Military Review English Edition November-December 2013 | Page 91

R E V I E W E S S AY
Living in Russia proper took a toll on the
family. Julian was concerned with the quality of
the children’s schooling and more troubled with
the children’s assimilation into Russian culture
and language. In 1910, he moved his family to
Polish Wilno (now Vilnius, Lithuania). However,
the family’s patriotism came with a cost—Julian
had to remain in Karelia because he was a senior
inspector and the family could not afford to lose
the income. Before and during World War I,
Pilecki’s father was not a constant presence in
his life. Perhaps the sacrifice made by his father
would later serve as a model for Pilecki’s own sacrifices. Given the family legacy of duty to Poland,
perhaps Pilecki would have learned from an early
age, too, that sacrifice to the cause is more than a
romantic notion.
Hemingway, Owen, and Remarque have taught
us to be suspicious of facile patriotism, and have
exposed its destructive underpinnings. For them,
it is not sweet and fitting to die for the fatherland.
However, when we shift our Western eyes to Eastern Europe, the viewpoint of dying for one’s country carried less cynicism than it did for the “lost
generation.” When one begins to understand that
during the time of imperial occupation “Poland”
only existed in the mind and heart, then one will
realize what made Pilecki, the man.
The move to the Russian-controlled territory of
Poland was an improvement—Pilecki was able to
attend a better school and was able to visit his Polish
kinsmen. The phase before World War I marks
another important influence in Pilecki’s life as he
joins the scout movement, which at the time was
illegal. The Russian imperial political police kept
watchful eyes on the groups of highly organized,
trained, and patriotic youth. Although World War
I disrupted Pilecki’s formal education, the scouts
were Pilecki’s constant. As his mother and siblings
moved around to avoid the Eastern Front, Pilecki as
a teenager founded several scouting regiments and
organized educational courses for youths.
He returned to Wilno to restart his formal education, but this time in Eastern Europe was extremely
chaotic. The Russian Civil War (1917-1922) interrupted his studies, and again the scouts influenced
his life. Under the command of General W?adys?aw
Wetjko, he joined other scouts to fight the Bolsheviks.
MILITARY REVIEW

• November-December 2013

Poland became independent in November 1918,
and Pilecki joined the newly formed Polish army
and fought in the lancer troop unit. He was discharged in the autumn of 1919 but, because of
hostilities between Poland and the Soviet Union,
he was forced to rejoin the Polish army to fight
in the Polish-Soviet War (1919-1921). Poland
prevented the Soviets from advancing westward
to transform Europe into a Communist continent.
He participated in the “Miracle of the Vistula”
campaign in August 1920.
After the Polish-Soviet War, Pilecki returned
to school, earning his high school diploma. He
deepened his commitment to the scouts, became
a noncommissioned military officer, and ultimately took a 10-month course to become a
cavalry reserve officer. Pilecki had to terminate
his formal education. His family’s financial difficulties an B??2fF?W.( ?2??"?V?F???F?fFV@????F?&V6??R?VB?bF?Rf????Rv2&?P?F?GW&?&?V?Bv?B&V???VB?bF?R?6W7G&??W7FFR??R&V6?R&W7V7FVB6???V??G??VFW ??Bv2FVW???f??fVB??6???V??G?6W'f?6R????V6??6??V??r7G&??W2&??6R&WGvVV??2f???&?vF???2?B??26?V?G'????F?P?v???R???F????rF?W2v?F?F?R??6?&??????#b??Rv2&???FVBF?6V6??B?WWFV??B???F?R&W6W'fW2????3"??RW7F&?6?VB??F'????'6V?V?G&????r&?w&?6??VB?&?W2??@??FW"?RF???6????B?bf&??W27VG&??2?????3??R?'&?VB?&??7G&?w6??B?BGv??6???G&V??F??2W&??Bv2F?R???vW7B??V6???@?v?F???2?v?f?????f??r&WGvVV?Gv?vw&W76?fR?BFW7G'V7F?fP?F?F?F&??F?7FF?'6??2???V6??&GF?VBF?R???0???6WFV?&W"?3??F?R&Vv?????r?bv?&?@?v"????R&VgW6VBF?66WBFVfVB?BF?6?&W?V@??&FW'2F?7W'&V?FW"??2vV??F?F?R6??VW&?'0??b???C?&F?W"F??W66??rF??V?v'?? ?&????( Gv?V??Bv27F????76?&?^( GF?f??@?&V6???r&?6??W"?bv"??R6??6RF?6??F??VP?f?v?F??r?????B??????fV?&W"?3?????p?v?F???2&V?????rfV???r6??F?W'2?B6V??? ??ff?6W'2???V6??6?f?V?FVBF?R??6?6V7&W@?&??F??&?????R?b???V?FW&w&?V?@?&?W2f?&??rBF?RF??R??FW"???7B?bF?P?f&??W26V7&WB??F'??&v?F???>( F??6?VF??p???V6??( ?2w&?W( F6??6??FFVB?B&V6?RF?P????R&??&??&??v??????