POWs in the Soviet-Polish War 1919-20

[Reigo]

Unfortunately the topic was locked before I could join the discussion. Anyway here's a short overwiev about some different claims concerning the problem. I have posted most of this text earlier on the RBF forum. It should be also said that my goal is not to prove anything or to accuse anybody. Just thought it may be interesting.

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The well known study by Krivosheev about Russian combat losses on XX century claims that the Poles captured about 165 000 Red Army prisoners. About 75 000 returned from prison. About 1 000 refused to return.

As much I have heard, Polish authors (Karpus) admit only the death about 18 000 Soviet prisoners. And if I remember correctly the Poles claim that there were only about 110 000 prisoners alltogether.

Now, in Russian journal "Voprosy istorii" 2001, nr 9 there is an article on the topic by G. Matveev.
He admits that about 18 000 Red Army prisoners taken by Poles may have joined the White Russian, Ukrainian or Polish armies. However he also claims that when one adds all the figures in the secret bulletins of the Polish General Staff's operational section, then one concludes that during the war the Polish army took alltogether at least 206 000 Soviet prisoners:
16th February - 31st December 1919 29 293 POWs
1st January - 24st April 1920 5 807 POWs
25th April - 5th June 1920 35 374 POWs
6th June - 15th August 1920 9 677 POWs
16th August - 18th October 1920 126 726 POWs

I can add here that the Red Army also liberated some amount of POWs during the war. For example according to Soviet sources on 7. VI 1920 the 1st Cavalry Army liberated about 7 000 POWs in Zhitomir . But I guess such a large amount of liberated prisoners in one time was an exception.


The Russian sources estimate the quantity of Polish prisoners in prison camps in Russia as 30 000 - 40 000 (it seems that no precice data exists). However this probably includes also Polish prisoners taken on the fronts of the Russian Civil War (there were Polish units in the Russian White armies) and also civilians of Polish origin who were imprisoned. According to Russian sources 27 598 Poles returned from the Russian prison and about
2 000 voluntarily remained in Soviet Russia.

Sources for the previous paragraph: Meltiukhov, M. Sovetsko-pol'skie voiny.Moskva, 2001.
Raiskii, N. Pol'sko-sovetskaia voina 1919-1920 godov i sud'ba voennoplennykh, internirovannykh, zalozhnikov i bezhentsev. Moskva, 1999.

[Musashi]

I'll ask about the Soviet POWs on Polish historical forum.
Cheers,
Chris

[Liluh]

I can add here that the Red Army also liberated some amount of POWs during the war. For example according to Soviet sources on 7. VI 1920 the 1st Cavalry Army liberated about 7 000 POWs in Zhitomir . But I guess such a large amount of liberated prisoners in one time was an exception.

That`s also my suspection. I wonder where were Soviet POW`s kept at during the war, as we know Polish forces before battle around Radzymin and "Vistula miracle" retreated rapidly, litterally dozens of camps could be liberated by Soviets. How was it with guarding POW`s? With everyone who was able to fight joinin the army, was the force sent to guard POW camps big enough to prevent escaping?

In any case I believe some number of Soviet POWS died in these camps or en route, due to wounds or diseases spreading widely at that time (note it was just after WWI). I hope we can nail the most propable number. Still I don`t think these deaths were a planned action to exterminate Soviet POWs.

(there were Polish units in the Russian White armies)

There were? I mean different than volounteers? Pilsudski didn`t help the Whites much. I`ll appriciate if anyone could bring me into this topic in other thread and section.

[Sergey Romanov]

Unfortunately the topic was locked before I could join the discussion.

It is certainly sad when moderators freak out and lock the thread before an informed response can be made.

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Short overview of the following sources:

1) Rajskij N. S., "Pol'sko sovetskaja vojna 1919-1920 godov i sud'ba vojennoplennykh, internirovannykh, zalozhnikov i bezhentsev", Moscow, 1999.
2) Karpus, Z, "Plenniki zabytoj vojny", http://www.ng.ru/ideas/2000-10-19/8_war.html
3) Dajnes, V. O., "Rossija- Pol'sha. Rabota nad oshibkami", http://www.ng.ru/ideas/2000-11-03/8_poland-ru.html
4) Mikhutina I. V., "Tak byla li "oshibka"?", http://www.ng.ru/polemics/2001-01-13/8_error.html

According to [1], estimates of the number of the Red Army POWs are as follows:
Karpus - 110,000
Mikhutina - 165,550
Chicherin's note - 130,000.
In Rajskij's opinion the figure is at least 150,000.

As for Russian and Ukrainian POWs, from 150,000 only 80,000 returned home. About 60,000 died in camps and prisons from diseases and inhumane conditions.

The number corresponds to Chicherin's note of September 9, 1921. At least 22,000 of them died in Tuchola camp, according to I. Matushevskij, the head of the II section of the Main HQ of the Polish army.

Rajskij doesn't accept the figure of 80,000 victims since some of the soldiers were recruited into the White army.

According to [2], there were 110,000 POWs, but this number is "theoretical", since about 25,000 joined the anti-Bolshevik forces. Therefore in the autumn of 1920 there were no more than 80-85,000 of the Red Army POWs. Karpus says that the country was not ready for such a number of POWs and that is the cause of the increased mortality. 65,797 POWs returned home. Thus, about 16-18,000 died while in Polish captivity (8,000 in Strzalkow(sp?), 2,000 in Tuchola, 6-8,000 in all other camps. 60,000 victims are out of question.

POWs were in Tuchola from the end of August, 1920 to the middle of September, 1921. The mortality of 2000 per month would, without doubt, leave traces in the camp documents, press reports, etc. No more than 1950 POWs died in Tuchola in one year.

According to [3], both I. Mikhutina and Z. Karpus erred in their statistics. Dajnes argues that even according to Mikhutina's data there would be no more than 160,550 POWs. Karpus is wrong because his number of the dead in Tuchola is significantly lower than the number given by the Main HQ of the Polish army. Chicherin's figures are more reliable.

According to Polish historians, 65,797 POWs returned until the end of October 1921, according to the Mobilization HQ of the RKKA - 75,699 until the end of November 1921. The latter figure is more reliable. 64,000 died in Polish captivity. The conditions in the Polish camps were insufferable (he refers to the report of the American Union of the Christian Youth).

In [4], Mikhutina argues both with [2] and [3]. She gives a breakdown list of her sources for her number and argues that Dajnes is wrong in accusing her of making an error. According to her, there were 165,550 POWs (or, if one is to take only the minimum figures, 133,000). Mikhutina argues with Karpus concerning his claim that in November 1919 there were only 7096 Red Army POWs in all camps, She says that it may be so, but still 30-35,000 (the figure given by prime-minister Paderewski on Sept. 15, 1919) should be accounted for. She argues that the Polish documents indicate a very high mortality. She also argues that evidence indicates that a large part of the POWs might have been killed on the spot. She argues that the official sources are incomplete.

[David Thompson]

It is certainly sad when moderators freak out and lock the thread before an informed response can be made.

Garbage does not improve with age.

[Liluh]

Thank you for this interesting input Sergey, now I`d like to see what Musashi will bring us, as I`d like to take a look on other sources, like the mentioned Polish documents, preferably also some western studies.

[Reigo]

Liluh,

I posted a short text about the Polish units in the Russian White Armies in the Inter-War Era section.