Tadeusz Kutrzeba (15 April 1885 – 8 January 1947) was a
general
A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". O ...
of the army during the
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, at the time officially known as the Republic of Poland, was a country in Central and Eastern Europe that existed between 1918 and 1939. The state was established on 6 November 1918, before the end of the First World ...
. He served as a major general in 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 stre ...
in overall command of
Army Poznań during the 1939 German
Invasion of Poland
The invasion of Poland (1 September – 6 October 1939) was a joint attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union which marked the beginning of World War II. The German invasion began on 1 September 1939, one week af ...
.
[ :pl:Tadeusz Kutrzeba]
Biography
Tadeusz Kutrzeba was born in
Kraków
Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula, Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland un ...
, a part of
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 ...
, since the 1795
partition of Poland. His father was a captain in the
Imperial Austrian Army
The Imperial-Royal or Imperial Austrian Army (german: Kaiserlich-königliche Armee, abbreviation "K.K. Armee") was strictly speaking, the armed force of the Holy Roman Empire under its last monarch, the Habsburg Emperor Francis II, although in ...
. In 1896, he was admitted to a military school for children in
Fischau near
Wiener Neustadt. He then continued his studies in the city of Hranice. Kutrzeba completed his
secondary education
Secondary education or post-primary education covers two phases on the International Standard Classification of Education scale. Level 2 or lower secondary education (less commonly junior secondary education) is considered the second and final ph ...
in 1903. He graduated with distinction from the
Imperial and Royal Technical Military Academy in
Mödling
Mödling () is the capital of the Austrian district of the same name located approximately 14 km south of Vienna.
Mödling lies in Lower Austria's industrial zone (Industrieviertel). The Mödlingbach, a brook which rises in the Vienna Woods ...
and was commissioned as a second lieutenant, in an explosives ordnance unit. On account of his performance in school, he was given the option of choosing the location of his first posting. He chose to return to his native
Kraków
Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula, Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland un ...
where he was posted from 1906 to 1910. In 1910, Kutrzeba continued his military education in
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
, studying engineering, and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in 1911. From 1913 to 1914, he was posted to
Sarajevo
Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see names in other languages'') is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its administrative limits. The Sarajevo metropolitan area including Sarajevo ...
, where he witnessed the immediate catalyst for the outbreak of the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
: the
assassination of Archduke Ferdinand
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, were assassinated on 28 June 1914 by Bosnian Serb student Gavrilo Princip. They were shot at close range while b ...
.
World War II
During the invasion of Poland in 1939, General Kutrzeba commanded the Poznań Army, composed of four infantry divisions (14, 17, 25, 26) and two cavalry brigades (Wielkopolska and Podolska). He devised the Polish counterattack plan of the
battle of Bzura
The Battle of the Bzura (or the Battle of Kutno) was the largest Polish counter-attack of the German invasion of Poland and was fought from 9 to 19 September.''The Second World War: An Illustrated History '', Putnam, 1975, Google Print snippet ...
and commanded the Poznań and Pomorze Armies during the battle. In the aftermath, he fought his way to
Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officiall ...
and arrived in the capital on September 22, where he briefly became the deputy commander of the Warsaw Army. At the behest of major general
Juliusz Rómmel (commander of the Warsaw Army), he began
capitulation negotiations with the German 8th Army. On September 28, he signed the official surrender documents.
After the
siege of Warsaw, he was captured by the Germans and spent the rest of the war in several
prisoner of war camps
A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured by a belligerent power in time of war.
There are significant differences among POW camps, internment camps, and military prisons. P ...
: Hohenstein, Königstein and Oflag VII-A Murnau. General Kutrzeba remained a
prisoner of war
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.
Belligerents hold prisoners of ...
until April 1945, when Oflag VII-A Murnau was liberated by American forces.
In April 1945 he was called to
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
, where he was offered the position of Minister of Defense in the Government-in-Exile, which he declined. Instead, he chose to head a historical commission that focused on the Polish Army’s military campaign in September 1939 and the contributions of Polish soldiers fighting in the West from 1939 to 1945.
Military promotions (Second Polish Republic)
* Major (1919)
* Lieutenant Colonel (1920)
* Colonel (1922)
* Brigadier General (1927)
* Major General (1939)
Death
General Kutrzeba was given an opportunity to return to Poland. Due to poor health, however, he was unable to travel. General Kutrzeba died in London on 8 January 1947. Reportedly, the cause of his death was cancer. He was buried with military honors at Brookwood Cemetery. He was posthumously awarded the Virtuti Militari War Order III class.
In 1957, his ashes – according to his last will – were transported to Poland and buried in Aleja Zasłużonych at the Powązki Military Cemetery in Warsaw (section A30-2 semicircle-8)
Honours and awards
Poland
* Commander's Cross of the
Virtuti Militari
The War Order of Virtuti Militari ( Latin: ''"For Military Virtue"'', pl, Order Wojenny Virtuti Militari) is Poland's highest military decoration for heroism and courage in the face of the enemy at war. It was created in 1792 by Polish King S ...
, previously awarded the Knight's Cross and the Silver Cross (1921)
* Commander's Cross of the
Order of Polonia Restituta
The Order of Polonia Restituta ( pl, Order Odrodzenia Polski, en, Order of Restored Poland) is a Polish state order established 4 February 1921. It is conferred on both military and civilians as well as on foreigners for outstanding achievemen ...
(1930), previously awarded the Officer's Cross
*
Cross of Valour - three times
*
Gold Cross of Merit
The Cross of Merit () is a Polish civil state decoration established on 23 June 1923, to recognize services to the state.
History
At the time of its establishment in 1923, the Cross of Merit was the highest civilian award in Poland. It was awa ...
Other
* Officer of the
Legion of Honour
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleo ...
(France)
* Commander's Cross of the
Order of the Star of Romania
The Order of the Star of Romania (Romanian: ''Ordinul Steaua României'') is Romania's highest civil Order and second highest State decoration after the defunct Order of Michael the Brave. It is awarded by the President of Romania. It has five r ...
* Commander's Cross of the
Order of the Crown (Belgium)
The Order of the Crown (french: Ordre de la Couronne, nl, Kroonorde) is a national order of the Kingdom of Belgium. The Order is one of Belgium's highest honors.
History
The Order was established on October 15, 1897 by King Leopold II in his ...
*
Cross of Liberty, Class II (Estonia)
*
Order of the Cross of the Eagle, Class II (1932, Estonia)
*
Order of Lāčplēsis Third Class (Latvia)
* Academic Golden Laurel of the
Polish Academy of Literature
The Polish Academy of Literature ( pl, Polska Akademia Literatury, PAL) was one of the most important state institutions of literary life in the Second Polish Republic, operating between 1933 and 1939 with the headquarters in Warsaw. It was foun ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kutrzeba, Tadeusz
1885 births
1947 deaths
Military personnel from Kraków
People from the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria
Polish generals
Polish military writers
Polish people of World War I
Austro-Hungarian military personnel of World War I
Polish people of the Polish–Soviet War
People of the Polish May Coup (pro-government side)
Polish military personnel of World War II
Polish prisoners of war
World War II prisoners of war held by Germany
Commanders of the Virtuti Militari
Officiers of the Légion d'honneur
Commanders of the Order of Polonia Restituta
Recipients of the Cross of Valour (Poland)
Recipients of the Gold Cross of Merit (Poland)
Commanders of the Order of the Star of Romania
Commanders of the Order of the Crown (Belgium)
Recipients of the Military Order of the Cross of the Eagle, Class II
Recipients of the Order of Lāčplēsis, 3rd class
Golden Laurel of the Polish Academy of Literature