Wacław Teofil Stachiewicz (19 November 1894 – 12 November 1973) was a Polish writer, geologist, military commander and general of the

Polish Army The Land Forces () are the Army, land forces of the Polish Armed Forces. They currently contain some 110,000 active personnel and form many components of the European Union and NATO deployments around the world. Poland's recorded military histor ...

. A brother to General Julian Stachiewicz and the husband to General Roman Abraham's sister, Stachiewicz was the Chief of General Staff of the Polish Army during the Polish Defensive War of 1939.

Early life and career

Wacław Teofil Stachiewicz was born 19 November 1894, in

Lwów Lviv ( or ; ; ; see #Names and symbols, below for other names) is the largest city in western Ukraine, as well as the List of cities in Ukraine, fifth-largest city in Ukraine, with a population of It serves as the administrative centre of ...

(also known as Lemberg and L'viv), Galicia,

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...

. After graduating from one of local gymnasiums, he entered the geological faculty at the University of Lwów. In 1912, he joined the underground

Związek Strzelecki The Polish Riflemen's Association, known as ''Związek Strzelecki'' (in the plural, ''Związki Strzeleckie''), was an organization formed in great numbers prior to World War I. One of the better known associations, ''Strzelec'' (Rifleman), was a ...

, where he received military training and graduated from NCO and officer courses. After the outbreak of the

Great War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

in August 1914, Stachiewicz joined the Polish Legions in which he became a platoon commander in the 1st Regiment. On 9 October, he was promoted to second lieutenant and sent with a secret mission to the other side of the Russo-Austrian Front to help the creation of Polish underground organisations in the territory that was still under Russian occupation. In 1915, he was moved to the newly formed 5th Regiment in which he commanded the 4th company. Wounded at the Battle of Konary, he was moved to various staff duties, such as serving as an aide to the chief of staff of the regiment. In March 1917, he graduated from an officer course of the

General Staff A military staff or general staff (also referred to as army staff, navy staff, or air staff within the individual services) is a group of officers, Enlisted rank, enlisted, and civilian staff who serve the commanding officer, commander of a ...

and was to be promoted.

Oath Crisis and rebirth of Polish Army

However, the

Oath Crisis The Oath crisis (; German language, German: ''Eidkrise'') was a World War I political conflict between the Imperial German Army command and the Józef Piłsudski-led Polish Legions in World War I, Polish Legions. Initially supporting the Central P ...

of 1917 caused Stachiewicz to be drafted into the

Austro-Hungarian Army The Austro-Hungarian Army, also known as the Imperial and Royal Army,; was the principal ground force of Austria-Hungary from 1867 to 1918. It consisted of three organisations: the Common Army (, recruited from all parts of Austria-Hungary), ...

, demoted to sergeant and sent to the Italian Front. In March 1918, he defected from the army, returned to Poland and joined the secret

Polish Military Organisation The Polish Military Organisation, PMO (, POW) was a secret military organization that was formed during World War I (1914–1918). Józef Piłsudski founded the group in August 1914. It adopted the name ''POW'' in November 1914 and aimed to gathe ...

. He headed its central branch, based in

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

. After Poland regained its independence, the organization became one of the cores of the reborn

Polish Armed Forces The Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland (, ; abbreviated SZ RP), also called the Polish Armed Forces and popularly called in Poland (, roughly "the Polish Military"—abbreviated ''WP''), are the national Military, armed forces of the Poland, ...

. Initially serving as the head of the I Detachment of the General Staff and the deputy chief of staff of the Warsaw military district, Stachiewicz soon became a staff officer of General

Stanisław Haller Stanisław Haller (''de Hallenburg''; 26 April 1872 – Spring 1940) was a Polish politician and general who was murdered in the Katyn massacre. He was the cousin of General Józef Haller. Life Between 1894 and 1918 Haller served in the Austro-H ...

's Army. He also served in a number of roles in the Polish Ministry of War Affairs. During the

Battle of Warsaw (1920) The Battle of Warsaw (; , ), also known as the Miracle on the Vistula (), was a series of battles that resulted in a decisive Polish victory and complete disintegration of the Red Army in August 1920 during the Polish–Soviet War. After the ...

, he served as a deputy chief of staff and chief of operations of General

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

's Volunteer Army. After the end of hostilities and the

Peace of Riga The Treaty of Riga was signed in Riga, Latvia, on between Poland on one side and Soviet Russia (acting also on behalf of Soviet Belarus) and Soviet Ukraine on the other, ending the Polish–Soviet War (1919–1921). The chief negotiators o ...

, Stachiewicz returned to the ministry. Stachiewicz Ironside

In 1921, Stachiewicz was sent to Paris, where he graduated from the

École supérieure de guerre École or Ecole may refer to: * an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by secondary education establishments (collège and lycée) * École (river), a tributary of the Seine flowing in région Île-de-France * Éco ...

in late 1923. Upon his return, he became a professor of tactics at the

Wyższa Szkoła Wojenna Higher War School (, WSWoj) was a higher military school of the Armed Forces of the Second Polish Republic, training and educating staff officers. In the years 1923–1939, the school was located in Warsaw at Koszykowa street 79. It was the most im ...

in Warsaw. In April 1926, he started a year of practice at the post of head of the 1st detachment of the Polish General Staff. In June 1927, he became the first officer of the Staff of the General Inspectorate of Armed Forces. In January 1928, he completed his practice as the commanding officer of the

Częstochowa Częstochowa ( , ) is a city in southern Poland on the Warta with 214,342 inhabitants, making it the thirteenth-largest city in Poland. It is situated in the Silesian Voivodeship. However, Częstochowa is historically part of Lesser Poland, not Si ...

-based 27th Infantry Regiment. Finally, after a year of training there, he became the chief of infantry in the elite 1st Legions Infantry Division in

Wilno Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...

. In December 1933, he returned to Częstochowa, this time as a commanding officer of the entire 7th Infantry Division. In 1935, he was promoted to the rank of brigadier general. After the death of

Marshal of Poland Marshal of Poland () is the highest rank in the Polish Army. It has been granted to only six officers. At present, Marshal is equivalent to a field marshal or general of the army (OF-10) in other NATO armies. History Today there are no living ...

Józef Piłsudski Józef Klemens Piłsudski (; 5 December 1867 – 12 May 1935) was a Polish statesman who served as the Chief of State (Poland), Chief of State (1918–1922) and first Marshal of Poland (from 1920). In the aftermath of World War I, he beca ...

, Stachiewicz's place was taken by General

Edward Rydz-Śmigły Marshal Edward Śmigły-Rydz also called Edward Rydz-Śmigły, (11 March 1886 – 2 December 1941) was a Polish people, Polish politician, statesman, Marshal of Poland and Commander-in-Chief of Poland's armed forces, as well as a painter and ...

, who nominated him for the post of the

Chief of Staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supportin ...

of the Polish Army.

World War II, exile and death

One of the most promising staff officers in the Polish military, Stachiewicz was the author of various military plans, such as Plan Zachód, the Polish plan of operations in case of a war against

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

, and Plan Wschód, a similar plan in case of a war against the Soviet Union. He was also the officer to prepare the Polish mobilisation. In late 1939, he supervised the successful mobilisation although it was called off because of British and French pressure. After the outbreak of the Polish Defensive War, he automatically became the Chief of Staff of the headquarters of the Polish commander-in-chief. However, lack of communication made him lose any influence on the conflict, and he and Rydz-Śmigły withdrew to south-eastern Poland. After the Soviets joined the war on the side of the Nazis, he crossed the border on 18 September with

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

to continue the struggle abroad in France. However, internal struggle for power among the Polish emigres made the French pressure the Romanian authorities into interning Stachiewicz and his superior. In January 1940, Stachiewicz managed to escape from captivity and, through

Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...

and

Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...

, reached the French-held port of

Algiers Algiers is the capital city of Algeria as well as the capital of the Algiers Province; it extends over many Communes of Algeria, communes without having its own separate governing body. With 2,988,145 residents in 2008Census 14 April 2008: Offi ...

. However, General

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

insisted for another internment, this time by the French, and it was not until 1943 that Stachiewicz finally reached London. There, he spent the remaining part of the war without any assignment. After World War II, he was deprived of his

Polish citizenship Polish nationality law is based primarily on the principle of jus sanguinis. Children born to at least one Polish parent acquire Polish citizenship irrespective of place of birth. Besides other things, Polish citizenship entitles the person to ...

by the Soviet-backed communist authorities of Poland and had to remain in exile. In 1948, Stachiewicz moved to

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

, Canada. Blamed by many for the Polish defeat in the war, Stachiewicz devoted himself to writing and wrote several books on the Polish preparations for the war of 1939.

Death and legacy

He died on 12 November 1973 and is buried on Montreal Mount Royal Cemetery. There is a Symbolic grave of Wacław Teofil Stachiewicz at the Powązki Military Cemetery in Warsaw. The Polish Library of the

McGill University McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...

is named after him.

Promotions

Podporucznik ( Second lieutenant) - 5 March 1915 * PL Epolet por

Porucznik (

First lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a se ...

) - 2 July 1915 * PL Epolet kpt

Kapitan (

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

) *

Major (

Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

) *

Podpułkownik ( Lieutenant colonel) - 11 June 1920 * PL Epolet plk

Pułkownik (

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

) - 1 December 1924 * PL Epolet gen bryg

Generał brygady ( Brigadier general) - 16 January 1935 * PL Epolet gen dyw

Generał dywizji ( Major general) - 1 January 1964

Honours and awards

Silver Cross of the

Virtuti Militari The War Order of Virtuti Militari (Latin: ''"For Military Virtue"'', ) is Poland's highest military decoration for heroism and courage in the face of the enemy at war. It was established in 1792 by the last King of Poland Stanislaus II of Poland, ...

(1921) *

POL Polonia Restituta Komandorski ZG BAR

Commander's Cross with Star of the

Polonia Restituta The Order of Polonia Restituta (, ) is a Polish state order established 4 February 1921. It is conferred on both military and civilians as well as on foreigners for outstanding achievements in the fields of education, science, sport, culture, ...

Commander's Cross of the

(11 November 1935) *

Cross of Independence Cross of Independence () was the second highest Polish military decoration between World Wars I and II. It was awarded to individuals who had fought actively for the independence of Poland, and was released in three classes. History The Cr ...

with Swords * POL Polonia Restituta Oficerski BAR

Officer's Cross of the

(2 May 1922) * Cross of Valour – four times (first in 1921) * Golden Cross of Merit (10 November 1928) * Commemorative Medal for the War of 1918-1921 * Medal of the 10th Anniversary of Regaining Independence * POL Odznaka za rany i kontuzje 1 gwiazdka BAR

POL Odznaka za rany i kontuzje 1 gwiazdka BAR

Wound Decoration * Legion Honneur GO ribbon

Grand Officer of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

(France) * Legion Honneur Chevalier ribbon

Knight's Cross of the

(France, 1922) * EST Order of the Cross of the Eagle 1st Class BAR

Order of the Cross of the Eagle The Order of the Cross of the Eagle (; ) was instituted in 1928 by the Estonian Defence League to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Estonian independence. It was adopted as a state order in 1936. The Order of the Cross of the Eagle is bestowe ...

, 1st Class (Estonia, 1937) *

Order of the White Lion The Order of the White Lion () is the highest order of the Czech Republic. It continues a Czechoslovak order of the same name created in 1922 as an award for foreigners (Czechoslovakia having no civilian decoration for its citizens in the 192 ...

, 3rd Class (Czechoslovakia, 1928) * Commander Grand Cross of

Order of the Three Stars Order of the Three Stars () is the highest civilian order awarded for meritorious service to Latvia. It was established in 1924 in remembrance of the founding of Latvia. Its motto is ''Per aspera ad astra'', meaning "Through hardships towards the ...

(Latvia, 1937) * YUG Orden Jugoslovenske Krune VKrst BAR

Grand Cross Order of the Yugoslav Crown (Yugoslavia) Stanisław Łoza (red.): Czy wiesz kto to jest?. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Głównej Księgarni Wojskowej, 1938, s. 689.

Bibliography

* * * *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stachiewicz, Waclaw 1894 births 1973 deaths Military personnel from Lviv People from the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria Polish Austro-Hungarians Polish generals Polish male writers 20th-century Polish geologists Polish Military Organisation members Polish legionnaires (World War I) Austro-Hungarian military personnel of World War I Polish people of the Polish–Soviet War Polish military personnel of World War II Polish emigrants to Canada Polish exiles Recipients of the Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari Recipients of the Cross of Independence with Swords Commanders of the Order of Polonia Restituta Recipients of the Cross of Valour (Poland) Recipients of the Gold Cross of Merit (Poland) Knights of the Legion of Honour Recipients of the Military Order of the Cross of the Eagle, Class I