Władysław Albert Anders (11 August 1892 – 12 May 1970) was a Polish military officer and politician, and prominent member of the

Polish government-in-exile The Polish government-in-exile, officially known as the Government of the Republic of Poland in exile (), was the government in exile of Poland formed in the aftermath of the Invasion of Poland of September 1939, and the subsequent Occupation ...

in London. Born in Krośniewice-Błonie, 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 served in the

Imperial Russian Army The Imperial Russian Army () was the army of the Russian Empire, active from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was organized into a standing army and a state militia. The standing army consisted of Regular army, regular troops and ...

during

World War I 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 ...

and later joined the

Polish Land Forces The Land Forces () are the 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 history str ...

after

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

regained its independence in 1918. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Anders was captured by Soviet forces and imprisoned, but he was later released to form a Polish Army to fight against the Germans alongside the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...

. He led the Polish II Corps throughout the Italian Campaign, including the capture of Monte Cassino. After the war, Anders was deprived of his citizenship and military rank by the Soviet-installed communist government of Poland. He remained in Britain, working for the

Polish Government in Exile The Polish government-in-exile, officially known as the Government of the Republic of Poland in exile (), was the government in exile A government-in-exile (GiE) is a political group that claims to be the legitimate government of a sovere ...

and various charities. In 1989, after the collapse of communist rule in Poland, his citizenship and military rank were posthumously reinstated.

Biography

Before World War II

Anders was born on 11 August 1892 to his father Albert Anders and mother Elizabeth (maiden name Tauchert) in the village of

Krośniewice Krośniewice is a town in Kutno County, Łódź Voivodeship, Poland, with 4,258 inhabitants (2020). Transport The European routes E30 and E75 used to intersect in the town until a bypass was built around the town in 2010. The main railway betwe ...

–Błonie, west of Warsaw, in what was then a part of the

. Both his parents were of Baltic-German origin and he was baptised as a member of the Protestant

Evangelical-Augsburg Church in Poland The Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in the Republic of Poland () is a Lutheran denomination and the largest Protestant body in Poland with about 61,000 members and 133 parishes. History The Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Co ...

. He had three brothers – Karol, Tadeusz and Jerzy, all of whom also went on to pursue careers in the military. Anders attended a technical high school in Warsaw and later studied at

Riga Technical University Riga Technical University (RTU) () is the oldest technical university in the Baltic countries established on October 14, 1862. It is located in Riga, Latvia and was previously known as Riga Polytechnical Institute and Riga Polytechnicum. In 1 ...

, where he became a member of the Polish student fraternity . After graduation Anders was accepted into the Russian Military School for reserve officers. As a young officer, he served in the 1st Krechowiecki Lancers Regiment of the

during

. When Poland regained its independence in November 1918, Anders joined the newly formed

. During 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 ...

of 1919–1921 he commanded the 15th Poznań Uhlans Regiment and was awarded the 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, ...

. After the war Anders continued his military education in France at the

École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr The École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr (, , abbr. ESM) is a French military academy, and is often referred to as Saint-Cyr (). It is located in Coëtquidan in Guer, Morbihan, Brittany. Its motto is ''Ils s'instruisent pour vaincre'', litera ...

and upon graduation he returned to Poland, where he served on the

general staff of the Polish Army Polish General Staff, formally known as the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces (Polish language, Polish: ''Sztab Generalny Wojska Polskiego'') is the highest professional body within the Polish Armed Forces. Organizationally, it is an integra ...

under General Tadeusz Rozwadowski (Chief of the General Staff from 1920 to 1921). Anders opposed

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 ...

's May Coup in Poland in 1926, but unlike Jordan-Rozwadowski, he avoided persecution by the Sanation regime that assumed power after the coup. Piłsudski made him the commander of a cavalry brigade in 1931 and he was promoted to the rank of general three years later.

World War II

Anders commanded the Nowogródzka Cavalry Brigade during the German

invasion of Poland The invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign, Polish Campaign, and Polish Defensive War of 1939 (1 September – 6 October 1939), was a joint attack on the Second Polish Republic, Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany, the Slovak R ...

in September 1939 and was immediately called into action, taking part in the

Battle of Mława The Battle of Mława, otherwise known as the Defence of the Mława position, took place to the north of the town of Mława in northern Poland between 1 and 3 September 1939. It was one of the opening battles of the Invasion of Poland (1939), Inv ...

. After the collapse of the Polish Northern Front the brigade withdrew towards Warsaw, and also fought heavy battles against the Germans around

Mińsk Mazowiecki Mińsk Mazowiecki (, ) is a town in eastern Poland with 40,999 inhabitants (2020). It is situated in the Masovian Voivodeship and is a part of the Warsaw metropolitan area. It is the capital of Mińsk County. Located 20 kilometers from the city li ...

and in the second phase of the

Battle of Tomaszów Lubelski The Battle of Tomaszów Lubelski took place from 18 September to 20 September 1939 near the town of Tomaszów Lubelski. It was the second largest battle

. After learning about the

Soviet invasion of Poland The Soviet invasion of Poland was a military conflict by the Soviet Union without a formal declaration of war. On 17 September 1939, the Soviet Union invaded Second Polish Republic, Poland from the east, 16 days after Nazi Germany invaded Polan ...

, Anders retreated south in the direction of

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 ...

, hoping to reach the Hungarian or Romanian border, but was intercepted by Soviet forces and captured on 29 September, after being wounded twice. Anders was initially jailed in Lwów and subsequently transferred to the Lubyanka prison in Moscow on 29 February 1940. During his imprisonment, he was interrogated, tortured and unsuccessfully urged to join the

. After the launch of

Operation Barbarossa Operation Barbarossa was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and several of its European Axis allies starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during World War II. More than 3.8 million Axis troops invaded the western Soviet Union along ...

and the signing of the Sikorski-Maisky agreement, Anders was released by the Soviets with the aim of forming a Polish Army to fight against the Germans alongside the Red Army. Continued friction with the Soviets over political issues as well as shortages of weapons, food and clothing, led to the eventual evacuation of Anders' men – known as Anders' Army – together with a sizeable contingent of Polish civilians who had been deported to the USSR from Soviet-occupied Poland, via the Persian Corridor into Iran, Iraq, and finally into

Mandatory Palestine Mandatory Palestine was a British Empire, British geopolitical entity that existed between 1920 and 1948 in the Palestine (region), region of Palestine, and after 1922, under the terms of the League of Nations's Mandate for Palestine. After ...

. The evacuation, which took place in March 1942, was based on the British-Soviet-Polish understanding. The soldiers involved were evacuated from the Soviet Union and made their way through Iran to British-ruled Palestine, where they passed under British command. Here, Anders formed and led the Polish II Corps, while continuing to agitate for the release of Polish nationals still in the Soviet Union. The Polish II Corps became a major tactical and operational unit of the

Polish Armed Forces in the West The Polish Armed Forces in the West () refers to the Polish Armed Forces, Polish military formations formed to fight alongside the Allies of World War II, Western Allies against Nazi Germany and its Axis powers, allies during World War II. Poli ...

. Anders commanded the Corps throughout the Italian Campaign, capturing Monte Cassino on 18 May 1944,

Ancona Ancona (, also ; ) is a city and a seaport in the Marche region of central Italy, with a population of around 101,997 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona, homonymous province and of the region. The city is located northeast of Ro ...

on 18 July 1944; afterward his Corps took part in the breaking of the

Gothic Line The Gothic Line (; ) was a German and Italian defensive line of the Italian Campaign of World War II. It formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's last major line of defence along the summits of the northern part of the Apennine Mountains du ...

and in the final spring offensive. The morale of the Polish forces was weakened by the outcome of the

Yalta Conference The Yalta Conference (), held 4–11 February 1945, was the World War II meeting of the heads of government of the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union to discuss the postwar reorganization of Germany and Europe. The three sta ...

which ended on 11 February 1945, where the British and Americans, without consultation with the Poles, had decided to give a major part of the 1921–1939 Polish territories to the Soviet Union.Zbigniew Wawer, ''Zdobycie Bolonii'', p.8Anthony James Joes, ''Urban guerrilla warfare'', University Press of Kentucky, 2007,
Google Print, p.37
/ref> When Anders asked for his unit to be withdrawn from the front line,

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...

told him "you he Polesare no longer needed" but the American and British front line commanders—Generals Richard McCreery, Mark Wayne Clark and Field Marshal Harold Alexander—requested Anders that the Polish units remain in their positions, as they had no troops to replace them. Anders eventually decided to keep the Polish units engaged. So they fought together with the Allies in the Battle of Bologna.

After World War II

After the war, the Soviet-installed communist government of Poland deprived him of Polish citizenship and of his military rank. Anders had, however, always been unwilling to return to a Soviet-dominated Poland where he probably would have been jailed and possibly executed, and remained in Britain. He was prominent in the Polish Government in Exile in London and became General Inspector of the Armed Forces, as well as working on behalf of various charities and welfare organisations. His book about his experiences during the Second World War, ''An Army in Exile'', was first published by MacMillan & Co, London, in 1949. Anders died in London on 12 May 1970, where his body lay in state at St Andrew Bobola Church, and many of his former soldiers and their families came to pay their last respects. He was buried, in accordance with his wishes, amongst his fallen soldiers from the 2nd Polish Corps at the Polish War Cemetery at

Monte Cassino The Abbey of Monte Cassino (today usually spelled Montecassino) is a Catholic Church, Catholic, Benedictines, Benedictine monastery on a rocky hill about southeast of Rome, in the Valle Latina, Latin Valley. Located on the site of the ancient ...

in Italy. After the collapse of communist rule in Poland in 1989, his citizenship and military rank were posthumously reinstated. Many personal effects which once belonged to Anders are on display in the

Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum The Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum (), known as Sikorski Institute, named after General Władysław Sikorski, is a leading London-based museum and archive for research into Poland during World War II and the Polish diaspora. It is a non-go ...

in London. In June 2021, General Anders's bust designed by Andrzej Pitynski was officially unveiled at London's

National Army Museum The National Army Museum is the British Army's central museum. It is located in the Chelsea district of central London, adjacent to the Royal Hospital Chelsea, the home of the " Chelsea Pensioners". The museum is a non-departmental public bod ...

Private life

Anders was married twice. He had two children with his first wife Irena Maria Jordan-Krąkowska (born 1894, died 1981) – a daughter, Anna (born 1919, died 2006) and a son, George (born 1927, died 1983). In 1948, he married the actress and singer Irena Jarosiewicz, better known under her stage name Renata Bogdańska, with whom he had a daughter, Anna Maria (born in 1950).

Medals

Anders received numerous awards and decorations:

Poland

* Order of the White Eagle (awarded posthumously on 11 November 1995 by

Lech Wałęsa Lech Wałęsa (; ; born 29 September 1943) is a Polish statesman, dissident, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate who served as the president of Poland between 1990 and 1995. After winning the 1990 Polish presidential election, 1990 election, Wałę ...

) * ''

'' **

Commander's Cross (2nd class) ** POL Virtuti Militari Kawalerski BAR

Knight's Cross (3rd class) ** Golden Cross (4th class) ** Silver Cross (5th class) *

Order of Polonia Restituta The Order of Polonia Restituta (, ) is a Polish state decoration, state Order (decoration), order established 4 February 1921. It is conferred on both military and civilians as well as on alien (law), foreigners for outstanding achievements in ...

Commander's Cross (3rd class) ** POL Polonia Restituta Oficerski BAR

Officer's Cross (4th class) *

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 ...

* Cross of Valour (four times:

(3) &

Invasion of Poland The invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign, Polish Campaign, and Polish Defensive War of 1939 (1 September – 6 October 1939), was a joint attack on the Second Polish Republic, Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany, the Slovak R ...

) * Gold Cross of Merit with Swords (four times) * Army Medal (four times) * Commemorative Medal for War of 1919-1921 Ribbon

Commemorative Medal for War 1918–1921 * Medal of the 10th Anniversary of Independence * Medal of 3rd May * Medal for Long Service ** Silver (20 years) ** Bronze (10 years) * Home Army Cross * Monte Cassino Commemorative Cross * POL Odznaka za rany i kontuzje 8 gwiazdek BAR

POL Odznaka za rany i kontuzje 8 gwiazdek BAR

Wound Decoration, (eight times)

Foreign

;Czechoslovakia *

Order of the White Lion ;France * Legion Honneur Commandeur ribbon

Commander of the

Légion d'honneur 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 ...

Croix de Guerre The (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awarded during World ...

avec Palme * World War I Victory Medal ribbon

Médaille Interalliée de la Victoire 1914–1918 ;Italy * Cavaliere di gran Croce Regno SSML BAR

Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus The Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus () (abbreviated OSSML) is a Roman Catholic dynastic order of knighthood bestowed by the royal House of Savoy. It is the second-oldest order of knighthood in the world, tracing its lineage to AD 1098, a ...

(1st class) * Croce di guerra al valor militare BAR

War Cross for Military Valor The War Cross for Military Valor () is an Italian order for military valor. Established in 1922, the cross may be awarded only in time of war. Appearance The medal is a Greek cross made of copper. Inscribed on the horizontal arms is ''Al Val ...

;The

Sovereign Military Order of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, and commonly known as the Order of Malta or the Knights of Malta, is a Catholic lay religious ...

* Grand Cross of Merit ;

Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

* Order of Homayoun (1st class) ;Imperial Russia *

Order of St. George The Order of Saint George () is the highest military decoration of the Russian Federation. It was originally established on 26 November 1769 Julian (7 December 1769 Gregorian) as the highest military decoration of the Russian Empire for commiss ...

(4th class, 1915) * Order of St. Vladimir with Swords (4th class, 1915) * Order of St. Anna with Swords (2nd, 3rd (1918) and 4th class) * Order of Saint Stanislaus Ribbon

Order of Saint Stanislas with Swords (2nd and 3rd classes, 1918) ;United Kingdom * Order bath rib

Honorary

Companion of the Order of the Bath Companion may refer to: Relationships Currently * Any of several interpersonal relationships such as friend or acquaintance * A domestic partner, akin to a spouse * Sober companion, an addiction treatment coach * Companion (caregiving), a caregi ...

1939–1945 Star * Ribbon - Italy Star

Italy Star * Defence Medal BAR

Defence Medal * Ribbon - War Medal

War Medal ;United States of America * US Legion of Merit Commander ribbon

Commander of the

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States military, military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievemen ...

* Order of Lafayette ;

Kingdom of Yugoslavia The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a country in Southeast Europe, Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 until 1941. From 1918 to 1929, it was officially called the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, but the term "Yugoslavia" () h ...

Commander of the Order of St. Sava

Notes

External links

*
Władysław Anders Collection
at th
Hoover Institution Archives
*
Professor Norman Davies on his forthcoming book Trail of Hope and Anders' exodus from the USSR
{{DEFAULTSORT:Anders, Wladyslaw 1892 births 1970 deaths People from Krośniewice People from Warsaw Governorate Military personnel from Warsaw People of Baltic German descent Polish Roman Catholics Converts to Roman Catholicism from Lutheranism Polish generals Rada Trzech Riga Technical University alumni Military personnel of the Russian Empire Russian military personnel of World War I Polish I Corps in Russia personnel Polish people of the Polish–Soviet War People of the Polish May Coup (pro-government side) Polish military personnel of World War II Polish deportees to Soviet Union Polish anti-communists Polish exiles Commanders of the Virtuti Militari Commanders of the Order of Polonia Restituta Recipients of the Order of Saint Stanislaus (House of Romanov) Recipients of the Croix de Guerre (France) Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 2nd class Commanders of the Legion of Honour Recipients of the Cross of Independence Recipients of the Cross of Merit with Swords (Poland) Commanders of the Legion of Merit Recipients of the Order of the White Lion Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus Recipients of the War Cross for Military Valor Commanders of the Order of St. Sava Recipients of the Order of St. Vladimir, 4th class Recipients of the Cross of Valour (Poland) Honorary companions of the Order of the Bath Recipients of the Order of the White Eagle (Poland)