Tadeush Kutrzeba Polish military leader Date of Birth: 15.04.1886 Country: Poland

1. Childhood and Education
2. Early Military Career
3. Soviet-Polish War and Interwar Years
4. Pre-War Planning
5. World War II
6. Prisoner of War and Later Years

Childhood and Education

Tadeusz Kutrzeba was born in Kraków, Poland, on April 15, 1886. He received his military education at the Theresian Military Academy in 1906 and the Academy of the General Staff, although he did not complete the latter.

Early Military Career

Kutrzeba joined the Austro-Hungarian army and fought in World War I as an engineering captain. On November 29, 1918, he joined the Polish Army and became the head of the 1st and 3rd sections of the General Staff.

Soviet-Polish War and Interwar Years

During the Soviet-Polish War, Kutrzeba served as Chief of Staff for the 3rd Army from April 1920 and the North-Eastern and Central Fronts from June 1920. From 1920 to 1921, he was Chief of Staff for the 2nd Army. In May 1921, he became head of the 3rd section of the Bureau of the Supreme Military Council.

From December 23, 1924, Kutrzeba was Deputy Chief of the General Staff, and from November 1928, he was commandant of the Higher Military School in Warsaw.

Pre-War Planning

In January 1938, Kutrzeba prepared a "Strategic Plan for the Case of War with Germany," which was highly regarded by Marshal E. Rydz-Smigły. On March 23, 1939, he was appointed inspector of the Poznań Army.

World War II

During the Polish Campaign of September 1939, Kutrzeba commanded the Poznań Army, which occupied positions in Greater Poland along the Frankfurt-an-der-Oder - Poznań line. On September 8-9, he led a counteroffensive that halted the 10th German Army's advance on the Bzura River. On September 9, he was also given command of the remnants of the Pomeranian Army, which had suffered a severe defeat.

In September 1939, Kutrzeba was appointed deputy commander of the Warsaw Army, tasked with defending the Polish capital. He defended his positions until the bitter end, eventually capitulating when all resources were exhausted.

Prisoner of War and Later Years

Kutrzeba spent the war in prisoner-of-war camps. He was liberated by Anglo-American forces in May 1945 and emigrated to the United Kingdom. In London, he headed the historical commission on the "September Campaign."

Kutrzeba passed away in London on January 8, 1947. He left behind a legacy as an accomplished military commander and author of several military-historical works.