The Polish-Soviet War

Paper Summary:

This paper explains the circumstances that led to the Polish-Soviet War of 1920. It describes how the Treaty of Versailles left Poland vulnerable on her eastern border and explores how the conflicting agendas of Poland's Head of State and Commander in Chief, Josef Pilsudski, and Soviet Russia's Bolshevik revolutionary leader, Vladimir Lenin, set the stage for an inevitable military and social conflict. It also describes how the climate within each nation shaped the ultimate decision to engage in military combat.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
The Polish Context and Divergent Agenda
The Russian Context and Lenin's Agenda
German Troops Left in the Ober-Ost Region
Polish Victory

From the Paper:

"Trouble in 1919 began with the German withdrawal of Ober-Ost troops from the Poznania Both Pilsudski and Lenin had designs on this territory as each had their own agenda, that was in the best interest of their nationalistic causes. The Soviets viewing Poland's cause as imperialistic, as well as her dependence on the Allies used the actions of the Polish to build their case against not Poland but the Bolsheviks, who for the most part were still detained in Russia. While Pilsudski - was inspired to create a federation of states to Poland's east (of course led by Poland) the perfect border defense to protect Poland's eastern border, his agenda - bringing his beloved Poland back to it's historical "magnificence." Genuine love of country and commitment to development of "political significance in Europe" was his motivation. Lenin was determined to push his movement through Poland to meet Germany (already with KPD communist party established) a much more imperialistic ideal than that of Poland, by most accounts Poland needed to act immediately on the eastern border issue the rejected the "Curzon Line" and lacked allied support in doing so."

Sample of Sources Used:

• "Versailles, Treaty Of," The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed., Questia, 19 Apr. 2007 <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=101276640>.
• Henry L. Bretton, Stresemann and the Revision of Versailles: A Fight for Reason (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1953) 118, Questia, 19 Apr. 2007 <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=95282390>.
• George Stewart, The White Armies of Russia: A Chronicle of Counter-Revolution and Allied Intervention (New York: Macmillan, 1933) 154, Questia, 19 Apr. 2007 <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=77356433>.
• Peter D. Stachura, Poland, 1918-1945: An Interpretive and Documentary History of the Second Republic (New York: Routledge, 2004) 30, Questia, 19 Apr. 2007 <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=108250328>.
• Peter D. Stachura, Poland Between the Wars 1918-1939 (London: Macmillan, 1998) 43.

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