What do you think?
Rate this book
Anders' Army: General Władysław Anders and the Polish Second Corps 1941-46
Along with thousands of his compatriots, Władysław Anders was imprisoned by the Soviets when they attacked Poland with their German allies in 1939. They endured terrible treatment until the German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941 suddenly put Stalin in the Allied camp, after which they were evacuated to Iran and formed into the Polish Second Corps under Anders' command. Once equipped and trained, the corps was eventually committed to the Italian campaign, notably at Monte Cassino. The author assesses Anders' performance as a military commander, finding him merely adequate, but his political role was more significant and caused friction in the Allied camp. From the start he often opposed Sikorski, the Polish Prime Minister in exile and Commander in Chief of Polish armed forces in the West. Indeed, Anders was suspected of collusion in Sikorski's death in July 1943 and of later sending Polish death squads into Poland to eliminate opponents, charges that Evan McGilvray investigates. Furthermore, Anders voiced his deep mistrust of Stalin and urged a war against the Soviets after the defeat of Hitler.
280 pages, Hardcover
First published April 19, 2018
6 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
March 25, 2018
Anders’ Army – A Forgotten Hero
General Władysław Anders and the Polish Second Corp 1941 – 1946 from Evan McGilvray is an excellent read, and a reminder that not all war heroes are remembered by the majority of people.
After the Invasion of 1939, Anders was in charge of the defence of the northern defences of Warsaw as part of the Army Modlin. Even with the ordered retreat, there was chaos and it was not helped by the invasion of Poland’s eastern front, by the Nazi enablers, the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union, assisted in stopping between 200,000 and 300,000 Polish soldiers from rejoining the war effort in France. Anders was one of those.
Between 17th September 1939 and June 1941, many of the Polish Army Officers, along with the professional classes were removed from Poland. Some like Anders (and my Great-Grandmother) were sent to “work” camps and a large number were murdered at Katyn, by the Soviet’s NKVD.
When the Nazis invaded the Soviet Union, the Soviets issued an amnesty to all those officers and soldiers they had not murdered to go free. They were allowed to go to Persia, and would form the Polish Second Division, and would be under the command of the now free, General Władysław Anders. Taking them from Persia to Italy and Monte Cassino, and then on to 1946.
Evan McGilvray has written an excellent book, well researched about Anders, and the Battles that not only the Second Corps faced, but the politics in which surrounded the Polish fighting forces. This book looks not just at Anders Army, but Anders personally from his birth, his war record and the subsequent politics of the newly Independent Poland between the wars.
McGilvray also covers what happened after Monte Cassino as well what happened after the war. This is well researched using excellent primary sources including Polish Official Sources and the destiny of the Poland after the war.
This is a fascinating history, especially those who are not aware of the Anders Army and a much-forgotten account of what the Polish 2nd Corps did during the war.
General Władysław Anders and the Polish Second Corp 1941 – 1946 from Evan McGilvray is an excellent read, and a reminder that not all war heroes are remembered by the majority of people.
After the Invasion of 1939, Anders was in charge of the defence of the northern defences of Warsaw as part of the Army Modlin. Even with the ordered retreat, there was chaos and it was not helped by the invasion of Poland’s eastern front, by the Nazi enablers, the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union, assisted in stopping between 200,000 and 300,000 Polish soldiers from rejoining the war effort in France. Anders was one of those.
Between 17th September 1939 and June 1941, many of the Polish Army Officers, along with the professional classes were removed from Poland. Some like Anders (and my Great-Grandmother) were sent to “work” camps and a large number were murdered at Katyn, by the Soviet’s NKVD.
When the Nazis invaded the Soviet Union, the Soviets issued an amnesty to all those officers and soldiers they had not murdered to go free. They were allowed to go to Persia, and would form the Polish Second Division, and would be under the command of the now free, General Władysław Anders. Taking them from Persia to Italy and Monte Cassino, and then on to 1946.
Evan McGilvray has written an excellent book, well researched about Anders, and the Battles that not only the Second Corps faced, but the politics in which surrounded the Polish fighting forces. This book looks not just at Anders Army, but Anders personally from his birth, his war record and the subsequent politics of the newly Independent Poland between the wars.
McGilvray also covers what happened after Monte Cassino as well what happened after the war. This is well researched using excellent primary sources including Polish Official Sources and the destiny of the Poland after the war.
This is a fascinating history, especially those who are not aware of the Anders Army and a much-forgotten account of what the Polish 2nd Corps did during the war.
Displaying 1 of 1 review