A Bear of a Tractor

Image courtesy of http://www.konflikty.pl/

No country was ravaged more fully or ended the Second World War with more mixed feelings than Poland. The war had started with the invasion of Poland and ended with a much different Poland. Poland was the battleground for much of the fighting and the site of some of the most barbarous acts of human history. Following the war, Poland was abandoned to emerging Cold War realities. A new Poland emerged, losing territory to what are now Belarus and Ukraine, while gaining territory from Germany. As an interesting aside, author George Friedman predicts in his book The Next 100 Years , that Poland is set to become a major player in the 21st Century.

After the War, Poland restarted the Ursus Tractor Factory, utilizing the hardy Lanz Bulldog design from Germany. This is a tractor that in restored versions, like this one, can be considered almost elegant.

Variants of the C-45 and C-451 were manufactured from 1947 to the early 1960's. You can click here to see a YouTube video of a nicely restored C-45. Following the war, the Soviets stripped Germany of manufacturing and technology to use at home. My question is whether this was the case in regards to the Ursus Bulldog? Considering the devastation wrought on Poland at the hands of Germany, it would not be surprising if this was a case of technology transfer as reparations. I believe there is an incredible story of World War Two in microcosm to be found here. By the end of 1947, 130 C-45's were manufactured in Warsaw. An amazing feat considering Warsaw could be considered the most heavily damaged city of the War.

I sometimes feel trapped in my own language. While the Internet and technology are allowing us to access more materials outside our own, one is still limited by personal abilities to read. Electronic translators are often clumsy and lack the ability to do more than literal translation. I am certain that there may be some great sources written in Polish on this topic. The difficulty lies in accessing them.

Photo of Warsaw, one of the most thoroughly destroyed cities in Europe, in January of 1945. Amazingly, by September of 1947, new tractors were being manufactured here.