A hundred years ago, Ukraine was defeated, lost half of its territory, and was ignored by all countries
Located in the Eastern European Plain, Ukraine is known as the paradise of ancient cavalry and modern tanks because of its flat terrain and almost no natural barriers, and the Chinese soldiers call it "the land of four wars".
This is not an environment suitable for long-term entrenchment and regime-building. Historically, there have been many wars, especially the two world wars, but the war between them has been forgotten by most people, despite the profound impact it had on the situation in Europe.
The Soviet-Polish War, a war between Soviet Russia and Poland. The war was caused by Soviet Russia's intention to restore the original Tsarist borders, while Poland wanted to recover its historical Polish homeland.
Historically, the boundaries of Eastern Europe have changed frequently, with the more powerful countries often occupying more territory. The outbreak of this war is not unexpected, because it is still harder than anyone's fist in the final analysis.
In February 1919, the Soviet-Polish armies engaged in a fierce exchange of fire on the territory of Belarus. In the face of the severe challenge of the White Army at home, Soviet Russia could only temporarily adopt a defensive posture.
However, after the gradual elimination of the White Army, the Red Army began a massive movement to the west, with a total strength of a staggering 750,000 men. Not to be outdone, Poland mobilized 500,000 troops to meet this threat.
At this point, a fierce battle is imminent. On April 24, the Polish army took the lead in the offensive and successfully captured Kiev on May 7. But this was only the pinnacle of the Polish offensive, and the Soviets launched a frontal assault while constantly attacking the Polish army's long supply lines.
The Soviets not only succeeded in retaking Kyiv, but also advanced the war into Poland, demonstrating great military strength.
In mid-August, the Soviet army had surrounded Warsaw, the capital of Poland, and the situation was very unfavorable for Poland. However, there was a lapse in the coordination of the two fronts of the Soviet army, leaving Poland with an opportunity to take advantage of.
The Polish army moved quickly, gathered all its cavalry to flank, and successfully defeated the Soviets and turned the tide of the battle. On March 18, 1921, the Soviet Union and Poland signed an agreement declaring the end of the war.
Poland thus gained Western Ukraine and Western Belarus. However, due to historical reasons, both sides of the war, as well as European powers such as Britain, France and Germany, chose to avoid talking about this war, but its impact cannot be ignored.
Poland's opposition to both Germany and the Soviet Union before World War II was not due to blind self-confidence, but to a deep awareness of its own military power brought about by the Soviet-Polish war. You know, before the German invasion, the war strategy of the Polish army was not passive defensive, but active offensive!
Because of the defeat in the war, Soviet Russia turned to domestic construction and vigorously developed heavy industry and military industry, which is the famous five-year plan, which transformed the traditional agricultural country into an industrial power in just a few years.
Without this great result, I am afraid that it would be difficult for the Soviet Union to withstand the blitzkrieg of Nazi Germany, and the world pattern would have been completely rewritten.