The Eagle Unbowed: Poland and the Poles in the Second World War
Contents:
Who are their allies? What do the other powers want for Poland or from Poland? On top of that, every power wants them to move east or west, or just vanish from existence entirely. And in spite of all this, a great many Poles were able to organize and effectively combat the Nazis and Soviets all around the world. I imagine myself as a Pole in the 's carrying around this book and scratching my head trying to get things figured out. Basically, if the book is confusing, it's because the history itself was confusing, as much for those living it as for those studying it. Also mind-boggling is the staggering number of people killed in such a short time.
Kochanski throws a lot of numbers at us during all the battles, executions, forced migrations, etc. Kochanski should be commended for writing a comprehensive history on Poland in the years around WWII. Regardless of her Polish name, I did not get the feeling, as some of you did, that Kochanski was unjustly opinionated without the backing of facts and excerpts from primary sources at her side.
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I also appreciated her guide on Polish pronunciation at the beginning of the book enough to tab it and constantly flip back to it until I could remember what letters made what sound. It makes a big difference to me when reading a book with foreign names to be able to pronounce them correctly. It also helps me to remember names better when I say them aloud and in their appropriate accent. A few suggestions of improvements for future editions: Apart from those minor complaints, I recommend reading this book in conjunction with the three Wajda films to get a better idea of the story.
Jan 11, Kevin rated it it was amazing Shelves: Every student of history knows, generally, what happened to the Polish people during WWII, but this is one of those situations where, when you read a page book dedicated to the subject, it turns out to be so much worse than you thought. From relocation to political missteps, countless atrocities to their war contributions, the westward shifting of their borders to more relocations, Halik Kochanski does a superb job of bringing together the whole of the Polish experience during the Second Wor Every student of history knows, generally, what happened to the Polish people during WWII, but this is one of those situations where, when you read a page book dedicated to the subject, it turns out to be so much worse than you thought.
From relocation to political missteps, countless atrocities to their war contributions, the westward shifting of their borders to more relocations, Halik Kochanski does a superb job of bringing together the whole of the Polish experience during the Second World War, concluding with a final chapter of the aftermath. During almost any other time the Polish experience would have been the focal point of justifiable outrage, but the Holocaust which included approximately 3,, Polish Jews casts a long shadow, and unfortunately, the story of the Polish people has been seen, if seen at all, as an insignificant side-story.
This is one of those books that sticks with you long after the final page is turned. Nov 24, Jan Peczkis rated it it was ok. She wanted to discover what her father had gone through. The result is this comprehensive work. It not only covers the Polish experience during WWII, but also provides a brief glossary of Polish pronunciations, a glossary of abbreviations, and a detailed index of biographies. Owing to the fact that the author covers so much ground, there are naturally differing areas of emphasis.
And that was just one town. Consider the contention that Poland's pre-WWII boundaries were unjust because they encompassed millions of non-ethnic Poles. This complaint was hypocritically raised by many nations, and eventually became the rationalization for Churchill agreeing, at Teheran, to let the USSR keep the conquered Polish Kresy for itself.
In reality, "injustice" of boundaries not being ethnographically determined went both ways. No one was concerned about that. In fact, the Soviet Union was doubly hypocritical. She was complaining about ethnographic boundaries regarding Poland, all the while the USSR had been a colonial empire consisting of an ethnographically Russian core and a larger, mostly non-Russian periphery of conquered peoples! His anti-banditry order had been twisted, as by the Jewish Communist author Ainsztein and, unfortunately repeated by respectable Holocaust sources , as a veiled command for Poles to kill fugitive Jews.
In actuality, banditry in German-occupied Poland was very real in fact, rampant , and nothing about Bor Komorowski or his orders hints at any anti-Jewish tendency. Jews and Gypsies were obviously not the only ones targeted by the Nazis for genocide. On another subject, there were Polish reservists trapped in Switzerland who would have been put into action had Germany attacked Switzerland.
Unfortunately, for all the work that went into it and the valuable information and insights it provides, errors mar this work--a fact obvious to those readers knowledgeable on the issues. The main problem is Kochanski's reliance or over-reliance on secondary sources--furthermore ones of dubious authority. It is unfortunate that the manuscript did not go through more comprehensive editing. Kochanski essentially repeats stale German propaganda on the Poles' "Bydgoszcz Massacre" of , German civilians.
The Eagle Unbowed: Poland and the Poles in the Second World War
To learn what actually happened, please click on, and read, the detailed English-language Peczkis review of Dywersja niemiecka i zbrodnie hitlerowskie w Bydgoszczy na tle wydarzen w dniu 3 IX Polish and German Edition. She repeats the fallacious argument that there was no Polish Quisling because the Germans never wanted one. Gross and his wife that many of the Jews cooperating with the Soviets were refugees from the west, grateful that they did not fall into Nazi hands.
This canned exculpation is invalid. Actually, Jews were not then particularly afraid of the Nazis as proved, for example, by those Jews in Soviet-occupied Poland who soon thereafter moved, or tried to move, to German-occupied Poland!
In addition, most Jewish-Soviet collaborators were locals, and went far beyond cheering the arriving Soviets. They had earlier formed fifth-column militias, often planned long before the war, and fought against the remaining Polish forces on behalf of, and with, the Soviet invaders. See the detailed, English-language Peczkis review of: Polacy i biaorusini w zaborze sowieckim: Stosunki polsko-biaoruskie na ziemach ponocno-wschodnich II Rzeczypospolitej pod okupacja sowiecka Historia najnowsza Polish Edition. The reader learns about "extreme nationalist Polish claims" that Jews did not deserve to be saved because of their collaboration with the Soviets p.
She provides no evidence to support these egregiously Polonophobic formulations. Gross and Tony Judt p. Actually, what Rowecki wrote was that the "overwhelming majority of the country is in an anti-Semitic mood. It is hoped that a future edition of this book will correct the egregious anti-Polish errors that have found an additional home in this book.
Nov 03, Anntonette rated it it was amazing. Horror story, history, expose, explanation and cautionary tale. Also, completely true, impeccably researched and documented. Apr 05, Andrew Davis rated it it was amazing Shelves: One of the best books on history of Poland during the Second World War. Addresses a number of issues from different perspectives.
Quotes Churchill's reaction to the Katyn murder of Polish officers: However, on the whole it portrays Churchill as an advocate of Polish people, a man of high moral principles and most human of the allied troika. Among many examples of objective addressing of Polish history are an explanation why t One of the best books on history of Poland during the Second World War. An Excellent book for all those interested in the Second World War and the fate of Poland, the only country fighting along Allied armies that ended up with its borders and without freedom for another 45 years, with majority of its educated leadership murdered by Germans and Russians, and those who survived persecuted by the Communist regime for years after.
Apr 12, Matthew Griffiths rated it it was amazing. A excellent documenting of the incredibly important role that the poles played in the various theatres of World War 2. I will initially confess that prior to reading this of knowing only really about the fierce defence that the poles enacted after the invasion of Poland and their role in the battle of Britain, I had no idea of the importance that they played on the eastern front and particularly at Monte Cassino.
This book covers a great deal in its pages and for a fascinating account of a lesse A excellent documenting of the incredibly important role that the poles played in the various theatres of World War 2.
This book covers a great deal in its pages and for a fascinating account of a lesser known side of the history of WW2 I couldn't recommend a better starting point. Apr 13, Dan rated it liked it. The book covers a part of the Second World War that gets short shrift. The book jumps around a bit, which can be difficult to follow. However, given the area the Poles were scattered over and what was going on, I'm not sure there is a better way to organize the material.
Jan 19, Philip rated it it was amazing. This is a great book. I think most folks know the bits anecdotally, but this puts the whole World War II experience in context. And it is horrendous.
Loading comments… Trouble loading? Nevertheless, this is a comprehensive study that provides a fair-minded introduction to the subject. Many starved to death — and many that were sent to the Western Allies after from their Gulags, via the circuitous route of Iran, were in a deplorable physical state. I am not an historian, and I can only watch from the sidelines of such a debate. Page my book: This book covers a great deal in its pages and for a fascinating account of a lesse A excellent documenting of the incredibly important role that the poles played in the various theatres of World War 2. She provides no evidence to support these egregiously Polonophobic formulations.
The Poles suffered hugely, especially but not limited to their Jewish population. Jul 27, Jianghengqiang rated it really liked it. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. History everyone should know An amazing story told soberly and without sensation about a country and a people that were brutalised, used and then left for dead. Important book for people that are interested not only in modern history, but humanity's ability for good and horrible evil.
Kochanski examines every aspect of the topic, not just being limited to the territory of Poland itself, but the experience of the Poles who were either exiled or escaped to fight during the war. Considerable attention is given to these groups, particularly the Anders Army and the Poles fighting out of the UK. She also notes the political dimensions that the Poles faced, mainly how the government-in-exile intera A comprehensive look at Poland and the Polish people throughout the Second World War. She also notes the political dimensions that the Poles faced, mainly how the government-in-exile interacted with the Allied powers, and how the Soviet Union managed to have a Communist group establish itself as the post-war Polish government.
The theme of betrayal is evident throughout, which is not to say that Kochanski wrote with that in mind she notes in the introduction the book is meant to be objective and not present any argument, but merely a summary of events, which largely holds up , but more a facet of what the Poles dealt with during the conflict.
It is also a smooth read, not bogged down in overtly academic writing, despite its subject matter, which aids in the overall message being presented. Jan 25, Czarny Pies rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: Individuals of Polish Descent. Poland and the Poles in the Second World War is an outstanding academic work of synthesis history that presents a single narrative that will address all the questions that individuals of Polish descent living in the English speaking world might have about what happened Poland during WWII. Its appeal to those without a personal connection through ancestry, marriage or friendship to Poland will be considerably less.
Harvard University Press, World War II is the most traumatic event in the history of Poland, a catastrophe of biblical proportions. Thousands of books and articles have been devoted to the Polish contribution to this war but most of them concentrate on particular events, military operations, organizations, diplomatic negotiations, and other individual phenomena related to World War II.
All these publications cannot substitute a general panoramic history of Poland during the war. There are only a handful of books of this kind and most of them are either outdated or unimpressive. The situation is particularly difficult if one looks for publications in English.
The appearance of the book under review awoke great expectations by scholars, educators, and general English language readers. The Eagle Unbowed can change this. Unfortunately, due to many shortcomings, it cannot be accepted as a definite work in this field. One prisoner, arrested because he had given medical treatment to Jews in a nearby ghetto, described what went on there as "an orgy of sadism and unspeakable cruelty, cynically planned and executed".
The fate suffered by Polish citizens of Jewish ethnicity was worst of all. Herded into overcrowded and insanitary ghettos, hundreds of thousands succumbed to starvation or disease before the rest were shipped off to extermination camps in various parts of occupied Poland.
Some Poles helped conceal Jews as best they could, for a variety of motives, others betrayed them; a few joined in the persecution. The Polish underground home army provided the Warsaw Ghetto insurgents with a handful of arms but, Kochanski argues, lacked the resources to do any more. Kochanski's touch here is less sure than it is on the sections on the Soviet occupation: Part of the problem here is that Kochanski makes no use at all of the voluminous German literature on the Holocaust, on medical experimentation, and the occupation of Poland; and indeed she makes surprisingly little use of sources in Polish.
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Apart from the interview material, her book is almost entirely based on English-language documents and secondary literature. This undermines her claim that the events she describes are "largely unknown" in the English-speaking world. Nevertheless, this is a comprehensive study that provides a fair-minded introduction to the subject. Order by newest oldest recommendations. Show 25 25 50 All. Threads collapsed expanded unthreaded.