The Miracle at Vistula

On this day, 91 years ago, Polish forces successfully defeated advancing Soviet armies near Warsaw. The battle was a decisive turning point in the Polish-Soviet War of 1920.

When Germany surrendered in 1918, Winston Churchill said, "The war of giants is over. The war of pigmies will now begin." This referenced the numerous, smaller European nations fighting over territory they had lost some time ago. Soviet-sponsored revolutionary groups infiltrated dozens of western European cities attempting to spread the Revolution. The major western powers gave money and weapons to any anti-Communist nation willing to help suppress the violence. Poland was no exception. It had just fought Ukraine for lands left over from Austria-Hungary's dissolution.

In Russia, 1919, Vladimir Lenin had gained the upper hand in the Russian Civil War, defeating the Russian White Movement (Czar loyalists) once and for all. He was now determined to accomplish two things:

1) Re-gain territory lost in 1918
2) Bring the Revolution to all of Europe

The first objective was Germany. Lenin was convinced that Soviet Russia needed a strong, socialist neighbor to ensure her survival. Supporting the revolutionary groups covertly wasn't as easy as deploying conventional armies. Lenin saw Poland as a bridge that could be used by the Red Army to support the various uprisings elsewhere. He thought a war would be the ideal occasion to test Bolshevik strength.

In 1919, Russia made the first move by conquering Ukraine. Polish cryptology decoded Russian transmissions and revealed that they were preparing for a full-scale invasion. This cryptology would play a vital role later in the war.

By mid 1920 things were looking very bad for Poland. The Kiev Offensive, an attempt to re-take Ukraine, ended in disaster. Soviet cavalry had broken the lines in June, resulting in a collapse of the entire front. Now, the Russians were driving on Warsaw. If the city fell, it would most likely spell the end of the nation, as many Western onlookers predicted.

In August, the Poles' retreat became more organized. With their supply lines shortened, they were able to get materials faster with less effort. Commander Jozef Pilsudski ordered his force of 130,000 to cross the Vistula River and entrench near the bridgeheads leading to Warsaw.

Form August 12-25 the fighting raged. The Poles used their cryptology to intercept Russian radio messages, and found a weak point in their lines. The end result was a complete breakdown of Russian unit cohesion and discipline. The Reds suffered between 12-25,000 casualties. Poland lost around 4500.

Although the Russians regrouped afterwards, their invasion never regained momentum. The battle was such a setback that Lenin cancelled plans to initiate a coup in Lithuania. Both sides continued fighting until Britain and France pressured them to sign a treaty in March of 1921.

Sadly, the war did not secure long-lasting Polish freedom. Barely 20 years later, Russia invaded again under Stalin. With a cooperative Nazi Germany, Poland would be gutted and divided among wolves.