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Edward Rydz-SmiglyPolish military leader and politician, Marshal of Poland
Date of Birth: 11.03.1886
Country:  Poland |
Content:
- Biography of Edward Rydz-Śmigły
- Early Life and Military Career
- Political Career
- World War II and Later Life
Biography of Edward Rydz-Śmigły
Edward Rydz-Śmigły was a Polish military leader and politician, who served as the Marshal of Poland from 1936. He was born into a working-class family in 1886, with his father being a sergeant in the Austro-Hungarian army.
Early Life and Military Career
Rydz-Śmigły studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow and the Philosophy Department of the Jagiellonian University. In 1908, he joined the underground military organization "Union of Active Struggle" (Związek Walki Czynnej), founded by Józef Piłsudski. He completed the mandatory officer training in Austria and served in the Austro-Hungarian army.
During World War I, Rydz-Śmigły fought in the Polish Legions, a Polish military formation in the service of Austria-Hungary. After Polish soldiers refused to swear allegiance to Germany and Austria-Hungary, he was discharged from the army. Rydz-Śmigły then became the leader of the Polish Military Organization (Polska Organizacja Wojskowa), a clandestine group that operated throughout the former Polish territories.
Political Career
In November 1918, Rydz-Śmigły became a member of the Temporary People's Government of the Republic of Poland as the Minister of War. He held various commanding positions in the Polish Army during the Polish-Ukrainian War and the Soviet-Polish War, showcasing his strategic abilities and military leadership.
In 1921, Rydz-Śmigły became the Inspector of the 1st Army Inspectorate in Vilnius, and later served in the same position in Warsaw. After the death of Józef Piłsudski in 1935, he was appointed as the General Inspector of the Armed Forces and became the de facto second-in-command in Poland. In 1936, he was awarded the title of Marshal of Poland.
World War II and Later Life
At the outbreak of World War II in 1939, Rydz-Śmigły was appointed as the Supreme Commander of the Polish Armed Forces. However, the coordination of the defense against the German aggression was severely hindered by communication breakdowns and the scale of defeats. Following his plan, Warsaw and the Modlin Fortress were to be defended even after the occupation of the country, while the remaining Polish Army units were to hold the defense along the border with Romania, anticipating support from France and England.
After the entry of Soviet forces into Poland on September 17, 1939, Rydz-Śmigły ordered the Polish troops not to resist the Soviet invasion and to retreat towards Hungary and Romania. He crossed the border with Romania and was interned by the Romanian authorities. In October 1939, he resigned as the Supreme Commander and General Inspector of the Armed Forces.
In December 1940, Rydz-Śmigły fled to Hungary and later returned to Poland in October 1941 with the hope of organizing and leading an underground resistance organization. However, he faced hostile public opinion and opposition from the exiled government, who held him directly responsible for the defeat in the war. He died of a heart attack on December 2, 1941.
Throughout his career, Rydz-Śmigły was awarded several military decorations, including the Order of the White Eagle, the Commander's Cross of the Virtuti Militari, and the Cross of Independence with Swords.
