Polish Legions in World War I
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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 Galicia may refer to: Geographic regions * Galicia (Spain), a region and autonomous community of northwestern Spain ** Gallaecia, a Roman province ** The post-Roman Kingdom of the Suebi, also called the Kingdom of Gallaecia ** The medieval King ...
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 e ...
, the
French Republic France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
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 W ...
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 Sept ...
( 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 on ...
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 ...
(2015)
Polski Korpus Posiłkowy
at PortalWiedzy. onet.pl
against imperial Germany. General Haller escaped to France to form the Polish army in the West 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 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. The ...
, both in Galicia and in the Carpathian Mountains. They suffered horrendous casualties outnumbered three to one in the Battle of Łowczówek. 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 Józef Klemens Piłsudski (; 5 December 1867 – 12 May 1935) was a Polish statesman who served as the Naczelnik państwa, Chief of State (1918–1922) and Marshal of Poland, First Marshal of Second Polish Republic, Poland (from 1920). He was ...
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 exi ...
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, af ...
and
Szczypiorno Szczypiorno is a municipal neighbourhood of the city of Kalisz, Poland, located in its south-western part. Formerly until 1976 a separate village at the outskirts of the city, it is best known as a seat of a World War I and Polish–Soviet Wa ...
(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, Piłsuds ...
''). 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
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 Sept ...
, 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 World War I and World War II, and two novels. Dr. Buttar was Senior Partner at Abingdon Surgery until he moved to Scotland in la ...
, "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 Józef Klemens Piłsudski (; 5 December 1867 – 12 May 1935) was a Polish statesman who served as the Naczelnik państwa, Chief of State (1918–1922) and Marshal of Poland, First Marshal of Second Polish Republic, Poland (from 1920). He was ...
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 A ...
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 Social movement, movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hik ...
organizations, including
Drużyny Strzeleckie The Polish Rifle Squads () was a Polish pro-independence paramilitary organization, founded in 1911 by the Youth Independence Organization in the Austro-Hungarian sector of partitioned Poland. Among its founders were Norwid Neugebauer, Marian Ja ...
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 an ...
(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. ...
s: the
I Brigade of the Polish Legions Brigade I of the Polish Legions ( pl, I Brygada Legionów Polskich, de-AT, Brigade I der Polnischen Legion, hu, A Lengyel Légió I. Dandárja) was a unit of Austro-Hungarian Army, manned by Poles under Austrian occupation, part of the Polish ...
under
Józef Piłsudski Józef Klemens Piłsudski (; 5 December 1867 – 12 May 1935) was a Polish statesman who served as the Naczelnik państwa, Chief of State (1918–1922) and Marshal of Poland, First Marshal of Second Polish Republic, Poland (from 1920). He was ...
, formed in mid-December; the
II Brigade of the Polish Legions Brigade II of the Polish Legions ( pl, II Brygada Legionów Polskich, de-AT, Brigade II der Polnischen Legion, hu, A Lengyel Légió II. Dandárja), also known as the Iron (''Żelazna'', ''Eisen'', ''Vas'') or Carpathian (''Karpacka'', ''Karp ...
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 Brigade III of the Polish Legions ( pl, III Brygada Legionów Polskich, de-AT, Brigade III der Polnischen Legion, hu, A Lengyel Légió III. Dandárja) was a unit of the Austro-Hungarian Army, manned by Austrian Poles. It was formed in 1915, exi ...
under Zygmunt Zieliński (later
Bolesław Roja Brigadier General Bolesław Jerzy Roja (4 April 1876 − 27 May 1940) was an officer of the Polish Legions in World War I, a general, and a politician in the Second Polish Republic, recipient of some of the highest Polish military awards includin ...
), 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 Stanisław Puchalski, of Puchała coat of arms (5 January 1867, in Wapowce – 16 January 1931, in Warsaw) was an Austro-Hungarian and Polish general. References * ''Österreichisches Biographisches Lexikon 1815–1950'', Band VIII., Wien 1 ...
(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 stre ...
.


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 The Battle of Mołotków (Polish: Bitwa pod Mołotkowem) took place on October 29, 1914, near the village of Mołotków ( Molotkiv), Austrian Galicia (current Ukraine). 2nd and 3rd Infantry Regiments of Polish Legions clashed with units of th ...
(October 29, 1914) * Battle of Krzywopłoty (17–18 November 1914) *
Battle of Marcinkowice 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 ...
(5–6 December 1914) * Battle of Łowczówek (December 22–December 25, 1914) * Battle of Pustki (2 May 1915) *
Battle of Konary The battle of Konary took place during the Great War, in May and June 1915 in the Sandomierz Uplands, near the village of Konary and the town of Klimontów, Poland, between the Russian Army and the forces of Józef Piłsudski's Polish Legions ...
(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) *
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 ...
(July 4–July 6, 1916) *
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 on ...
(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 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 minister in ...
File:Zygmunt Berling.jpg, Zygmunt Berling 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 Stefan Dąb-Biernacki (7 January 1890 – 9 February 1959) was a Polish commander who served as the commander of the Prusy Army during the invasion of Poland in 1939. Early career He was a member of the Polish Legions in World War I, and he lat ...
File:Hubal-portretowe-big.jpg, Henryk Dobrzański File:GeneralDuch.jpg, Bronisław Duch 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 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 Adam Ignacy Koc (31 August 1891 – 3 February 1969) was a Polish politician, MP, soldier, journalist and Freemason. Koc, who had several ''noms de guerre'' (Witold, Szlachetny, Adam Krajewski, Adam Warmiński and Witold Warmiński), fought ...
File:Stefan Kossecki plk 1931.jpg, Stefan Kossecki File:Marian Kozielewski.jpg, Marian Kozielewski File:Julian Kulski.jpg,
Julian Kulski Julian Kulski (5 December 1892 in Warsaw – 18 August 1976 in Warsaw) was a Polish civil servant, best known for being Mayor of Warsaw during World War II. During the pre-war period he was a Vice President of Warsaw (1935-1939) under Ste ...
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.; ; ; ; ; ; ...
File:M.Norwid-Neugebauer.jpg, Mieczyslaw Norwid-Neugebauer who commanded 6th Regiment and 3rd Brigade File:Okulicki.jpg, Leopold Okulicki 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 (1955-19 ...
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 t ...
File:Belina1914.jpg, Władysław Belina-Prażmowski File:Stanisław_Puchalski.jpg,
Stanisław Puchalski Stanisław Puchalski, of Puchała coat of arms (5 January 1867, in Wapowce – 16 January 1931, in Warsaw) was an Austro-Hungarian and Polish general. References * ''Österreichisches Biographisches Lexikon 1815–1950'', Band VIII., Wien 1 ...
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. He graduated from the Corps of Cadets in Pskov a ...
File:Stefan Rowecki - 1926.jpg,
Stefan Rowecki Stefan Paweł Rowecki (pseudonym: ''Grot'', "Spearhead", hence the alternate name, Stefan Grot-Rowecki; 25 December 1895 – 2 August 1944) was a Polish general, journalist and the leader of the Armia Krajowa. He was murdered by the Gestapo in ...
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 i ...
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 Brigadier General Mieczysław Makary Smorawiński (1893–1940), was a Polish military commander and officer of the Polish Army. He was one of the Polish generals identified by forensic scientists of the Katyn Commission as the victim of the Sovi ...
File:Sosnkowski Kazimierz.jpg, Kazimierz Sosnkowski 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, Piłsuds ...
File:Stamirowski.jpg, Kazimierz Stamirowski File:Stefan Starzyński Legiony 2.jpg, Stefan Starzyński 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 jo ...
File:Ferdynand Zarzycki (-1932).jpg, File:Marian Januszajtis.jpg, File:ZygmuntZieliński.jpg, File:Rola-Żymierski Michał.jpg,


See also

*
Polish Legions (disambiguation) Polish Legions ( pl, Legiony Polskie, links=no) may refer to, in chronological order: Before World War I * Polish Legions (Napoleonic period), created by Henryk Dąbrowski during the Napoleonic Wars ** Danube Legion ** Legion of the Vistula * ...
*
Stanisław Skarżyński Stanisław Jakub Skarżyński (1 May 1899 − 26 June 1942) was a lieutenant colonel in the Polish Air Force and aviator famous for his transatlantic solo flight in 1933. Early military career In 1916–17 Skarżyński was a member of the Poli ...
*
Czesław Zbierański Czesław Michał Zbierański (1885–1982) was a Polish engineer, pioneer of Polish aviation, major of Polish Army. In 1910–1911, with Stanisław Cywiński, he constructed an aircraft with two pairs of wings, the first Polish aircraft constructed ...
*
Association of the Polish Youth "Zet" The Związek Młodzieży Polskiej "Zet" ("Union or Association of the Polish Youth "Zet"", abbreviated ''ZMP'' or more commonly ''Zet'') was a clandestine organization of Polish students at universities of the three partitioning powers (Russia, G ...
*
Blue Army (Poland) The Blue Army ( Polish: ''Błękitna Armia''; French: ''Armée bleue''), or Haller's Army, was a Polish military contingent created in France during the latter stages of World War I. The name came from the French-issued blue military unifor ...
*
First Cadre Company The First Cadre Company ( pl, Pierwsza Kompania Kadrowa) was a Polish military formation created in the Austro-Hungarian Army at the outbreak of World War I. The company was founded by Józef Piłsudski on August 3, 1914 in Kraków. It was the p ...
*
Greater Poland Uprising (1918–1919) Greater Poland Uprising (also Wielkopolska Uprising or Great Poland Uprising) may refer to a number of armed rebellions in the region of Greater Poland: * Greater Poland Uprising (1794) * Greater Poland Uprising (1806) Greater Poland uprising ...
* Kingdom of Poland (1916–1918) *
List of Polish divisions in World War I The following is a list of Polish brigade and division-sized military units during World War I and the subsequent Russian Civil War , date = October Revolution, 7 November 1917 – Yakut revolt, 16 June 1923{{Efn, The main phase en ...
* My Pierwsza Brygada *
Polish Army Veterans' Association in America The Polish Army Veterans' Association in America (''Stowarzyszenie Weteranów Armii Polskiej w Ameryce'', SWAP), founded in May 1921 is a Polish-American association for veterans of the Blue Army during World War I. History During World War ...
* Polish Legion of American Veterans *
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 Sept ...
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Polish I Corps in Russia Polish I Corps in Russia ( pl, I Korpus Polski w Rosji; russian: 1-й Польский корпус) was a military formation formed on 24 July 1917 in Minsk from Polish and Lithuanian personnel serving in the Western and Northern Fronts of th ...
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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 ...
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Polish 1st Legions Infantry Division Polish 1st Legions Infantry Division () was a tactical unit of the Polish Army between the World Wars. Formed on February 20, 1919, partially of veterans of the I Brigade of the Polish Legions, the unit saw extensive action during the Polish-Bol ...
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Polish Military Organisation The Polish Military Organisation, PMO ( pl, Polska Organizacja Wojskowa, POW) was a secret military organization which formed during World War I (1914-1918). Józef Piłsudski founded the group in August 1914; it adopted the name ''POW'' in Novem ...
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Polish Rifle Squads The Polish Rifle Squads () was a Polish pro-independence paramilitary organization, founded in 1911 by the Youth Independence Organization in the Austro-Hungarian sector of partitioned Poland. Among its founders were Norwid Neugebauer, Marian Ja ...
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Polska Siła Zbrojna The Polish Armed Forces ( pl, Polska Siła Zbrojna, German: ''Polnische Wehrmacht)'' was a military formation created during World War I.David G. Williamson (2011), Poland Betrayed: The Nazi-Soviet Invasions of 1939' Stackpole Books, page 3. I ...
* Riflemen's Association *
Union of Active Struggle The Union of Active Struggle ( pl, Związek Walki Czynnej, ZWC), also translated as ''Union for Active Struggle'' and ''Union for Active Resistance'',Thus rendered in Richard M. Watt, ''Bitter Glory: Poland and Its Fate, 1918 to 1939'', p. 37. W ...
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The Seven Lancers of Belina The Seven Lancers of Belina, also called Belina’s Seven and The Seven Uhlans (Polish: Ulanska siodemka) was a name given to a mounted reconnaissance group of the Riflemen's Association. On August 2, 1914, upon order of Józef Piłsudski, the seven ...


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