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White Eagle, Red Star: The Polish-Soviet War 1919-1920 and "The Miracle on the Vistula" | 
 enlarge | Author: Norman Davies
Publisher: Random House UK
Category: Book
List Price: $29.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  8 reviews
Sales Rank: 326601
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 336
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 5.7 x 1.3
ISBN: 0712606947
Dewey Decimal Number: 355
EAN: 9780712606943
ASIN: 0712606947
Publication Date: November 1, 2003
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Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand new book delivered from the UK in 10-14 days.
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Product Description
In White Eagle, Red Star, distinguished historian Norman Davies gives us a full account of the Polish-Soviet War, with its dramatic climax in August 1920 when the Red Army—sure of victory and pledged to carry the Revolution across Europe —was crushed by a devastating Polish attack. Since known as “The Miracle of the Vistula,” it remains one of the most crucial conflicts of the Western world. Drawing on both Polish and Russian sources, Norman Davies shows how this war was a pivotal event in the course of European history.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 3 more reviews...
 Polish Heroism That Saved Europe August 12, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The "Miracle of the Vistula" was undoubtedly one of the most decisive battles in history. Soon after the Russian Revolution in 1917, the Soviets were poised to impose Communism on all of Europe. Poland, just resurrected after having been conquered and subjugated for 123 years, stood in the way. In fact, the Soviet Communists plainly said so.
Davies, an English historian, recounts the heroism of the Poles, under Pilsudski's leadership, in repelling the fresh Russian invasion of Poland that was to eventually continue to the rest of Europe. At the same time, Pilsudski possessed the foresight and discipline not to attempt to set Poland's eastern borders too far east at the expense of the Byelorussians and Ukrainians. It is ironic that the so-called Curzon line, purely a line of armistice between the Polish and Russian forces, was later to be made by Stalin as Poland's eastern frontier. It is also sad to realize that the Polish achievement was only met with European ingratitude, and that it only postponed the imposition of Soviet Communism on Poland by 24 years--thanks to the betrayal of Poland by Churchill and Roosevelt at Teheran and Yalta. But who knows how the course of history would have been different had the Soviets succeeded in imposing Communism on much or all of Europe back in the early 1920's!
 Good History May 28, 2008
White Eagle/Red Star gives one of the few good accounts
of the Soviet-Polish war of the 1920s. It covers the facts
in a balanced and thoughtful way. The only downside is that
the prose style sometimes lags. Otherwise, if your interested
in this forgotten war, its a great resource.
Europe 1918 - 1921 Unknown! February 15, 2008
American history classes ignore EU history...This book explains and describes what was happening on the Eastern Front 1919-21. Who knew that the German Army was never defeated there, that Poland wanted to invade Russia, that Poland defeated Russia when they tried to march West? Norman Davies is a history genius.
Another little known Big Event of the XX Century History January 2, 2008
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
This much goes beyond any doubt in my mind: the history of the Twentieth Century in Europe could have taken on an entirely different path should Poles fail to beat the Bolsheviks at the gates of Warsaw in 1920.
Lenin, following doctrine of Karl Marx, believed that the communist revolution, initiated in Russia, should be taken abroad to the rest of Europe and beyond. He wanted to go global. Time of the capitalistic society was nearing its end, he thought; social conflicts came to their extreme during World War I, hence - it was time to abolish old system and replace it with Socialism, Communism and the so called 'classless society' of eternal justice.
Feeling already victorious in his 'domestic' dispute over who were to rule Russia, Lenin believed time was ripe for other countries.
And let's not forget that the Communist movements elsewhere in Europe following the end of the Great War were strong and lively, especially in Germany. Lenin believed that if Bolsheviks could beat Poland the gates of Berlin would stand wide open to Communist takeover enthusiastically supported by German workers. And then the rest of Europe would fall into their hands.
It did not happen that way, Russians were beaten at the gates of Warsaw, Communist Revolution in Germany run out of steam, Social Democrats and supporters of democracy in general prevailed, Europe was spared horrors of the Gulag System created soon after in the Soviet Union by Joseph Stalin.
Norman Davies in his book attempted to explain in detail what exactly had happened and how did it happen. As far as I can tell this book, originally written, I believe, close to thirty years ago (was it not his doctoral dissertation?), still remains the most comprehensive, complete study of the Polish-Bolshevik War of 1920. I tend to agree with some of the reviewers that this book may be somewhat outdated, may be lacking in some illustrative materials such as graphics, maps and so on... bear in mind, thought, this was written when the Iron Curtain was still dividing East from West, archives in Poland and the Soviet Union were not widely opened (if at all) leaving the author certainly to desire much more. Nevertheless, Norman Davies prevailed in writing an (almost) complete story of the war that saved Europe from Communist takeover.
The Polish Soviet War July 23, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
This is a scholarly and impartial account of the Polish Soviet War of 1919-1920. The author is the preminent student of Polish history in the English language. This is an early work but ranks easily with the others. The book has been researched well and is relatively easy to read. It stears clear of many of the myths surrounding the war and traces the conflict from its origins on the borderlands (Kresy) in 1919 to Pilsudski's premptive strike in 1920, the subsequent invasion by the Soviets, and finally the Polish victory and subsequent peace. Well worth a read.
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