Some Polish books and links on the Polish Army 1918-1921

[koz10]

Again I mostly agree with ts, but Denikin was not pure Russian. He was born in Wloclawek, to Catholic Polish mother and Orthodox Russian father.  He grew up in Poland. He spoke Polish as well as Russian.

In Denikin's case he chose to be Russian like his father. He could just as easily have chosen to be Polish, given his background.

(Denikin took over from Kornilov, who was Cossack and Kazakh. He was followed in turn by a man of Baltic German heritage. "Russian" was then a frame of mind, not an ethnic group.)

Ha! Now this starts another discussion related to correct terminology - Russian vs Bolshevik vs Soviet vs Red...  The period reference to this war is Polish-Bolshevik or Polish-Russian. Until the end of the USSR it was commonplace to refer to that country as "Russia" and not the more correct "Soviet Union."

[ts]

Perhaps you is sure that the peace feelers with the communist government were true and genuine. Pilsudski never believed in those feelers and negotiations, as also he himself writes - and that was also how he reacted in the situation. He did not believe in his former socialistic comrades - and so prepared for war.
It is correct Pilsudski was the "agressor" in the border fights against Russia, but not to crush the communist regime, in that case he should have marched with Whites towards Moscow. He refused to do that.
He could also have continued in 1920 - even if the Poles also wanted peace - if his goal was to crush communism. It never was his target.
What Pilsudski did, was to strike first to hit the red army build up on the Eastern Northern border. After that he sent the Polish Army to Kiev and at the same time hoped to draw the Russian forces from the North into Ukraine.
It was always against Russian occupation Pilsudski was fighting, from start to finish.

[koz10]

Perhaps you is sure that the peace feelers with the communist government were true and genuine. Pilsudski never believed in those feelers and negotiations, as also he himself writes - and that was also how he reacted in the situation. He did not believe in his former socialistic comrades - and so prepared for war.
It is correct Pilsudski was the "agressor" in the border fights against Russia, but not to crush the communist regime, in that case he should have marched with Whites towards Moscow. He refused to do that.
He could also have continued in 1920 - even if the Poles also wanted peace - if his goal was to crush communism. It never was his target.
What Pilsudski did, was to strike first to hit the red army build up on the Eastern Northern border. After that he sent the Polish Army to Kiev and at the same time hoped to draw the Russian forces from the North into Ukraine.
It was always against Russian occupation Pilsudski was fighting, from start to finish.

Again, this is no counter to the discussion of civil war vs foreign war.

Pilsudski's fight against the Bolsheviks was to expand Poland’s eastern border, plain and simple.

[Ignatieff]

Tremendous book list. I am very grateful, thank you.

[koz10]

Are there any other texts in English other than the ones we've seen here?

White Eagle, Red Star (Davies)
Warsaw 1920 (Zamoyski)
1st Cavalry Army (doctoral thesis)
Year 1920/Beyond the Vistula (Pilsudski/Tukhchevski)
The Weygand Myth (?)
The Russo-Polish War (Sherchuk - another doctoral thesis)
A City Fights for Freedom (Bailey - this one actually predates the actual war and covers the first fights for Lwow)

Any other books or leads about books would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[Mark Plant]

Are there any other texts in English other than the ones we've seen here?

White Eagle, Red Star (Davies)
Warsaw 1920 (Zamoyski)       -------------
1st Cavalry Army (doctoral thesis)
Year 1920/Beyond the Vistula (Pilsudski/Tukhchevski)
The Weygand Myth (?)
The Russo-Polish War (Sherchuk - another doctoral thesis)
A City Fights for Freedom (Bailey - this one actually predates the actual war and covers the first fights for Lwow)

Any other books or leads about books would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Zamoyski's "Battle for the Marchlands" is better than Warsaw 1920, but hard to find.

If you are interested in the politics, then "The Ukrainian-Polish Defensive Alliance 1919–1921: and aspect of the Ukrainian Revolution" by Michael Palij covers an otherwise ignored area in English.

There are several books about the aviation, such as "Flight of Eagles: a story of the American Kosciuszko Squadron in the Polish-Russian War 1919-1920" by Robert Karolevitz and Ross Fern. Worth finding.

"The Polish-Bolshevik Cavalry Campaigns of 1920" by Farman. On Pygmy Wars.

"Artillery on the Polish-Bolshevik Front, 1919-1920" by a US artillery officer. On Pygmy Wars.

"Selections from Operations on the Vistula in August 1920, from the Polish standpoint." A translation of several article originally in Polish by Staff historians. On Pygmy Wars.

Other than that, you're starting to run out in English.

French is well served:

"La campagne polono-russe de 1920" by General Sikorski is a must. I'm trying to get an English translation onto Pygmy Wars.

"La Pologne en lutte pour ses frontières : 1918-1920" by Adam Przybylski. Pygmy Wars has translations of the 1919 section only (there's better on the 1920 period).

"L’aigle blanc contre l’etoile rouge" by Saint-Dizier is OK but adds nothing to what is covered before.

"Une Opération de Cavalrie au Cours de la Bataille de Varsovie en Août 1920 Revue de Paris 1930" by Colonel Loir. Describes a typical cavalry raid.

"Etude sur la cavalerie bolchevique Revue de cavalerie - 1921" (Anonymous). Translated on Pygmy Wars.

"Opérations de la 1er division de cavalerie polonaise contre les Bolchewiks du 29 juillet au 18 octobre 1920 Revue de cavalerie." by Capitaine Moslard. Translated on Pygmy Wars.

Plus a few less worth visiting, both books and articles.

[koz10]

Thanks Mark! I'll plan to spend the US taxpayer's money printing this when I go back to work on Tuesday.

[David]

Polish Army Vehicles 1918-1939" by Jan Tarczynskl & Krzysztof Barbarskl i Adam Jonca
which covers Rebirth of a nation. Establishment of the borders 1918 to 1921, 54 pages plus pictures and shows all the truck, cars, tanks, armoured cars and armoured trucks.

INTERVENTIONIST FORCES OF THE RUSSIAN CIVIL WAR, 1917-1922

The year 1920. The War between Poland and Bolshevik Russia:

these are the books i have in english plus
White Eagle, Red Star (Davies)
Warsaw 1920 (Zamoyski)

Poznańczycy w wojnie polsko-bolszewickiej 1919-1921 500 pages
in polish but it full of pictures black/white and 8 colour pictures of polish flags.
David

[ts]

An American book a little off topic:
"Haller's Polish Army in France" by Paul S. Valasek.
I have not read or seen it, but perhaps it also has something on Haller's Corps in France?