Indian Defence Review

Author of this article standing near the sarcophagus of King John III Sobieski in the crypt of Wawel Cathedral in Poland. Photo Credits: Professor Arkaja Goswami.

Author has been studying over the years the rise and fall of Polish power in Europe, the valour of King John III Sobieski, saviour of Europe from Turkish peril, and the history of persecution of Poles by the Nazis. Polish history is substantially similar to the history of India in terms of despicable periods of occupation and valorous struggles by Poles and Indians for their independence, and there is a perceptible similarity in the valour displayed by King John III Sobieski and Indian warriors like Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaja (a member of his dynasty gave refuge in Maharashtra to Polish people fleeing persecution between 1943 and 1948). In order to learn more about Polish history, the author decided to visit Krakow, the ancient capital of Poland, and Wawel Cathedral, known as the Polish Pantheon, located in this city.

Pomnik Grunwaldzki 

Author of this article near the Grunwald Memorial (Symbol of Polish valour) in Krakow Poland. Photo Credits: Professor Arkaja Goswami.

The Polish kings were coronated at the Wawel Cathedral, and it was also their burial site. Here is the grave of St. Stanislaus, where Poles hung the banners of the defeated German Teutonic Knights from the battle of Grunwald (Tannenberg) of 1410. In this battle, King Ladislaus II (Wladyslaw II Jagiello), who is also buried in this cathedral, defeated the German Teutonic Knights. A memorial to commemorate this victory was inaugurated in Krakow on July 15, 1910, the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Grunwald. It was blown up by the Germans in World War II since it was a symbol of Polish nationhood and to ensure that Europe was dominated by the German “master race.” The monument was restored after the war and unveiled on October 16, 1976. Apart from destroying this monument commemorating Polish valour, the Nazis also committed horrendous massacres of Polish people.  

Suffering and Pain 

A part of original Grunwald memorial preserved in Museum of Krakow. Photo Credits: Arunansh B. Goswami.

In Oscar Schindler’s enamel factory in Krakow, now the Museum of Krakow, that this author visited, visitors can see a part of the aforementioned original monument, the head of the Grand Duke of Lithuania, Vytautas, and learn about the crimes committed by the Nazis against Polish people. In this museum, visitors can read the statement of Nazi war criminal and governor-general of Poland during World War II, Hans Frank, dated February 6, 1940. “If I had to put up a poster for every seven Poles shot, the forests in Poland would not be sufficient to manufacture the paper.” World War Two saw around six million Polish citizens killed—a higher proportion than in any other country—and millions more displaced, including refugees who ended up spread across the world, including in the author’s homeland, India, where the Maharajas of Jamnagar and Kolhapur provided them refuge.   

Statement of Hans Frank. Photo Credits: Arunansh B. Goswami.

While the heroes of Poland struggled hard to unite the Polish people, the Nazis tried to divide them. Heinrich Himmler, head of the Nazi SS, wrote in a top-secret memorandum, “We need to divide [Poland’s many different ethnic groups] up into as many parts and splinter groups as possible.” When we study the history of Europe, we find Polish people suffered a lot because of the territorial ambitions and military aggression of several big powers in Europe. For 123 years, starting from 1795 to 1918, Poland ceased to exist; Russia, Austria (later Austria-Hungary), and Prussia (which was absorbed into Germany in 1871) controlled the land that now constitutes Poland. It was restored as a nation in 1918 thanks to the efforts of Józef Piłsudski, but devastated by two world wars, this nation suffered tremendously throughout the 20th century.    

Sword of Sobieski 

Author of this article at the Wawel Castle. Photo Credits: Professor Arkaja Goswami.

Several European powers executed their policies of territorial aggrandisement at the expense of Poland, but there was a time in European history when a Polish King saved Europe from devastation by defeating the Ottoman Grand Vizier, Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Paşa. In 1683, a Christian relief force led by John III Sobieski, King of Poland, repulsed the army of Sultan Mehmed IV led by Kara Mustafa, saving Western Europe from Islamic conquest. To understand the enormity of this achievement, it is important to know the history of the Ottoman Empire.  

The rise of the Ottoman Empire as a threat to the borders of Europe caused massive anxiety to several important powers on the continent. Over the years, several Orthodox Slavs were made Muslim Janissaries by the Ottomans through the Devşirme system. This author recently saw the institution in Topkapi Palace where they were trained. By 1526, Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent had defeated King Louis II of Hungary, and a large part of Europe had been conquered by the Ottomans, who ruled their vast empire from Constantinople, which was once one of the greatest cities of the Christian world. Sultan Mehmed IV decided to defeat the Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I his Grand Vizier Kara Mustafa led an army with the auxiliary troops of Crimean, Walachian, Moldavian, and Transylvanian vassals. The army that reached the outskirts of Vienna numbered some 150,000 men. But in the decisive battle of Kahlenberg, Sobieski defeated the Turks.   

According to Kazimierz Maliszewski, ‘The triumphal entry of Jan III into Krakow took place after the end of the military campaign on December 23, 1683. During his entry to the Wawel cathedral, a thanksgiving “Te Deum” was sung, and the King hung at the tomb of St. Stanislaus the great banner of the vizier that he acquired in Vienna.’ The author of this article visited the Wawel crypt, where the funeral of this king took place on January 15, 1734. 

For Liberty

Near the sarcophagus of King Sobieski is the sarcophagus of Andrzej Tadeusz Bonaventura Kościuszko (1746–1817), more commonly known as Thaddeus Kościuszko, a Polish warrior who fought in the American Revolutionary War. Karen Dziurzynski Cox writes for The American Revolution Institute for the Society of Cincinnati that he was the son of liberty: “When he left America, Kosciuszko directed that all his American assets be sold and used to buy and free the enslaved, becoming one of the very first American Revolutionary War heroes to explicitly oppose slavery.”   

A plaque mentioning the contribution of Kościuszko in the history of USA. Photo Credits: Arunansh B. Goswami.

Polish history teaches the importance of perseverance. Poles have worked hard and struggled against several odds to make their country a place where living standards are high and people respect their historical heroes. For those who are planning to visit Poland, do visit Krakow not just because it is a beautiful city but also because here is located the heart of Polish nationhood, the Wawel Cathedral, within which are buried several men and women of the days of yore, whose greatness is acknowledged by the Polish people and several others alike. In this article, the author has attempted to help non-Polish people understand the importance of studying Polish military history and acknowledge the great contribution of Polonia in preserving European culture.