Stalin and the Russo Polish War of 1920-21, Essay Example

Plan of Investigation

The war against Poland and Stalin’s role in the events of 1920-21 has been covered by several historians in recent years. Stalin, just starting to build and expand the empire of the Soviet Union saw Poland as an easy target and a way of demonstrating strength. The author of the current study will argue that Stalin’s organization of the Red Army  and the treatment of Poland was a tool for Stalin to show his military talent and convince the leaders of the Bolshevik movement that Russia can take on its enemies and become a superpower. The below essay will also examine how the defeat of the Red Army later influenced Stalin’s treatment of the Polish and his attitude towards the Polish.

Summary of Evidence

Healy  (2003) mentions that the main reason for Russia’s invasion of Poland was that the country turned to Western Europe and signed the Warsaw Treaty to ally itself with the enemies of Russia.  In a strategic location, the importance of Poland was great, therefore, the Russian Army found that it was necessary to step up. There was also another reason why Stalin looked at Poland as a threat, as Healy (2003, p. 145) confirms: “Poland had the only army in Eastern Europe capable of smashing the Red Army”. When an alliance with Ukraine was about to be formed, it was time for Stalin to act. As Dziewanowskii (1969) confirms, the Ukrainians found it necessary to create an agreement with the Polish, as “Petliura knew that without Polish help he was lost; but he also knew that to obtain this help he would have to make substantial political concessions to the Poles in East Galicia”. The joint military operations were organized at the frontier of the Soviet  Union and Poland. The hostilities and military preparations at the frontier made the Soviets worried, and Stalin had to step in.

The Soviet-Polish war began on the 25^th of April, 1920, when the joint forces of Poland and Ukraine attacked the Red Army. This means that one of the largest armies of Europe, and the largest army of Eastern Europe, after the just forming Red Army struck the first blow. According to some historians, the Polish Army at this time greatly outnumbered the Red Army, and in the Battle of Warsaw, the Polish managed to defeat the Red Army. Stalin only had a one strategic solution to introduce, following the defeat: creating a peace treaty with Ukraine, therefore, securing its borders, while providing Poland with relative independence.

The defeat of the Red Army by Poland, and the outcome of the Russo-Polish war has greatly influenced Stalin’s attitude towards Polish. According to Kremer (2010), the weakness of the Bolshevik Russia surfaced and became evident at the time of its defeat by the Polish Army. The author (Kremer, 2010, p. 3) also mentions that Russia did not only suffer a defeat on the military ground, but also on the democratic and political one, as well: “The Soviet regime was forced to cede parts of Ukraine and Belorussia to Poland”. However, it is also important to mention that the Polish already had  a general dislike of Russia, due to its several invasions prior to the Russo-Polish  war. This was the main reason why Romania and Poland repeatedly refused to enter a military alliance with Russia in the 1930-s. Knowing the strategic importance of Poland, back in 1939 the Soviet Army decided to invade Poland’s Eastern part first.

Fischer (2006) talks about the retribution of Poland  that followed the defeat. The CIA author confirms that the Soviets tried to dissolve Poland by destroying its elites. The author refers to a secret document that was opened to the public back in 1990, stating that “Stalin had every intention of treating the Poles as political prisoners” (Fischer, 2006, p. 61). Political agitation and lengthy  torture and interrogations awaited those who landed in the Soviets’  hands. The execution of Polish officers started in 1940, when they were moved from their internment camps to execution sites. Describing the Katyn Forest massacre  as a criminal act and political crime, the author also states that the reason for the execution of the thousands of individuals was their social status.

The mass deportation of Polish citizens in 1939 was also Stalin’s attempt to disable Poland as a power in Europe. As Borysiuk (2009) confirms: “Right from the start, Stalin’s policy was the elimination of the true Polish element from the territories occupied by them”. Being targeted, according to the account, between 1946 and 1947 about 150.000 Polish settled in Great  Britain, most of them related to the Army.

Evaluation of Sources

One of the main sources used for the above literature review was the one that examined the role of the Polish-Russian war on the relations of the two countries by Healy. The overview of historical actions, motifs, civil war in Russia, and alliances created leading up to the First World War explains the different issues related to the conflict. The author also talks about the weakness of the Russian Red Army in the beginning, and provides a good perspective for researchers who are looking to investigate how the Army was built up by Stalin later to become the most powerful one in the region later. One of the strengths of the article is that it explains how alliances served the interest of different parties, and how treaties formed the course of history. While the source only focuses on the Russo-Polish war, and its aftermath, it is both reliable and factual. Written as a comprehensive PhD thesis for the  University of Glasgow, the source uses an extensive research that provides the current essay with reliable sources and documents.

The other important source used to complete literature review section of the current research is Fischer’s  review of recently released documents. The CIA Study of Intelligence publication uses primary source documents to provide researchers with an account on the events, however, it mainly focuses on the massacre of Katyn. While the reliability of the sources and original documents is not questionable, the article does not attempt to put the events into historical context, and this can be viewed as one of the disadvantages of  the source. However, through a comprehensive research of literature, a connection between the war between Poland and Russia and the treatment of Polish by Stalin’s  officials and army can be found and explained. Therefore, the main strength of the source is the authenticity of original photographs, letters, and documents, however, its narrow focus can create difficulties for researchers.

Analysis

From the above analysis of related literature, documents, and publications, it is evident that Stalin’s attitude towards the Polish and the country of Poland was greatly influenced by the defeat the Red Army suffered from the Polish-Ukrainian Army back in 1921. Further, the motivation of the Polish to achieve independence has been revealed through the research, and it has been found that after being occupied by several large and powerful countries, Poland  found that only military action was suitable for achieving a level of autonomy. While after the Second World War the country  was “sold out” to the Soviet Union, and the revolt of the Soviets handicapped the elite of the country, it is clear that the power of the Polish intelligence and military should not be neglected when talking about the events leading up to the two world wars. Stalin, on the other hand, was certainly afraid of the Polish army, and his retribution was focused on disabling the country to prevent further military actions. The mass murder that is called a war crime back in 1940 and the killings of  Katyn are only examples of Stalin’s  way of handling resistance. The political leader used the same tactics in the entire Eastern Bloc, and people from all over Eastern Europe, considered to be the enemies of the Soviet Union were taken to the Gulag. According to the Gulag.cz website, between 1937 and 1938 more than 29.000 Polish people were taken to the forced labor camps located in Eastern Europe. Confirming Fischer’s (2006) report, the website also states that “NKVD arrested army and police officers, who hadn’t yet been taken into captivity”, and around 150.000 Polish individuals were captured by Soviets.

It is also evident from the review of literature that Stalin’s revolts on Poland were motivated by the intent of showing strength. Being defeated by Poland in 1921, the political leader realized that the only way that the Soviet Union could gain more territory and win the war was to eliminate the Polish threat. Forming powerful alliances, Stalin finally managed to capture Poland. It is also important to note that the role of Poland was important in the two world wars not only from the military, but the strategic perspective, as well. Even today, the country has several NATO bases, due to its location. A powerful and strategic military and political leader, Stalin realized that controlling Poland had several great advantages. Therefore, the reason for his treatment of Polish civilians and military personnel in the 30-s and 40-s was motivated by fear and the need to show military strength. After the peace treaties of the 20^th Century, it was extremely important for Stalin again to have control over Poland, as well as other countries of strategic importance, and without having Poland in the Eastern Bloc, Stalin’s empire would have had to face several threats. This is the reason why the leader found it extremely important to eliminate the military and political elite from the country. This way, Stalin could impose his Communist system easier on Poland and the surrounding countries, without having to fear from military action or revolution.

Conclusion

The above investigative historical review of the Russo-Polish war and its aftermaths has revealed several important aspects of the Polish-Russian relations. First, it is evident that the Polish army was motivated to defeat Russia based on their fear of another occupation. The Polish nation was struggling to gain independence in the two centuries leading up to the Battle of Warsaw, and had to show military strength. It was  also revealed that the Red Army was weak and unorganized at the time of the war. Later, when it grew, Stalin used its power to oppress resistance in Poland, eliminate the military and political elite, and have full control over the country that had a great strategic importance. The treatment of Polish can be explained by Stalin’s defeat at the Battle of Warsaw, or his fear of military aggression, resistance. Without the military power and officials, Poland was unable to create strategic alliances to defeat Russia.

Bibliography

Borysiuk, E. “The 70th Anniversary of the first mass deportation of Polish people by the Soviet  Union” (2009)

Dziewanowskii, M. K., Joseph Pilsudski: A European Federalist, 1918-1922. (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1969)

Fischer, Benjamin B. “The Katyn Controversy: Stalin’s Killing Field.” Studies (2005).

Gulag.cz. “Poles and Polish citizens in the Gulag” (http://www.gulag.cz/en/history-of-the-gulag/poles-and-polish-citizens-in-the-gulag n.d.)

Kramer, Mark. “Stalin, soviet policy, and the consolidation of a Communist bloc in Eastern Europe, 1944-1953.” Divinatio 31 (2010): 53-100.

Naimark, Norman M. Stalin’s genocides. Princeton University Press, 2011.