Two Diamonds of the Polish Order
BITHUANIA UNDER A occupation – POLISH TERMOPILE.
MIDDLE OF SPIRIT 15, August 1920, Holy. MARY OF THE KING OF POLAND.
WHY ARE WE CALLING "POLISH TERMOPILS"?
SYMBOL FOR LIFE IN THE FIELD OF BIT.
Aleksander Szumański for “Cresic Information Service”
Battle of Thermopiles – clash between Greek and Persian troops in August 480 BC on the narrow pass of Thermopile during the Second Persian War. This unimportant episode of a series of wars – fought from the Ionian uprising and the First Persian War to the conquest of Persia by Alexander Macedonian – was preserved as a symbol of the sacrifice of life on the battlefield.
Battle of the Court – the conflict that took place 17 August1920 year in time Polish-Bolshevik War between 330 Polish branches Defenders of Lviv under Captain Bolesław Zajączkowski and the Bolshevik forces First Mounted ArmyBudionny's seed. It played in the far forefield Lviv, 33 km from town close village Court, presently in the territory Ukraine. The goal of the defenders was to hold the Bolshevik troops' approach to Lviv. Heroic defence resulted in the success of Polish troops.
Despite gaining the railway station, Budionny Court resigned from continuing the fight for the Lviv by finishing the march westward. He's headed north for an army rescue in the area. Pork and WarsawBut after the defeat under Tomatoes He retreated east. 318 Poles died in the conflict and due to heroic conflict of defenders is called Polish Thermopiles.
August 16, And a battalion of the 54th Infantry Regiment was attacked under the Courthouse by troops of the 6th division of the Budionny Army horsepower and almost all of it wiped out. The next day – 17 August – battalion of young Lviv volunteers – Orląt Lwowski from the rot master group Roman AbrahamUnder Captain Bolesław Zajączkowski, he marched from Krasny along the railway line to Lviv. erstwhile the troop reached the village of Kutkorz, he was abruptly fired from device weapon from Zadwarz side. Captain Zajączkowski developed the banon in 3 tyraliers and with jumps he moved the troops to Zaworz, already occupied by the Bolshevik troops.
There was a fire exchange close the railway station in Zadwarz. Lieutenant Antoni Dawidowicz led the troops standing next to the station. At the time, russian cavalry moved on Poles from the close forest. Poles supported this attack and captured the railway station at noon. There was a shortage of ammunition, so they took it distant from the dead and wounded. The Bolsheviks have intensified the attack. The Lvov eagles were only defending themselves with bayonets, fighting a bloody fight by evening. They suffered large losses, being shelled by dense artillery, repelled six horsepowers.
Lieutenant Dawidowicz one more time won the railway station, and the first company seized the close hill. 3 Polish aircraft that flew from the side of Lviv besides participated in the uneven fight. They attacked Bolshevik forces with device guns and bombs.
However, fresh Bolshevik forces have arrived. The soldiers surrounded by the enemy did not quit even erstwhile the ammunition ran out. Captain Zajączkowski at dusk ordered the remaining 30 soldiers to retreat groups to the Borszczowice Forest. Fired with device guns by russian aircraft, defenseless, surrounded by Russians, they inactive fought briefly for flasks close the stand of the stand. The Soviets, enraged by the opposition of the Orlaths, chopped them with sabers, killed the wounded with flasks.
318 Polish soldiers were killed in the fight, fewer were captured. In order not to fall into enemy hands, Captain Zajączkowski and respective soldiers committed suicide.
He died then, among others, 19 years old Konstanty Zarugiewicz, seventh grade student of the first real school, defender of Lviv from 1918, bachelor of the cross Virtuti Militari and The conflict Cross. His mother, Jadwiga Zarugiewiczov in 1925 She chose 1 of 3 coffins with bodies of the Unknown Soldier. The body of the chosen hero was transported with the highest honors to Warsaw and placed in The Grave of the Unknown Soldier.
Budionny's troops withdrew east on 20 August. Polish troops and families of the fallen arrived at the battleground. Lying in the August sun, stripped of clothing and massacred bodies could not be identified. Only 106 were identified. All the dead were initially buried in a collective grave close the site of the battle. The body of 7 fallen defenders:
– Captain Bolesław Zajączkowski, commander, y
-Captain Krzysztof Obertyński,
– Lieutenant Jan Demeter,
– Deputy Władysław Marynowski,
- Lieutenant Tadeusz Hanak,
- Captain Stefan Gromnicki,
-Sheriff Eugene Szarka,
buried later solemnly on Lion Defenders Cemetery in separate accommodation Courts.
Then the last 2 mentioned were exhumed and buried most likely in household quarters. The another fallen defenders of the Court were buried in a military cemetery in the Court, at the ft of the Kurhan.
"Orlętoms killed on August 17, 1920 in battles for the full of the frontier lands".
Text on the bronze board founded on 19 August 1929 by Philip Howzan of Stryj – father of a fallen soldier.
The goal of Zadwór's defenders was to hold the Bolshevik troops' approach to Lviv. Heroic defence resulted in the success of Polish troops.
Parallel to the heroic defence of the Defender Court The homeland during the Polish-bolshevik War on 13-25 August 1920 fought the conflict of Warsaw called the Miracle of Vistula.
The conflict decided to keep independency by Poland and overturned plans to spread the revolution to Western Europe. According to Edgar D’Abernon, this was the 18th of the world’s landmark battles.
A key function was played by the maneuver of the Polish Army flanking the Red Army carried out by the Chief Leader Józef Piłsudski, led from the Piglet on 16 August, while at the same time tying the main Bolshevik forces in the prefields of Warsaw.
In Polish historiography, the most established name of the conflict is the conflict of Warsaw. There is besides a popular word Miracle over Vistula. The author of this phrase was Stanisław Stroński, who on August 14, 1920 recalled the likewise dramatic situation of France during the First planet War in September 1914, erstwhile an unexpected rejection of German troops from the prefield of Paris was called a miracle over Marna.
For the first time in the public debate, it was utilized by Vincent Witos and was gladly raised by Piłsudski's political opponents, questioning the merits of the marshal in preparing and conducting the operation. At the same time, this phrase took on spiritual connotation due to the fact that Polish troops defeated the Red Army on 15 August, on the day of the presumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of the Polish Crown.
The chief commander of the full Red Army was Sergei Kamieniev, who was straight under the authority of the Commissioner of War and Navy (nakomwojenmor) of Lwu Trocki, who was simultaneously (like Stalin) a associate of the five-member then Political Office (politic office) composed of Lenin, Trocki, Stalin, Zinow, Kamieniev. as full members, Piatakov and Bucharin as alternate members.
The Red Army was attacking forces grouped into 2 operational unions:
Participating in the conflict of Warsaw Western Front Mikhail Tuchachevsky with political commissioner Ivar Smilga:
3rd Cavalry Corps Gaja-Chana (Gajka Bżyszkjana-Gaja),
4th Army of Evgeny Sergeyev (since 1 August Dmitri Shuwaiev),
15th Army of August Cork,
3rd Army of Vladimir Lazarus,
16th Army of Nikolai Sollohub,
Tichon's Mozir Group.
Not participating in the conflict of Warsaw The South-West Front of Alexander Jegorov with political commissioner Józef Stalin:
14th Molkochanov Army,
1st Budionny horse army with political commissioner Kliment Voroshilov,
12th Volscano Army.
The troops of both fronts were initially separated by a immense complex of field swamps and interacted very loosely. As they progressed, the operational gap at the center of the group, filled only with weak formations, expanded further.
This was contrary to the command of the Chief Command of the Red Army from 3 and 11 August, ordering the transfer of crucial forces of the South-West Front (Budionny Horse Army and 12 Woskanow Army) from the Lesser Poland and Volyn War Area to the Warsaw direction.
The right wing of Tuchaczewski's troops (4th Sergeyev's Army (Shuwajeva) and the Gaja Corps) was given the task of mastering the area of Grudziądz and Toruń and forging Vistula in the section from Dobrzyn to Włocławek. The Vistula Fortress command (between Płock and Wyszogrod) besides received the 15th Army of Cork.
The Tuchachevsky Force Center was directed at Modlin (3 Lazariewicz Army) and Warsaw (16 Sollohub Army).
The cover of the left wing of the 16th Army was entrusted to the mossic group Timothy Chwiesin, approaching from Włodawa on the Vistula River north of Dęblin.
The main forces of the South West Front were located on the Strypa River (14 Molkochanov Army) and under the Brodami (Budionny Horse Army) and were pushing for the Lviv, and the 12 Woscanov Army forstood Bug south of Włodawa.
Thus, most of the forces of the Western Front were moving north-westwards – north of Warsaw, and much of the forces of the South-West Front towards south-west – to Lviv.
In total, about 104-114 1000 soldiers, 600 guns and over 2450 device guns participated in the conflict of Warsaw itself.
The first step to strengthening the country's defence force was to establish a State Defence Council on 3 July 1920. "The decision on matters in which peoples live and live must be as fast and as overwhelming as the decision of those who bring death, defenders of the country."
A number of volunteers began to arrive at the Council's call, bringing together “multiple forces”, moral strength resulting from the work to defend their homeland. The number of volunteers was about 80,000 soldiers. Initially, a volunteer army was to be formed, but Piłsudski decided to make battalions and only 1 volunteer division.
Polish women besides responded to the appeal, creating the Women's Legion, mainly operating in auxiliary services.
An operational cavalry group was besides formed, and remnants of the 5th Siberian Division arrived from Siberia. In July, years from 1890 to 1894 were called up for service, and in the landmark moments of August 1920, despite massive losses, the army's numbers exceeded 90,000 soldiers.
Soviet armies The ultimate Command of the Polish Army opposed forces grouped in six armies and formations guarding the Vistula from Toruń to Wyszogrod (20th Infantry Division – the erstwhile 2nd Lithuanian-Belarusian Division) as well as spare and volunteer battalions.
The chief commander of the Polish Armed Forces was Józef Piłsudski and the head of the General Staff of the Polish Army – Tadeusz Rozwadowski.
On the night of 5 to 6 August 1920, in Belvedere, a general concept of the conflict was developed. In the reflections, the thought was returned to the head of the full Polish military leadership.
Part of the force was intended to halt the Russian strike before Warsaw, and on the right wing to recreate the operational detachments and hit them on the confederate flank of the opponent.
On 6 August in the morning, Marshal Piłsudski yet chose the area of concentration of troops to counterattack.
From the proposed by the Chief of General Staff, Tadeusz Rozwadowski's Garwolin or Pork area, the marshal decided to take the second place. A typical of the French military mission, General Maxime Weygand preferred the area of concentration and shallowness close Warsaw, a little risky flanking maneuver with the anticipation of deepening his defence towards the capital.
Marshal has decided to decision the strike squad south beyond the river line. Pig and execute a deep maneuver not only on the wings of the Russian West Front, but besides on its rear.
On 6 August afternoon, an order was issued No. 8358/III, which activated the implementation of the operation plan. It is titled – "The Order to Regroup and issued by the Chief Command of W.P. (General Staff) ODZ III", and signed by the Chief of General Staff of General Gen. Lieutenant Tadeusz Rozwadowski.
As the main defensive lines, the Chief Command chose: the Orzyce-Narew River line, with bridgeheads Pulatusk, the Warsaw-Wisłaheadheadhead, the Dęblin-Wieprzhead and further on on Seret or Strypa.
The order ended with the words: "We must win this conflict with the legs and courage of the Polish infantry".
On 12 August, Józef Piłsudski left Warsaw and went to the Main office in Puławy. Before leaving, he resigned to the hands of Prime Minister Witos as Chief of State and Chief Commander.
In his letter to the Prime Minister, he pointed out that in his opinion, since the peace talks with the Bolsheviks did not give anything, Poland must number on the aid of the Ententa countries, and these depend on the departure of the Marshal. Witos, however, did not resign.
The historical importance of the Warsaw conflict is inactive underestimated both in Poland and in the west of Europe.
The British Ambassador in pre-war Poland – Lord Edgar Vincent D’Abernon already called it in the title of his book “The Eighth decisive conflict in planet history”. In 1 of the articles published in August 1930, he wrote“ Modern past of civilization knows fewer events of greater importance than the conflict of Warsaw in 1920. He doesn't know 1 that's little appreciated... If the conflict of Warsaw had ended with the triumph of the Bolsheviks, there would have been a turning point in the past of Europe, for there is no uncertainty that the collapse of Warsaw would have opened up Central Europe to communist propaganda and to russian invasion (...). It is the task of political writers... to explain to the European public that in the year 1920 EUROPE BAVED POLAND".
Simon Goodough, a well-known popularizer of war and military past in the 1979 book Tactical Genius in conflict in designation of Joseph Piłsudski's commanding talents, placed him in the ellipse of winners of the 27 top battles in planet history. He listed him in a number of strategists specified as Themistocles, Alexander the Great, Caesar, Gustav Adolf, John III Sobieski, or Condeus.
French General Louis Faury in 1 of his articles in 1928 compared the Warszawski conflict to the conflict of Vienna“Before 2 100 years ago, Poland under the walls of Vienna saved the Christian planet from Turkish danger; over the Vistula River and over Germany, a noble nation gave back to the civilized planet a service that was not sufficiently assessed.”
British historian J. F. C. Fuller wrote in his book “The conflict of Warsaw 1920”: "Despite central Europe from the Marxist plague, the conflict of Warsaw withdrew the instructions of the Bolshevik clock (...), halted the possible outbreak of social discontent in the West, destroying almost the Bolshevik experiment".
The conflict of Warsaw had many heroes. 1 of them was Fr Ignacy Jan Skorupka.
On 13 August, he marched on the front with the battalion, which was yet incorporated into the 36th Regiment of the Academic Legion Infantry. In the evening, the battalion reached the village of Ossów (Volominian County), on the front line. On 14 August 1920, Fr.Ignacy Skorupka was killed by a gunshot wound to the head during a conflict under this village, which was part of the conflict of Warsaw.
His death was not noticed until after the attack, he died while giving the soldier his last anointing. Władysław Pobóg-Malinowski wrote that Skorupka was killed "With a death more worthy of a priest, for he was stabbed with a stray bullet at a time erstwhile he was bowing down over a severely wounded soldier, giving him the last spiritual comforts."
The WP General Staff Communication of 16 August describes "the heroic death of priest Chaplain Ignacy Skorupka [...], who led the attacking troops in a 100 and with a cross in hand".
In his memoirs, Lieutenant Mieczysław Słowikowski wrote that he had agreed to take part in the attack and that he saw the minute of its collapse.
THE POLISH TERMOPILE
The sun is simply a sign of freedom
♪ From behind the clouds ♪
The Flash of Childly Love
The country looked.
It's the second fall of hostility.
Young destiny Charges
In the left hand of the rifle
And in the right, the executioner whip.
And so they came in proudly
Girls of Kleparov
And the boys are all over
They defended their lion.
Their tank is simply a victory,
Their horses are beating the enemy
Their joy is filled with valour
In defence of his Lion.
They're wearing a thorn crown.
That's how Mom taught them.
And in his defence of Lviv
They took the grenade off.
One of Lviv' defenders
Young Jurek Bitschan
What died in Lvov's glory
He wrote his dad a letter.
Dad, I gotta show you.
Strength like Polish youth
Delete enemy from map
With the power of the Polish army.
And fighting without trenches
His banner with the Eagle
The defenders of Lviv sang
I'll go with my God.
And the enemy is ruthless
Child's heart was torn out
They with a love song
And the Lviv wind took them.
Shaved
Young defenders of Lviv
What life they had for nothing
God kept them in courage.
Three 100 and 30 bodies
The foreground leg
Formed Thermopile
And they didn't quit the Court.
Aleksander Szumanski
