Jewish Disloyalty 1939 War Cygan

Kresy W Krwi, by Wiktor Krzysztof Cygan. 2012

September-October 1939: Nazi Germany Attacks Poland; the Soviet Union Stabs Poland in the Back, and Then Jewish Irredentists Came Out of the Woodwork

THE KRESY (EASTERN BORDERLANDS) IN BLOOD: THE DEFENSE OF NORTHEASTERN POLAND IN SEPTEMBER 1939, is the title of this English-language book. (Review based on 2006 edition).

This work gives details on the battles that Polish forces fought against the Soviet invaders. This occurred while Polish forces were fighting against the German invaders of western and central Poland. This book gives many details on combat operations, notably that in the defense of Wilno (Vilnius) and Grodno. Although the Soviets officially admit the loss of only 314 killed and 845 wounded in their conquest of the Kresy, there is another Russian source that acknowledges that these figures are understated. (p. 215).

NAZI GERMANY AND THE SOVIET UNION WERE ALLIES

One unusual aspect of this book is its inclusion of many photographs–including ones that seldom appear even in books on this subject. One of them (p. 198) shows Soviet and German soldiers meeting, and drinking, to celebrate their joint conquest and division of Poland. [This is strikingly reminiscent of the famous WWII photo, from April 1945, that shows Soviet and American soldiers meeting, and drinking, at Torgau on the Elbe, to celebrate their joint defeat and division of Nazi Germany.] This graphically helps the reader remember the fact that the Communists and Nazis were in alliance, and that it was only the Nazi German attack, in June 1941, on its erstwhile Soviet ally, that put the USSR into the Allied camp.

JEWISH DISLOYALTY TO POLAND IN 1939

Nowadays, Polish sufferings in WWII are all but forgotten, and the focus is almost entirely on the Nazi German persecution of Jews. The earlier Jewish-Soviet collaboration against Poles, sometimes called the Zydokomuna, if not omitted, is minimalized, or rationalized. The remainder of my review focuses on this long-neglected matter.

Historian Tomasz Strzembosz had identified a portion of this work that elaborates on the local Jewish fifth-column activity on behalf of, and with, the invading Soviet Communist forces, and I wish to make this information available to the general reader. [Strzembosz had identified various such locations in other scholarly works. For example, please click on, and read, the detailed English-language Peczkis review of: Wojna polsko-sowiecka 1939: Tlo polityczne, prawnomiedzynarodowe i psychologiczne–Agresja sowiecka i polska obrona–Sowieckie zbrodnie wojenne i … ukrainskie (Polish and English Edition).] However, Stzembosz had cited the 1990 edition. This 2006 edition identifies some more examples, which I discuss in the remaining paragraphs of this review.

EXTENSIVE JEWISH IRREDENTIST ACTIVITY AGAINST POLAND

There is no way that the Jewish-Soviet collaboration can be belittled. Thus, for example, the combat encounters of Polish military forces with fifth columnists were deemed serious enough to discuss in official military reports, (including archived information: p. 220), some of which are cited at the bottom of page 144. In addition, the cited works of Gluski and Trejdosiewicz (p. 166) both report that, a Polish force near the Niemen River, and on its way to Grodno, had a combat encounter with local Communists and fifth-columnists, managed to capture 30 of the latter. Considering the fact that most fifth-columnists get away, and evade capture, this takes on further significance in terms of their probable actual numbers.

JEWISH SEDITION AT SKIDEL, DUBNO, GRODNO, AND OTHER CITIES

The village of Dubno and the town of Skidel were, for a time, occupied by local Bolsheviks and fifth-columnists. (p. 144). News came to Grodno about the actions of these Jewish and Jewish-Byelorussian bands at Skidel, including their arrests of Poles on behalf of the soon-to-arrive Soviet forces. (p. 128). In response, Colonel Abramowicz dispatched a punitive military expedition, led by Captain Pilecki, to deal with the traitors. Either this or some other, Polish units from Grodno then pacified the town of Skidel, including the burning some buildings. (p. 144). Afterwards, the Polish unit led by Wiszowaty was stationed at Skidel, despite being warned that there were heavily armed fifth-columnists still in the nearby forest. (p. 144). The Polish forces decided to defend Skidel against the invading Red Army in order to buy some more time for the defense of the main city of Grodno.

Meanwhile, another Polish unit leaving Dubno, the Polish squadron led by Wasilewski, was attacked by fifth-columnists. (p. 144). Much the same happened to a Polish unit near Ostryna. (p. 143). At another location, near Suwalki, Major Korczynski’s unit prepared to fight Communist fifth-columnists upon being informed of their existence. (p. 129). At still another location, near Pyszki, a unit of Polish police drove off an attack by fifth-columnists. (pp. 142-143).

Perhaps the most interesting part of this book deals with the preparations for the defense of Grodno. (pp. 127-128). Author Cygan confirms the fact that local fifth-columnists acquired weapons, and began to direct sniper fire at main thoroughfares. Additional fire was also directed from rooftops, killing some Polish soldiers. The Polish forces regained control, but were unable to capture the fifth-columnists.