Edward Œmig³y-Rydz, the Unsung Hero

[troubledgoodangel]

"Night. A railway station at Cernauti, Rumania. Enter Colonel Józef Beck, Polish Foreign Minister, and Marshal Œmig³y-Rydz (1886-1942), Commander in Chief of the Polish Armies. Haggard and sleepless, heartbroken and desperate, they no longer are the independent and successful men they once were. They stand on the platform, quarreling so bitterly that the newspaper correspondents watching the scene 'feared blows might bring their tragedy to an ignoble climax.' But Œmig³y-Rydz, abruptly turns and walks away. Both were soon to be detained and interned by the order of the Government of Antonescu, together with President Moœcicki." This is more or less what the Time Magazine reported on October 2, 1939. Who were these personages now buried in history? They were both controversial, to be sure. Œmig³y-Rydz was the first son of a peasant ever to rise to the rank of General and Marshal of Poland. Few doubt that he was a great hero, without whom the Polish-Soviet War (1919-1920) could not have been won. After that war, Pi³sudski's great strategic instinct induced him to propose a "preventive war" against Germany, but he was quickly overruled by Roman Dmowski, his nemesis, then in Paris. As an alternative, alliances were concluded with France and Rumania in 1921. Then, in 1926, Gen. Józef Pi³sudski made his move, demanding "sanacja, or else" (in Poland some things never change, for a political cleansing is philosophically not different from today's lustracja or review (przegl¹d) for the purpose of political cleansing!). In consequence, a coup-d'etat followed, and both Pi³sudski and Œmig³y-Rydz ascended to power. Moreover, when Gen. Józef Beck (I just hope that this Beck wasn't some distant cousin of the Nazi Gen. Ludwig Beck!?) became foreign minister in 1932, Gen. Pi³sudski was counseled to sign two more pacts with foreign powers: the nonaggression pact with the Soviet-Russia, and a declaration of nonaggression with Nazi Germany. In this manner, on advise of Gen. Josef Beck, the destinies of Poland were left in the hands of Poland's traditional "friendly wolves." But despite of these agreements Germany and Russia kept saber-rattling. After Pi³sudski's death on May 12, 1935, the great Polish-Soviet War hero, Gen. Œmig³y-Rydz becomes Supreme Commander of the Polish Armies, four years before the Second World War. Four months earlier, on January 24, Hitler "meets Józef Lipski, the Polish Ambassador to Germany, offering an alliance against Communism." Weeks later, on February 10, 1935, Count Jean Szembeck, Polish Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs, "whispers" to Józef Beck's ear that "Lipski told him of the great plans of Goering for the future, which include a German-Polish alliance against the Soviet Union." Œmig³y-Rydz's government keeps silence, but listens. Then, of course, comes Jean Szembeck's August 14, 1936 report that "von Ribbentrop asks for a Polish-German collaboration against Bolsheviks," alongside with the news that Pius XI, on September 14, 1936, has voiced his support for Gen. Franco's "crusade against Communism." What went on in the mind of Gen. Œmig³y-Rydz in the face of these messages no one will ever know. But, against this background, I think, comes one of the most outrageous strategic blunders in Poland's history. When the war became almost certain, three months before, Poland's traditional suspicion of the Russians prevented her from entering in alliance offered by Stalin on April 6, 1939, when Minister Beck signed such alliance with England and France, in London. The English were taken by surprise, and so were French. They expected the common sense to prevail. But Gen.Œmig³y-Rydz stood his ground: "Germany will destroy our body; Russia will destroy our Soul," he declared. And he refused. The history has proven him right about Germans' blitzkrieg and Russians' Communism, but such a belief should not have been a justification not to prepare for war ... and not to swallow the bitter pill of Stalin's offer when 54 German divisions were standing on the border! This mindset, earlier shared by Dmowski and Pi³sudski, then by Œmig³y-Rydz and Beck, 11 days later, on April 17, prompted Stalin, through Ribbentrop, "to propose Russia's better relations to Germany," ... which Hitler anxiously accepted. Poland was doomed at that instant. As if hypnotized by fate, the nation kept the bulk of her armies on the Soviet border, leaving the German border undefended. From Berlin, Minister Beck kept understating the danger and the scope of German strength. Poland's economy was booming in the three years preceding the war, being the 8th steel producer in the world by 1939. But Poland was not matching Hitler's military build-up in terms of armaments. Even four days before the outbreak of war, on August 27, 1939 5:05 P.M., Beck still kept reporting to England's Foreign Ministry's Sir H. Kennard, that "all was quiet in Danzing as far as he knew"! Was the Polish "Government of the Colonels," as it was called, believing in the Alice in the Wonderland? Gen. Œmig³y Rydz, emboldened by Roosevelt and Churchill, was so confident, that he actually taunted Hitler that "Poland wants war with Germany, and Germany will not be able to avoid it even if she wants to. He threatened to overrun Germany in three days." His confidence was due to the fact that Poland "had 1,5000,000 trained reserves (30 divisions), plus 55 French and 2 more British available for the Continent, against 55 active Wehrmacht divisions." But the Germans had 2,600 tanks and 2,000 aircraft against Polish 180 tanks and 480 (obsolete) aircraft, respectively. We know the rest of the story. To his credit, Gen. Œmig³y-Rydz senses danger and saves the Polish navy sending it abroad four days before the war breaks out. The blitzkrieg then takes Poland by surprise on September 1, 1939. The government orders the army underground or to escape to France, Rumunia and Palestine. By September 17, Russia invades from the east, taking 300,000 soldiers prisoner. On September 11, Gen. Œmig³y-Rydz makes the cover of Time's Magazine. On September 24, he escapes to Rumunia only to be imprisoned and accused of sabotage. He heroically escapes in December 1940, and rejoins the war in Warsaw. He wants to die for Poland, but the commander of the Armia Krajowa, inexplicably, prevents him from fighting. After a heart attack, in 1942, Gen. Œmig³y-Rydz, the unsung great Polish hero, is buried under the fictitious name of Adam Zawisza at the cemetery of Pow¹zki.

[Pawian]

I must protest against making a hero out of a coward who crossed the Polish border on 17 September 1939 and escaped to Romania while at least 500.000 Polish soldiers were still fighting. Warsaw was still fighting and the last Polish units surrendered as late as on 5 October. Where was Rydz Śigły then?

I am sorry to say this but it is unfair to make such a legend about Rydz Śmigły. He behaved without dignity, he left his fighting soldiers, he stupidly thought that he would be able to continue his war but this was a nonsense because Romania as a neutral state was obliged to intern all soldiers who crossed its border.

Besides, the quickness of German conquest amazed not only experts but primarily common people. Poles had believed in Smigły`s pre-war assertations that the Polish army was strong, prepared and it would resist the enemy without any problems. Somebody had to pay for such a fast unexpected shocking defeat. Certainly Rydz Śmigły was naive if he thought that he would be allowed to lead the Polish Army after September 1939.

He heroically escapes in December 1940, and rejoins the war in Warsaw. He wants to die for Poland, but the commander of the Armia Krajowa, inexplicably, prevents him from fighting.

Inexplicably? Rather very explicably. He had had a chance to die for Poland in 1939 but instead he had made a fool of himself . Nobody treated him seriously in Warsaw 1940.

[Pawian]

Now let`s look at a real hero. General Mikołaj Bołtuć died in action on 22 September 1939. The bloody battle at Bzura was coming to its end. The Polish troops had been massacred by overwhelming German tank forces and constant Stuka bombers attacks.

The general decided to gather the remaining survivors and break through the German lines towards Warsaw. He picked up a carbine of a killed soldier and led the bayonett attack. He was killed. Germans were amazed to see the body of a general who fought like a simple soldier.

That is the hero and the legend of a "simple general" is absolutely jusitfied.



The description of the battle.

The unequal battle of infantry and cavalry against tanks had started. Polish troops, amassed in a relatively small area and deprived of the anti-air defence, became an easy target for the German air forces. In the evening 16 September at the Army Poznan headquarters at Zaluskow it was decided to terminate the battle and undertake a fast withdrawal to Warsaw.

Only the whipped regiments from those divisions and brigades managed to get to Warsaw. The rest of the forces of the Armies Poznan and Pomorze were encircled on the Bzura and annihilated in fights. In those fights fell Generals Grzmot, Wіad and Bołtuć and the wounded General Bortnowski was taken prisoner. The battlefields of the Kampinos Forest and both banks of Bzura became covered with the corpses of the fallen Polish soldiers. Only few and small groups of the crushed armies managed to reach the besieged capital. "

How can anybody try to call Rydz Śmigły a hero?

[leslie]

Pawi (!)
Many thanks for putting the story right - quite a difference from the first account, and I have read snatches of your account. From your account he deserves to be forgotten!
Les

[troubledgoodangel]

Certainly you are entitled to your opinion, as much as I am to mine. Heroism is in the eye of the beholder. No one ever accused King Jan Kazimierz of cowardice, when he temporarily fled before King Carol X of Sweden, in 1655, in order to organize the resistance from outside! This was probably what Gen. Œmig³y-Rydz had in mind, and he most certainly acted on advice of the allies. Those were difficult times, and there was a great deal of myopia and stupidity to go around. People had to act on a spur of the moment, and some made mistakes. Heroism comes in many forms and shapes. My grandfather, Kazimierz Szo³owski, a Colonel in the Legiony and a friend of Gen. Pi³sudski, was taken to Auschwitz after refusing to shed his Polish uniform after demobilization (Auschwitz number 11,770, Block 2). He didn't fight, but he died for keeping his Polish uniform! Does this mean that he was less of a hero than his daughter, my mother, a 23-year old partisan, who fought the Germans, only to be killed by the Armia Ludowa on June 9, 1945? It is unfair to judge at a distance of 67 years the individual courage and motives of each person! For me, Gen. Œmig³y-Rydz's return to Warsaw to a certain death was an act of heroism!

[Pawian]

troubledgoodangel said:

Certainly you are entitled to your opinion, as much as I am to mine.

Maybe I was too harsh on Smigły. There were moments in his life when he wasn`t a coward, e.g., during the bolshevik invasion in 1920. Or in 1941.

Heroism is in the eye of the beholder. No one ever accused King Jan Kazimierz of cowardice, when he temporarily fled before King Carol X of Sweden, in 1655, in order to organize the resistance from outside!

The problem is that these two men and times are incomparable. The king was a ruler appointed to the throne by God, everything depended on him, if he perished, the country was lost too.

In 20th century it was different. Smigly was just a marshall, the commander-in-chief of the Polish Army. He wasn`t indispensablel and the events proved it - after he left the country on 17. 09.39, the Polish resistance continued and inflicted heavy losses on Germans.

This was probably what Gen. Œmig³y-Rydz had in mind, and he most certainly acted on advice of the allies.

Allies didn`t need Smigły at all. What for?

He just thought too highly of himself, presuming that somebody would acknowledge his command after such a spectacular and quick defeat.

There is one major mistake that he and the whole government committed. When they crossed the border, they lost the chance to represent the Polish state in face of the Soviet invasion. Soviet leaders were right when they commented on Polish situation that the bastard of Versailles treaty had fallen apart. There was nobody who could protest against another invasion. It mattered later when the Soviet Union became an ally of the West.

Besides, with their cowardly escape from Poland they lost an incredible chance to continue their fight and be remembered as indomitable leaders. Just like Stefan Starzynski, the president of Warsaw during the seige.

Those were difficult times, and there was a great deal of myopia and stupidity to go around. People had to act on a spur of the moment, and some made mistakes.

The mistakes made by Smigły were very grave.

Heroism comes in many forms and shapes. It is unfair to judge at a distance of 67 years the individual courage and motives of each person! For me, Gen. Œmig³y-Rydz's return to Warsaw to a certain death was an act of heroism

OK, Smigly showed his heroism when he came back to occupied Warsaw in 1941, I admit it. If he wanted to save his skin, he would have fled to England instead of Poland. He really wanted to fight and serve the motherland, he probably wanted to recuparate his earlier mistakes.

Unfortunately, it was too late. The situation had changed completely. Nobody needed him.

[scatts]

I'm with Pawian on this issue.

[Pawian]

leslie said:

From your account he deserves to be forgotten!
Les

Nobody who created history should be forgotten. Contemporary leaders can learn from his example and mistakes.

He was certainly a very controvercial figure - in 1920s he fought gallantly for Poland and contributed a lot, later he got lost somehow.

He should be remembered but not in such bombastically heroic context.