Education and the Great War
Bortnowski was born on 12 November 1891 in Radom,Polish–Ukrainian War and Polish–Soviet War
On October 31, 1918, Lieutenant Colonel Bortnowski joined the Polish Army which was reborn after Poland had regained her History of Poland (1918–39)#Formative years (1918–1921), independence at the conclusion of World War I. Initially, he led a company in the 5th Infantry Regiment, and was later promoted to lead a battalion of the 5th Infantry Regiment. In November 1918, he participated in both the Battle of Przemyśl (1918), Sieges of Przemyśl and Battle of Lemberg (1918), Lwów. From May 1919, Bortnowski worked as a Teaching Assistant during the very first post-war sessions at the Wyższa Szkoła Wojenna, War School of the General Staff of the War College in Warsaw. With the onset of the Polish–Soviet War, Bortnowski remained at his teaching position in Warsaw until December 1919. From October 10, 1919, he served as an operations officer of the Polish 1st Legions Infantry Division, composed mostly of his colleagues from the Polish Legions in World War I, Polish Legions. Next, he served as Chief of the 3rd Operational Group Branch led by Edward Rydz-Śmigły, General Edward Rydz-Śmigły. Next, Bortnowski served as Chief of the 3rd Branch of the 3rd Army, and from October 1920, as Chief of staff (military), chief of staff of the 3rd Army led by Zygmunt Zieliński (1858–1925), Zygmunt Zieliński.Interwar period
After the conclusion of the Polish–Soviet War, Bortnowski traveled to Paris, France, where he began training at the École Supérieure de Guerre on November 1, 1920. In September 1922, he graduated and returned to Poland where he received further training at various posts, notably in the staff of the Army Inspectorate in Wilno (modern Vilnius, Lithuania). On August 15, 1924, he was promoted to the rank of colonel and in October of the following year, he became the commanding officer of the Kutno-based 37th Infantry Regiment. After the May Coup (Poland), May Coup d'État in 1926, he served as the Chief of the 3rd Branch of the General Army Staff for two months starting in November. In February 1928, he was appointed commander of the 26th Infantry Division (Poland), 26th Infantry Division in Skierniewice. From June 1930, he was transferred to Poznań where he was appointed commander of the 14th Infantry Division (Poland), 14th Infantry Division. In October 1930, was assigned to the Army Inspectorate in Toruń as an officer. On November 1, 1931, he took command of the Zamość-based 3rd Legions Infantry Division (Poland), 3rd Legions Infantry Division, one of the most prestigious units of the Polish Army. On January 1, 1932, Bortnowski was promoted to the rank of brigadier general by Ignacy Mościcki, President Ignacy Mościcki. Starting from October 12, 1935, he served as an Inspector General of the Armed Forces at Toruń. In the Autumn of 1938, Bortnowski took command of the Independent Operational Group Silesia which took participation in the occupation of Czechoslovak territory resulting from the Munich Agreement. Specifically, Bortnowski's troops occupied the Czechoslovak territory of Zaolzie. The popularity of Bortnowski after his successful invasion and occupation of Zaolzie was so great back in Poland, that he was planned to replace Edward Rydz-Śmigły, Marshal Edward Rydz-Śmigły as commander-in-chief when the latter was to run for the presidency in the planned 1940 elections. Prior to the outbreak of the Invasion of Poland (1939), September Campaign in September 1939, Bortnowski was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General, division general on March 1, 1939, and became the commanding officer of Pomorze Army, Pomeranian Army, the northernmost of the List of Polish armies in World War II, Polish armies to take part in the war.September Campaign
During the September Campaign, also known as the Polish Defensive War, Bortnowski commanded the Pomorze Army, Pomeranian Army. Having been surrounded from two sides by Nazi German forces, the Pomeranian Army was forced to fight several bloody battles while retreating southwards towards Poznań and Warsaw, including the Battle of Tuchola Forest. On 9 September, Bortnowski subordinated the Pomeranian Army under the Poznań Army led by General Tadeusz Kutrzeba. Next, the combined forces of the Pomeranian and Poznań Armies took part in the Battle of the Bzura, a counter-offensive devised by Kutrzeba. Bortnowski's forces were most notable for fighting near the outskirts of Łowicz and Sochaczew. On 14 September, he was ordered to retreat onto the northern side of the Bzura, Bzura River which resulted in the definite retreat of both the Pomeranian and Poznań Armies towards Warsaw. On 21 September, Borntowski was captured by German forces and held as a prisoner-of-war.German captivity and post-war life
Bortnowski spent the rest of World War II in various Nazi prisoner-of-war camps, such as Oflag IV-B Koenigstein, Oflag VIII-E Johannisbrunn and finally Oflag VII-A Murnau. Liberated in 1945 by American forces, he remained in exile after the war. Initially in Great Britain, where he was one of the founders of the Józef Piłsudski Institute in London, he eventually emigrated to the United States in 1954. He is most commonly associated with the Polish Independence League and theControversy
Prior to his death on September 22, General Mikołaj Bołtuć, an officer serving in Bortnowski's Pomeranian Army, allegedly criticized Bortnowski's leadership during the September Campaign. He supposedly regretted that he had not "during the first days of the war – during the Battle of Tuchola Forest, put a bullet through his (Bortnowski's) head and assumed command". Additionally, he allegedly stated that "if I die, let it be known that the Army and I died because of this son-of-a-bitch". The above-mentioned statements made by General Bołtuć were publicised by General Wiktor Thommée. On the other hand, Bołtuć's statements regarding Bortnowski and his leadership during September 1939 were contrary to the general opinion of the other officers who had served under Bortnowski's command in the Pomeranian Army. General Bołtuć, who was remembered positively by Bortnowski himself, was supposedly hot-tempered in both word and action. During the September Campaign, Bołtuć dismissed both commanders of the two divisions that were part of his Operational Group. It is alleged that as a result of the bombardment during theAwards and decorations
Among the military decorations he received are: * Silver Cross of Virtuti Militari * Commander of the Legion of Honour (France) * Cross of Independence (''Krzyż Niepodległości'') * Commander's Cross with Star of the Polonia Restituta (earlier Officer's Cross) * Cross of Valour (Poland), Cross of Valour (''Krzyż Walecznych'' – 4 times) * Cross of Merit (Poland), Gold Cross of Merit (''Krzyż Zasługi'') * Order of Lāčplēsis, Latvian Order of Lāčplēsis – Third Class Dziennik Personalny Spraw Wojskowych nr 9 z 04.02.1926 Order Number 1904References
Bibliography
* Konrad Ciechanowski, Armia "Pomorze" 1939, Warszawa, 1983. * Jerzy Kirchmayer: ''Pamiętniki'', Warszawa, 1987. * Tadeusz Kryska-Karski i Stanisław Żurakowski, ''Generałowie Polski Niepodległej'', Warszawa, 1991. * Kazimierz Pindel, ''Obrona Narodowa 1937–1939'', Warszawa, 1979. * Piotr Stawecki, ''Słownik biograficzny generałów Wojska Polskiego 1918–1939'', Warszawa 1994.