Poland, Land of the White Eagle

This edition is published by BORODINO BOOKS – www.pp-publishing.com

To join our mailing list for new titles or for issues with our books – borodinobooks@gmail.com

Or on Facebook

Text originally published in 1933 under the same title.

© Borodino Books 2017, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any means, electrical, mechanical or otherwise without the written permission of the copyright holder.

Publisher’s Note

Although in most cases we have retained the Author’s original spelling and grammar to authentically reproduce the work of the Author and the original intent of such material, some additional notes and clarifications have been added for the modern reader’s benefit.

We have also made every effort to include all maps and illustrations of the original edition the limitations of formatting do not allow of including larger maps, we will upload as many of these maps as possible.

POLAND

Land of the White Eagle

BY

CAPTAIN EDWARD C. CORSI

Former Flight Commander of the

Kosciuszko Squadron

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS 3

DEDICATION 4

PUBLISHER’S NOTE 5

FOREWORD 6

PART ONE 7

CHAPTER I — BIRTH OF POLAND 7

CHAPTER II — EARLY STRUGGLES 14

CHAPTER III — ELECTIVE MONARCHY 23

CHAPTER IV — POLAND’S ARCH-ENEMIES 32

CHAPTER V — POLAND PARTITIONED 39

CHAPTER VI — POLAND ECLIPSED 44

CHAPTER VII — POLAND AND THE WORLD WAR 52

CHAPTER VIII — POLAND AND SOVIET RUSSIA 61

CHAPTER IX — PERIOD OF RESTORATION 68

CHAPTER X — POLISH CULTURE 74

CHAPTER XI — CORRIDOR HISTORICALLY POLISH 80

CHAPTER XII — POLAND’S NATURAL RESOURCES AND INDUSTRIES 85

CHAPTER XIII — POLAND TODAY 89

CHAPTER XIV — POLES IN AMERICA 92

PART TWO 95

CHAPTER XV — TOUR THROUGH POLAND 95

ILLUSTRATIONS 108

REQUEST FROM THE PUBLISHER 141

DEDICATION

TO

THE BOY SOLDIERS

OF POLAND

WHO DIED IN THE DEFENSE

OF CHRISTIANITY

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

CAPTAIN EDWARD C. CORSI was born in New York City. At the age of eighteen he enlisted in the Norton Harges Ambulance Service in the early days of the War. Several months later he volunteered his services to France and was accepted, joined the Foreign Legion and became a member of the Lafayette Flying Corps. He saw active service at the front during the War. When the armistice was signed, while with the Army of Occupation he was engaged in piloting back to France war planes, part of the equipment which Germany was forced to turn back to the Allies by the Treaty of Versailles.

In July 1919 at Paris he offered his services to Poland, became one of the original members of the Kosciuszko Squadron (American volunteers in the Polish army) which was being organized at that time. A farewell reception was given the volunteers by Premier Paderewski who was attending the Peace Conference at the time. Shortly after the Kosciuszko Squadron left for Poland, they were received by Marshal Pilsudski at the Belvedere Palace in Warsaw and were formally accepted as a unit in the Polish army. Captain Corsi served as flight commander of the unit throughout the entire Polish-Bolshevik War.

By his actual services at the front, as a volunteer in both the French and Polish armies, he helped in a measure partly to repay France for Lafayette and Poland for the service rendered by Kosciuszko and Pulaski in the American War of Independence.

Captain Corsi was decorated several times by both the French and Polish Governments for bravery in action.

THE PUBLISHER.

FOREWORD

UNTIL the Treaty of Versailles the Polish nation was without a country. For more than a century the buffer-state of Central Europe had no representation on the map. Today when the area, population and resources must be recognized and her strategic position taken into account, Poland remains to many people of the Western world merely the name of a country. That is the reason for this book. It is not intended as a history of Poland nor yet is it an exhaustive treatise on the cultural or economic conditions of the country. It is written rather to bring before the reader data and facts about Poland, interesting facts about a country that is both ancient and new; facts about a people whose history goes back to the twilight of fable; facts about a people who left an indelible mark on the pages of European history.

From her earliest days Poland possessed a world of folklore and legends which with her growth as a nation closely united with her history, have become a part of the everyday life of her people. These legends, to some extent, explain the patriotism and love of their country which is one of the chief characteristics of the Poles.

It is the hope of the author that this book will prove as interesting and entertaining to the reader as was his contact with this fascinating country and its people.

EDWARD C. CORSI.

POLAND

PART ONE

CHAPTER I — BIRTH OF POLAND

AMONG the nations of Europe there is none whose history is more interesting than that of Poland and her people. Emerging from the twilight of fable and legend into the realm and reality of fact, from the earliest time, hers is a fascinating story. She battled against untold odds for her very existence. She withstood the encroachments of powerful neighbors, who cast envious eyes on her rich plains and beautiful cities. Surrounded by enemies and often torn by internal strife, yet she became a flourishing and prosperous nation.

The patriotism of her people was unbounded, their bravery beyond dispute, and one of their characteristics was their enthusiastic devotion and loyalty to their church.

She has given to the world great statesmen, artists, scientists and warriors. Her sons were ever generous and ever ready to fight for liberty—to lend a helping hand to those who were struggling for freedom. She fought the Turk and saved Europe from the Moslem invasion, thereby preserving Western civilization.

Poland, the Land of the White Eagle, the unconquerable, ever ancient and yet ever new. A nation great, brave, generous, dismembered and subdued, she has arisen Phœnix-like and once more taken her rightful place among the nations of the earth.

The first part of this story concerns itself directly with the early period. As this narrative unfolds the reader will see that it is mainly a history of self-defense and Poland, with few exceptions, rarely pursued aggressive warfare, but rather fought in defense of her territory and rights. It is also true that in fighting for their country the Poles won for themselves a high place in the annals of world history. For Poland, the one and only barrier, stood between the pagan East and the Christian West. On several occasions, when called upon, she came to the defense of Western Christianity.

Thirteen hundred years ago Central Europe was a vast country, sparsely settled. There were no towns, no cities. The inhabitants were composed of rugged and semi-savage tribes. The members of these tribes were to become known to history as Slavs. They roamed over Central Europe from the Black Sea to the Baltic, from the Oder to the Dwina.

From these tribes sprung three men one of whom, legend tells us, founded Poland. This man’s name was Lech. He and his two brothers, Czech and Rus, gathered their small band of followers together and marched toward the distant snowy peaks of the Carpathians. They found a winding, rugged pass through which they straggled. Arriving at the other side they beheld a new land—a land whose soil was dark and fertile, watered by broad rivers; the wide flat plain before them was covered with game-filled forests. At this point the brothers, so runs the legend, separated, each going his own way. Czech and his followers went to the left and founded the country now known as Czecho-Slovakia. Rus went to the right, settled in the valley of the Dnieper and gave his name to the Russians. Lech, the eldest, and the one with whom our story is concerned—a man famed for his wisdom, enterprise and blameless life—went straight forward.

At last he came to a vast and fertile region, uninhabited and covered with forests. As he was clearing away the ground he had marked as the site upon which to erect homes for himself and his followers, he found an eagle’s nest. Lech named the place he had chosen gnesna, from the Slavonic word gniazdo, which means a nest and adopted the eagle as his crest. Thus was Poland born....

Lech was a wise leader. Under him and under his immediate successors the people, who were later to be known as Poles, cleared the land, tilled the soil and lived peacefully. They were free and happy, neither did they war with other tribes nor were there any internal dissensions. As was the custom in those times the people were grouped into clans, each under its own leader who was the chieftain and to whom the members of the clan rendered obedience. Each chieftain was responsible for the preservation and well-being of his own immediate followers, and all the chieftains gave homage to the High-Chief, their Leader or King, as he was called. This was an unwritten law which preserved and, in times of danger, bound together the different groups under one leader. Thus was laid in those early days the fundamental principles of a unified nation. Lech’s followers were to need strength, solidarity and unity. The nomadic Mongols soon learned of the rich land over which flew the White Eagle. Those restless men, astride their shaggy ponies, carried news of the richness of the plains to the Great Khan, news which made him gather together his warlike hordes. These, however, were merely forerunners of what was to happen later on; of what in fact was to continue during Poland’s entire history, down to her subjugation. The land on which Lech had settled lacked any natural defenses with the exception of the Black Sea. Later it was to become the stamping ground of many European armies; the cock-pit of Europe on which many a fierce battle was staged between the East and West; the former striving to overrun the West and the latter attempting to acquire more territory.

During the so-called Dark Ages the descendants of Lech became extinct and the dynasty came to an end. But an old legend tells us of a mighty warrior named Krak who lived in the South. He built a stronghold on the Wawel Hill, about A.D. 700, and founded the city which bears his name, Cracow (Kraków). His greatest achievement, according to the legends that come down from the dim past, was the slaying of a dragon that lived in a cave beneath the Wawel, now a venerated shrine and museum.

Krak, seeing the hopelessness of single combat with the monster, stuffed a sheepskin with lime and sulphur from one of the sulphur beds near Cracow and fed it to the dragon. The dragon swallowed the sheep and feeling his inside burning, being tormented by thirst, he drank deeply of the waters of the Vistula. But the burning would not cease and the monster kept drinking and drinking, till he finally burst.

A quaint legend and one which may be merely the story of a people telling of an early invasion by either the dreaded Norsemen or the rapacious Germans. The story of Krak, though legendary, portrays an alert warrior who overcame the enemy by clever strategy whenever they attacked the home-loving Poles. It may be, however, that this legend refers to an Eastern invasion, for from the fourth to the tenth Century swarms of Mongols poured over young Poland’s defenseless borders.

Another legend of these early times is well worth relating.

Coveting the Crown one of the sons of Krak killed his brother. For this crime he was punished by exile and their sister Wanda, who was beautiful, wise and brave, became queen. She reigned wisely, vigorously defended her country and gained many victories. She was sought in marriage by many princes, but refused them all.

One day the German prince Rytogar arrived at Cracow with a great army and sent envoys to Wanda to demand her hand in marriage, threatening to take the city if she did not comply with his request. Wanda indignantly rejected his proposal; she herself was a ruler and would not be dictated to; she had one love, her love for her people, nor wanted any other; let Rytogar try his skill with her on the battlefield! She went to meet the Germans. But at the sight of her beauty the German army threw down their arms and refused to fight. Despair or shame caused Rytogar to kill himself with his own sword and Wanda, covered with glory, returned in triumph to Cracow amidst the joyful acclaim by her people.

But she did not remain long with them. She knew that this would not be the last attack on the part of the Germans. She therefore offered herself as sacrifice to the gods, so that they should continue to protect Poland from invasion, and threw herself into the waters of the Vistula.

These two legends are of interest; for they emphasize the fact that at the dawn of Polish history, those who were to continually menace the peace and happiness of the Land of the White Eagle were the Mongols and the Germans. Though the Polish army was under arms during practically her whole existence, she embarked on few offensive campaigns.

The first ruler in the annals of Polish history is King Piast, first of a dynasty of kings, all of the same family, who gave to Poland its Golden Age. Of humble birth, he was called from his plow to rule over the land. Piast proved more able than many of those who later followed him. Under his rule, it was said, did cease the violence of enemy attacks and thieves and outlaws no longer terrorized the people, for with a justice and modesty worthy of admiration he pacified the invaders, and by just punishment reformed the malefactors.

Piast’s reign began in the year 842 when he was elected King. After his death Ziemowit, a wise and just leader, succeeded him. He was the first chief to introduce discipline and tactics into the armies. Before his time they had fought without any system or order. He taught his soldiers something of the technique of military formation, obedience to the officers, and other reforms that were far ahead of his times. These regulations and discipline aided the bravery of the Poles, enabled them to successfully withstand the incursions of the Hungarians, Moravians and Russians who attempted to cross her borders.

When the Poles had acquired a knowledge of this new military technique and they saw the benefits that accrued from it they began to build up and strengthen their country. A small executive unit was formed, roughly corresponding to the modern Cabinet. Poland was beginning to