Wladyslaw Anders

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General Wladyslaw Anders

General Wladyslaw Anders, famous Polish officer. It is first of all a symbol of the glory and tragedy of a Polish soldier fighting for the freedom, the sovereignty of the Rzeczpospolitej, and after the war cursed and condemned by the Communists for exile.

Taking the command of the Polish Army, he thought of saving thousands of Polish prisoners and exiles from Soviet captivity and leading them by the shortest way to the free country. Quickly, however, he found out that it was impossible. Then he believed that the evacuation to the British zone in the Middle East and the fight at his side Allies of the West will be the way to independence.

After the defeat of Polish affairs at conferences in Tehran and Yalta and the dedication of the country under Soviet domination, Wladyslaw Anders became a personification hope, both for emigrants and the opposition in the country. At the same time he was one of the the main enemies of the communist authorities who tried to destroy his legend. The general was not

however, only a symbol, he was a man of blood and bones, free from defects, but also with a beautiful card combat.

Wladyslaw Anders was born in 1892. He started his military career in the Russian army. He served during World War I, he was commanding a Dragoon Squadron. He was wounded three times. Establishment of the 1st Polish Corps commanded by General Jozef Dowbor-Muśnicki in 1917 in Russia it opened the possibility of service in the Polish formation. He organized other corps units, and after return to the country he went to the Wielkopolska Army.

He formed the 15th Regiment of Poznan Ułanów, headed he fought in the Polish-Bolshevik war, often personally leading soldiers to battle. His valor and excellent command was appreciated by the decoration Virtuti Militari V class and four times the Cross of Valor.

In the years 1921-1924 he studied at the War College in Paris, and after returning to the country he was Chief of staff Inspector General of the Inspectorate of Driving. In May's assassination, Anders was on the government side and was in the process of continuing the fight against Józef Piłsudski. Still, the Marshal he entrusted him with the command of the 2nd Brigade, appreciating his commanding skills. In 1934 he was promoted to general brigade, and in 1937 he became commander of the brigade Nowogródzka Cavalry Brigade.

In September 1939, General Anders once again turned out to be a great line commander, filling in his responsibilities. At the head of the brigade shielding the retreat of the "Modlin" Army, he was seriously wounded, did not leave his soldiers and fought, among others, under Mińsk Mazowiecki. After moving to Lubelszczyzna, he commanded the Cavalry Operations Group and took part in an offensive tackle under Tomaszow Lubelski.

Under Lwow was surrounded by the Red Army and General Anders was captured. After being hospitalized, he was sent to prison at the Brigades in Lvov, and then was taken transported to the ill-fated NKVD prison at Lubyanka in Moscow. Hard character and strong body helped Anders to survive terrible conditions in the cell, brutal treatment, hunger and exhausting interrogation.

From the tragic situation he was saved by the outbreak of the German-Soviet war and the conclusion of the Polish-Soviet agreement on July 30, 1941. The signed agreement provided for the establishment of the Polish Armed Forces in the USSR. Because General Anders was assigned to her commander almost immediately - on August 4, he gained freedom.

Slowly the fate of the Poles released from the camps and exiles was slowly changing, but thousands soon began to arrive in Buzuluk, where there was a command and an army formation center. There Wladyslaw Anders from a mass of starved, sickly countrymen created a regular army.

He took care not only of the military - in order to save women, youth and children, he organized as junior auxiliaries the junior units and the auxiliary Military Service of Women. He strongly opposed sending on front of the 5th Infantry Division. He wanted the Polish Army to be in full squad, properly armed and trained.

His stubbornness led to smaller the Soviets' supply of supplies, especially food, which threatened the death of thousands of soldiers. General Anders decided that the only rescue for his subordinates was the British-proposed evacuation from the USSR. He managed to lead her, despite the lack of conviction to this Chief Commander. Thanks to this "empire of evil" led over 115 thousand children, women and soldiers, for which he was not only a superior, but also a father.

In the Middle East a new phase began in the history of the saved army, transformed in 1942 into the Polish Army in the East, and in 1943 - in the 2nd Corps of Poland. After regaining strength and convalescence, the Polish soldiers were preparing intensely in Iraq and Palestine for future fighting. General Anders was able to establish good relations with the British authorities and to ensure that the Polish troops were not thrown to the front one by one.

He wanted to ensure that the efforts of the Polish soldiers could be properly focused and thus strengthen the position of the Government of the Republic of Poland in London. It was an excellent opportunity for him to propose an attack on Monte Cassino in Italy, where the 2nd Corps was sent. Many politicians and historians have accused him of being soldier's blood, but it is worth recalling what caused such a difficult challenge. Fighting for the hill, which had previously been in vain for the allies, wanted to cover the famous Polish battle banners and well serve the Polish cause.

The 2nd Corps is not only a bloody battle for the monastery at Monte Cassino, but also his other battles that led through Ancona, the Goths line and ended with the capture of Bologna. At the end of the war the general Anders served as Commander-in-Chief, replacing General Tadeusz Komorowski ("Bór"), who was in captivity after World War II and inspector of the Polish Armed Forces in the West, and it was a sad honor to have them dissolved on July 9, 1947. The next day, before the building of the current Polish Institute and the. Gen. Sikorski in London, took place the ceremony of glorified banners of all the branches that formed them. The general delivered a speech at the time considered to be a testament to the Polish Armed Forces in the West.

Wladyslaw Anders, II History war, History of Poland,