Kolejowe transporty wojskowe z materiałem wojennym pozyskanym przez Polską Wojskową Misję Zakupów w Paryżu w latach 1919–1920
Railroad military transports with war materials acquired by Polish Military Purchase Mission in Paris in 1919–1920

Summary/Abstract: The paper describes railroad military transports with war materials acquired by Polish Military Purchase Mission in Paris in 1919–1920, because until July 1920 the railway was certainly the most important and most efficient mode of transport which allowed Poland to maintain several independent supply chains for the army. Those shipments of war materials consisted largely of weapons and ammunition, as well as uniform, motor vehicles and airplanes (together with spare parts, fuel, etc.) – everything that Poland needed for maintaining hostilities in 1919 and 1920. Fulfilling its task, Polish Military Purchase Mission in Paris acquired many goods and materials which had to be promptly and efficiently delivered to Poland. Preparing the shipments to Poland required organizing railway transport through several European countries, obtaining and preparing operational rolling stock and amassing large amounts of coal as fuel for steam engines. All the above required extraordinarily effective diplomatic and organizational work. The article presents the most recent findings pertaining the number of arranged railway transports to Poland from abroad. Moreover, the publication contains calculations concerning amounts of different war materials delivered during these operations for the Polish Army; the routes used for these shipments in 1919–1920 were also characterized. The described railroad military transports with war materials obtained in foreign countries allowed Poland to systematically expand its army, first to 584,000 soldiers in August 1919, then to 750,000 in April 1920, and finally (thanks to maritime deliveries in July and August 1920) to 950,000 soldiers in September 1920. Delivering by railway weapons and ammunition, as well as uniform, gear and other equipment let Poland constantly form and arm new units and provide new weapons for the already existing ones; in consequence, Polish Army constituted a real military force, ready to confront the Red Army, capable to fight for independent homeland and win, as well as broaden and the defend the borders of the reborn Poland.

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