The Battle of Warsaw, 1920. The Communist Bolsheviks Routed

09/03/24 • 20 min

The crushing defeat of the Red Army in Poland did more than just carve out Poland’s post-World War I borders and halt the crimson tide of communism in its tracks; it also unfurled a bloody canvas of tactics that appears to have captivated the minds of German military planners. Those same brutal, fast-moving maneuvers would be perfected and unleashed with devastating precision across Europe in the fires of World War II.
Warsaw, Poland. 16-25 August, 1920.
Polish Forces: 370,000 soldiers and conscripts.
Communist Russian Forces: 200,000 Soldiers and Cavalry.
Additional Reading and Research:

Szymczak, Robert. "Bolshevik Wave Breaks at Warsaw," Military History 11, 1995.
Fiddick, Thomas. Russia's Retreat from Poland.
Dupuy, Ernest. Encyclopedia of Military History.
Jedrzejewicz, Waclaw. Pilsudski: A Life for Poland.

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Szymczak, Robert. "Bolshevik Wave Breaks at Warsaw," Military History 11, 1995.
Fiddick, Thomas. Russia's Retreat from Poland.
Dupuy, Ernest. Encyclopedia of Military History.
Jedrzejewicz, Waclaw. Pilsudski: A Life for Poland.

Support the show

Social Media:
www.HistorysGreatestBattles.com
Youtube | TikTok

Support The Show:
https://covertwars.com

Previous Episode

The Naval Battle of Trafalgar, 1805, Napoleon's Eventual Defeat Begins.

The thunderous victory at Trafalgar immortalized Britain as the unrivaled master of the seas, her naval dominance stretching far into the next century. Napoleon’s dream of a British Isle invasion was shattered like his fleet against the rocks, his ambitions to bring England to its knees buried beneath the waves forever.
Trafalgar, Coast of Spain. 21st October, 1805.
British Forces: 27 ships of the line.
Franco-Spanish Forces: 33 ships of the line.
Additional Reading and Research:

Fuller, J.F.C. A Military History of the Western World.
Howarth, David. Trafalgar: The Nelson Touch.
Warner, Oliver. Great Sea Battles.
Warner, Oliver. Trafalgar.

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Next Episode

The First Battle of the Marne, 1914, WWI

France’s triumph shattered Germany’s dreams of a lightning-fast victory, plunging both nations into the unrelenting nightmare of four agonizing years of trench warfare, where every inch of muddy ground was paid for with rivers of blood. Had the Germans been victorious, it is unlikely that the German nation would have had much interest in Hitler's radical plans decades later.
[!] This episode we experienced mic issues. We are swapping mics and will attempt to re-record.
Marne, France. 5th - 10th September, 1914.
Allied Forces: 1,080,000 Soldiers
German Forces: 750,000 to 900,000 Soldiers
Additional Reading and Research:

Dupuy, Trevor. A Genius for War.
Kluck, Alexander. The March on Paris and the Battle of the Marne, 1914.
Tuchman, Barbara. The Guns of August.
Herwig, Holger. The Marne, 1914: The Opening of World War I and the Battle that Changed the World.
Blond, Georges. The Marne.

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History's Greatest Battles - The Battle of Warsaw, 1920. The Communist Bolsheviks Routed

Transcript

Hey, thanks for joining me on this episode of History's Greatest Battles. As you know, I'm a fan of history -- an ardent fan of history -- but I'm not a credentialed military historian. And so, I appreciate when I request for corrections to my mispronunciations, I appreciate you sending those in to me. I especially have appreciated lately book recommendations from listeners who know that there are certain battles I will undoubtedly cover.
Without further ado, my friends, let's experience T