Dying Echoes

Memoirs of the War 1914-1920

De: Stanisław Kawczak, Andrew Kavchak

Narrado por: Virtual Voice

Dying Echoes: Memoirs of the War 1914-1920 by Stanisław Kawczak was first published in Poland in 1936 (Milknące Echa: Wspomnienia z Wojny 1914-1920). It tells the story and experiences of a young Polish conscript in the Austrian army who fought during WWI wearing the Austrian uniform against the Russian army on the Eastern Front and the Italian army on the Southern Front. Kawczak began his military career as a corporal, and was promoted to officer cadet, lieutenant, and finally captain. From the beginning of the war his heart was in the struggle for Polish independence and the defeat of the three occupying powers (Germany, Austria and Russia) which had partitioned Poland since the 1790s. Kawczak was among the founding members of a secret organization among Polish officers known as “Freedom” (Wolność). At the end of WWI the empires of the three occupying powers collapsed while the Polish State was reborn. It immediately faced hostilities and border disputes with neighboring countries. Kawczak describes his experiences fighting against the Ukrainians, Czechs and Russians. The narrative is vivid and gives the reader an image of the life of a soldier on the march and in the trenches, as well as an account of the political debates about national interests during the “Great War”. This book is considered in Polish literature among the best of the WWI memoirs and an authentic historical account of the plight of Polish soldiers in the Austrian army and nascent Polish forces. This is the first English translation, with introductions by Stanisław Kawczak’s son and grandson. These memoirs will be of special interest to students of Polish history and the complexities of nationalist conflicts during and after WWI.