Customer Reviews

Bitter Glory: Poland and Its Fate, 1918-1939

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If you want to know about interwar Poland, this is the book to read. It's fascinating! It shows you a completely different perspective on WWI and WWII, and it's probably the perspective that most accurately draws in all of the issues that lead to those two wars. The story of Poland in the twentieth century IS the story of Europe in the twentieth century. The book is a great read, to boot.

As Mr. Watts showed in his earlier works "Dare Call it Treason" on the French mutinies of 1917 and "The Kings Depart" on Germany and the Versailles Treaty, he is a master of narrative history. The present book is of similar quality. It is the sort of "find" one dreams of encountering but so seldom does, a well-written, exciting account of a subject one knows to be of interest and importance, but on which little seems to be available outside detailed academic histories. Mr. Watts has a splendidly exciting story to tell - how Modern Poland sprung from a dream of freedom that had been kept alive despite a century and a half of partition and foreign repression - and he tells it with verve. The initial part of the story is on an epic scale: the apparently hopeless struggle of Pilsudski and other nationalists to breathe new life into the Polish ideal prior to the First World War, their brilliant exploitation of events as the German, Austro-Hungarian and Russian Empires crumbled at the end of it, their momentarily-successful attempt to revive an earlier Greater Poland stretching from the Baltic to the Black Sea and their final, incredible, last-ditch success in repulsing Bolshevik invasion in 1920. After this deliverance - or rather nineteen-year stay of execution, as subsequent events were to prove - the challenge of creating a modern, economically viable state was a daunting one, with minimal resources and an impoverished, undereducated population. The second part of the book, detailing the painful process of industrialisation and of land, fiscal and education reform is no less fascinating than the first, playing out against a background of hostile neighbours and internal political squabbling. Petty party politics and narrow sectional interests bedevilled the new nation and once Pilsudski, the founding father, a benevolent not-quite-dictator, passed from the scene in the mid '30s these became ever more malignant factors, not least in unworthy half-tolerance of increasing Anti-Semitism. Despite all however, one gets the sense of a heroic people seeking a higher destiny, faltering on occasion, yet never losing faith in themselves and hope in the future. Mr.Watts guides the reader through the morass of party politics with assurance, never losing one's interest, and is very effective in bringing to life the main players in inter-war Polish society. The book ends with the disaster of 1939, with Poland once again partitioned by its ruthless neighbours and with its indomitable citizens entering the hell that will see them brutalised and enslaved, but also fighting on battle fronts from North Africa to Normandy and the Netherlands, over the skies of Western Europe and, bloody but unbowed, in the very ruins and sewers of Warsaw itself. These latter epics of Polish heroism are well recorded elsewhere and it is to Mr.Watts' credit that he has recorded so well what set the scene for these later events.

This book covers the history of Poland between World War I and World War II. The period was lively, to say the least, involving what are now almost-forgotten conflicts with most of Poland's neighbors, not to mention much political infighting and the period of the depression. The story loses nothing in the telling: as several reviewers have previously stated, this author is an excellent writer of narrative history. The description of the ebb and flow of armies are clear and fast-moving, and the characters of the major players come vividly to life. I think that both the casual reader and the specialist will find much to enjoy. I think that the lead-up to WWII isn't quite as strong as the rest of the account. This is the only thing that, in my mind, keeps this from being a 5-star review.

Of course, Mr. Watts virtually has the field to himself, so if you are interested in the history of Poland between the wars, you have to read this book. I'm pleased to say it's a very good one.

P.S. I also recommend Mr. Watts' other books, The Kings Depart (Germany immediately after WWI) and Some Dare Call it Treason (the French Army Mutinies in WWI).

There aren't too many English-language histories of inter-war Poland, so this book is very welcome. It is easy to read and provides many interesting details on subjects (often regarded these days as obscure) such as inter-war Danzig and Poland's troubled relations with Lithuania and Cezchoslovakia. In many ways, it is popular history more than academic history: it has little to say on the inter-war economy and social structure of Poland. Its account of Polish diplomacy could be a little more rigorous, but the author, though clearly sympathetic to Poland, does not flinch awkward facts. One drawback is that the book hardly draws at all on modern research.

Although the name of the Poland in the interwar years is often invoked in many narrative volumes, there is precious little written about Poland in the interwar period. Best has gone a very long way in balancing the deficit.

There is also a lot of supposed truths of which scholars of the 20th Century take without critical discussion: Pilsudki was a dictator, Poland was anti-semitic, Poland was a loyal ally of other eastern European countries, Poland distrusted the Germans more than the Russians.

In fact Pulsudski was probably one of the most balanced authoritarian personalities in the 20th century, using force in the 1926 coup to rescue an immature Parliament, and acting as a balancing hand on the rudder of state to protect the right of Jews inside Poland. He never used political murder to further his ends.

This is important because it is often cited that Britain and Empire went to war for a country with anti-semetic background subject to pogroms. When Pilsudski died persecution of Jews started. Boycotting of Jewish shops was quintessentially Nazi-like --- but there the comparison ends! Polish Police were quick to move in whenever there was a threat of physical violence. Although shameful, the post 1936 Polish method, to remove Jews from Poland was one based upon economics only and not force --- no concentration camps ever littered the Polish landscape.

Poland on the other hand may have been too clever by half for its own good. Defeating the Red Army in 1920 Poland went on a foreign policy determined to make it a major power in Europe. All predicated on the notion that Poland would not take sides in any political or polemical conflict between Russia or Germany.

That strong-armed realist strategy gained her the southern lands of Lithuania, the German majority area of Silesia, and most notoriously, Poland took advantage in the wake of Munich to bully Czechoslovakia to give up Tsechen. It set a poor example and robbed Poland of some sympathy when the Germans pushed for the return of Danzig. Poland's objective was never to wipe a country off the face of the earth like Hitler's was for Poland. But it did lose Poland sympathy internationally and made it easier for Hitler to claim that all he wanted was the Corridor and Danzig.

The last days of Poland could have been described in greater detail, but Best goes a long way in answering the question of what went wrong with Poland and why, when the crunch came, it was so devastating. I do not think that Poland, even with the most consumate statemanship could have done much to survive. But there clearly were signs that Poland, with it tough infantry should have been able to withstand the nazi-Soviet agression longer that it did.

Best's descriptions are fast, lively and one gets a real sense of Pilsudski as a man, Smygly-Ritz, and foreign minister Beck. One also gets a better idea of the challenges this country faced being crushed between the Nazis and Soviet Russians outside, and imploding from lack of an effective Parliament and minority discontent.

One of the 10 best narrative reads this year for me.

Until recently, Poland was a satelite of the Soviet Union. Before World War One, Poland was part of three different Empires. The only time Poland was truly an independent country was between the two World Wars. Under the leadership of Marshall Pilsudski, a large European nation was born which had been submerged for over 100 years. As part of that emerging process, Poland fought a war with the Soviet Union and managed to stem the tide of Communist advancement in Europe.
This is a great history book. The politics and history of Poland come alive. During this time period, Poland was not a democracy, but an authoritarian state ruled by a benovolent leader. Poland played a balancing act between Germany and the Soviet Union. The National Democrats, the PPS, and Marshall Pilsudski played power politics. This book was very complimentary to Pilsudski, portraying him as the glue that held the nation together whereas the other political parties used power to enrich themselves.
Watt is a favorite author of mine. His books, Dare Call It Treason and The Kings Depart are two of my favorite books on World War One. Watt does another home run with this book on interwar Poland. For those interested in Polish history, this is a must read. For those interested in general history, this is a great book to read about Poland.

Richard Watt has produced a readable volume that recounts the only period of modern Polish independance prior to the current one. It's complete, and seems to cover the issues reasonably well. Looming over the whole book is the figure of Jozef Pilsudski, the father of modern Poland, and he is reasonably well-described here. Good book, though the writing, while reasonable, isn't on the Barbara Tuchman-Robert Massie skill level writing-style wise.

For most people Polish history between the wars is probably a mystery. This book fills that gap admirably. It reveals how Jozef Pilsudski was truly the founding father of a reborn nation. This is his story just as much as Poland's, but then the two are so closely tied together that their's is one story. A fascinating and easy read. Thoroughly recommended to those who have an interest in this area.

Bitter Glory: Poland and its fate 1918-1939. by Richard M. Watt (1982)Details of an intense, brief, and pivotal period in Poland's independence. His 460 page book delves in great detail into the creation of modern Poland in the crumbling empires of World War I, through the Fourth Partition of 1939. Watt does a very good job of exploring Poland's `fate' as he calls it, from the inside out, and expertly sets this amidst the backdrop of European politics in the period inter bella. For Poland, this period was a series of sustained and linked crises, as a people that had pined and fought for independence since 1792 suddenly found themselves in possession of a large nation with a diverse set of peoples, many neighboring countries, each also trying to forge itself out of the debris of World War I, and a passionate but wholly inexperienced set of disagreeing actors on the new Polish national stage.

In his 1982 special edition (Solidarity was in full swing) Watt notes "Poles are awesomely patriotic, revere their military tradition, possess great personal courage, and have repeatedly shown themselves willing to die in a romantic cause as long as it is in Poland's defense. They are also of course devout adherents of their church which they view as a special repository of Polish tradition representing the principal continuous force in Polish history." Later in the introduction, "Whatever the considerable faults and failings of Pilsudski and his followers...they were seen as honest representatives of the Polish character and the creators of authentic Polish independence." These passages set the tone for the entire book, which runs 18 chapters and details the birth pains to the death pains of Poland 1918-1939.

The first chapter sets the stage with a detailed examination of the complex person of Jozef Pilsudski, and the fermented political climate which produced him, and the great many adherents, followers and supporters that he was to find across all of Poland, whether it be under German, Austrian or Russian rule prior to August 1914. Chapter three covers in detail the infighting between Polish political parties at Versailles, and the disagreements between the major victors of World War I, as well as Germany and Russia (Soviet Union) over Poland. Because the dissolution of Imperial Russia and Germany was so stark, and confused, Watt shows that the peacemakers and treaty writers at Versailles can certainly be forgiven for not getting it perfectly right, especially given the added frictions in the outlooks and approach of Roman Dmowski and Pilsudski. Add to this the final result that not all of Poland's borders were decided at Versailles, let to future ambiguity, and the reader quickly grasps the continuous quagmire in which Poland was gripped heading into the 1920's.

Chapters 4-6 details the massive bureaucratic tasks that faced the new leaders of Poland. Facing these were immense. Add to this the physical destruction of Poland during the Eastern Campaign, and the need for Poland to settle border issues with Czechoslovakia, Ukraine, Russia and Lithuania, and one quickly sees the almost Sisyphean tasks that faced the new leaders of Poland. In fact the question more properly may be asked, not why they did it so `poorly' but how they did it all?

The Polish-Soviet War marked the transition from Poland as an idea to Poland as a viable nation state. After this resounding victory, Poland can be forgiven, by Watt's description, some sense of enlarged importance in central and indeed all of Europe, but the fact of the matter was that as Europe recovered from the war, staggered under the depression, and then began the gradual violent slide towards the tragic chaos of World War II, Poland was the only democratic country in eastern Europe, and the only country of significance between the Soviet Union and Germany. While others could retire to their drawing rooms after dinner and cognac to discuss the future of Europe, Poland had to live it every day.

As Watt makes painfully clear, Pi³sudki failed in not setting up Poland for a better transition to civilian leadership, but Watt also makes clear that perhaps no one could have successfully stopped the coming clash. Even if Czechoslovakia and Poland had formed some sort of early Visegrad Union, it is doubtful that it would have been enough to stop the `fate of Poland' as the book title states up front. The second half of the book carefully chronicles the domestic politics of Poland, including the painfully awkward return of Pilsudski and the subsequent `rule of the colonels.' It also carefully shows Poland's struggles to get the best possible deals and compromises in Mittleeuropa in the increasingly perilous 1930's.

One of the many results of Versailles was that Poland had to honor a loosely defined Minorities Treaty. With a very diverse population, this would be a challenge for anyone. With burgeoning fascism, communism and anti-Semitism across Europe, Poland struggled with all of this. At the same time, this treaty provided diplomatic cover for other western European powers to keep Poland at arms distance diplomatically, when in their own interests for self-preservation, they should have drawn her ever closer. In many ways, Watt alludes to the second great diplomatic failure of France in the first half of the 20th century when they did not pull Poland ever closer and tighter, especially given the continuing fond memory for Napoleon in Poland.

Thus diplomatically isolated, and geographically contiguous to the two great terror dictatorships of Europe, Poland sought the art of the possible. Poland in 1938 was not yet doomed - but almost, and as 1939 played out, Poland found herself physically more and more surrounded, more threatened, and more endangered. Watt closes his book with the same fatalistic view of the Poles who, in the summer of 1939, knew they had been dealt a bad hand, and resolutely tightened their belt buckles and prepared to drive forward. That Poland, far less capable in terms on modern military technology, should have fought a double invasion for a month, and in the brief violent campaign, kill more Germans than the French managed to do a year later, speaks volumes to the drive and determination of the Poles as a people and a nation. As the Soviets were to discover forty years later, Stalin was right - trying to rule and conquer Poland is "jak siodla do krowy" like trying to saddle a cow.

If you want to understand how Poland got from World war I to where they are today, and what still drives a great deal of their national thought processes, this book is indispensable.

This has to be one of the most readable history books written. It's fascinating because it tells the story of rebuilding a nation that had disappeared from the map of the world for more than 125 years. The nation that emerged had to combine the damage of 3 divergent occupying powers where even trains didn't run on the same type tracks, and satisfy the demands of opposing and even militant ethnic groups within its borders while staving off attacks from dangerous and militant neighbors without its borders. Sound familiar?

I only gave this book four stars because it included nothing about what was happening within the United States for or against Poland's rebirth. President Wilson included the resurrection of Poland as one of Germany and Austria's conditions of surrender. Knowing how this was greeted or opposed by former citizens of Poland within the U.S. would give greater clarity to what was going on amongst the citizens within Poland's borders.

Some new information I was astounded to learn was that Poland initiated and WON A WAR AGAINST THE SOVIET UNION!!!Who would have thought! And such an important war it was too! It stopped the spread of communism within Europe and took the snap out of Stalin's beans for a long time. He retaliated later when he found a socialist bedfellow in Hitler. Communism was pushed back later in the century.

Interwar Poland is not the prejudiced disaster that many people imagine. Even Mr. Watt sometimes has to amplify, emphasize and elaborate to put across the point, but overall this is a fair and unbiased approach to the problems and politics of interwar Poland. I recommend it highly because it works on many levels and depicts the difficulties of forging a new nation and...one more time...I can't BELIEVE POLAND WON A WAR THEY INITIATED AGAINST THE SOVIET UNION!!!!