The Polish Legions ( pl, Legiony Polskie) was a name of the Polish military force (the first active Polish army in generations) established in August 1914 in Galicia soon after World War I erupted between the opposing alliances of the

Triple Entente The Triple Entente (from French '' entente'' meaning "friendship, understanding, agreement") describes the informal understanding between the Russian Empire, the French Third Republic, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland as well a ...

on one side (comprising the

British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...

, the

French Republic France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

and the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...

); and the

Central Powers The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,german: Mittelmächte; hu, Központi hatalmak; tr, İttifak Devletleri / ; bg, Централни сили, translit=Tsentralni sili was one of the two main coalitions that fought in ...

on the other side, comprising the

German Empire The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...

and

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

. The Legions became "a founding myth for the creation of modern Poland" in spite of their considerably short existence; they were replaced by the

Polish Auxiliary Corps Polish Auxiliary Corps ( pl, Polski Korpus Posiłkowy, de-AT, Polnisches Hilfskorps, hu, Lengyel Segédhadtest) was the name of the Polish military formation in the Austro-Hungarian Army. Formed from the Polish Legions, it was created on 20 Septe ...

( pl, Polski Korpus Posiłkowy) formation on 20 September 1916, merged with

Polish II Corps in Russia The Polish II Corps in Russia ( pl, II Korpus Polski w Rosji; russian: 2-й Польский корпус (Российская империя)) was a Polish military formation formed in revolutionary Russia in 1917. History The Corps was formed ...

on 19 February 1918 for the

Battle of Rarańcza The Battle of Rarańcza was fought between Polish Legionnaires, and Austria-Hungary, from February 15 to 16, 1918, near Rarańcza in Bukovina, and ended with a Polish victory. Background The Brest-Litovsk Treaty, which was being negotiated ...

against Austria-Hungary, and disbanded following the military defeat at the

Battle of Kaniów Battle of Kaniv, or Battle of Kaniów took place during World War I on the night of 10–11 May 1918, near Kaniv, Ukraine ( uk, Канів, pl, Kaniów) between Polish and German army troops. The fighting pitted the Polish II Corps in Russia ( ...

in May 1918,

WIEM Encyklopedia WIEM Encyklopedia (full name in pl, Wielka Interaktywna Encyklopedia Multimedialna - "Great Interactive Multimedia Encyclopedia"; in Polish, ''wiem'' also means 'I know') is a Polish Internet encyclopedia. The first printed edition was released i ...

(2015)
Polski Korpus Posiłkowy
at PortalWiedzy.

onet.pl Onet.pl is one of the largest Polish web portals. It is owned by the Kraków-based Grupa Onet.pl S.A. It was founded in 1996 by Optimus company. According to Alexa rankings, as of October 2017, it was the 45th most popular website worldwide an ...

against imperial Germany. General Haller escaped to France to form the

Polish army in the West The Polish Armed Forces in the West () refers to the Polish military formations formed to fight alongside the Western Allies against Nazi Germany and its allies during World War II. Polish forces were also raised within Soviet territories; the ...

against the anti-Polish German-Bolshevik treaty. The Legions took part in many battles against the forces of the

Imperial Russia The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the List of Russian monarchs, Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended th ...

, both in Galicia and in the Carpathian Mountains. They suffered horrendous casualties outnumbered three to one in the

Battle of Łowczówek Battle of Łowczówek was a battle during World War I, fought on 22–25 December 1914 at Łowczówek, between the First Brigade of the Polish Legions, fighting for Austria-Hungary, and troops of Imperial Russia. The First Brigade was supported ...

. They captured Kielce, and in 1915 took part in the offensive on Warsaw. In June 1916 the unit had approximately 25,000 soldiers. Both the number of troops and the composition of units changed rapidly. After the

Battle of Kostiuchnówka The Battle of Kostiuchnówka was a World War I battle that took place July 4–6, 1916, near the village of Kostiuchnówka (Kostyukhnivka) and the Styr River in the Volhynia region of modern Ukraine, then part of the Russian Empire. It was ...

where 2,000 Polish soldiers died delaying a Russian offensive,

Józef Piłsudski ), Vilna Governorate, Russian Empire (now Lithuania) , death_date = , death_place = Warsaw, Poland , constituency = , party = None (formerly PPS) , spouse = , children = Wan ...

demanded that the Central Powers issue a guarantee of independence for Poland and partially succeeded. The Polish Legions became the Polish Auxiliary Corps. After the

Act of 5th November The Act of 5th November of 1916 was a declaration of Emperors Wilhelm II of Germany and Franz Joseph of Austria. This act promised the creation of the Kingdom of Poland out of territory of Congress Poland, envisioned by its authors as a puppet s ...

of 1916 which pronounced the creation of the puppet

Kingdom of Poland The Kingdom of Poland ( pl, Królestwo Polskie; Latin: ''Regnum Poloniae'') was a state in Central Europe. It may refer to: Historical political entities *Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom existing from 1025 to 1031 *Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom exist ...

of 1916–18, the Polish Legions were transferred under German command. However, most of the members refused to swear allegiance to the German Kaiser and were interned in

Beniaminów Beniaminów is a village in Poland. It has approximately 190 inhabitants (1998) and is located in the Masovian Voivodship, east of Warsaw, between Legionowo and Nieporęt. Within the village are remnants of a 19th-century fort. In 1917, afte ...

and Szczypiorno (the ''

Oath crisis The Oath crisis ( pl, Kryzys przysięgowy) was a World War I political conflict between the Imperial German Army command and the Józef Piłsudski-led Polish Legions. Initially supporting the Central Powers against Imperial Russia, Piłsudski ...

''). Approximately 3,000 of them were drafted into the Austro-Hungarian army and sent to the Italian Front while approximately 7,500 stayed in the

, part of the failed German '' Polnische Wehrmacht''.

History

According to

Prit Buttar Prit Buttar is a British general practitioner and writer. He has written ten history books on the eastern fronts of Eastern Front (World War I), World War I and Eastern Front (World War II), World War II, and two novels. Dr. Buttar was Senior Pa ...

, "When war broke out, Piłsudski was quick to recognize that an important preliminary step in Poland's path to independence was the defeat of tsarist Russia..." Piłsudski was no supporter of the Central Powers, and once Russia had been driven out of Polish territory, he believed that he and his fellow Poles would have to persuade the Germans and Austro-Hungarians to leave too, but he held secret meetings with representatives of France and Great Britain to make clear to the western members of the Entente that Polish troops would never fight against them, only against Russia." The formation of the Legions was declared by

Józef Piłsudski ), Vilna Governorate, Russian Empire (now Lithuania) , death_date = , death_place = Warsaw, Poland , constituency = , party = None (formerly PPS) , spouse = , children = Wan ...

in his order of August 22, 1914. The Austrian government, having jurisdiction over the area, officially agreed to the formation on August 27, 1914. The unit became an independent formation of the

Austro-Hungarian Army The Austro-Hungarian Army (, literally "Ground Forces of the Austro-Hungarians"; , literally "Imperial and Royal Army") was the ground force of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy from 1867 to 1918. It was composed of three parts: the joint arm ...

thanks to the efforts of the

KSSN :''This is an article about a radio station. For a pre-WWI Polish political organization, see Komisja Tymczasowa Skonfederowanych Stronnictw Niepodległościowych. For the airport in Romulus, New York assigned the ICAO code KSSN, see Seneca Army ...

and the Polish members of the Austrian parliament. Personnel came mostly from former members of various

scouting Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpacking ...

organizations, including Drużyny Strzeleckie and

Związek Strzelecki The Polish Riflemen's Association known as ''Związek Strzelecki'' (or more commonly, in the plural form as ''Związki Strzeleckie'') formed in great numbers prior to World War I. One of the better known associations called "Strzelec" (Riflemen's ...

, as well from as volunteers from all around the

Austro-Hungarian Empire Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

. Initially, the Polish Legions were composed of two legions: the Eastern and the Western Legion, both formed on August 27. After a Russian victory in the

Battle of Galicia The Battle of Galicia, also known as the Battle of Lemberg, was a major battle between Russia and Austria-Hungary during the early stages of World War I in 1914. In the course of the battle, the Austro-Hungarian armies were severely defeated and ...

(August–September 1914) the Eastern Polish legion refused to fight on behalf of the Austro-Hungarian side against Russia and was disbanded on September 21. On December 19, the Western legion was transformed into three

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. Br ...

s: the I Brigade of the Polish Legions under

Józef Piłsudski ), Vilna Governorate, Russian Empire (now Lithuania) , death_date = , death_place = Warsaw, Poland , constituency = , party = None (formerly PPS) , spouse = , children = Wan ...

, formed in mid-December; the II Brigade of the Polish Legions under

Józef Haller de Hallenburg Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the mo ...

, formed between mid-December and March (sources vary); and the III Brigade of the Polish Legions under Zygmunt Zieliński (later Bolesław Roja), formed on May 8, 1915. All brigades had the following: * Artillery Battalions with served with I, II, and III Brigade * Cavalry Regiments: 1st served in I Brigade; 2nd served in II Brigade; 3rd served in III Brigade * Infantry Regiments: 1st, 5th, 7th served in I Brigade; 2nd, 3rd served in II Brigade; 4th served in both II and III Brigades; 5th, 6th served in III Brigade. The commanders of the Legions were consecutively: Gen.

Karol Trzaska-Durski Karol Durski-Trzaska (1849–1935) was an officer in the Austro-Hungarian Army and later, Polish Army. Reached the rank of Lieutenant General (''Feldmarschalleutnant'') in Austrian-Hungarian Army; commander of Austrian Polish Legions in World War ...

(September 1914 – February 1916), Gen. Stanisław Puchalski (until November 1916), Col.

Stanisław Szeptycki Count Stanisław Maria Jan Teofil Szeptycki (3 November 1867 – 9 October 1950) was a Polish count, general and military commander. Biography Born in 1867 in Galicia, Austria-Hungary to the aristocratic Szeptycki family, he was the grandson of ...

(until April 1917), and Col. Zygmunt Zieliński (until August 1917). After the war ended the officers of the Polish Legions became the backbone of the

Polish Army The Land Forces () are the land forces of the Polish Armed Forces. They currently contain some 62,000 active personnel and form many components of the European Union and NATO deployments around the world. Poland's recorded military history stret ...

Battles

Below is a list of prominent Polish battles against the Imperial Russian Army in 191416, leading to victories in most cases, with notable exceptions especially during the Brusilov Offensive of 1916. *

Battle of Nowy Korczyn A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

(23–24 September 1914) *

Battle of Anielin-Laski A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

(October 21–October 26, 1914) * Battle of Mołotków (October 29, 1914) * Battle of Krzywopłoty (17–18 November 1914) * Battle of Marcinkowice (5–6 December 1914) *

(December 22–December 25, 1914) * Battle of Pustki (2 May 1915) * Battle of Konary (May 16–May 25, 1915) * Battle of Rafajłowa (January 23–24, 1915) * Kirlibaba (January 18–22, 1915) * Rarańcza (June 13, 1915) * Battle of Rokitna (15 June 1915) * Battle of Jastków (July 29–July 31, 1915) *

(July 4–July 6, 1916) *

(15–16 February 1918)Piotr Galik,
Chwalebna zdrada: Rarańcza 1918.
' Fakty.Interia.pl at Internet Archive. ''See also:'' Mieczysław Wrzosek, ''Polski czyn zbrojny podczas pierwszej wojny światowej 1914-1918'', Państwowe Wydawnictwo "Wiedza Powszechna", Warszawa 1990.

Notable officers who served in the Polish Legions

Following the foundation of the Second Polish Republic, many served in the Polish Army, and held political as well as elected offices.

Polish Legions' prominent members

File:Tomasz Arciszewski, foto z 1906 r..jpg,

Tomasz Arciszewski Tomasz Stefan Arciszewski (; 4 November 1877 – 20 November 1955) was a Polish socialist politician, a member of the Polish Socialist Party and the 31st Prime Minister of Poland, 3rd Prime Minister of the Polish government-in-exile in London fro ...

File:J Beck.jpg,

Józef Beck Józef Beck (; 4 October 1894 – 5 June 1944) was a Poles, Polish statesman who served the Second Republic of Poland as a diplomat and military officer. A close associate of Józef Piłsudski, Beck is most famous for being Polish foreign minist ...

File:Zygmunt Berling.jpg,

Zygmunt Berling Zygmunt Henryk Berling (27 April 1896 – 11 July 1980) was a Polish general and politician. He fought for the independence of Poland in the early 20th century. Berling was a co-founder and commander of the First Polish Army, which fought on the ...

File:Wacław Kostek - Biernacki (22-52).jpg, Wacław Kostek - Biernacki File:Tadeusz Brzeziński.jpg,

Tadeusz Brzeziński Tadeusz Brzeziński (February 21, 1896 – January 7, 1990) was a Polish diplomat and consular official. He was the father of Zbigniew Brzezinski, President Jimmy Carter's national security adviser. Life and career Brzeziński was born in the ...

File:Walerian Czuma.jpg,

Walerian Czuma Walerian Czuma (24 December 1890 – 7 April 1962) was a Polish general and military commander. He is notable for his command over a Polish unit in Siberia during the Russian Civil War, and the commander of the defence of Warsaw during the siege ...

File:GenDabBier.jpg, Stefan Dąb-Biernacki File:Hubal-portretowe-big.jpg,

Henryk Dobrzański Major Henryk Dobrzański (22 June 1897 – 30 April 1940) was a Polish soldier, sportsman and partisan. He fought in the Polish Legions in World War I, Polish-Ukrainian War of 1918, the Polish-Bolshevik War of 1919-1921 and the Polish Sept ...

File:GeneralDuch.jpg,

Bronisław Duch Bronisław (feminine: Bronisława) is a Polish name of Slavic origin meaning ''broni'' (to protect, to defend) and ''sława'' (glory, fame). The name may refer to: People * Bronislava of Poland, a 13th-century nun who was beatified in 1839 * Bron ...

File:Gen. Karol Durski-Trzaska.jpg,

Karol Durski-Trzaska Karol Durski-Trzaska (1849–1935) was an officer in the Austro-Hungarian Army and later, Polish Army. Reached the rank of Lieutenant General (''Feldmarschalleutnant'') in Austrian-Hungarian Army; commander of Austrian Polish Legions in World War ...

File:Generał August Emil Fieldorf.jpg,

Emil Fieldorf August Emil Fieldorf ('' nom de guerre''; “''Nil''”; 20 March 1895 – 24 February 1953) was a Polish brigadier general who served as deputy commander-in-chief of the Home Army after the suppression of the Warsaw Uprising (August 1944 – ...

File:Jozef Haller.jpg, File:Tadeusz Rozwadowski (1918).JPG, File:Kasprzycki Tadeusz.jpg, Tadeusz Kasprzycki File:Kleeberg.jpg,

Franciszek Kleeberg Franciszek Kleeberg (1 February 1888, in Tarnopol – 5 April 1941, near Dresden) was a Polish general. He served in the Austro-Hungarian Army before joining the Polish Legions in World War I and later the Polish Army. During the German Invasion ...

File:Klimecki.jpg, File:Adam Koc.jpg, Adam Koc File:Stefan Kossecki plk 1931.jpg, Stefan Kossecki File:Marian Kozielewski.jpg, Marian Kozielewski File:Julian Kulski.jpg, Julian Kulski File:Józef Kustroń.jpg,

Józef Kustroń Józef Rudolf Kustroń (16 October 1892 in Stryj – 16 September 1939 in the village of Ulazow, during the Polish September Campaign) was a brigadier general of the Polish Army in the Second Polish Republic, commandant of the 21st Mountain Inf ...

File:Kazimierz Mastalerz.jpg, File:Henryk Minkiewicz (1880-1940).jpg,

Henryk Minkiewicz Henryk Minkiewicz (19 January 1880 – 9 April 1940) was a Polish socialist politician and a general of the Polish Army. Former commander of the Border Defence Corps, he was among the Polish officers murdered in the Katyń massacre.; ; ; ; ; ; L ...

File:M.Norwid-Neugebauer.jpg, Mieczyslaw Norwid-Neugebauer who commanded 6th Regiment and 3rd Brigade File:Okulicki.jpg,

Leopold Okulicki General Leopold Okulicki (noms de guerre ''Kobra'', ''Niedźwiadek''; 1898 – 1946) was a general of the Polish Army and the last commander of the anti-Nazi underground Home Army during World War II. He was arrested after the war by the Sovi ...

who served in 3rd Legions Infantry Regiment File:Gen.Orlicz-Dreszer.JPG, Gustaw Orlicz-Dreszer File:Wilhelm Orlik-Rückemann.PNG, Wilhelm Orlik-Rückemann File:Antoni Pająk 1.JPG,

Antoni Pająk Antoni Pająk (; 31 July 1893, Bestwina - 25 November 1965, London) was a Polish socialist (member of the Polish Socialist Party) politician, who served as 39th Prime Minister of Poland and 9th Prime Minister in exile for nearly ten years (1955-196 ...

File:Witold Pilecki 1.JPG,

Witold Pilecki Witold Pilecki (13 May 190125 May 1948; ; codenames ''Roman Jezierski, Tomasz Serafiński, Druh, Witold'') was a Polish World War II cavalry officer, intelligence agent, and resistance leader. As a youth, Pilecki joined Polish underground s ...

File:Tadeusz Piskor.jpg,

Tadeusz Piskor Tadeusz Ludwik Piskor (1889–1951) was a Polish Army general. Life and career Piskor was born on 1 February 1889 in Bór Kunowski. Before World War I, he was a member of Polish pro-independence organizations. During World War I he served in th ...

File:Belina1914.jpg,

Władysław Belina-Prażmowski Władysław Zygmunt Belina-Prażmowski (3 May 1888 in Ruszkowiec – 13 October 1938 in Venice), was a Polish cavalryman, colonel and politician. He was a member of Związek Walki Czynnej since 1909, later Związek Strzelecki. Student of Lwów ...

File:Stanisław_Puchalski.jpg, Stanisław Puchalski File:Władysław Raczkiewicz 1934.jpg,

Władysław Raczkiewicz Władysław Raczkiewicz (; 28 January 1885 – 6 June 1947) was a Polish politician, lawyer, diplomat and President of Poland- in-exile from 1939 until his death in 1947. Until 1945, he was the internationally recognized Polish head of st ...

(President of Poland) File:Tadeusz Różycki-Kołodziejczyk.jpg, Tadeusz Różycki-Kołodziejczyk File:Rómmel Juliusz.jpg,

Juliusz Rómmel Juliusz Karol Wilhelm Józef Rómmel (german: Julius Karl Wilhelm Josef Freiherr von Rummel; 3 June 1881 – 8 September 1967) was a Polish military commander, a general of the Polish Armed Forces (Second Polish Republic), Polish Armed Forces. He ...

File:Stefan Rowecki - 1926.jpg, Stefan Rowecki File:Waclaw Sieroszewski.jpg, File:Wladyslaw Sikorski 2.jpg,

Władysław Sikorski Władysław Eugeniusz Sikorski (; 20 May 18814 July 1943) was a Polish military and political leader. Prior to the First World War, Sikorski established and participated in several underground organizations that promoted the cause for Polish ...

File:Skuratowicz Piotr.jpg,

Piotr Skuratowicz Piotr Skuratowicz (1 August 1891 – 1940) was a Polish military commander and a General of the Polish Army. A renowned cavalryman, he was arrested by the NKVD and murdered in the Katyn massacre. Piotr Marian Skuratowicz was born 1891 in Minsk, ...

File:Edward Rydz-Smigly.jpg,

Edward Rydz-Śmigły Marshal Edward Rydz-Śmigły (11 March 1886 – 2 December 1941; nom de guerre ''Śmigły, Tarłowski, Adam Zawisza''), also called Edward Śmigły-Rydz, was a Polish politician, statesman, Marshal of Poland and Commander-in-Chief of Poland ...

File:Mieczyslaw Smorawinski.jpg, Mieczysław Smorawiński File:Sosnkowski Kazimierz.jpg,

Kazimierz Sosnkowski General Kazimierz Sosnkowski (; Warsaw, 19 November 1885 – 11 October 1969, Arundel, Quebec) was a Polish independence fighter, general, diplomat, and architect. He was a major political figure and an accomplished commander, notable in p ...

File:Wacław Stachiewicz.PNG,

Wacław Stachiewicz Wacław Teofil Stachiewicz (19 November 1894 – 12 November 1973) was a Polish writer, geologist, military commander and general of the Polish Army. A brother to General Julian Stachiewicz and the husband to General Roman Abraham's sister, Stach ...

in 1917, after the

Oath Crisis The Oath crisis ( pl, Kryzys przysięgowy) was a World War I political conflict between the Imperial German Army command and the Józef Piłsudski-led Polish Legions. Initially supporting the Central Powers against Imperial Russia, Piłsudski ...

File:Stamirowski.jpg, Kazimierz Stamirowski File:Stefan Starzyński Legiony 2.jpg,

Stefan Starzyński Stefan Bronisław Starzyński (19 August 1893 – between 21 and 23 December 1939) was a Poles, Polish politician, statesman, economist, military officer and Mayor of Warsaw before and during Siege of Warsaw (1939), the Siege of 1939. Earl ...

File:Szeptycki.jpg, File:Thommee.jpg,

Wiktor Thommée Wiktor Thommée (1881–1962) was a Polish military commander and a brigadier general of the Polish Army. A veteran of the Great War and the Russian Civil War, he is best known for his command over Piotrków Operational Group and the battle of t ...

File:Michał Karaszewicz.JPG, File:Władysław Wejtko 2.jpg, File:Józef Olszyna-Wilczyński.PNG, File:Włodzimierz Ostoja-Zagórski.jpg, File:Gen. Józef Zając.jpg,

Józef Zając Józef Ludwik Zając (pron. Za-YANTz) (1891–1963) was a Polish general and pilot. Biography Born on 14 March 1891 in Rzeszów, Józef Zając studied at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, graduating with a PhD in philosophy in 1915. He ...

File:Ferdynand Zarzycki (-1932).jpg, File:Marian Januszajtis.jpg, File:ZygmuntZieliński.jpg, File:Rola-Żymierski Michał.jpg,

External links

* Centek, Jarosław
Polish Legions
, in
1914-1918-online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War
* Brudek, Paweł
Polish Legionaries Union
, in
1914-1918-online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War

Notes and references

{{DEFAULTSORT:Polish Legions In World War I Military units and formations of Austria-Hungary in World War I Military units and formations established in 1914 1914 establishments in Poland Józef Piłsudski