Bezdany raid
Encyclopedia
Bezdany raid was a train robbery
carried out on the night of 26/27 September 1908 in the vicinity of Bezdany near Vilna (now Bezdonys
near Vilnius
) on a Russian Empire
passenger and mail train by a group of Polish
revolutionaries, led by future Polish national hero
and dictator
, Józef Piłsudski.
in the late 18th century could restore Poland as a country; he also viewed the Russian Empire
as the worst of Poland's occupiers. Therefore he decided to temporarily support the Central Powers
(the Austro-Hungarian
and German Empire
s).
In 1906 Piłsudski, with the knowledge and support of the Austrian authorities, founded a military school in Kraków
for the training of Bojówki (Combat Teams), a military arm of the Polish Socialist Party
(or, specifically, its Frakcja Rewolucyjna arm). In 1906 alone, the 750-strong Bojówki, operating in five-man units in the former Congress Poland
, killed or wounded some 1,000 Russian officials. Bojówki were certainly not above robbing Russian authorities to obtain funds for their operations, and by 1908 Piłsudski and his organization were desperately short on cash.
Piłsudski expressed his thoughts about this violent action in a last will
or obituary
that he wrote to a friend before the raid:
(Vilnius). The train was carrying tax revenues from Warsaw
to St. Petersburg.
Piłsudski personally led the raid; it was the only one he personally took part in, the rule of the bojowka being that each member must take part in at least one armed attack.
The group that took part in the robbery numbered 20 people — 16 men and 4 women Among the members of the Bojówki who took part in that action was his lover and future wife, Aleksandra, and three future Polish Prime Ministers: Tomasz Arciszewski
, Aleksander Prystor
and Walery Sławek, and other notable politicians and activists of the Second Polish Republic
era, like PSP activists Edward Gibalski (or Franciszek), Jerzy Sawicki, and W. Momentowicz.
The Bojówki group had known about the train for weeks and took that time to familiarize themselves with the area. On the 26th of September, six of them were on the train as passengers, the rest assembled at the little train station
at Bezdany, in the presence of several guards unaware of their intent.. When the train stopped at the station, the revolutionaries sprang into action, dividing into two groups: one assaulted the train, the other took control of the train station offices, cutting the telephone
and telegraph wires. The Poles had several bomb
s; at least two were thrown into the carriage with the escort by Gibalski and Balaga. One Russian soldier was killed and five were wounded in the short firefight before the rest surrendered. Piłsudski with others prepared the final dynamite
charge which opened the mail car and destroyed the iron boxes within. After the Poles took control of the station and the train, they put the money in bags and escaped. Piłsudski went with the group that carried the heaviest bags and escaped through the nearby river.
s (under the gold standard, equivalent to approximately 5,000 ounces of gold, worth $100,000 in 1908 or over 4 million dollars at price of gold in 2008), a virtual fortune in contemporary Eastern Europe
. The money was supposed to cover the costs of building a tram
system in Vilnius. Piłsudski used those funds to aid his secret military organization. The raid become known in Eastern Europe as one of the most daring and successful train robberies.
, "Akcja bojowa pod Bezdanami, 26 IX 1908" (Action at Bezdany, 26 September 1908), Gł. Księg. Wojskowa, Warszawa, 1933
Train robbery
Train robbery is a type of robbery, in which the goal is to steal money or other valuables being carried aboard trains.-History:Train robberies were more common in the past than today, and often occurred in the American Old West. Trains carrying payroll shipments were a major target...
carried out on the night of 26/27 September 1908 in the vicinity of Bezdany near Vilna (now Bezdonys
Bezdonys
Bezdonys is a town in Lithuania, located to the north of Vilnius, within the Vilnius district municipality. It is best known for the 1908 Bezdany raid, one of the most daring and successful train robberies in history. According to the 2001 census, the town had 857 inhabitants.-History:The site of...
near Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
) on a Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
passenger and mail train by a group of Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
revolutionaries, led by future Polish national hero
Folk hero
A folk hero is a type of hero, real, fictional, or mythological. The single salient characteristic which makes a character a folk hero is the imprinting of the name, personality and deeds of the character in the popular consciousness. This presence in the popular consciousness is evidenced by...
and dictator
Dictator
A dictator is a ruler who assumes sole and absolute power but without hereditary ascension such as an absolute monarch. When other states call the head of state of a particular state a dictator, that state is called a dictatorship...
, Józef Piłsudski.
Background
Piłsudski expected that only a conflict between the powers who partitioned PolandPartitions of Poland
The Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, resulting in the elimination of sovereign Poland for 123 years...
in the late 18th century could restore Poland as a country; he also viewed the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
as the worst of Poland's occupiers. Therefore he decided to temporarily support the Central Powers
Central Powers
The Central Powers were one of the two warring factions in World War I , composed of the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria...
(the Austro-Hungarian
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
and German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
s).
In 1906 Piłsudski, with the knowledge and support of the Austrian authorities, founded a military school in Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
for the training of Bojówki (Combat Teams), a military arm of the Polish Socialist Party
Polish Socialist Party
The Polish Socialist Party was one of the most important Polish left-wing political parties from its inception in 1892 until 1948...
(or, specifically, its Frakcja Rewolucyjna arm). In 1906 alone, the 750-strong Bojówki, operating in five-man units in the former Congress Poland
Congress Poland
The Kingdom of Poland , informally known as Congress Poland , created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna, was a personal union of the Russian parcel of Poland with the Russian Empire...
, killed or wounded some 1,000 Russian officials. Bojówki were certainly not above robbing Russian authorities to obtain funds for their operations, and by 1908 Piłsudski and his organization were desperately short on cash.
Piłsudski expressed his thoughts about this violent action in a last will
Last Will
Last Will is a 2011 mystery drama film starring Tatum O'Neal and Tom Berenger. It was shot in Kansas City, Missouri on a modest budget.-Plot:A woman named Hayden is framed for the murder of her wealthy husband Frank...
or obituary
Obituary
An obituary is a news article that reports the recent death of a person, typically along with an account of the person's life and information about the upcoming funeral. In large cities and larger newspapers, obituaries are written only for people considered significant...
that he wrote to a friend before the raid:
- I am not going to dictate to you what you shall write about my life and work. I only ask of you not to make me a 'whiner and sentimentalist.' […] I fight and I am ready to die simply because I cannot bear to live in this latrine which is what our life amounts to […] Let others play at throwing bouquets to Socialism or Polonism […] My latest idea, which I have not yet fully developed, is to create in all parties, and most of all our own, an organization of physical force, of brute force. I have already done much towards its fulfillment but not enough to rest on my laurels. So now I am staking everything on this last card […] I may die in this 'expropriation' and I want to explain […] Money […] may the devil take it! I prefer to win it in a fight than to beg for it from the Polish public which has become infantile through being chicken-hearted. I haven't got money and I must have it for the ends I pursue.
The robbery
In September 1908, the Bojówki assaulted a Russian mail train near VilnaVilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
(Vilnius). The train was carrying tax revenues from Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
to St. Petersburg.
Piłsudski personally led the raid; it was the only one he personally took part in, the rule of the bojowka being that each member must take part in at least one armed attack.
The group that took part in the robbery numbered 20 people — 16 men and 4 women Among the members of the Bojówki who took part in that action was his lover and future wife, Aleksandra, and three future Polish Prime Ministers: Tomasz Arciszewski
Tomasz Arciszewski
Tomasz Arciszewski was a Polish socialist politician, a member of the Polish Socialist Party and the Prime Minister of the Polish government-in-exile in London from 1944 to 1947, presiding over the period when the government lost the recognition of the Western powers.-Early life:Tomasz Arciszewski...
, Aleksander Prystor
Aleksander Prystor
Aleksander Błażej Prystor was a Polish politician, soldier and activist who served as Prime Minister of Poland from 1931 to 1933.He was a member of the Combat Organization of the Polish Socialist Party and in 1908 took part in the Bezdany raid....
and Walery Sławek, and other notable politicians and activists of the Second Polish Republic
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish history in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland , the Polish state was...
era, like PSP activists Edward Gibalski (or Franciszek), Jerzy Sawicki, and W. Momentowicz.
The Bojówki group had known about the train for weeks and took that time to familiarize themselves with the area. On the 26th of September, six of them were on the train as passengers, the rest assembled at the little train station
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
at Bezdany, in the presence of several guards unaware of their intent.. When the train stopped at the station, the revolutionaries sprang into action, dividing into two groups: one assaulted the train, the other took control of the train station offices, cutting the telephone
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
and telegraph wires. The Poles had several bomb
Bomb
A bomb is any of a range of explosive weapons that only rely on the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy...
s; at least two were thrown into the carriage with the escort by Gibalski and Balaga. One Russian soldier was killed and five were wounded in the short firefight before the rest surrendered. Piłsudski with others prepared the final dynamite
Dynamite
Dynamite is an explosive material based on nitroglycerin, initially using diatomaceous earth , or another absorbent substance such as powdered shells, clay, sawdust, or wood pulp. Dynamites using organic materials such as sawdust are less stable and such use has been generally discontinued...
charge which opened the mail car and destroyed the iron boxes within. After the Poles took control of the station and the train, they put the money in bags and escaped. Piłsudski went with the group that carried the heaviest bags and escaped through the nearby river.
Aftermath
The loot from that raid was about 200,000 Russian rubleRussian ruble
The ruble or rouble is the currency of the Russian Federation and the two partially recognized republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Formerly, the ruble was also the currency of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union prior to their breakups. Belarus and Transnistria also use currencies with...
s (under the gold standard, equivalent to approximately 5,000 ounces of gold, worth $100,000 in 1908 or over 4 million dollars at price of gold in 2008), a virtual fortune in contemporary Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
. The money was supposed to cover the costs of building a tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
system in Vilnius. Piłsudski used those funds to aid his secret military organization. The raid become known in Eastern Europe as one of the most daring and successful train robberies.
Further reading
Władysław Pobóg-MalinowskiWładysław Pobóg-Malinowski
Władysław Pobóg-Malinowski was a Polish soldier, historian and journalist. An officer of the Polish Army, he is best known as a historian and author of numerous books on modern history of Poland. His most notable work is the Modern political history of Poland published in 1956 in London...
, "Akcja bojowa pod Bezdanami, 26 IX 1908" (Action at Bezdany, 26 September 1908), Gł. Księg. Wojskowa, Warszawa, 1933
- Aleksandra Piłsudska, Pilsudski: A Biography by His Wife, Dodd, Mead and Co. NY., 1941 Rewolwerowcy komendanta Tygodnik "Wprost", Nr 1241 (24 September 2006)