Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)The Polish campaign which opened the European theaters of the second World War has, inexplicably, been one little examined by the military historians of the last 60 years. This is inexplicable in that it was this campaign that led to many of the military innovations and developments in operational theory, as well as tactics that were used later in the war by Nazi Germany as well as other belligerants. For some reason though, the lessons learned militarily have up till recent years almost assumed to have been 'majically' developed and in place within the Wehrmacht prior to the invasion. What has been needed is rectification of that myth as well as the corresponding one that claims Polish inferiority in arms.
Poland Betrayed is a solid effort that begins the process of rectifying this rather undeveloped area of modern military history. Although I would not agree with other reviewers that this book is anywhere approaching a comprehensive work, Dr. Williamson's narrative is most effective as a concise and fairly well researched overview of the the Polish campaign. He's done a creditable job as well: 1)Describing the political/diplomatic lead up to the war 2)The efforts of the Polish Armed Forces to modernize under the percieved threat of first the USSR and then Nazi Germany. 3)The actual campaign as it developed and played out in September 1939, including the Red Army's 'contributions' to the Polish collapse after 17 September. His writing is crisp and to the point and the editing for the most part is solid, with only the occasional typo or error.
For the sake of this review, the area of the most importance, as I see it, is in simply dispelling the myth of the vaunted Wehrmacht, fighting with superior tactics and operational elan against a backwards Polish Army. Repeatedly, Dr. Williamson provides examples of Polish planning, counter attacks as they happened. Furthermore, he apptly describes the Bzura counter-offensive which, the author convincingly argues, with better resources would have stood a good chance of lengthening the campaign significantly as well as seriously damaging several German divisions. Another area in which he refutes conventional wisdom regarding the campaign is the supposed inferiority of Polish Air Force Pilots. He gives several solid examples based on primary sources of how at least one fighter group gave as good as it got and how it was primarily the Polish equipment in this case that wasn't up to the task.
Where the author is less successful is in two areas: describing how Gen Edward Smygly Rydz was in part responsible for the the debacle on the ground and in providing sufficient maps with which to follow the course of the campaign. In regards to Smygly Rydz, there is very little space spent in detailing how exactly he was to blame; merely accusations made at a few points in the narrative. As far as the map issue goes there are two large scale maps provided at the beginning of the book that provide little if any support for following what proves to be a rather confused and swirling battle(as opposed to the rather straight-forward defeat that has been described by most historians regarding the campaign).
In closing, this is a very solid introduction to the invasion of Poland by Germany and, later, the USSR. It is well written and fairly well edited. Whats more, it will definitely wet the appetite of anyone reading it for a more comprehensive analysis of this campaign...as soon as one is actually written.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Poland Betrayed: The Nazi-soviet Invasions of 1939 (Stackpole Military History)
*Thought-provoking reconstruction of the opening campaign of World War II in Europe*Vivid, fast-paced narrative follows German and Soviet forces into battle*Shatters long-standing myths about the German Army*Firsthand accounts from soldiers and civilians
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