# Battle of Warsaw (1920)

URL: https://poland-history.com/timeline/1920-battle-of-warsaw
Location: Warsaw
Categories: battle, main-event

Between 12 and 25 August 1920 the Polish army stopped the Red Army at the gates of Warsaw, and Piłsudski's counter-attack from the Wieprz River routed the Soviet forces. Called the 'Miracle on the Vistula', it halted the westward spread of the revolution. Within the broader World War I & Independence period: The First World War destroyed the partitioning empires. Poland regained independence in November 1918 and fought for its borders in a series of wars and uprisings until 1921. At this point in the timeline (12 August 1920), the governing authority was Józef Piłsudski (Chief of State). Architect of independence and Chief of State; after the 1926 coup he remained Poland's dominant figure until his death in 1935. Battle of Warsaw mattered because it changed the military or territorial balance and influenced the political choices that followed. The event is placed here so readers can follow it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion and culture across Polish history.

## Why it matters
Battle of Warsaw mattered because it changed the military or territorial balance and influenced the political choices that followed.

Ruler at the time: [Józef Piłsudski](https://poland-history.com/rulers/jozef-pilsudski)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Battle of Warsaw (1920)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Warsaw_(1920))
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Battle of Warsaw](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Battle+of+Warsaw)
- [Wikipedia — History of Poland during World War I (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Poland_during_World_War_I)