Papers by Norbert Kasparek
Ksiegarnia Akademicka Publishing eBooks, 2023
oddziałowe biuro badań historycznych iPn we wrocławiu wojskowe biuro historyczne im gen. broni Ka... more oddziałowe biuro badań historycznych iPn we wrocławiu wojskowe biuro historyczne im gen. broni Kazimierza sosnkowskiego
Echa Przeszłości, Mar 10, 2019
The November Uprising is generally associated with a series of remarkable victories and the coura... more The November Uprising is generally associated with a series of remarkable victories and the courageous struggle put up by the small Kingdom of Poland against the powerful Russia. It featured the legendary battles of Stoczek, Olszynka Grochowska, Wawer and Iganie. The insurgents, among them Juliusz Konstanty Ordon, have been made immortal by Romantic poetry. The main army participated in capitulation talks on several occasions. Ch³opicki did not want the cause to end with a defeat of Naples, Skrzynecki was afraid that the uprising would follow the fate of the battle of Maciejowice, while Rybiñski was terrified that the armed struggle would conclude with a second battle of Radoszyce. Military defeat was not the only thing that concerned Polish generals. They were also intimidated by the possibility that their professional skills could be exposed to ridicule. Those fears were voiced in the final stage of the uprising, and they became intensified near the time of the battle of Warsaw (67 September 1831). In the disputes waged by Polish émigrés abroad, capitulation talks were not recognized as a tactical maneuver for fighting the enemy. The attitude displayed by General Hieronim (Girolamo) Ramorinos second corps was the only exception 1 . The discussion surrounding the second corps was ruthless and uncompromising. Ramorinos retreat was regarded as the direct cause of the defeat of Warsaw and the Polish armys march to Prussia. The discussion had a somewhat cathartic effect. The collapse of the National Government after the events of 15 August brought General Jan Krukowiecki to power 2 . His main aim was to continue the armed struggle. In mid August, the range of insurgent activity was limited to Warsaw and several regions bordering the Kingdom of Poland. The war required the formulation of new goals, and this was the purpose of the great war council that convened on 19 August. Most participants backed Pr¹dzyñskis concept of splitting the army 3 . Members of the high command, Jan Krukowiecki, Tomasz £ubieñski, Ignacy Pr¹dzyñski and Klemens Ko³aczkowski, developed the concept by creating four separate command units for operations groups. General Kazimierz Ma³achowski was appointed deputy commander-in-chief 4 , and he was also placed in charge of the forces that had remained behind in Warsaw. The Cracow region was assigned to general Piotr Szembek from General Samuel Ró¿yckis corps. General Tomasz £ubieñski took command over the unit dispatched to the P³ock region. Pr¹dzyñski hoped to assume control over the 4 th and most populous corps of key operational significance, but this responsible task was ultimately entrusted to a foreign officer, Girolamo Ramorino 5 . Krukowiecki and Pr¹dzyñski looked to capitulation talks as their last resort, and they failed to protect the Polish capital, especially on the second day of the siege. During the siege of Warsaw, Russian commander Ivan Paskevich took the main theater of insurgent operations by storm, capturing military factories, stocks of firearms, ammunition, pontoons and equipment that could no longer be replaced. Paskevich inflicted the final blow on the morale of Polish commanders, robbing them of the remaining shreds of selfconfidence, instilling in them a hatred for their own government and the Sejm, and urging them to surrender. Further military activity was out of the question. But one of the most important and still unresolved questions remains. The Polish generals and the Russian envoy, the shrewd General Berg, came to an arrangement, and the fatal night of 7 to 8 September witnessed scenes to which Wac³aw Tokarz later referred to as one of the darkest 2 Micha³ Swedorowskis upcoming doctoral dissertation delivers a fascinating account of his involvement in the November Uprising and the events of 15 August and 67 September.
Zoja Jaroszewicz-Pieres³awcew (Olsztyn), Janusz Jasiñski (Olsztyn), Roman Jurkowski (Olsztyn), No... more Zoja Jaroszewicz-Pieres³awcew (Olsztyn), Janusz Jasiñski (Olsztyn), Roman Jurkowski (Olsztyn), Norbert Kasparek (Olsztyn) przewodnicz¹cy, Andrzej Korytko (Olsztyn), Aleksandr Kraucewicz (Grodno), Kazimierz £atak (Warszawa), Rimantas Miknys (Wilno), Alvydas Nikentaitis (Wilno), Jens E. Olesen (Greifswald), Dariusz Radziwi³³owicz (Olsztyn), Bohdan Ryszewski (Olsztyn), Tomasz Strze¿ek (Olsztyn), Andrzej Szmyt (Olsztyn) Redakcja Witold Gieszczyñski (redaktor naczelny), Jan Gancewski (z-ca redaktora naczelnego), Irena Makarczyk (z-ca redaktora naczelnego), £ukasz Fafiñski (sekretarz)
Nakład 100 egz. Ark. wyd. ; art. druk. pap. druk. kl. III Druk-Zakład Poligraficzny Uniwersytetu ... more Nakład 100 egz. Ark. wyd. ; art. druk. pap. druk. kl. III Druk-Zakład Poligraficzny Uniwersytetu Warmińsko-Mazurskiego w Olsztynie-zam. nr SPIS TREŚCI
Echa Przeszłości
History has a social dimension, which is why historians search for patterns in past events, and h... more History has a social dimension, which is why historians search for patterns in past events, and historical debates are often discussions about the present. Nicolaus Copernicus’ nationality stirred heated controversy for more than a century. The Polish-German discourse about Copernicus’ nationality was in fact a discussion about history. Dominik Szulc admitted that he felt compelled to study Prussia’s past because much harm had been done to “the scientific prowess of our country by including the Transformer of the Heavens among the geniuses of the Teutonic lineage”. Prominent Polish thinkers and writers joined the debate in defense of the famous astronomer’s Polish roots. Highly emotional arguments were exchanged during this stormy discourse.
Bogdan Bobowski, Last Wills and Testaments of Burgesses in the City of widnica (from the mid-14 t... more Bogdan Bobowski, Last Wills and Testaments of Burgesses in the City of widnica (from the mid-14 th Century until the End of the First Quarter of the 17 th Century) as a Means of Conveying Sacred Ideas
J.P. Graffenauer, a doctor and naturalist, crossed Prussia and North-East Poland with the Grande ... more J.P. Graffenauer, a doctor and naturalist, crossed Prussia and North-East Poland with the Grande Armee. He published his impressions as letters. The article presents and analyses his writings about Poland. He shares precious informations about costums, including traditional burial, greetings, use of languages, architecture and landscapes. Minorities such as Jews and Tartars are also described. He analyses the agriculture and culture of the "manne de Pologne", as well as the use of specific plants. Nature, through descriptions of forests, fauna (European bison, elks, bear, wolves), and geology, forms an important part of his letters. He describes in detail many diseases and presents his opinion on the causes of the "plica polonica". Finally, he gives several infomations about war and its consequences. His description is a precious testimony, little-known and rarely used by historians
Acta Poloniae Historica, 1994
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Papers by Norbert Kasparek