Poland stopped Red Army, Poland had big role in stopping Ottomans and when Poland was in need ... was left alone.

[Zadlo]

13:45 You forgot about one a bit important mention. Prince Lubomirski was one of three regents (members of Regency Council) in Kingdom of Poland (between 1917 and 1918) who later gave power to Piłsudski.

18:15 Also General Latinik was commander of 1st Army, not General Haller. Volunteer Division fought near Modlin (under Sikorski's 5th Army command).

[galahad-history]

Thank you for the video! I waited for the Polish-Soviet war on your channel for a long time.

[lukaszkulasek]

My wife’s grand-grandfather was 17 at that time and he faked his birthday to be able to join army and fight the Soviets. His framed portrait in military uniform still hangs on the wall and always reminds me about this war.

[attilasipos]

Dying Hungary, which suffered the Versailles peace decree on June 4, 1920, which mutilated two-thirds of historical Hungary, tried with its last strength to help the Poles. Namely with the transport of ammunition and volunteers. Hungary 78 million pieces of infantry ammunition manufactured at the Weiss Manfréd factory in Budapest delivered to the Poles, and at least 42 million rounds of infantry ammunition from Austria. On March 19, 1919, delivered 20, 000 pieces of artillery ammunition and other large quantities of military equipment. Also transported at least 400 wagonloads of ammunition from France through Hungary in 1920. In the late summer of 1920, the Polish army was running out of ammunition, only 7 rounds per soldier. The leadership of the Red Army knew this, and they intended to take Warsaw on August 15. Hungarian ammunitions, 22 million arrived on August 12, 1920 piece to Skierniewice below Warsaw! 🙂🙂🙂 Memorial plaque: Warsaw, Królewska Street.🙂🙂🙂