Аннотация: Pilsudski and Krzhizhanovsky. Five comments in connection with the reading of Gennady Matveyev"s book "Pilsudski"
Pilsudski and Krzhizhanovsky. Five comments in connection with the reading of Gennady Matveev's book 'Pilsudski'
The book 'Pilsudski' - by author Gennady Filippovich Matveev - was published in the series 'The Life of Remarkable People' in 2008.
Without seeking to give any comprehensive assessment or a review of the book, we will make a few general comments.
The first comment.
After the partition of the Rzeczpospolita (the Commonwealth) in 1795, its 'Baltic', 'Belarusian', 'Ukrainian' territories - the territories of the former Grand Duchy of Lithuania - became mainly part of the Russian Empire. Some territories during the partition were obtained by Prussia and Habsburg Monarchy [Austria-Hungary].
Dear author of the biography of Jozef Pilsudski, Gennady Matveev, faces a problem: what should be called the inhabitants of these "Lithuanian" territories of the Commonwealth? "Poles"?
What should be called the inhabitants of the whole territory of the Rzeczpospolita (the Commonwealth)? "Poles"?
Recall that we proposed the terms 'Velikolithuanians' (for residents of the territories of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania) and 'East-republicans' (for residents of the entire territory of the Commonwealth).
The second comment.
It is difficult to find an explanation in the book of the respected Gennady Matveyev - why did Jozef Pilsudski set himself the goal of reconstructing the Rzeczpospolita (the Commonwealth)?
One can even assume that the desire to recreate the the Rzeczpospolita (the Commonwealth) was either the ideology of a not very wide circle of people, or a feature of the personal political views of Jozef Pilsudski.
In fact, it was the high cultural level of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, developed democracy, and NORMAL HUMAN LIFE in this state that encouraged its inhabitants and their descendants to strive to recreate this state.
Of course, the Rzeczpospolita (the Commonwealth) did not have natural resources, similar a Siberian ones, and the space project could only be implemented in Russia. So the "motto" of Fyodor Dostoevsky "Humble yourself, a proud man!" was relevant.
The third comment.
From the book by Gennady Matveev it could seem that the "Polish" ("East-republican") issue at the turn of the 19-20 centuries has gone into the past, has ceased to be a topical political international theme.
Our opinion is different. This question was indeed modified in connection with the military alliance between France and Russia (and Great Britain) before the First World War.
However, this question gradually moved into the deep a cultural and a worldview levels of European and world politics. Such a statement can be confirmed by official documents (Fourteen Points of US President Woodrow Wilson) and psychological arguments - for example, the laconicism of Charles de Gaulle on the question of his participation in the Soviet-Polish war of 1920 ...
The fourth comment.
The Romanov dynasty, seems, demonstrated a partly irrational attitude to the "Polish" ("East-republican") issue - influenced by the events of the Time of Troubles and the following years, when the Romanov dynasty was in a precarious position due to the presence of a some competing rights to the Russian throne from the representatives of the Commonwealth.
Prussia (Germany) and Austria-Hungary did not have such a 'psychological trauma'. Accordingly, these countries were more free in political maneuvering, and left the Russian monarchy (with her ideas about the eternity of the partition of the Commonwealth) in regrettable solitude (at the most inopportune moment).
The lack of effective projects of the future in the intellectual baggage of the representatives of the Romanov dynasty (including ideas related to the reconstruction of the Commonwealth) was used by a considerable number of beginning political figures.
Note that many politicians opposed to the Russian Empire (the Romanov dynasty) were more prepared for the changes of 1917 - compared with the Russian imperial political elite, in general, and the military imperial elite, in particular.
The fifth comment.
Jozef Pilsudski in many cases acted intuitively. His rational political plans often proved to be refuted by reality (which did not stop him).
The culture of long-term economic planning in itself is a unique segment of world (economic) culture and, by definition, can only be inherent in (culturally) developed countries.
Jozef Pilsudski and Gleb Krzhizhanovsky were sent (each separately) to Siberian exile before the beginning of the 20th century. Gleb Krzhizhanovsky was in the immediate political and personal environment of Lenin (like many other East-republicans).
According to the historiographic tradition, it is customary to portray Gleb Krzhizhanovsky as the author of the electrification program of Russia. Such a tradition lowers the historical level of this person. (It is explainable...).
Gleb Krzhizhanovsky was at the origins of such unique projects as the creation of the State Planning Commission and the development of five-year plans.
Stalin did not consider it appropriate to abandon Marxist-Leninist ideology and phraseology - such an abandon was too irrational, troublesome and costly.
However, as the years of rule and the last years of Lenin's life showed, the Marxist-Leninist ideology had no practical prospects. She showed complete practical unsuitability.
In fact, Stalin 's ideology it was a project of forced economic development of Russia - based on the creation of planning bodies (the Gosplan - the State Planning Commission), long-term planning, creation and implementation of five-year (long-term) plans (as well as - opposition to aggression of fascist Germany, alliance with civilizational allies of Russia - the USA, Great Britain, France).
Stalin assumed - at first - political and administrative functions. Dzerzhinsky ensured the relationship between administrative mechanisms and economic activity. Gleb Krzhizhanovsky focused on a unique, never before seen in a human history - a long-term and a medium-term planning.
After the Brest Peace (1918), the devastation of the 1920s, Russia returned to the ranks of the most economically developed European and world powers, to a level of the world leaders.
Developed Russia (USSR) of the 30-40-50-60s (maybe 70s) of the 20th century was largely the East-republican project.
(The East-republican elite was taken (was moved by) a time into the history of the USSR and in the world history without any noticeable personal wealth and fortunes received from Russia, - but this elite leaved Russia with a developed world-class economy, an advanced social security system and one of the leading places in the foreign policy arena).
After the First World War, the Commonwealth was largely recreated, after the Second World War, - the Polish state was recreated.
The author of the biography of Jozef Pilsudski, Gennady Matveev, in some places of the book, seems, shows parallels between the activities of Pilsudski and Lenin. Indeed, it seems that Lenin borrowed a lot from Pilsudski to replenish his political arsenal.
In any case, Lenin surrounded himself - consciously or unconsciously - with a powerful East-republican 'team', which provided the Lenin 's regime with considerable practical buoyancy, stability, survival - along with a complete failure, inefficiency, declarativeness, futilitness of the Marxist, proletarian ideology.
(Note that the elder brothers (of Jozef Pilsudski and of Lenin)- Bronislav Pilsudski and Alexander Ulyanov - were part of the so-called "Terrorist fraction" of the party "Narodnaya Volya", which was preparing an attempt on the Russian emperor Alexander the Third).
It seems that in the book by Gennady Matveev, Gleb Krzhizhanovsky is never mentioned. However, mention was made of a political rally organized by Josef Pilsudski in 1904, the participants of which sang 'Warszawianka'. (Did they sing the version of the song created by Gleb Krzhizhanovsky? Or was it a different version of the song?...).
Felix Dzerzhinsky, who studied at the same gymnasium with Jozef Pilsudski, is mentioned in the book by Gennady Matveyev - at least once (at least one time) ...
March 13, 2020 09:54
Translation from Russian into English: March 15, 2020 02:41.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский 'Пилсудский и Кржижановский. Пять замечаний в связи с чтением книги Геннадия Матвеева 'Пилсудский''.