Where I could find?

[Douglas Jr.]

Hello folks,

As I´m not a Imperial Militaria expert as most of you, I was wonder where I could find a Silesian Eagle 2nd Class for sale. I don´t know if this is the correct forum to ask this, so forgive me the eventual misposting. Any tips about websites (which accept VISA) would be also great.

Thanks in advance!

Douglas.

[Rick Research]

Yup, we cover Weimar Republic too! Dunno about getting one right away, but type in "Silesian" in the search box here and see all the pix that come up for types and comments on them.

Our pix are better than what you'll find on any dealer site, so check 'em out and see which kind appeals to you the most.

[Douglas Jr.]

Amazing...

Rick,

Thanks for the (obvious) tip. Very nice pictures and information.

I made a quick research with the gogle, but I didn´t find any SE II Class for sale. But I can wait...

Freikorps and the aftermath of WWI are parts of the German History that I always find fascinating.

BTW, during my researches I found this text, that can be interesting for you and the other forum mates:


The German-Polish border dispute lasted from the end of 1918 to 1922. The areas affected were East and West Prussia, Poznania, and Upper Silesia. These regions were wracked by political tension and sporadic fighting. The population in each area was ethnically mixed. Polish nationalists, sensing a power vacuum left by a weakened Germany army, organized quickly into local militias. Their goal was to control these territories before the Allied powers made final decisions regarding the disposition of these regions.

The strongest and most important of the Polish militias was the Polish Military Organization or Polska Organizacja Wojskowa (POW). POW is estimated to have had 14,000 to 22,000 members, most armed, by the spring of 1919. The members were of all political persuasions and they were in contact with Jozef Pilsudski in Warsaw. While the fight was carried mainly by POW in the earlier years, at the time of the Third Silesian Uprising beginning in May 1921 several Polish army battalions and armored trains were involved.

On the German side, the fight was carried mainly by local ethnic German militia groups and Freikorps units. What was left of the regular German army was involved in the defense of the Posen area in December 1918, but the German government ordered the army to withdraw to the area around Berlin in anticipation of a coup by the Spartacists. The German High Command authorized the raising of militias and FK units to fill the gap.

In February 1919, the FK units and militia went on the offensive and Chelmno was captured by Sturmabteilung Rossbach (led by Gerhard Rossbach). After several days, Allied authorities ordered the Berlin government to halt the offensives in the Posen area, West Prussia and Upper Silesia. The FK and militias stopped and returned to their departure points.

However, tensions continued and there were numerous acts of sabotage in Upper Silesia throughout the spring and summer of 1919. On August 16, 1919, POW launched a surprise offensive and gained control of Upper Silesia. On August 18, FK units, reinforced during the spring by more units, including Ehrhardt Brigade and von Löwenfeld's III. Marine Brigade, counterattacked and recaptured all of the positions taken by POW forces within 5 days.

In February 1920, an Allied Commission arrived in Upper Silesia to prepare for the plebiscite and Allied troops (French, Italian, and British) were stationed there to maintain order. The vote was held in March 1920 and the result was 60 percent in favor of remaining with Germany. The Allied Commission then had to decide where to fix the boundaries. The Allies stumbled and fumbled on this issue. With no decision in sight by the spring of 1921, POW began preparing for an insurrection

POW went on the offensive on May 2, 1921. By May 5th, POW controlled most of Upper Silesia. The Allied troops, with the exception of an initial attempt by the Italians, did nothing to stop POW forces. The Berlin government did not order the Reichswehr to intervene, but rather called on the Allied Powers to stop POW and to honor the results of the plebiscite. In the meantime, FK units, which had been officially disbanded after the Kapp Putsch during the spring of 1920, independently reformed and without official or public government orders rushed to Upper Silesia to help the local militias. The FK units stabilized a line from the Polish border to the city of Oppeln and along the Oder river down through Cosel and Ratisbor. General Karl Höfer was in overall command of the FK formations. On May 21, 1919, a task force under the command of General Bernhard von Hülsen attacked the Annaberg hill on the east side of the Oder. It was a prominent point in the Oder Valley and was held by the Poles. It was also the site of a religious sanctuary of importance to the Silesian Germans. Von Hülsen's attack was successful. It was proclaimed as the first German victory since 1918. A Polish counterattack was repulsed the next day. On May 24, the Berlin government announced that it was forbidden to recruit volunteers for the fighting in Upper Silesia and threatened penalties for anyone caught trying to organize FK units. The Berlin government took this position in response to Allied threats to occupy the Ruhr if the FK units in Upper Silesia were not stopped. Despite the high politics, von Hülsen launched another attack in early June and again defeated the Poles. All along the front, the FK units slowly pushed the Poles back. Finally, in late July 1921. Allied troops became involved and separated the POW and FK forces. The Allied Commission again took control of the region.

Sorry for the size of the material, but I hope you all enjoy it!

Regards,

Douglas.