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Mihal Rola-ZhymerskiyPolish military leader, Marshal of Poland, Knight of the Soviet Order of Victory.
Date of Birth: 04.09.1890
Country:  Poland |
Content:
- Early Life and Military Career
- Post-World War I and Persecution
- Resistance and Return to Poland
- Command of the Polish Army
- Post-World War II Career and Imprisonment
- Rehabilitation and Later Life
Early Life and Military Career
Michał Żymierski-Rola, born Michał Łużyński, emerged into the world on September 4, 1890, in Kraków, Poland. From 1909 onward, he actively participated in the Polish liberation movement as a member of the Riflemen's Association.
During 1911-12, Żymierski-Rola served in the Austro-Hungarian army as a reserve officer. Upon the outbreak of World War I, he joined the Polish Legion, which fought against Russian forces. He rose through the ranks, commanding a regiment and achieving the rank of lieutenant colonel.
In the summer of 1918, Żymierski-Rola became chief of staff of General Józef Haller's II Corps. He later returned to Poland with Leon Żeligowski's 4th Polish Rifle Division, where he commanded a regiment.
Post-World War I and Persecution
From early 1919, Żymierski-Rola served in the Polish Army as head of the Ciechanów Military District. During the Soviet-Polish War of 1920, he led the 2nd Brigade and later the 2nd Legions Infantry Division.
After graduating from the École Supérieure de Guerre in France in 1923, Żymierski-Rola became the second deputy head of the military administration. In 1926, he faced political persecution as part of the Piłsudski coup and was imprisoned in 1927 on falsified charges.
Resistance and Return to Poland
In 1931, Żymierski-Rola emigrated to France, where he was recruited by the NKVD. Following the German occupation of Poland, he returned to the country under the auspices of the Communist Party and played a significant role in the Resistance movement.
From May 1943, Żymierski-Rola acted as a military adviser in the chief headquarters of the People's Guard (GL). He was known by the pseudonym Rola and also used the aliases Zawisza, Morski, and Lipski.
Command of the Polish Army
In January 1944, Żymierski-Rola became commander-in-chief of the People's Army, which was created under the complete control of the Soviet command in opposition to the Polish Home Army. He also served as head of the National Defense Department in the Polish Committee of National Liberation.
On July 21, 1944, the 1st Polish Army and the People's Army were merged into the Polish Army under Żymierski-Rola's command. From 1944 to 1945, he held the position of Minister of War in the Lublin Committee, which was effectively a Polish government under Soviet control.
Post-World War II Career and Imprisonment
In August 1945, Żymierski-Rola was awarded the Soviet Order of Victory. He was appointed Minister of Defense of Poland in 1945. In 1946, he proposed stripping the Polish Auxiliary Corps under General Władysław Anders of their citizenship.
In 1949, Żymierski-Rola was replaced by Marshal of the Soviet Union Konstantin Rokossovsky and subsequently removed from the State Council in November 1952. On March 14, 1953, he was unjustly arrested and imprisoned.
Rehabilitation and Later Life
Żymierski-Rola was released in 1955 and served as vice-president of the Polish National Bank until 1967. From 1971, he held the honorary presidency of the Union of Fighters for Freedom and Democracy.
In his twilight years, from 1981 to 1986, Żymierski-Rola served as a member of the Central Committee of the Polish United Workers' Party (PZPR). He passed away in 1989 at the age of 99.
