Battle of Warsaw 1920 in the Opinions and Comments of Western Participants and Observers.

Abstract

The Polish-Bolshevik war, and in particular the defence of Warsaw in 1920, were of fundamental importance for the process of rebuilding an independent Poland after the end of World War I. If Poland had lost the battle, it would have meant at best the incorporation of Polish territories into the Bolshevik state. In a much worse scenario, the Bolsheviks would have take control of the whole of Europe. This possibility was taken into account by western diplomats and officers who stayed in Poland in 1920 and left official documents, personal notes and letters. They presented not only the course of the war itself but also tried to reflect the social mood or the political situation of the country facing a deadly threat. The article shows how the representatives of Western countries described the course of the Polish-Bolshevik war at a key moment during the defence of Warsaw. It answers the question to what extent the accounts of direct observers and participants in the events connected with this war influenced the policy of their governments towards Poland, especially their readiness to help Poles; and, based on the analysed sources, presents social moods which underwent rapid changes during the war of 1920.