In 1917 Poland was recognised as a state by Russia, but the Bolshevik coup threatened this. The Polish leader Marshal Pilsudski hurried to build an army around Polish World War I veterans, and in 1918 war broke out for Poland's independence, involving the the Poles, the Red and White Russian armies, at least two different Ukrainian forces, and Allied intervention troops. The armies that fought these campaigns were extraordinarily varied in their uniforms and insignia, equipment and weapons, and when peace was signed in 1921, Poland had achieved recognised nationhood for the first time since 1794. Featuring specially commissioned full-colour artwork, this engaging study explains and illustrates the armies that fought in the epic struggle for the rebirth of the independent Polish nation, in the bitter aftermath of World War I.

Introduction: historical background/ Brief history of the Russo-Polish War/ The Polish Army: organization, uniforms and insignia/ The Russian Red Army: organization, uniforms and insignia/ Ukrainian armies: the Ukrainian Red Army; UNR (E. Ukrainian), and Galician (W. Ukrainian) armies; Galician Red Army: organization, uniforms and insignia/ Plate commentaries/ Index

Dr Nigel Thomas is an accomplished linguist and military historian, formerly a Principal Lecturer at Northumbria University, now a freelance military author, translator and military uniform consultant. His interests are 20th-century military and civil uniformed organizations, with a special interest in Germany, Central and Eastern Europe. He was awarded a PhD on the Eastern enlargement of NATO. The author lives in Tyne-and-Wear, UK.