Figure 1.--Herrte we see a crowded railroad station in souteastern Poland during the 1920 Polish-Soviet War. Notice all the men in uniforms.

The squimishes between the Red Army and Polish forces in the Ukraine gradually escalated. Poland declared war (April 25, 1920). The Poles with French assistance moved east into the Ukraine. They took Kiev (May 8). The Bolsheviks launched a successful counter offensive (June 1920) and drove the Poles back almost to Warsaw. The prospect of the Red Army moving so far west unevered Western capitals. There were Communist parties in Western Europe and some, including the German Communist Party, had considerable support. Western Military sources were predicting the fall of Warsaw. This would have put the Red Army on the frontiers of Germany. And at the time Kadets (Communists)in Germany were attemting to seuize power. At that point, the Franco-Polish Army struck back and mauled the Red Army in the Battle of Warsaw and several other sharp engagements (August 1920). With the Polish Army driving east, the Soviets sued for peace, The war ended with a ceasefire (October 12, 1920). A factor here was the Civil War in Russia and the Bolshevik need to end the war with Poland so they could focus in the White armies.

Bolshevik Threat

At the end of the War, each of the three Baltic Republics (Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia) declared indepependence. There was also a move for independence in Bylorusia. The Bolsheviks launched efforts to hold the former Tsarist Army together, but the developing Civil war limited their ability to act. The German Army controlled these areas, but after the Armistic began pulling back to Germany. This created a power vacuume. Pilsudski was aware of the Bolshevik threat. He had at first hoped form a defensive allianmce with the Balts, Bylorussoans, and Ukt\ranians to resist the the Bolsheviks. Unfortunately such an alliance never materialised, in part because the Lithiuanians, Bylorussians, and Ukranians had overlapping claims and began fighting each other as well as the Bolsheviks.

Declaration of War (April 1920)

The squimishes between the Red Army and Polish forces in the Ukraine gradually escalated. Poland declared war (April 25, 1920).

The Baltics and Bylorusia

Wilno (modern Vilnius) and the surrounding countryside had a substantial Polish population. Polish units were formed in the area of Wilno. They were attacked and defeated by the Bolsheviks. The Bolsheviks occupied the area and proclaimed it a Soviet Republic (January 1919). Reinforced Polish units under General Rydz-Smigly retook Wilno (April 1919). Fighting continued in the area and gradually expanded into Bylorussia. The Bolsheviks again took the area as part of a general Red Army offensive that approached Warsaw (summer of 1920). A puppet Soviet government took power. The decisive Polish victory before Warsaw (August 1920), forced the Red Army to retreat. Polish victory at Warsaw in 1920, the Bolsheviks retreated. General Lucjan Zeligowski organized a volunteer force mainly of Poles from Lithuania and Bylorusia. They managed to retake Wilno (October 1920). The League of Nations helped orgazice a plebiscite (1922). Central Lithuania (Litwa Srodkowa) became part of Poland.

The Ukraine

While Pilsudski failed to set up a defensive alliance, he still hoped for an independent, non-Soviet Ukraine. He formed an alliance with the Ukrainian Symon Petlura. The combined Polish forces with Ukranian Allies and French assistance drove east into the Ukraine. They took Kiev (May 8).

Polish Forces

In addition to the new Polish Army, several irregular forces fought with the Poles. General Bulak-Balachowicz cazme from the Wilno area. He was in the Tsarist Army and then fought the Bolsheviks in the Civil War. He organized Polish volunteers units from the eastern border areas. He became an important ally of Pilsudski. Major Leopold Lis-Kula organized Poles and Polish insurgents in the Ukrainian/ Polish area north of Lwow. Lis-Kula was killed (1919). Captain Feliks Jaworowskitook command. They first fought the Ukrainians and then the the Bolsheviks. They were eventually absorbed into the Polish Army.

Polish Drive into Ukraine and Belarus

The Poles briefly captured Kiev (May 1920). The United States had been shippin food as part of relif supplies even before World War I ended. It had been unavle to get btrlief supploes into what was becoming the Soviet Union. YThe Bolsheviks wouldn't alloe it,m prefering to use food as a weapon. The Polish advanced enavke the American Red Cross ton get some food into Ukraine. They set up a children's hospital in Kiev. It would be a another year despite a dredful famime before the Bolsheviks allowed American food relief to reach the starving Soviet peoole.

Red Army Offensive (June 1920)

Polish forces did reasonably well in the early fighting, even advanciung into the Ukraine. The tide of battle began to shift (Spring 1920). By this time as a result of victories in the Civil nWar against the White,s The Red Army was able to shift strong forces to fight the Poles. The Red Army launched a successful counter offensive (June 1920). As a result, the Red Army drove west into Poland (Summer 1920). The Poles retreated on Warsaw. It began to look like the Poles would be defeated and the Bolsheviks would occupy Warsaw. The Western Allies who had no intention of intervening and would terrified of the Bolsheviks on the German border advised Pilsudski to accept peace offers from Lenin creating the border as the Curzon Line. Pilsudski adamently refused, believing that Lenin's offer was a ruse. Lenin apparently felt that the Poles were defeated and had begun to think about extending the Revolution into Western Europe. The prospect of the Red Army moving so far west unevered Western capitals. There were Communist parties in Western Europe and some, including the German Communist Party, had considerable support. Western Military sources were predicting the fall of Warsaw. This would have put the Red Army on the frontiers of Germany. And at the time Kadets (Communists)in Germany were attemting to seuize power.

Battle of Warsaw (August 1920)

The Red Army approached Warsaw (August 13). This began the Battle of Warsaw and the possible end of independent Poland. Encountering unexpectedly stiff resistnce, Red Army commanders decided to shift some of their force north to sever Polish supply lines from Baltic ports. Pilsudski recognized the error of dividing forces. The Franco-Polish Army struck back and mauled the Red Army in the Battle of Warsaw and several other sharp engagements (August 1920). He launched an offensive cutting off the northern Red Army and severing their supply lines. He then concentrated his forces on the remaining Red Army force, decisively defeating it. General Wladyslaw Sikorski commanded a force (with some French tanks) that plyed a key role in the defense of the capital. The Polish victory becane known as the "Miracle on the Vistula"--taking the rhetoric of the French World War I 'Victory on the Marne'

Red Army Retreat (September 1920)

The Red Army was so badly mauled that they ordered a general retreat on all fronts. Pilsudski ordered the Polish Army to hotly pursue them. The Poles defeated the Bolsheviks again at the Niemen River (September). Sikorski had pursued the Bolsheviks with his tanks. This was the first major use of tanls in the East.

Peace Treaty (March 1921)

After the Battle at the Niemen River, both sides were exhausted. With the Polish Army driving east, the Soviets sued for peace. A factor here was the Civil War in Russia and the Bolshevik need to end the war with Poland so they could focus in the White armies. They agreed to a cease fire (October 12, 1920). This ended the fighting. The susequent Treaty of Riga confirmed Polish possession of large areas in the east beyond the Curzon Line (March 18, 1921). The Poles and Soviets largely divided the disputed territories. The Ukraine was left largely in Soviet hands, although a Ukranian minority population became part of southeastern Poland. The War and resulting treaty basically determined the Soviet-Polish border for the period between the World Wars. One of the terms of the Riga peace treaty was that Poland end support for nationalist Ukraine and Bylorusian groups oposing the Bolsheviks. As a result, Petlura in the Ukraine lost Polish support and was defeated by the Bolsheviks. General Bulak-Balachowicz prudently decided to remain in Poland after the War. He died in Warsaw (1940). He was appartently organized underground resistance to the Germans at the time.

Created: 6:16 AM 6/11/2011
Last updated: 8:19 AM 10/29/2021