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Posted by Laura988 (U14088665) on Saturday, 15th August 2009
Today is 89th anniversary of the Battle of Warsaw which Edgar Vincent D'Abernon called the 18th decisive battle of the world. On that day Polish troops, thanks to a brilliant strategy of their commander Jozef Pilsudski, managed to defeat Bolshevik forces approaching the Polish capital and therefore prevented a possible Soviet invasion of Western Europe.
Laura, as far as I remember from my read of Vozhdi v Zakonye by Felshtinsky, the irony is that Pilsudsky himself was formerly affiliated with the Russian Social Democratic Workers Party (RSDRP) and personally knew some of his future adversaries.
Pilsudsky himselfΒ Sorry for misspelling his name: should be Pilsudski, of course.
Suvorovetz,
The story is quite complicated. Pilsudski was a member of the Polish Socialist Party (PPS)formed in so called Congress Kingdom of Poland (a puppet state entirely controlled by Russia). At some point this party split into PPS - Revolutionary fraction and PPS-left. The former (joint by Pilsudski) in the first place put the fight for independence of Poland. The latter wanted to concentarte on the liberation of the working class and didn't attach importance to the national issues.
Now: PPS-left closely coopertated with Social Democratic Party of the Congress Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania (its members include Dzierzinsky, Khon and others). I'm not sure but probably such cooperation existed before PPS split. Perhaps that's the source of information you found.
However, one thing is for sure: Pilsudski would never join any Russian party and all his life he considered Russia the biggest enemy of Poland (as opposed to his main political opponent Dmowski who would rather enter an alliance with Russia against Germany).
Laura PPS-left closely coopertated with Social Democratic Party of the Congress Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania (its members include Dzierzinsky, Khon and others).Β I believe that certainly Dzierzinsky - and probably Khon as well - ended up with the Bolsheviks. Did they have a dual affiliation or did they switch parties?
Good question! I only know that about 1918 the Social Democratic Party of the Congress Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania and PPS-left merged into the Polish Communist Party (which actually supported Russia against Poland and then was made illegal). But Dzierzynski joined the Bolshevik party alreday in 1917. I'll look up my history books and maybe I'll find more information.
Laura But Dzierzynski joined the Bolshevik party alreday in 1917.Β I find it quite fascinating. According to Felshtinsky, Dzierzynski was a true "internationalist," who firmly opposed Lenin on Brest-Litovsk Treaty not based on what it meant in terms of Russia, Ukraine, Belorussia or Poland, but because he considered it to be a betrayal of German Communists.
Bielorussia existed back then?
Bielorussia existed back then?Β The Romanov's referred to the Russian Empire as "Bolshaya, Malaya and Belaya Rus'", i.e., Russian proper, Ukraine and Belorussia. Literally "Bolshaya" means Big, "Malaya" means Small, and "Belaya" means White. Why white? I don't know, really.
Suvorovetz,
I haven't found any info concerning your question about party afiliation of Dzierzinsky, Kohn and others. My conclusion is then that they didn't really attach importance to such formalities.
But you were right that Pilsudski knew some of them personally. E.g. he knew Dzierzynski from... school (they attended the same gimnasium in Vilnius).
As to Belorussia - of course it didn't existed as an independent state but for example the belorussian language was known long before 15th century.
Laura he knew Dzierzynski from... school (they attended the same gimnasium in Vilnius)Β The same is true for Lenin and Kerensky, the former dislodging the latter's government in Petrograd in October/November of 1917. Perhaps, that could explain the fact that Kerensky managed to escape to the West, while most of his ministers, as well as Duma members, were executed.
That's really interesting. How people of the same background took so different directions in life.
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