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Józef Smoleński
Józef Smoleński (1894–1978) was a soldier of Polish Legions in World War I and General brygady of the Polish Army. He fought in World War I, Polish–Soviet War and World War II, serving in the military forces from 1914 until 1945. Born on 18 September 1894 in the village of Gostkowo, Russian-controlled Congress Poland, Smoleński studied at the University of Liège, Belgium, and at Warsaw University of Life Sciences, where he joined the Riflemen's Association and moved from Congress Poland to Austrian Galicia. On 6 August 1914 Smoleński marched from Kraków towards Russian Poland, as a soldier of 2nd Platoon, First Cadre Company. He then served in the 1st Uhlan Regiment of Władysław Belina-Prażmowski. After the Oath crisis, he was interned by the Germans in Szczypiorno, to be released in November 1918. Smoleński then joined the newly created Polish Army, serving until September 1922 in the 7th Lublin Uhlan Regiment. He then studied at Wyższa Szkoła Wojenna in War ...
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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 important Polish military academy in the period between the World Wars. Located at Warsaw, it was established to train high-ranking officers of the Polish Armed Forces and of the armed forces of several allied states. History After the rebirth of Poland in 1918 and the establishment of the Second Polish Republic and the Polish Armed Forces, there was already a well-trained and experienced cadre of Polish field officers trained in the armies of the partitioners (Russian Empire, Germany and Austria-Hungary) as well as in France. However, the occupants of Poland rarely promoted the Poles to higher ranks and the reborn Polish Army was seriously lacking officers trained in general staff duties and in command of entire armies. To eliminate the ...
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3rd Carpathian Rifle Division (Poland)
The 3rd Carpathian Rifle Division (, sometimes translated as ''3rd Carpathian Infantry Division''), also commonly known as ''Christmas Tree Division'' due to the characteristic emblem of a cedar of Lebanon superimposed upon the Polish flag, was an infantry division of the Polish Armed Forces in the West that fought during World War II on the Italian Front. It was formed in 1942 of the Polish Independent Carpathian Brigade and of forces of Lieutenant General Władysław Anders' Polish 2nd Corps evacuated from the Soviet Union. The division participated in the North African and the Italian Campaigns (1941–1945) as part of the British Eighth Army. The division fought in some of the most difficult battles during the Italian campaigns of 1943-1944 and distinguished itself in numerous actions most notably the Battle of Monte Cassino, the dash for Ancona and Bologna. The Immediate Post War Period After the cessation of hostilities in May 1945, the men and women of the Polish Ar ...
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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. Polish forces were also raised within Soviet Union, Soviet territories; these were the Polish Armed Forces in the East. The formations, loyal to the Polish government-in-exile, were first formed in French Third Republic, France and its Middle East territories following the invasion of Poland, defeat and occupation of Poland by Germany and the Soviet Union in September 1939. After the Battle of France, fall of France in June 1940, the formations were recreated in the United Kingdom. Making a large contribution to the war effort, the Polish Armed Forces in the West was composed of army, air force, air and navy, naval forces. The Poles soon became shock troops in Allied service, most notably in the Battle of Monte Cassino during the Italian Campa ...
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Nom De Guerre
A ''nom de guerre'' (, 'war name') is a pseudonym chosen by someone to use when they are involved in a particular activity, especially fighting in a war. In Ancien régime, ''ancien régime'' Kingdom of France, France it would be adopted by each new recruit (or assigned to them by the captain of their company) as they enlisted in the French army. These pseudonyms had an official character and were the predecessor of Dog tag, identification numbers: soldiers were identified by their first names, their family names, and their ''noms de guerre'' (e. g. ''Jean Amarault dit Lafidélité''). These pseudonyms were usually related to the soldier's place of origin (e. g. ''Jean Deslandes dit Champigny'', for a soldier coming from a town named Champigny-sous-Varennes, Champigny), or to a particular physical or personal trait (e. g. ''Antoine Bonnet dit Prettaboire'', for a soldier ''prêt à boire'', ready to drink). In 1716, a ''nom de guerre'' was mandatory for every soldier; officers did n ...
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Union Of Armed Struggle
The Union of Armed StruggleThus rendered in Norman Davies, ''God's Playground: A History of Poland'', vol. II, p. 464. (; ZWZ), also translated as the Union for Armed Struggle, Association of Armed Struggle, and Association for Armed Struggle, was an underground army formed in Poland following its invasion in September 1939 by Germany and the Soviet Union that opened World War II. It existed from 13 November 1939 until 14 February 1942, when it was renamed into Home Army (''Armia Krajowa, AK''). Union of Armed Struggle was created from an earlier organization, Service for Poland's Victory (''SZP''). In January 1940, it was divided into two parts: *areas under German occupation — commanded by Colonel Stefan Rowecki, headquartered in Warsaw; *areas under Soviet occupation — commanded by General Michał Karaszewicz-Tokarzewski, headquartered in Lwów. Formally, the Union of Armed Struggle was directed from Paris, by General Kazimierz Sosnkowski (nom de guerre Józef Go ...
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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 contributions during the Polish–Soviet War and World War II. After the death of General Władysław Sikorski in July 1943, Sosnkowski became Commander-in-chief of the Polish Armed Forces. Sosnkowski was an intellectual who was able to speak Latin, Greek, English, French, German, Italian, and Russian. Early years Born in Warsaw, Sosnkowski grew up in the Russian Partition of Poland. His father, Józef Sosnkowski of the Godziemba coat of arms, was a wealthy nobleman and owner of several villages. His mother was Zofia Drabińska. In 1896 he attended the V Gimnasium (secondary school) in Warsaw, where he participated in a secret organization of progressive youth. To avoid persecution he moved in 1904 to Saint Petersburg, where in 1905 he fi ...
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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 independence. He fought with distinction in the Polish Legions in World War I, Polish Legions during World War I, and later in the newly created Polish Armed Forces (Second Polish Republic), Polish Army during the Polish–Soviet War of 1919–1921. In the latter war, he played a prominent role in the decisive 1920 Battle of Warsaw (1920), Battle of Warsaw. In the early years of the Second Polish Republic, Sikorski held government posts including Prime Minister of Poland, prime minister (1922–1923) and Minister of Military Affairs of Poland, minister of military affairs (1923–1924). Following Józef Piłsudski's May Coup (Poland), May 1926 Coup and the installation of the Sanation government, he fell out of favor with the new régime. During Wo ...
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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 Republic (1939–1945), Slovak Republic, and the Soviet Union, which marked the beginning of World War II. The German invasion began on 1 September 1939, one week after the signing of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact between Germany and the Soviet Union, and one day after the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union had approved the pact. The Soviet invasion of Poland, Soviets invaded Poland on 17 September. The campaign ended on 6 October with Germany and the Soviet Union dividing and annexing the whole of Poland under the terms of the German–Soviet Frontier Treaty. The aim of the invasion was to disestablish Poland as a sovereign country, with its citizens destined for The Holocaust, extermination. German and Field Army Bernolák, Slovak forces ...
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Second Department Of Polish General Staff
The Polish General Staff's Section II (Polish language, Polish: Oddział II Sztabu Generalnego Wojska Polskiego, also called Dwójka ["Two"]) was a section of the Polish General Staff in the Second Polish Republic. Section II was responsible for military intelligence, counterintelligence, cryptography, analysis of foreign military forces, and foreign affairs of the Polish Armed Forces. It existed 1918–1939. History In the second Polish Republic, the first intelligence units were formed soon after the creation of the Polish General Staff, General Staff of the Polish Army under General Tadeusz Rozwadowski. In mid-October 1918, the ''Information Department of the General Staff'', was formed under Major Mieczysław Mackiewicz. It handled both offensive and defensive intelligence services, evidence, and military ciphers. Until c. 1921, the Polish military used the word "defensive", while describing intelligence. Due to various political events, changes in the organizational structur ...
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Grudziądz
Grudziądz (, ) is a city in northern Poland, with 92,552 inhabitants (2021). Located on the Vistula River, it lies within the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship and is the fourth-largest city in its province. Grudziądz is one of the oldest cities in north-central Poland, founded by King Bolesław I the Brave over 1000 years ago. The well-preserved Old Town has various Gothic architecture, Gothic and Baroque architecture, Baroque landmarks, several included on the European Route of Brick Gothic, most notably the unique Grudziądz Granaries, declared a List of Historic Monuments (Poland), Historic Monument of Poland. Grudziądz is a former royal city of Poland, and became known as the "City of Uhlans" being the location of the former Polish Cavalry Training Centre. Situated at the crossroads of important Highways in Poland, highways, it is a city of industry and services, and a noted centre for water sports and motorcycle speedway racing. Geographical location Grudziądz is locat ...
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Suwałki
Suwałki (; ; or סוּוואַלק) is a city in northeastern Poland with a population of 69,206 (2021). It is the capital of Suwałki County and one of the most important centers of commerce in the Podlaskie Voivodeship. A relatively young city, Suwałki is one of the largest cities and one of the economic and cultural centers of north-eastern Poland, and the largest city and the capital of the historical Suwałki Region. The city owed its past growth to its administrative role and location on important trade routes, and escaped major destruction in each of the world wars preserving the historic city centre. It is a tourist destination thanks to favourable location near the Suwałki Landscape Park and Wigry National Park. Suwałki is located on the strategically important Via Baltica road connecting Warsaw with Kaunas, Riga, Tallinn and Helsinki, about from the southwestern Lithuanian border. The Czarna Hańcza river flows through the city. Etymology The name derives from Lit ...
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