PAST EVENTS
Victor Conrad, who has the reputation of preparing his talks with great care and accuracy, prepared his talk on "The Re-birth of Poland" at the November meeting, true to form, in masterly fashion. Almost to the day exactly 66 years ago the state of Poland was re-born after having been in oblivion for 123 years.
With little knowledge about earlier times, the year 963 is taken as the beginning of Polish history. By that time the unity of Poland, consisting of a group of pagan and mostly Slavonic tribes, had been achieved by and had as its princely leader Mieczyslaw or Mieszko I. The Poles were a peaceful people but were continuously harrassed by their greedy and more powerful neighbours: Russia, Germany and Austria.
To meet the dangers of aggression under the pretext of a civilising and christianising crusade, Mieszko conceived that policy of deliberately adopting western civilisation, which was the chief object of the rulers of Poland for several centuries. He furthermore accepted Christianity for himself and for his people in 966 with the help of the Czech princess Dubravka, whom he married a year before.
Mieszko's son Boleslav I was one of the great soldiers and statesmen of his time and when he was crowned king in 1024 he had achieved the transformation of his father's principality in to a powerful and independent kingdom. The following centuries, however, saw a kaleidoscope of changing rulers and fortunes. Some extraordinary measures greatly hampered Poland's continued progress. The childless king Sigismund II Augustus died suddenly in 1572. Thenceforth Polish kings were elected. At one time there were eighteen candidates for the kingship and the country's unity was rent asunder by jealousy, parochialism and factiousness.
In the 17th century the so called "liberum veto" became an integral part of the Polish constitution, enabling any single deputy in the house of assembly, who believed that a measure already approved by the rest of the house might be disadvantageous to his constituency, to exclaim "Nie pozwalam", "I disapprove", whereupon such measure was stayed and fell to the ground.
In 1772 Poland had its first traumatic experience of being partitioned by its powerful neighbours. This was followed by a second partition in 1793 and a final one in 1795 which resulted in the name of Poland being wiped from the map of Europe, to reappear only 123 years later. Hopes that Napoleon on his march to Moscow would liberate and reconstitute Poland came to nought. It was only at the end of World War I, after much scheming and fighting, that the basis for a new order was laid. On November 10th 1913, having been released from captivity only three days earlier, Marshal Pilsudsky arrived in Warsaw and under him the Poles resumed the executive power over their new-born state on November 11.
The talk was supplemented by a brief series of slides and after a searching question time Dr. Jaap Earle moved a weIl-deserved vote of thanks.
FUTURE EVENTS
Programme Monthly Get-togethers
1985
JANUARY 10th
South African Colonel Bill Hudson DSO, ODE, is bringing along a BBC TV documentary film on his WWII, experiences as a British secret agent attached to the Special Operations Executive (SOE) operating in Yugoslavia.
February 14th Dr Fred Clarke M.E.C., will address this Branch of the Society on "The Grenadiers".
March 11th Fellow-member Carol Smale will talk about her grandfather, Mr. S.B. Jones, a Natal pioneer who took part in the Anglo/Zulu War (1879) and the Anglo/Boer War.
April 11th Fellow-member Midge Carter will give us a talk on "The Battle of Agincourt - England's greatest victory".
May 9th To be announced.
June 13th Mr. George Ponsford will give us a talk on his WWII experiences, with the 1st Canadian Division in Italy, 1943/1944.
The venue for all meetings will be the Lecture Room, lower ground floor, 'SB' Bourquin Building, (Natalia Development Board) on the corner of Jan Smuts Highway and Buro Crescent, Mayville, commencing at 8 p.m. Glasses and ice will be supplied so please bring your own bottled or canned refreshments. Friends and interested persons are welcome to come along.
CALENDARS FOR SALE
The Ladysmith Publicity & Development Association have had published 1985 calendars depicting scenes relating to the Anglo/Boer War. Each month has a different picture, and these pictures relate mainly to the Siege and Relief of Ladysmith. They are for sale at R6,00 each. Will members who wish to purchase these calendars please advise the Secretary, Mrs. Y. Williams, Ladysmith Publicity & Development Association, Box xxxx Ladysmith 3370, Telephone Ladysmith 22nnn.
WELCOME
A warm welcome is extended to new member Mr. Lawrence Harvey.
We extend to all members and friends best wishes for the festive season and a happy and peaceful new year.
(Mrs) Tania van der Watt,
Secretary, Durban Branch,
S.A. Military History Society,
Box 870, HILLCREST, 3650.
Tel. (031) vvvvvv