7 Intriguing Things Inspired by the Battle of Warsaw
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Warsaw, the decisive episode of the Polish-Bolshevik war and one of Poland’s most momentous military victories. On this special occasion, Culture.pl presents a list of seven intriguing things inspired by the battle, created in diverse fields like painting, digital culture and even sports.
A turning point in history
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Polish machine-gun post near Miłosna, the village of Janki, August 1920, photo: Wikimedia.org
In 1919, the Soviet Union attacked Poland, starting the Polish-Bolshevik War which lasted until 1921. The Soviet Union was looking to expand its borders by annexing Polish territory and also to export the communist revolution to Poland, and beyond to other European countries. Poland, on the other hand, had just reappeared on the map in 1918 after 123 years of partitions and was desperate to maintain its freshly regained independence.
By the summer of 1920, the outnumbering forces of the Red Army gained an advantage over the Polish troops. The Soviets were closing in on Warsaw and it seemed that they would deliver the final blow to Poland by capturing its capital. However, the Polish forces were able to muster a heroic defence which eventually proved to be a turning point in the entire conflict. The battle that ensued, known as the Battle of Warsaw, ended with a spectacular victory and led to Poland winning the Polish-Bolshevik war.
The Battle of Warsaw took place between 13th and 25th August on a huge area (comparable in size to the territories of Belgium and the Netherlands combined) spanning from the town of Włodawa to the town of Działdowo. Much of the fighting occurred in the vicinity of Warsaw. The Polish Army won thanks to the bravery of its soldiers, many of whom were volunteers, and due to the tactical skills of its leadership which included such esteemed military men like Marshal Józef Piłsudski, General Tadeusz Rozwadowski and General Józef Haller. One of the key episodes of the Battle of Warsaw was a counterattack led by Piłsudski on the 16th, which broke the defensive lines of the enemy near Kock and led to the surrounding of the Soviet forces attacking Warsaw. The surrounded Soviets were heavily defeated and forced to retreat, which sealed the victory for Poland.
Winning the Battle of Warsaw was immensely important to Poland as it secured the country’s fledgling independence. But the victory is also believed to have had a broader, European impact – had Poland not stopped the Bolshevik onslaught, the Red Army could’ve marched on to conquer other European countries, introducing communism to them. Here’s how this aspect of the Battle of Warsaw was described by the British diplomat Edgar Vincent D’Abernon, who was in Poland when the battle took place:
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Had the Battle of Warsaw ended with a Bolshevik victory, it would have been a turning point in the history of Europe; as there is no doubt that with the fall of Warsaw, Central Europe would have been left open to Communist propaganda and Soviet invasion.
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From bitwa1920.gov.pl/en
Due to its significance, the Battle of Warsaw is considered one of the greatest military triumphs in Poland’s history. Being an important event, it has inspired the creation of various things in diverse fields like painting, music and even sports. Below you can find a list of seven intriguing things that were inspired by the Battle of Warsaw, each of which belongs to a different field of creative activity.
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‘The Miracle on the Vistula’ by Jerzy Kossak, 1930, photo: FoKa / Forum
If there’s one image that captures the importance of the Battle of Warsaw to Poles it’s certainly this 1930 painting by the well-known historical painter Jerzy Kossak. The artwork is titled Cud nad Wisłą (The Miracle on the Vistula) and this is also how the 1920 victory came to be known in Poland – winning against the Soviets was so unlikely that after it actually happened it gained the reputation of being a miracle.
The miraculous aspect of the victory is highlighted by the presence of St Mary in the sky, who seems to be presiding over the Polish Army. From the clouds below her, a fantastic regiment of Hussars is in full charge – a nod to Polish military traditions of old. In the centre of the painting, you can see a Polish banner, which seems to be referencing the Polish banner in Jan Matejko’s famous 1878 painting Bitwa pod Grunwaldem (The Battle of Grunwald). By referencing Matejko’s artwork, Kossak suggests that the Battle of Warsaw was equally as significant as the Battle of Grunwald – Poland’s greatest mediaeval military triumph.
Apart from having symbolic aspects, Kossak’s painting also includes plenty of real-life elements. On the left-hand side in the centre, you can see Marshal Piłsudski leading his counterattack. Next to the aforementioned Polish banner, you can find Father Ignacy Skorupka (with crucifix in hand) who acted as a chaplain for the Polish soldiers in the battle, eventually losing his life on the front. Also, in The Miracle on the Vistula you can see the Polish air force which supported the Polish troops on the ground. It’s worth adding that due to its abundance of diagonal lines, the scene is very dynamic, which harmonises fittingly with the drama of the depicted struggle.
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Image from the video game Iron Harvest, photo: developer’s press materials / kingart-games.com
The contemporary Polish painter and graphic artist Jakub Różalski was also inspired by the Battle of Warsaw. It prompted him in 2014 to create a series of digital paintings titled 1920+ which presents an alternative history of early 20th-century Europe. In this series, you can see classically-flavoured rustic landscapes which feature… dieselpunk mechs as well as cavalrymen and other soldiers.
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This entire series was inspired by the Battle of Warsaw and the Polish-Bolshevik war. In a few paintings you can find the town of Radzymin, where the most important part of the war took place […]
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Jakub Różalski from ‘Roboty jak z Gwiezdnych Wojen w Bitwie Warszawskiej?’, an article at tvp.info, trans. MK
Różalski conjured his fantastical world by combining the style of his favourite Polish painters, such as Józef Chełmoński, with sci-fi influences akin to the giant AT-AT robots in the Star Wars movies. Interestingly, his alternate universe has become the setting for an upcoming video game titled Iron Harvest. Set to premiere this September, the game is a real-time strategy which lets you play as one of three factions: Polania, Saxony and Rusviet (evoking Poland, Germany and the Soviet Union). In Iron Harvest your main objective is to lead troops to battle; naturally, the game will also allow you to control large dieselpunk contraptions! It seems the Battle of Warsaw has become, although indirectly, an inspiration for a thoroughly modern video game.
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A screenshot from the website bitwa1920.gov.pl/en/
Next up is another item from the realm of digital culture – a superb multimedia guide to the Battle of Warsaw that can be found online at bitwa1920.gov.pl. The guide, launched in July this year, was created by workers of Polish Radio’s website PolskieRadio.pl and by the Office of the ‘Niepodległa’ Program, a state institution promoting the centenary of Poland’s independence.
Inspired by Culture.pl’s own Where Is Poland?, which set a new benchmark for interactive multimedia guides last year, the accessible and entertaining format on show here gives us a guide that offers tonnes of interesting information about the 1920 battle and the Polish-Bolshevik war in general. For example, the website reveals the involvement of Polish women in the conflict, highlighting their service as fighters, couriers and medics in the Polish Army. You can also find a number of curious details such as the story of Jan Kowalewski who cracked the Red Army’s radio codes using, amazingly, a broken comb. The truthfulness of this intriguing tale, and of the rest of the information served up by bitwa1920.gov.pl, has all been verified by Professor Grzegorz Nowik, an esteemed expert on the Polish-Bolshevik war.
Also, the guide presents plenty of archival images and recordings. Living up to its multimedia character, it lets you make use of interactive features – for example, you can try to crack the Soviet codes using a comb like Kowalewski did. Bitwa1920.gov.pl is accessible in English, German, Russian, French, Ukrainian and Polish.
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Visualisation of the Battle of Warsaw Monument designed by Nizio Design International, photo: press materials
Whereas the last item belongs to the digital world, the next one will clearly be a physical object – a monument commemorating the Battle of Warsaw is due to be erected in Warsaw in the upcoming year. The topic of creating such a monument had been debated for years, until finally in February, after a special architectural competition, a design was chosen and approved for construction.
The monument will stand in Warsaw’s Na Rozdrożu Square, a busy junction in the heart of the city. It will be located in a circular area currently occupied by a fountain. However, to acknowledge the fact that many of Warsaw’s citizens highly appreciate the existing fountain, the monument will include a fountain of its own.
The main element of the new monument will be a 23-metre high concrete obelisk, twisted counter-clockwise by 45 degrees. At the top, on all four sides, the structure will sport the crucial date of 1920. Here’s how Mirosław Nizio, the monument’s chief designer, explains the obelisk’s symbolic meaning:
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Its twisting alludes to the turning point in history, which was the victory in the Battle of Warsaw in 1920. This turning point was so significant that it changed the fate of the world. This special obelisk is a kind of abstract sculpture. You can see here the strength and dynamism created through the twisting of the solid.
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From ‘Wyjątkowe Elementy w Zwycięskim Projekcie Pomnika Bitwy Warszawskiej’, an article at warszawa.wyborcza.pl, trans. MK
Additionally, the fountain will be capable of creating a wall of water which will be used as a screen for multimedia presentations. All of this amounts to what looks like a very pleasing design indeed.
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Cyclists taking part in the Tour Bitwa Warszawska 1920 race, photo: Klub Kolarski Panorama Warszawa / tourbitwawarszawska1920.pl
While the aforementioned monument will be a physical object, the next item on our list requires physical exercise. Among the events held to mark the 100th anniversary this year is the Tour Bitwa Warszawska 1920 cycling race.
The goal of this special race, organised by the cycling activist Dariusz Banaszek, is to celebrate the 1920 victory through its locations. The race will lead through towns like Radzymin, Legionowo and Płock where some of the most important fights of the Battle of Warsaw occurred. The riders will compete over the course of five stages, from 12th to 16th August. As these words are being written the race is already under way. The first stage, held in Warsaw, was won by Poland’s Marceli Bogusławski of team Wibatech Merx. All in all, 150 cyclists from a number of countries have joined the competition.
It’s not that well known but the Polish Army in the Battle of Warsaw actually included soldiers on bicycles. These troops served as messengers and used their bikes to quickly transport orders from one place to another. In view of that, it seems that the organisers of Tour Bitwa Warszawska 1920 have found a very appropriate way of commemorating the 1920 victory.
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The set of the film ‘1920 Bitwa Warszawska’, directed by Jerzy Hoffman, 2011, photo: Glinka Agency
Appreciating this item won’t really require physical effort as it’s a movie – you can just lay back and watch it. The feature film 1920 Bitwa Warszawska (Battle of Warsaw 1920) is a bombastic historical epic about Poland’s 1920 triumph. Directed by the acclaimed Jerzy Hoffman, the film premiered in 2011 attracting in its first two months a very sizeable audience of about 1.5 million. Most notably, it was presented in 3D, which gave its battle scenes extra gory flair.
The story follows a young Polish poet and cavalryman, Jan Krynicki (played by Borys Szyc), who marries the cabaret artist Ola Raniewska (played by Natasza Urbańska). Krynicki goes off to fight in the Polish-Bolshevik conflict but gets caught as a prisoner of war by the Red Army. He manages to escape and eventually re-joins the Polish forces. In the decisive phase of the Battle of Warsaw, near the Polish capital, he gets wounded but manages to evade death. He ends up in a field hospital where he is reunited with his wife, who volunteers there as a nurse.
A broad range of other characters such as Marshal Józef Piłsudski and Father Ignacy Skorupka are also included in the movie. The film was praised for its convincing acting, but also for the dramatism and accuracy of its battle scenes which were filmed in collaboration with historical re-enactment groups:
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We had re-enactment groups specialised in the year 1920. They came to the set in uniforms and with weapons, but what's most important, with great knowledge of the individual encounters, weaponry and military units.
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Quote by Jerzy Hoffman from Culture.pl’s 2011 interview with the director
1920 Bitwa Warszawska was released on DVD with English subtitles.
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The band Elektryczne Gitary in concert, Kielce, photo: Paweł Małecki / AG
Last, but not least, we have a song inspired by the Battle of Warsaw. Titled Cud nad Wisłą (The Miracle on the Vistula), it was recorded by Elektryczne Gitary, one of Poland’s most popular rock and roll bands of the 1990s. The song in question was released on the band’s 2010 album Historia (History) which is composed of tracks referencing important events in Poland’s history, such as the Battle of Grunwald, or the founding of the Solidarity trade union in 1980. For those who might not know this, Solidarity was highly instrumental in abolishing the communist regime which the Soviet Union imposed on Poland after World War II.
Cud nad Wisłą is maintained in the band’s characteristic laid back style, with the guitars and lyrics playing a key part. The band’s frontman, Kuba Sienkiewicz, sings:
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We drove away the Soviets
[…]
For the time being it’s calm
For less than twenty years
So we live our lives our way
Until September’s here
Curiously the song, even though it describes a great victory, is rather sad. The quoted lyrics seem to provide an explanation as to why, less than 20 years after the Battle of Warsaw, in September 1939, World War II broke out. The conflict brought unspeakable damage to Poland and also ended with the aforementioned instalment of communism, reversing the anti-communist legacy of the Battle of Warsaw.
Still, despite the tragic events that followed it, the Battle of Warsaw remains one of Poland’s most momentous military victories. It is sure to inspire many interesting things in the years to come.
Author: Marek Kępa, Aug 2020