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Józef Klemens Piłsudski was a Polish statesman who served as the Chief of State (1918–1922) and first Marshal of Poland. In the aftermath of World War I, he became an increasingly dominant figure in Polish politics and exerted significant influence on shaping the country's foreign policy. Piłsudski is viewed as a father of the Second Polish Republic, which was re-established in 1918, 123 years aft…
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politics · Polish statesman (1867–1935) · politician · military personnel · military leader · military officer · statesperson · also Józef Piłsudski, Józef Klemens Pilsudski, Jozef Klemens Pilsudski, Piłsudski
Born 5 December 1867 · Died 12 May 1935 · Q885
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“s policy to maintain neutral relations with Germany, keep up the Polish alliance with France and improve relations with the United Kingdom. The two non-aggression pacts were intended to strengthen Poland”
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“could not help but regard them [Lithuanians] as brothers”
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“there are doors that open and close, and it depends on who forces them open and how far.”
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“All that we can gain in the west depends on the Entente—on the extent to which it may wish to squeeze Germany.”
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Encyclopaedia Britannica: Józef Piłsudski - Polish Leader, Military Strategist
Fakt.pl: Józef Piłsudski - Newsy
Niezalezna: Józef Piłsudski: architekt niepodległej Polski
Wiadomości Onet: Józef Piłsudski przepraszał pokonanych Ukraińców. "Nie tak miało być"
Pomorska: Marszałek Józef Piłsudski w Bydgoszczy. Tak przebiegały jego wizyty w tym mieście
lodz.wyborcza: Tu w Łodzi mieszkał Józef Piłsudski. Teraz w tej kamienicy będzie muzeum
PolskieRadio: PM in tribute to Polish statesman Józef Piłsudski
Piłsudski's manor house in Sulejówek opened as a museum as part of the celebrations of the one hundredth anniversary of the Battle of Warsaw
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After the Revolutions of 1989 and the fall of the Communist system
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And historiography in Poland gradually moved away from a purely negative view of Piłsudski toward a more balanced and neutral assessment
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The ruling group remained divided into the "President's Men", mostly civilians (the "Castle Group", after the President's official residence, Warsaw's Royal Castle), and the "Marshal's Men" ("Piłsudski's colonels"), prof
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Died 1935-05-12.
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“Opis: odpowiedź na pytanie, jaki jest program jego partii.”
Developing a cult of personality that has survived into the 21st century
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Brought a deterioration in the quality of life of Poland's Jews
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“Opis: o Aleksandrze Cankowie, dyktatorze Bułgarii.”
“Być zwyciężonym i nie ulec to zwycięstwo,zwyciężyć i spocząć na laurach to klęska. Kto chce, ten może, kto chce, ten zwycięża, byle chcenie nie było kaprysem lub bez mocy.”
“A gdym się zastanowił nad narodem, z którym mnie wiązało wszystko, co cieszy, i wszystko, co boli, wszystko, co we mnie myśli, i wszystko, co czuje, przychodziłem do przekonania, że moje dziecinne marzenia i rojenia zespalają się z moim młodzieńczym światopoglądem. Socjalista w Polsce dążyć musi do niepodległości kraju, a niepodległość jest znamiennym warunkiem zwycięstwa socjalizmu w Polsce.”
Awarded honorary citizen of Kraków (1933).
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“Opis: o wykreśleniu Kazimierza Pużaka z listy przeznaczonych do aresztowania liderów Centrolewu w tzw. procesie brzeskim w 1930.”
Career landmark: Prime Minister of Poland (1930–1930).
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“Opis: o rozwiązaniu Sejmu w 1930 i posłach ówczesnej opozycji.”
“Opis: wypowiedziane 24 października 1930.”
The French agreed to pull out of the Rhineland in 1930, five years earlier than the Treaty of Versailles specified
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Awarded Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose of Finland (1927).
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“Opis: pytanie zadane premierowi Litwy Augistinasowi Voldemarasowi, po jego przemówieniu na posiedzeniu Ligi Narodów w Genewie 9 grudnia 1927.”
Career landmark: General Inspector of the Armed Forces (1926–1935).
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“Opis: fragment odczytu wygłoszonego 21 marca 1926 w sali „Colosseum” w Warszawie.”
Career landmark: Prime Minister of Poland (1926–1928).
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Awarded Cross of Liberty 3rd Division, 1st Class (1925).
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After several governments had resigned in short order and the political scene was becoming increasingly chaotic, Piłsudski became more and more critical of the government and eventually issued statements demanding the re
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With a government dominated by his opponents, in particular the National Democrats, Piłsudski retired from active politics
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Awarded Cross of Liberty 1st Division, 1st Class (1922).
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“Opis: wpis w albumie podarowanym w podzięce za pomoc Herbertowi Hooverowi przez Polsko-Amerykański Komitet Pomocy Dzieciom, 1 czerwca 1922.”
“Opis: słowa Marszałka przy okazji nadania mu tytułu doctora honoris causa przez Uniwersytet w Wilnie, 1922.”
Awarded honorary doctor of the University of Warsaw (1921).
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The French were occupying the Rhineland and Polish plans for a possible war with Reich were based on the assumption of a French offensive into the north German plain from their bases in the Rhineland
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“Opis: do mieszkańców Równego, 9 stycznia 1920.”
But was criticized for subsequently concentrating on personnel management and neglecting modernization of military strategy and equipment
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“Opis: przemówienie w Lublinie, 11 stycznia 1920.”
“Opis: o wsparciu Polski dla Ukraińskiej Republiki Ludowej w wywiadzie dla angielskiej gazety „Daily News”, 16 maja 1920.”
“Opis: przemówienie na obiedzie w Lublinie, 11 stycznia 1920.”
Career landmark: chief of state (Poland) (1918–1922).
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123 years after the final partition of Poland in 1795, and was considered de facto leader (1926–1935) of the Second Republic as the Minister of Military Affairs
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With Russia faring poorly in the war, he withdrew his support for the Central Powers, and was imprisoned in Magdeburg by the Germans
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“Opis: o pobycie ułanów Legionów Polskich w lipcu 1915 roku w Lublinie.”
Predicted a new major war would defeat the Russian Empire and the Central Powers
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Piłsudski's Legions fought alongside Austria-Hungary against Russia
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“Only the sword now carries any weight in the balance for the destiny of a nation”
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While giving a lecture in Paris, Piłsudski declared, "Only the sword now carries any weight in the balance for the destiny of a nation", arguing that Polish independence can only be achieved through military struggle aga
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Piłsudski presciently declared that for Poland to regain independence in the impending war, Russia must be beaten by the Central Powers (the Austro-Hungarian and German Empires) and the latter powers must in turn be beat
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Awarded Officers' Badge "Parasol" (1912).
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Piłsudski (using the pseudonym "Mieczysław") became commander-in-chief of a Riflemen's Association (Związek Strzelecki)
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Two legal paramilitary organizations were created in the Austrian partition of Poland, one in Lwów (now Lviv, Ukraine), and one in Kraków, to conduct training in military science
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Piłsudski transformed his paramilitary units into a "Union of Active Struggle" (Związek Walki Czynnej, or ZWC), headed by three of his associates, Władysław Sikorski, Marian Kukiel and Kazimierz Sosnkowski
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Piłsudski, with the connivance of the Austrian authorities, founded a military school in Kraków for the training of paramilitary units
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Alone, the 800-strong paramilitaries, operating in five-man teams in Congress Poland, killed 336 Russian officials; in subsequent years, the number of their casualties declined, and the paramilitaries' numbers increased
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“Opis: w liście z lutego 1902 do Kazimierza Kelles-Krauza.”
Became a PPS leader, promoting the position that doctrinal issues were of minor importance and socialist ideology should be merged with nationalist ideology because this combination offered the greatest chance of rest
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As its chief editor, he published an underground socialist newspaper called Robotnik (The Worker); he would also be one of its chief writers and a typesetter
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Joined the Polish Socialist Party (PPS), and helped organize their Lithuanian branch
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Piłsudski returned from exile and settled in Adomavas Manor near Teneniai
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Piłsudski started medical studies at Kharkov University where he became involved with Narodnaya Volya, part of the Russian Narodniks revolutionary movement
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Studied at National University of Kharkiv (1885).
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Born 1867-12-05.
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