HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Walery Jan Sławek (; 2 November 1879 – 3 April 1939) was a Polish politician,
freemason Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...
, military officer and activist, who in the early 1930s served three times as
Prime Minister of Poland A prime number (or a prime) is a natural number greater than 1 that is not a product of two smaller natural numbers. A natural number greater than 1 that is not prime is called a composite number. For example, 5 is prime because the only wa ...
. He was one of the closest aides of Polish leader,
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 ...
.


Early years

Walery Sławek was born on 2 November 1879 into an impoverished
noble A noble is a member of the nobility. Noble may also refer to: Places Antarctica * Noble Glacier, King George Island * Noble Nunatak, Marie Byrd Land * Noble Peak, Wiencke Island * Noble Rocks, Graham Land Australia * Noble Island, Gr ...
family, in the village of in the region of
Podolia Podolia or Podillia is a historic region in Eastern Europe located in the west-central and southwestern parts of Ukraine and northeastern Moldova (i.e. northern Transnistria). Podolia is bordered by the Dniester River and Boh River. It features ...
, then part of the
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
. He was one of four children: two of his older sisters died early of Tuberculosis. His father, Bolesław Sławek, worked at a sugar plant owned by Count
Józef Mikołaj Potocki Józef Mikołaj Kazimierz Marian Alfred Jakub Potocki (8 September 1862 – 25 August 1922) was a Polish nobleman, hunter, traveller and writer. A collector of books, paintings and hunting trophies, he also bred Arabian horses on his Pilawin estat ...
. His mother was Florentyna née Przybylska, and the Sławek family was distinctly related to the family of composer and politician
Ignacy Jan Paderewski Ignacy Jan Paderewski (;  
r 1859 R, or r, is the eighteenth letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''ar'' (pronounced ), plural ''ars''. The lette ...
– 29 June 1941) was a Polish pianist, composer and statesman who was a spokesman for Polish independence. In 1919, he was the nation's Prime Minister of Poland, prime minister and foreign minister durin ...
. Between 1888 and 1894, he attended an elementary school in Nemyriv. In 1899, Sławek graduated from a trade school 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 ...
and began working for an insurance company. At that time, he became involved in the activities of several socialist organizations. In 1900, Sławek moved to
Łódź Łódź is a city in central Poland and a former industrial centre. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is located south-west of Warsaw. Łódź has a population of 655,279, making it the country's List of cities and towns in Polan ...
as an employee for the insurance company ''Horodiczka i Stamirowski''. Soon afterwards, he joined the
Polish Socialist Party The Polish Socialist Party (, PPS) is a democratic socialist political party in Poland. It was one of the most significant parties in Poland from its founding in 1892 until its forced merger with the communist Polish Workers' Party to form ...
(PPS). While in Łódź, he was deeply involved in the activities of the PPS, which targeted the Tsarist authorities and struggled for Polish independence. Upon returning to Warsaw (May 1901), Sławek was named one of the leaders of local branch of the PPS. He was frequently sent on missions to other cities of the Russian Empire. In
Vilnius 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 ...
(1902), he met and became friends with the future
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 ...
, and
Aleksander Prystor Aleksander Błażej Prystor (; 2 January 1874 – 1941) was a Polish politician, activist, soldier and freemason, who served as 23rd Prime Minister of Poland from 1931 to 1933. He was a member of the Combat Organization of the Polish Socialist ...
. In June 1902, Sławek was elected leader of the PPS for the Governorates of
Kielce Kielce (; ) is a city in south-central Poland and the capital of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship. In 2021, it had 192,468 inhabitants. The city is in the middle of the Świętokrzyskie Mountains (Holy Cross Mountains), on the banks of the Silnic ...
and
Piotrków Trybunalski Piotrków Trybunalski (; also known by #Etymology, alternative names), often simplified to Piotrków, is a city in central Poland with 71,252 inhabitants (2021). It is the capital of Piotrków County and the second-largest city in the Łódź Voi ...
. At that time, he fell in love with Wanda Juszkiewicz, the stepdaughter of Józef Piłsudski. She became the love of his life, and after her premature death, Sławek did not become involved in any other relationship. On 6 March 1903 he was for the first time arrested by Russian police, at a rail station in
Będzin Będzin (; also seen spelled ''Bendzin''; ) is a city in the Dąbrowa Basin, in southern Poland. It lies in the Silesian Highlands, on the Czarna Przemsza River (a tributary of the Vistula River, Vistula). Even though part of Silesian Voivodeship ...
. Sent first to a prison in Piotrków Trybunalski, Sławek escaped on December 18, 1903, while being transferred to a prison in
Sieradz Sieradz (,) is a city on the Warta river in central Poland with 40,891 inhabitants (2021). It is the seat of the Sieradz County, situated in the Łódź Voivodeship. Sieradz is a capital of the historical Sieradz Land. Sieradz is one of the olde ...
. Soon afterwards, by the order of Piłsudski, he began working on the creation of a secret, paramilitary organization within the socialist party. On 13 November 1904 he organized a mass anti-Tsarist rally at Warsaw's Grzybowski Square. Sławek delivered weapons to some participants, and the rally ended in an exchange of fire with the police. It was the first act of armed resistance in
Congress Poland Congress Poland or Congress Kingdom of Poland, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland, was a polity created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna as a semi-autonomous Polish state, a successor to Napoleon's Duchy of Warsaw. It was established w ...
since the
January Uprising The January Uprising was an insurrection principally in Russia's Kingdom of Poland that was aimed at putting an end to Russian occupation of part of Poland and regaining independence. It began on 22 January 1863 and continued until the last i ...
. During the 1905 Congress of the PPS, Sławek was elected to the Central Workers Committee (CKR), as its youngest member. His main duty was coordination of local party chambers in southwestern corner of Congress Poland. Sławek himself never became a true Socialist: he regarded this party as the only real organization which would bring back independent Poland. During the
Revolution of 1905 The Russian Revolution of 1905, also known as the First Russian Revolution, was a revolution in the Russian Empire which began on 22 January 1905 and led to the establishment of a constitutional monarchy under the Russian Constitution of 1906, t ...
, he was a key member of Combat Organization of the Polish Socialist Party, and participant in numerous missions. On 10 September 1905 he was arrested and sent to the
Warsaw Citadel Warsaw Citadel (Polish language, Polish: Cytadela Warszawska) is a 19th-century fortress in Warsaw, Poland. It was built by order of Tsar Nikolay I of Russia, Nicholas I after the suppression of the 1830 November Uprising in order to bolster im ...
. Russian authorities planned to send him to
Siberia Siberia ( ; , ) is an extensive geographical region comprising all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has formed a part of the sovereign territory of Russia and its predecessor states ...
, but on 19 October an amnesty was declared, and on 4 November 1905 Sławek was released. He continued his activities: during a raid on a train near
Milanówek Milanówek is a town and urban gmina, commune in central Poland, in the Grodzisk Mazowiecki County in the Masovian Voivodeship. Located near Warsaw, it is often considered an outlying suburb of the capital of Poland but is in fact an independent e ...
on 9 June 1906, a bomb exploded in his hand, injuring his head and chest. Sławek lost his left eye, three fingers in his right hand and two fingers in his left hand. Furthermore, he permanently lost hearing in his left ear, and for the rest of his life, Sławek wore a beard, which covered numerous scars on his face. Arrested again, he was acquitted by court and ordered to leave the Russian Empire. Sławek left for
Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
, then located in
Austrian Galicia The Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria, also known as Austrian Galicia or colloquially Austrian Poland, was a constituent possession of the Habsburg monarchy in the historical region of Galicia in Eastern Europe. The crown land was established ...
. There, he underwent two operations, which improved his health. Nevertheless, he suffered from severe depression, caused both by the injuries, and the death of his wife. Józef Piłsudski ordered him to oversee party finances. In 1908, he was sent to
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
, and after his return, took part in the legendary Bezdany raid. On 1 June 1909 Sławek, already a member of the Union of Active Struggle (ZWC), was arrested by the Austrian authorities. He was released after two weeks, with help from Austrian military intelligence (Hauptkundschaftstelle, HK-Stelle), which cooperated with the leadership of the ZWC. The Austrians highly appreciated the information on Russian army, stationed in Congress Poland. In exchange, the HK-Stelle allowed the ZWC to carry out its activities.


World War I

Sławek was one of the chief advisors of Piłsudski. In mid-1914, he joined 1st Brigade, Polish Legions, but in August, he did not march with First Cadre Company to
Congress Poland Congress Poland or Congress Kingdom of Poland, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland, was a polity created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna as a semi-autonomous Polish state, a successor to Napoleon's Duchy of Warsaw. It was established w ...
, remaining in Kraków. In 1915, Sławek was sent by Piłsudski to Warsaw, where he created local structures of
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 ...
(POW). At the same time, he formed a secret body within the POW, called Military Association (Zwiazek Wojskowy), later renamed into Organization A. In December 1916, after the creation of Provisional Council of State, Sławek was employed by its Military Commission. Following 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 ...
, he was arrested by the Germans (13 July 1917) and sent to Warsaw Citadel and then to Szczypiorno and Modlin. He was finally released on 12 November 1918.


Polish Army

On 1 January 1919 Sławek joined the 4th (Intelligence) Department of
Polish General Staff Polish General Staff, formally known as the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces ( Polish: ''Sztab Generalny Wojska Polskiego'') is the highest professional body within the Polish Armed Forces. Organizationally, it is an integral part of the M ...
. In May 1919, he was sent to the Lithuanian borderland, where he tried to reach an agreement with the Lithuanian general Silvestras Zukauskas. The purpose was to initiate a joint Polish-Lithuanian anti-Bolshevik front, but his attempt failed. In November 1919, he left for
Tallinn Tallinn is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Estonia, most populous city of Estonia. Situated on a Tallinn Bay, bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, it has a population of (as of 2025) and ...
, to negotiate with envoys of Estonian and Latvian governments. In January 1920, Sławek was sent to
Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
, where he cooperated with Civil Commissar for Podolia and Volhynia, Antoni Minkiewicz. Promoted to major (22 April 1920), he was a Polish envoy to Ataman Symon Petliura. Together with Wacław Jędrzejewicz, he signed a military appendix to the
Treaty of Warsaw (1920) The Treaty of Warsaw (also the Polish–Ukrainian or Petliura–Piłsudski Alliance or Agreement) of April 1920 was a military-economical alliance between the Second Polish Republic, represented by Józef Piłsudski, and the Ukrainian People's ...
, between Poland and
Ukrainian People's Republic The Ukrainian People's Republic (UPR) was a short-lived state in Eastern Europe. Prior to its proclamation, the Central Council of Ukraine was elected in March 1917 Ukraine after the Russian Revolution, as a result of the February Revolution, ...
. For the remaining part of
Polish–Soviet War The Polish–Soviet War (14 February 1919 – 18 March 1921) was fought primarily between the Second Polish Republic and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, following World War I and the Russian Revolution. After the collapse ...
he remained in southeastern provinces of Poland, where he tried to create mixed, Polish-Ukrainian volunteer units. Between 1922 and 1923, Sławek attended the ''Wyższa Szkoła Wojenna'' (military school) in Warsaw. After graduation and nomination to the rank of Officer of the General Staff, he was sent to
Łódź Łódź is a city in central Poland and a former industrial centre. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is located south-west of Warsaw. Łódź has a population of 655,279, making it the country's List of cities and towns in Polan ...
on 15 October 1923, to the staff of 4th Military District. At that time, he became a
Freemason Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...
. On 29 November 1923 Sławek was transferred to the Officer Reserve Corps, and on 30 June 1924 he became chairman of the Association of Polish Legionnaires, together with
Adam Skwarczyński Adam Franciszek Ksawery Skwarczynski (''Stary, Adam Sliwinski, Adam Plomienczyk'', 1886–1934) was a Polish independence activist and politician, one of main ideologists of the Sanacja movement. A supporter of Józef Piłsudski and his polic ...
. During 1926
May Coup (Poland) The May Coup ( or ) was a coup d'état carried out in Poland by Marshal Józef Piłsudski from 12 to 14 May 1926. The attack of Piłsudski's supporters on government forces resulted in the overthrow of the democratically-elected government o ...
, Sławek remained close to Piłsudski but did not take part in military activities. After the coup, he returned to active service, remaining in the army until 1928.


In Polish government

Soon after the May Coup, Józef Piłsudski sent Sławek to the Tarnowski family's Dzików Castle, for a series of talks with members of Polish nobility. His mission was to convince them to support the
Sanacja Sanation (, ) was a Polish political movement that emerged in the interwar period, prior to Józef Piłsudski's May Coup (Poland), May 1926 ''Coup d'État'', and gained influence following the coup. In 1928, its political activists went on to fo ...
regime. In the autumn of 1927, the informal “Council of Colonels” was created. It consisted of a group of close Piłsudski aides and was headed by Sławek. Its meetings took place at Sławek's Warsaw apartment. Before the 1928 Polish legislative election, Sławek came up with the idea of creating a new pro-government political body, the
Nonpartisan Bloc for Cooperation with the Government The Nonpartisan Bloc for Cooperation with the Government (, ; abbreviated ''BBWR'') was a "non-political" organization in the interwar Second Polish Republic, in 1928–35. It was closely affiliated with Józef Piłsudski and his Sanation moveme ...
(BBWR) of which he was the chairman. After the BBWR's victory in the election, Sławek was its main ideologist and one of the most influential persons in the country. One of the closest associates of Piłsudski, he was fanatically devoted to the Marshal, who called him the “Loyal Walery”. Sławek was one of the first ten persons awarded with the
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. After the collapse of the government of Kazimierz Bartel, on 29 March 1930, Sławek became Prime Minister of Poland as one of the so-called Piłsudski's colonels. His cabinet was almost identical to the government of Bartel, with Stanisław Car as Minister Justice, Leon Janta Połczyński as Minister of Agriculture and
Felicjan Sławoj Składkowski Felicjan Sławoj Składkowski (; 9 June 1885, Gąbin – 31 August 1962 London) was a Polish physician, general, and politician who served as Ministry of Interior and Administration (Poland), Minister of Internal Affairs and as the 28th Prime Mi ...
as Minister of Interior. The creation of the new cabinet resulted in deterioration of the relations between the government and the
Sejm The Sejm (), officially known as the Sejm of the Republic of Poland (), is the lower house of the bicameralism, bicameral parliament of Poland. The Sejm has been the highest governing body of the Third Polish Republic since the Polish People' ...
. The Centrolew coalition called for an extraordinary session of the Parliament, but President
Ignacy Mościcki Ignacy Mościcki (; 1 December 1867 – 2 October 1946) was a Polish chemist and politician who was the country's president from 1926 to 1939. He was the longest serving president in Polish history. Mościcki was the President of Poland when Ge ...
refused. On 30 June a massive anti-government rally took place in
Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
, the Congress for the Defense of Law and Freedom of People (''Kongres Obrony Prawa i Wolnosci Ludu''). The size of the Congress took the government by surprise, and on 23 August 1930 Sławek resigned, claiming that he was unable to be prime minister and chairman of the BBWR at the same time. Following the so-called Brest Election, Sławek returned to the previous post and once again became the Polish Prime Minister (December 4, 1930). Due to the fact that in late 1930 and early 1931, Józef Piłsudski spent three months in
Madeira Madeira ( ; ), officially the Autonomous Region of Madeira (), is an autonomous Regions of Portugal, autonomous region of Portugal. It is an archipelago situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, in the region of Macaronesia, just under north of ...
, Sławek was de facto the most important person in Poland. He faced several difficulties: the economic situation of the country was worsening, the opposition fiercely attacked the cabinet, and the Pacification of Ukrainians in Eastern Galicia (1930) had just ended. Sławek urged members of the BBWR not to engage in any talks with the opposition, and the government quickly accepted a number of new regulations. At the same time, the case of Minister of Treasury,
Gabriel Czechowicz Gabriel Czechowicz (1876-1938) was a Polish lawyer, economist and politician. He was the Polish Treasury Minister from 1926 to 1929. Accused of misuse of government funds, Czechowicz was the only Polish politician of the interwar period that fa ...
, was dropped without ruling due to pressure from the regime. On 26 May 1931 Sławek resigned his post, to be replaced by
Aleksander Prystor Aleksander Błażej Prystor (; 2 January 1874 – 1941) was a Polish politician, activist, soldier and freemason, who served as 23rd Prime Minister of Poland from 1931 to 1933. He was a member of the Combat Organization of the Polish Socialist ...
. Sławek then devoted his time to writing a new Constitution of Poland, together with
Kazimierz Świtalski Kazimierz Stanisław Świtalski (; 4 March 1886 – 28 December 1962) was a Polish politician, diplomat, soldier, military officer in the Polish Legions and Prime Minister of Poland between April and December 1929. Early life and studies Kazim ...
and Stanislaw Car. The
April Constitution of Poland The April Constitution of Poland ( or ''Konstytucja kwietniowa'') was the general law passed by the act of the Polish Sejm on 23 April 1935. It established a presidential system in the Second Polish Republic with strong executive powers. The ...
was passed by the act of the Sejm on 23 April 1935. It introduced in Poland a presidential system with certain elements of authoritarianism. On 28 March 1935 Sławek was, for the third time, named Prime Minister of Poland. On 13 July President
Ignacy Mościcki Ignacy Mościcki (; 1 December 1867 – 2 October 1946) was a Polish chemist and politician who was the country's president from 1926 to 1939. He was the longest serving president in Polish history. Mościcki was the President of Poland when Ge ...
awarded him with the
Order of the White Eagle (Poland) The Order of the White Eagle () is the highest honour of the Poland, Republic of Poland and formerly the Second Polish Republic and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and one of the oldest state decorations in the world still in use. It was o ...
, for his work on the new Constitution. Since Sławek regarded himself as the new leader of Poland after the death of Józef Piłsudski (12 May 1935), President Mościcki decided to make a pact with Edward Śmigły-Rydz, in order to sideline Sławek and remove him from the government. In the second half of 1935, Sławek began to lose his position, to resign on 12 October 1935. Furthermore, on 30 October he decided to dissolve the BBWR. Soon afterwards, Ignacy Mościcki offered the seat of Prime Minister to Sławek, on the condition that Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski becomes his deputy. Sławek refused, and as a result, Marian Zyndram-Kościałkowski was named the new premier. On 15 August 1935 deputies and senators of BBWR handed to Sławek a privately purchased manor house, located in the village of Janowiczki, near the site of the Battle of Racławice.


Late 1930s

Walery Sławek planned to replace the dissolved BBWR with a new structure, called Common Organization of the Society (''Powszechna Organizacja Społeczeństwa''). His idea was harshly criticized by Edward Śmigły-Rydz, who sent to him a letter writing that there is no need for such a body to be formed. On 24 May 1936 Sławek was replaced by Adam Koc, who became new chairman of the Association of Polish Legionnaires. A few weeks later, he was named chairman of the Józef Piłsudski Institute of Modern History, a post, designed to keep him away from political life. This nomination was purely honorary and marked Sławek's decline. On 11 November 1936 President Mościcki nominated Edward Śmigły-Rydz to the post of Marshal of Poland. Most of the so-called Piłsudski's Colonels refused presidential invitation to this event. Sławek himself decided to accept the invitation, but later stated that his promotion to Marshal was one of the saddest days of his life, as he was of the opinion that Józef Piłsudski was the only person worthy of that rank. On 21 February 1937 the Camp of National Unity (OZN) was officially formed. It was yet another blow to Sławek's prestige, as in his opinion, the new party was designed to provide Śmigły-Rydz with unlimited power. On 22 June 1938, after the death of Stanisław Car, Sławek became the new speaker of the
Sejm The Sejm (), officially known as the Sejm of the Republic of Poland (), is the lower house of the bicameralism, bicameral parliament of Poland. The Sejm has been the highest governing body of the Third Polish Republic since the Polish People' ...
, with 114 deputies voting for him. The parliament, however, was dissolved by the President on 18 September. The new election took place on 6 November 1938 (see
1938 Polish legislative election Parliamentary elections were held in Poland on 6 November 1938, with Senate elections held a week later on 13 November.Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) ''Elections in Europe: A data handbook'', p1491 They were the last elections in the Sec ...
). Sławek failed to win the seat in the parliament.


Suicide

On 2 April 1939 at 8:45 p.m. (the exact hour of Piłsudski's death), Sławek shot himself in the mouth at his Warsaw apartment, located on Jan Chrystian Szuch Avenue. Before the suicide, he wrote a farewell letter that said: “I am taking away my life. Please do not blame anybody. 2/IV. 1939. W. Sławek (...) I have burned all private papers, and those confined to me. If not all, please forgive me. God Almighty will perhaps forgive me my sins, including this final one”. Furthermore, he left a letter for President Mościcki, however, its contents have never been revealed. The bullet was stuck in Sławek's palate, and he was taken to Józef Piłsudski Military Hospital. He underwent a blood transfusion, and then a two-hour surgery. His condition temporarily improved at approximately 4 a.m. on 3 April, but he died the same day at 6:45 a.m.Włodzimierz Kalicki: 2 kwietnia 1939. Stary browning
at ''
Gazeta Wyborcza (; ''The Electoral Gazette'' in English) is a Polish nationwide daily newspaper based in Warsaw, Poland. It was launched on 8 May 1989 on the basis of the Polish Round Table Agreement and as a press organ of the Solidarity (Polish trade union), t ...
'', 2 April 2006. The funeral took place on 5 April at Warsaw Garrison Church. Sławek was buried at the
Powązki Cemetery Powązki Cemetery (; ), also known as Stare Powązki (), is a historic necropolis located in Wola district, in the western part of Warsaw, Poland. It is the most famous cemetery in the city and one of the oldest, having been established in 179 ...
; among the pallbearers were Aleksander Prystor, Janusz Jędrzejewicz, Michał Tadeusz Brzek-Osinski and General Lucjan Żeligowski. The funeral was a demonstration of those followers of Piłsudski who opposed the Śmigły-Rydz's regime. The Marshal himself was present at the cemetery, but was unable to get closer to the coffin, prevented by the pallbearers, who blamed him for Sławek's death. Until 1964, the body of Walery Sławek was kept at the Avenue of Notables. On 17 October 1964 it was moved to the quarter of soldiers of the
Polish–Soviet War The Polish–Soviet War (14 February 1919 – 18 March 1921) was fought primarily between the Second Polish Republic and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, following World War I and the Russian Revolution. After the collapse ...
. In 1965, friends of Sławek's family decided to fund a stone monument. Wacław Jędrzejewicz, who was responsible for the collection of the money, contacted a number of influential people and organizations, including Generals Tadeusz Kasprzycki and Wacław Stachiewicz, Adam Koc, the Association of Wilno, Chicago's Polish Independence League and the Association of Formers Soldiers of the 5th Infantry Division. Currently, the remains of Walery Sławek are buried in the new spot, while his old tomb remains empty.


Reasons

Polish writer and air-force pilot Mieczysław Pruszyński, in his book "The Secret of Piłsudski" ("Tajemnica Piłsudskiego") claims that Sławek's suicide was directly linked to the
Anglo-Polish military alliance The military alliance between the United Kingdom and Polish Second Republic, Poland was formalised by the Anglo-Polish Agreement in 1939, with subsequent addendum, addenda of 1940 and 1944, for mutual assistance in case of a military invasion from ...
, and British guarantee to Poland, accepted by
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 ...
: "Sławek killed himself after British guarantee to Poland had been announced and accepted. This guarantee was developed into an alliance, which
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...
saw as
casus belli A (; ) is an act or an event that either provokes or is used to justify a war. A ''casus belli'' involves direct offenses or threats against the nation declaring the war, whereas a ' involves offenses or threats against its ally—usually one bou ...
. Sławek was of the opinion that such an alliance, aimed at the
Third Reich Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a totalitarian dictat ...
, would end in a Polish-German war. The war against which
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 ...
had warned until the last days of his life (...) When on 2 April Sławek found out that Beck had left for
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, he committed suicide in the evening of the same day. For him, Beck's trip meant the war with Germany and the end of Poland" (Mieczysław Pruszyński, Tajemnica Piłsudskiego, Warszawa 1997). A few hours before his death, Sławek met with a man named Bogdan Podoski, to whom he said: "I know it, I feel that they are leading Poland to destruction, and I do not know how to react against it". In 2004, in a Polish
Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly news magazine based in New York City. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely distributed during the 20th century and has had many notable editors-in-chief. It is currently co-owned by Dev P ...
article, historian Dariusz Baliszewski wrote that in early spring of 1939, a group of leading Polish political figures, such as 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 ...
, former Premier
Leon Kozłowski Leon Tadeusz Kozłowski (; 6 June 1892 – 11 May 1944) was a Polish archaeologist, freemason, and politician who served as Prime Minister of Poland from 1934 to 1935. Life Leon Kozłowski was born in 1892 in the village of Rembieszyce near Ma ...
and Kazimierz Puzak, planned a putsch, in which they wanted to get rid of Józef Beck,
Ignacy Mościcki Ignacy Mościcki (; 1 December 1867 – 2 October 1946) was a Polish chemist and politician who was the country's president from 1926 to 1939. He was the longest serving president in Polish history. Mościcki was the President of Poland when Ge ...
and Edward Śmigły-Rydz, whose recent change to anti-German and pro-British policies would lead to the destruction of Poland. Walery Sławek was to be elected new President of Poland, but the plot was revealed, and to avoid embarrassment, Sławek either killed himself or was murdered.


Honours and awards

* Order of the White Eagle * 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, ...
* Independence Cross with Swords * Cross of Valour - four times *
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, 1934)


See also

* Prometheism


References


External links

* * Włodzimierz Suleja
Walery Sławek
In:
Polski słownik biograficzny ''Polski Słownik Biograficzny'' (''PSB''; Polish Biographical Dictionary) is a Polish-language biographical dictionary, comprising an alphabetically arranged compilation of authoritative biographies of some 25,000 notable Poles and of foreigner ...
. 1997–1998. {{DEFAULTSORT:Slawek, Walery 1879 births 1939 suicides People from Vinnytsia Oblast People from Bratslavsky Uyezd Ruthenian nobility Polish Socialist Party politicians Nonpartisan Bloc for Cooperation with the Government politicians Prime ministers of the Second Polish Republic Marshals of the Sejm of the Second Polish Republic Members of the Sejm of the Second Polish Republic (1928–1930) Members of the Sejm of the Second Polish Republic (1930–1935) Members of the Sejm of the Second Polish Republic (1935–1938) Polish Freemasons Combat Organization of the Polish Socialist Party members Polish assassins 20th-century Polish criminals Recipients of the Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari Recipients of the Cross of Independence with Swords Recipients of the Cross of Valour (Poland) Recipients of the Military Order of the Cross of the Eagle, Class I Polish politicians who died by suicide Suicides by firearm in Poland Burials at Powązki Military Cemetery 1939 deaths Recipients of the Order of the White Eagle (Poland)