Historical photograph from November 1938 showing Polish Marshal Rydz-Śmigły shaking hands with German military attaché Bogislav von Studnitz during Independence Day celebrations in Warsaw.
Marshal Edward Rydz-Śmigły and German Attaché Bogislav von Studnitz in Warsaw (November 11, 1938)
This striking and historically evocative archival photograph, sourced from the Polish National Digital Archives (audiovis.nac.gov.pl) and documented via Waralbum.ru, captures a telling moment of pre-war diplomacy on November 11, 1938.
During the Independence Day parade in Warsaw, Polish Marshal Edward Rydz-Śmigły is seen shaking hands with the German military attaché, Major General Bogislav von Studnitz. On the far right, Latvian military attaché Lieutenant Colonel Eduard Klūge looks on.
The Geopolitical Context of November 1938
The atmosphere surrounding the 1938 parade was heavily shaped by recent territorial changes in Central Europe:
- The Celebration of Zaolzie: This specific parade was pointedly tied to the annexation of the Teschen Silesia (Zaolzie) region a month prior, following the Munich Agreement and the Polish ultimatum to Czechoslovakia. Special columns of Silesian Poles marched through the capital to mark the event.
- The Shadow of Kristallnacht: In a grim historical juxtaposition, just days prior—between November 9 and 10, 1938—Nazi Germany witnessed Kristallnacht ("Crystal Night"), the first state-orchestrated mass violent pogrom against the Jewish population across the Reich.
- Complex Pre-War Realities: The photograph serves as a stark reminder of the fluid and complex diplomatic interactions in Europe shortly before the catastrophic collapse into global conflict in 1939.
📍 Location: Warsaw, Poland
📅 Date: November 11, 1938
📷 Photographer: Unknown (Polish Press Agency)
📰 Primary Sources: National Digital Archives of Poland (audiovis.nac.gov.pl) / Waralbum.ru
Recommended reading:
- Polish-German Relations in the Interwar Period: From the 1934 Non-Aggression Pact to 1939
- The Annexation of Zaolzie (October 1938): Geopolitical consequences and domestic celebrations
- Diplomacy and Military Attaches in 1930s Warsaw: Navigating the approaching storm