There are many books available in English, describing siege of Vienna and relief action in 1683, unfortunately they tend to be full of errors and misconceptions regarding Polish army - its organisation, strength and activities during the battle. In this volume author, using many primary and secondary Polish sources, presents detailed study of the a
In May 1944, 40,000 Polish soldiers attacked and captured the hilltops of Monte Cassino, bringing to a close the largest, bloodiest battle fought by the western Allies in the Second World War. Days later the Allied armies marched into Rome seizing the first Axis capital.No-one in 1939 could have foreseen an entire Polish Corps engaged on the Italian Front. Most had been held prisoner in the USSR following Polands defeat and their release by Stalin was only achieved through the intense negotiations of British and Polish politicians generals, notably Sikorski and Anders,. The Polish Army was evacuated to Iran in 1942 and subsequently incorporated into the British Army as the Polish II Corps. Their ultimate postwar fate was shamefully ignored until too late.This book, which charts the extraordinary wartime story of the exiled Polish Army in the east, makes extensive use of undiscovered archive material. It reveals in depth the relations between the British and Polish General Staffs and the never ending hardships of the Polish soldiers.
An in-depth history of the Polish soldiers who served in World War 2, with previously unpublished first-hand accounts and rare photographs. There is a chapter of World War II history that remains largely untold; the monumental struggles of an entire nation have been forgotten, and even intentionally obscured. This book gives a full overview of Poland's participation in World War II. Following their valiant but doomed defence of Poland in 1939, members of the Polish armed forces fought with the Allies wherever and however they could. Full of previously unpublished accounts, and rare photographs, this title provides a detailed analysis of the devastation the war brought to Poland, and the final betrayal when, having fought for freedom for six long years, Poland was handed to the Soviet Union.
One of the only complete histories of the Polish Army in 1939 The Polish Army in 1939 provides a detailed account of the planning, strategy, organization and equipment that made up the force that first faced the Blitzkrieg and the Soviet Army.With over 200 illustrations and maps - many in color - The Polish Army in 1939 allows the reader to understand what happened and why the contest may not have bee uneven as is sometimes portrayed. In addition to sections on uniforms and equipment, the strategic and tactical organization of the army outlined as well as the various vehicles and airplanes tht made up the Polish Army. This book provides a full order of battle on the Polish forces,as well as the German and Soviet units involved in the attack on Poland,. There are biographies on various generals and politicians involved in the campiagn. Several maps were developed specifically for this edition. The German invasion of Poland in 1939 initiated World War II. At the time it was thought that Poland would be able to hold off until their French and English allies could aid them. Though poor planning on the part of the allies and under estimation on the abilities of German combined with a change of strategic planning led to the quick defeat of the Polish army.
Before he entered Germany in 1630, Swedish King Gustav II Adolf had to face Polish army in Prussia. Between 1626 and 1629, under command of brilliant Hetman Stanisław Koniecpolski, Poles were engaged in bitter struggle against Swedes. During this conflict both sides learnt a lot from each other, adjusting their armies' organization and tactics. While pitched battles, where winged hussars could win the day, were rare, so called 'small war' made huge impact on the events of this conflict. Poles were able to hone their skills acquired during years of fighting Tatars and Turks but were also forced to vastly increase presence of the infantry in their army, adapting to new style of warfare. This book provides readers with in-depth study of the Polish troops during the war, from unique structure of the army, through organization and equipment of the units, to soldiers' daily struggle due to lack of pay and food. Each formation is described in detail, from famous winged hussars to Western European mercenaries serving as infantry and dragoons. The author's research is based on many Polish primary sources, that for the first time are available to English-speaking readers, presenting many interesting facts about less known conflict.
Poland and NATO is the third book by Jeffrey Simon on emerging post-communist countries to recently join NATO. As with the previous two volumes, this book contains a treasure of firsthand research grounded in primary source material and personal interviews with key civil and military leaders.
A detailed and highly illustrated account of the Polish II Corps' (or 'Anders Army') perilous journey to fight side by side with Allied forces at the height of World War II. Following the conquest of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union in 1939, hundreds of thousands of Polish families were torn from their homes and sent eastwards to the arctic wastes of Siberia. Prisoners of war, refugees, those regarded as 'social criminals' by Stalin's regime, and those rounded up by sheer chance were all sent 'to see the Great White Bear'. However, with Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union in Operation Barbarossa just two years later, Russia and the Allied powers found themselves on the same side once more. Turning to those that it had previously deemed 'undesirable', Russia sought to raise a Polish army from the men, women and children that it had imprisoned within its labour camps. In this remarkable work, renowned historian Professor Norman Davies draws from years of meticulous research to recount the compelling story of this unit, the Polish II Corps or 'Anders Army', and their exceptional journey from the Gulag of Siberia through Iran, the Middle East and North Africa to the battlefields of Italy to fight shoulder-to-shoulder with Allied forces. Complete with previously unpublished photographs and first-hand accounts from the men and women who lived through it, this is a unique visual and written record of one of the most fascinating episodes of World War II.
As the most populous country in Eastern Europe as well as the birthplace of the largest anticommunist dissident movement, Poland is crucial in understanding the end of the Cold War. During the 1980s, both the United States and the Soviet Union vied for influence over Poland's politically tumultuous steps toward democratic revolution. In this groundbreaking history, Gregory F. Domber examines American policy toward Poland and its promotion of moderate voices within the opposition, while simultaneously addressing the Soviet and European influences on Poland's revolution in 1989. With a cast including Reagan, Gorbachev, and Pope John Paul II, Domber charts American support of anticommunist opposition groups--particularly Solidarity, the underground movement led by future president Lech Wa&322;&281;sa--and highlights the transnational network of Polish emigres and trade unionists that kept the opposition alive. Utilizing archival research and interviews with Polish and American government officials and opposition leaders, Domber argues that the United States empowered a specific segment of the Polish opposition and illustrates how Soviet leaders unwittingly fostered radical, pro-democratic change through their policies. The result is fresh insight into the global impact of the Polish pro-democracy movement.
