Józef Haller de Hallenburg
Encyclopedia
Józef Haller de Hallenburg (August 13, 1873 – June 4, 1960) was a Lieutenant General
of the Polish Army, legionary in Polish Legions
, harcmistrz (the highest Scouting
instructor
rank in Poland
), the President of The Polish Scouting and Guiding Association (ZHP), political and social activist
, Stanisław Haller de Hallenburg's cousin.
Haller was born in Jurczyce
. He studied at Vienna
's Technical Military Academy and subsequently (1895–1906) served with the Austrian Army
, resigning after reaching the rank of captain. He supported the paramilitary pro-independence Polish organization Sokół. In 1916, during the First World War, he became commander of the Second Brigade of the Polish Legion
, in particular the units which fought against Russia on the Eastern Front
.
In 1918, in the aftermath of the "Charge at Rarańcza
", as commander of the 2nd Polish Auxiliary Corps with the Austrian Army, he broke through the Austro-Russian front line to Ukraine
, where he united his troops with Polish detachments which had left the Tsarist army. He protested the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
and continued to fight the Russians with his II Brigade of the Polish Legions (later, the 4th
and 5th Rifle Divisions of the Polish II Corps
). Under the pressure of the Germans, who after the Peace of Brest-Litovsk regarded the presence of Polish troops in Ukraine as illegal, and a fierce battle between Poles and Germans at Kaniów
(May 10, 1918, 2500 casualties) his corps was interned, while the Brigadier
himself managed to escape to Moscow. Subsequently, by the way of Murmansk
, he arrived in France in July 1918, where on behalf of the Polish National Committee
he created what was known as the Blue Army (from the color of its French uniforms, also known as Haller's Army). For the next few months his army, allied to the Entente
, would fight against Germany. In 1919, at the new army's head, he arrived in Poland and was dispatched to the Ukrainian front. In 1920 Haller seized Pomerania
and entered Danzig (Gdańsk
) in the name of Poland, and during the Polish-Soviet War
he commanded an army of volunteers. He was also Inspector General of the Army and a member of the War Council.
In 1920-1927 he was a deputy to the Sejm
. After the election of Gabriel Narutowicz
as President of the Republic in December 1922, Haller fell into disfavor. After the 1926 May Coup, he was ordered into retirement. He co-organized an opposition party, the "Front Morges
."
At the time of the Invasion of Poland
(1939), Haller was living abroad. In 1940-1943 he served as Minister of Education in Władysław Sikorski's government. After 1945 he settled down in London and did not participate in any émigré Polish political activities.
He was born 13 August 1873 in Jurczyce near Kraków
(Skawina
Municipal). Józef was the third child of a szlachta
(Polish landed gentry) Henryk Haller de Hallenburg and Olga Treter. Jan Haller, who was a bookseller and the owner of the first printing house in Poland in 16th century, was his ancestor. Józef Haller's father took part in the January Uprising
and his maternal grandfather was a captain of the Polish Army
during the November Uprising
. He was also awarded the Virtuti Militari
Knight's Cross.
Józef spent his early childhood in the countryside where up to the age of 9 he grew up with his brothers and sisters. As other family members he also belonged to a catholic organization Sodalicja Mariańska
which popularised the cult of the Virgin Mary and to The Third Secular Franciscan Order
. Strong patriotism and religiousness were deeply rooted in Haller's family life and strongly influenced young Józef. Those family values - patriotism and religion - which shaped his personality, determined his future decisions.
In 1882 the Haller family moved to Lviv
(Lwów) where Józef attended a German gymnasium
. When he left the gymnasium he continued his education in the military Lower Realschule
(secondary school) in Košice
, Hungary
(present-day Slovakia
) and then in the Higher Realschule in Hranice na Moravě
, which was also attended to by some Austrian archduke
s. Afterwards, he studied at the Faculty of Artillery at the Vienna
's Technical Military Academy.
and then started his 15-year long service with the Austro-Hungarian Army
. Between 1895-1910 he served with the 11th Artillery Regiment in Lviv
. In 1903 Józef married Aleksandra Sala and in 1906 his son Eryk was born.
In 1910 Józef resigned from the Austro-Hungarian Army stating that since he had reached the rank of captain and he is not able to learn anything new in the Austrian Artillery, he leaves the army in order to serve the country in some other way until his Homeland needs him.
. He was an active member of a farmers cooperative movement where he achieved remarkable successes. In 1912 he took up a post as the inspector in Farmer's Association (Towarzystwo Kółek Rolniczych). His duties included organizing agricultural, farm and dairy courses. He was also a member of the Scouting Movement and Polish Gymnastic Society "Falcon" (Sokół) which was founded in 1911. Some of his priorities there were to militarize "Falcon" and polonize the scouting movement and then transform it into "harcerstwo" which is a Polish equivalent of scouting (the primary difference between most Scouting organizations and the Polish Harcerstwo was described by Andrzej Małkowski as Harcerstwo is Scouting plus independence).
Since mid 1912 he had worked as a military trainer: he set up Falcon teams, organized secret soldier, non-commissioned officer and officer courses for the Polish youth. In 1913 along with other colleagues he worked out model badges and terminology for "harcerstwo", many of which are still used today. He made a major contribution to creating the Scouts Cross where he suggested combining some elements of the Maltese Cross
and the Polish Virtuti Militari
Order.
. On the strength of the order the Eastern Legion was formed in Lviv under the command of the General Adam Pietraszkiewicz. Haller was one of the founders of this formation which is a combination of Falcon's Drużyny Polowe (Fields Brigades), Drużyny Bartoszowe (Bartosz Brigades) and the Polskie Drużyny Strzeleckie (Polish Rifle Squads
). At that time Austrian failures in Galicia led to occupation of Lviv
and the whole territory of the eastern Galicia by the Russian army
. The Legion had to withdraw into the surroundings of Mszana Dolna
. Although the unit had been completely formed it did not participate in the battle. Due to a collapse of morale among soldiers and resistance against swearing loyalty to the Austrian emperor
, the legion was disbanded.
Soldiers, who were in favor for continuing the war against the Russian Empire
, were subjected to Joseph Haller's directions. He became the commander of the 3rd Legions’ Infantry Regiment after its former reorganisation. He was then ranked lieutenant-colonel. On September the 30th, 1914, Haller and the military unit under his surveillance left Kraków
, and set off to the front line in Eastern Carpathians. Despite bad climatic and topographic conditions, the brigade supported the defence of the Carpathians and hindered Russian access to Hungary
.
In the beginning of October 1914, the brigade got to Hungarian side of Carpathians. On October the 12th the 3rd Legions’ Infantry Regiment troops under the command of Haller surmounted the Rafajlowa village in Galicia. On 22nd and 23 October the main troops reached the village through the route near the Pantyr Mountain in Gorgany
(later on it was named the Legions’ Mountain Pass), built by sappers and assaulted on Stanisławów
. On 24 October the troops defeated Nadvirna
. Five days later the Molotkow battle took place. The failure pushed Haller's soldiers back to Rafajlowa. In November the brigade was divided into two separate units. Haller's brigade remained in Rafajlowa, whereas the others continued the battle in Huculszczyzna and Bukovina.
On the night of 24 January 1915, Russians attacked the 3rd Legions’ Infantry Regiment. Polish soldiers did not expect the offensive. However, due to their commander's actions, they defeated the enemy and took many Prisoners of War (POWs). A permanent struggle resulted in the loss of approximately 50% of soldiers. After the successful defence and stabilization on the front line, lieutenant colonel Haller passed the leadership of the 3rd Legions’ Infantry Regiment to major Henryk Minkiewicz
, simultaneously remaining in the 2nd Legions’ Infantry Brigade as commander's orderly officer. On 14 March 1915 he was promoted colonel.
On a temporary permit in Częstochowa
, in May 1915 Haller was injured in a car accident. He spent 10 months recovering in a hospital. In spring of 1916 Haller became a member of the Colonels’ Council, which incorporated the heads of Legions’ military units, and functioned in opposition to Legions’ Headquarters, which advocated Austrian policy. In July 1918 Haller was given an assignment to command the 2nd Legions’ Infantry Brigade, which he accepted.
which reduced the chances for the creation of an independent Poland,. Together with the II Brigade of the Polish Legions and the rest of Polish soldiers, Haller broke through the frontline near Rarańcza
. and joined the Polish troops in Russia. He was ranked commander of a newly formed Polish 5th Siberian Rifle Division.
From 28 March 1918 he took charge of the military units of the Polish 2nd Corps
in Ukraine. On 7 April 1918 Haller was appointed General
.
. At midnight on the 10th and 11 May 1918 German troops assaulted Polish units near Kaniv
(Polish: Kaniów). There were no warnings preceding the attack. The battle continued for one day. After the ammunition storage expired, the Polish 2nd Corps surrendered. Many people were seriously injured. The Polish army lost less than 1000. the Germans close to 1500. Haller avoided imprisonment by faking his own death. Using the name "Mazowiecki" he fled to Moscow, where he became the head of Polish Army Commission.
and Murmansk
, General Haller arrived in France. On 4 October 1918 he was designated to be in charge of the forming Polish Army. Those units were organised by volunteers. They consisted of Polish men who firstly served in the French army, former POWs of Austrian-Hungarian and German armies (nearly 35000) and Polish emigrants from the United States and Canada (about 23000 people) and Brazil
(300 people). Political surveillance over the army was initially a domain of Polish National Committee
. But according to an agreement of 28 September 1918, the Blue Army was recognised by the Triple Entente
member countries and the independent Polish army.
In 1918 Polish troops commanded by Joseph Haller struggled with German soldiers on the western front line in the Vosges mountain region and Champagne
.
The end of war did not interrupt the enlargement of the Polish army in France, also known as the Blue Army due to their uniforms. The number of soldiers was eventually over 100,000. Due to weapons supplied from France, the Polish Army finally became a significant military force. Beginning in April 1919, men and equipment were conveyed to Poland. Modern arms of the Blue Army, especially airplanes and Renault FT-17
tanks enhanced the Polish Armed Forces
yet to be founded. General Haller arrived in Warsaw on 21 April 1919, where he was welcomed as a national hero. He was granted honorary citizenship of Warsaw.
. In the course of victorious battles against the Ukrainian army, Haller's forces reached the Zbruch River
, passing Volhynia
and Eastern Galicia. However, in June the General himself was dispatched to the Polish-German borderline in order to take command of the army on the South-Western front.
, in peaceful and planned way, as the territory was granted to Poland according to the Treaty of Versailles
. As planned, the taking over of Pomerania began on 18 January 1920, starting with Toruń, which was taken over by squadrons of the 16th Pomeranian Infantry Division. More territories were taken from the retreating German Army, until 11 February 1920, when the last of the soldiers left Gdańsk
(Danzig).
Despite a few incidents, including armed resistance and sabotage, the Pomeranian takeover proceeded rather easily. On 10 February 1920, General Haller together with the Minister of Internal Affairs, Stanisław Wojciechowski, and the new administration of the Pomeranian Province came to Puck
, where he performed a "symbolic wedding ceremony" of Poland and the Baltic Sea
.
of the Volunteer Army, the formation to which he made a great contribution. During the Battle of Warsaw
, he led the forces defending the capital's foregrounds. He was also a member of the Council for Defence of the Nation
(July–August 1920) and later led the North-Eastern Front. At this stage of his career, he saw the end of the war.
of Artillery
(in the years 1920-26), and the president of the Supreme Military Evaluation Commission. He was also a member of the War Council, lead the Hallerczyks’ Union, and from 3 July 1920 until 4 February 1923, was President of the Polish Scouting and Guiding Association. During the years 1922-27 he was a member of the Sejm
, of the Christian Union of National Unity
Party. Because of his nationalist
views, he was considered, among others, one of those who were responsible for the anti-Semitic riot
s in Częstochowa
in 1919 in which soldiers of the Blue Army took part. He was also said to be responsible for inspiring an atmosphere of hostility towards president Gabriel Narutowicz
, claiming that he had been elected with "non-Polish" votes; Narutowicz would be assassinated days after his election.
General Haller condemned Piłsudski's May Coup d'État which resulted in him being retired on 31 January 1926. In the 1920s along with his wife Alexandra and his son Eryk he settled in Pomerania
in the Gorzuchowo mansion, near Chełmno. In 1923 and 1933, he traveled to the USA with a mission of support for veterans and disabled members of the Blue Army. During the years 1936-39, he was one of the organizers and leaders of Front Morges
which was in opposition to the government of the sanacja
regime. On 10 October 1937, on the Labour Party's
Constitutional Congress he was elected the head of the party's Principal Board.
After World War II
broke out, he managed to make his way through Romania
, to France, where he offered himself to serve General Władysław Sikorski's government, which was about to be formed. He also led the Intergovernmental Committee for Registration. On the first days of November 1939 he entered the government as a Minister without Portfolio
. At the turn of the years 1939-1940, he travelled again to the USA, but this time to encourage American Polonia
to join the Polish Army, which was being formed in France
.
After the fall of the government in France, he reached Great Britain
, through Spain and Portugal
. In Great Britain during the years 1940-1943, he was a Minister of Education in Polish Government-in-Exile.
cemetery. Thanks to the initiative of the Polish scouts
from "Whites" team, his ashes were returned to Poland on 23 April 1993 and are now kept in a crypt in St. Agnieszka's garrison church in Kraków
.
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
of the Polish Army, legionary in Polish Legions
Polish Legions in World War I
Polish Legions was the name of Polish armed forces created in August 1914 in Galicia. Thanks to the efforts of KSSN and the Polish members of the Austrian parliament, the unit became an independent formation of the Austro-Hungarian Army...
, harcmistrz (the highest Scouting
Scouting
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development, that they may play constructive roles in society....
instructor
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
rank in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
), the President of The Polish Scouting and Guiding Association (ZHP), political and social activist
Activism
Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
, Stanisław Haller de Hallenburg's cousin.
Haller was born in Jurczyce
Jurczyce, Lesser Poland Voivodeship
Jurczyce is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Skawina, within Kraków County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It lies approximately south of Skawina and south-west of the regional capital Kraków.-References:...
. He studied at Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
's Technical Military Academy and subsequently (1895–1906) served with the Austrian Army
Austro-Hungarian Army
The Austro-Hungarian Army was the ground force of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy from 1867 to 1918. It was composed of three parts: the joint army , the Austrian Landwehr , and the Hungarian Honvédség .In the wake of fighting between the...
, resigning after reaching the rank of captain. He supported the paramilitary pro-independence Polish organization Sokół. In 1916, during the First World War, he became commander of the Second Brigade of the Polish Legion
Polish Legions in World War I
Polish Legions was the name of Polish armed forces created in August 1914 in Galicia. Thanks to the efforts of KSSN and the Polish members of the Austrian parliament, the unit became an independent formation of the Austro-Hungarian Army...
, in particular the units which fought against Russia on the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War I)
The Eastern Front was a theatre of war during World War I in Central and, primarily, Eastern Europe. The term is in contrast to the Western Front. Despite the geographical separation, the events in the two theatres strongly influenced each other...
.
In 1918, in the aftermath of the "Charge at Rarańcza
Battle of Rarancza
The Battle of Rarańcza was fought between Polish Legionnaires, and Austria-Hungary, from February 15 to 16, 1918, near Rarańcza in Bukovina, and ended with a Polish victory.-Background:...
", as commander of the 2nd Polish Auxiliary Corps with the Austrian Army, he broke through the Austro-Russian front line to Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, where he united his troops with Polish detachments which had left the Tsarist army. He protested the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was a peace treaty signed on March 3, 1918, mediated by South African Andrik Fuller, at Brest-Litovsk between Russia and the Central Powers, headed by Germany, marking Russia's exit from World War I.While the treaty was practically obsolete before the end of the year,...
and continued to fight the Russians with his II Brigade of the Polish Legions (later, the 4th
4th Rifle Division (Poland)
The Polish 4th Rifle Division was a Polish military unit, forming, together with the Polish 5th Rifle Division of the Blue Army, the only part of the Polish military which took part in the Russian Civil War...
and 5th Rifle Divisions of the Polish II Corps
Polish II Corps in Russia
The Polish II Corps in Russia was a Polish military formation formed in revolutionary Russia in 1917.-History:The Corps was formed at the initiative of the Chief Polish Military Committee , a Polish faction in the revolutionary and split Russian Empire military...
). Under the pressure of the Germans, who after the Peace of Brest-Litovsk regarded the presence of Polish troops in Ukraine as illegal, and a fierce battle between Poles and Germans at Kaniów
Kaniów
Kaniów may refer to:*Polish name for Kaniv in Ukraine*Kaniów, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship *Kaniów, Silesian Voivodeship *Kaniów, Lubusz Voivodeship *Kaniów, Opole Voivodeship...
(May 10, 1918, 2500 casualties) his corps was interned, while the Brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
himself managed to escape to Moscow. Subsequently, by the way of Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
, he arrived in France in July 1918, where on behalf of the Polish National Committee
Polish National Committee (1917-1919)
Polish National Committee was formed in Lausanne on 15 August 1917 by Polish National Democracy politician Roman Dmowski. Its goal was to support Entente by creating the Polish Army fighting alongside of it in exchange of receiving support for independent Poland...
he created what was known as the Blue Army (from the color of its French uniforms, also known as Haller's Army). For the next few months his army, allied to the Entente
Allies of World War I
The Entente Powers were the countries at war with the Central Powers during World War I. The members of the Triple Entente were the United Kingdom, France, and the Russian Empire; Italy entered the war on their side in 1915...
, would fight against Germany. In 1919, at the new army's head, he arrived in Poland and was dispatched to the Ukrainian front. In 1920 Haller seized Pomerania
Pomerania
Pomerania is a historical region on the south shore of the Baltic Sea. Divided between Germany and Poland, it stretches roughly from the Recknitz River near Stralsund in the West, via the Oder River delta near Szczecin, to the mouth of the Vistula River near Gdańsk in the East...
and entered Danzig (Gdańsk
Gdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...
) in the name of Poland, and during the Polish-Soviet War
Polish-Soviet War
The Polish–Soviet War was an armed conflict between Soviet Russia and Soviet Ukraine and the Second Polish Republic and the Ukrainian People's Republic—four states in post–World War I Europe...
he commanded an army of volunteers. He was also Inspector General of the Army and a member of the War Council.
In 1920-1927 he was a deputy to the Sejm
Sejm
The Sejm is the lower house of the Polish parliament. The Sejm is made up of 460 deputies, or Poseł in Polish . It is elected by universal ballot and is presided over by a speaker called the Marshal of the Sejm ....
. After the election of Gabriel Narutowicz
Gabriel Narutowicz
Gabriel Narutowicz was a Lithuanian-born professor of hydroelectric engineering at Switzerland's Zurich Polytechnic, and Poland's Minister of Public Works , Minister of Foreign Affairs , and the first president of the Second Polish Republic....
as President of the Republic in December 1922, Haller fell into disfavor. After the 1926 May Coup, he was ordered into retirement. He co-organized an opposition party, the "Front Morges
Front Morges
Front Morges was a political alliance of centrist political parties of interwar Poland . It was founded in 1936 in the Swiss village of Morges by general Władysław Sikorski and former Polish Prime Minister Ignacy Paderewski. Prominent activists included Józef Haller, Wojciech Korfanty, and Karol...
."
At the time of the Invasion of Poland
Invasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
(1939), Haller was living abroad. In 1940-1943 he served as Minister of Education in Władysław Sikorski's government. After 1945 he settled down in London and did not participate in any émigré Polish political activities.
Early life
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
(Skawina
Skawina
Skawina is a town in southern Poland with 27,328 inhabitants .Situated in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship , previously in Kraków Voivodeship .- Twin Towns - Sister Cities :Skawina is twinned with:...
Municipal). Józef was the third child of a szlachta
Szlachta
The szlachta was a legally privileged noble class with origins in the Kingdom of Poland. It gained considerable institutional privileges during the 1333-1370 reign of Casimir the Great. In 1413, following a series of tentative personal unions between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of...
(Polish landed gentry) Henryk Haller de Hallenburg and Olga Treter. Jan Haller, who was a bookseller and the owner of the first printing house in Poland in 16th century, was his ancestor. Józef Haller's father took part in the January Uprising
January Uprising
The January Uprising was an uprising in the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth against the Russian Empire...
and his maternal grandfather was a captain of the Polish Army
History of the Polish Army
The Polish Army is the name applied to the military forces of Poland. The name has been in use since the early 19th century, although it can be used to refer to earlier formations as well...
during the November Uprising
November Uprising
The November Uprising , Polish–Russian War 1830–31 also known as the Cadet Revolution, was an armed rebellion in the heartland of partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. The uprising began on 29 November 1830 in Warsaw when the young Polish officers from the local Army of the Congress...
. He was also awarded the Virtuti Militari
Virtuti Militari
The Order Wojenny Virtuti Militari is Poland's highest military decoration for heroism and courage in the face of the enemy at war...
Knight's Cross.
Józef spent his early childhood in the countryside where up to the age of 9 he grew up with his brothers and sisters. As other family members he also belonged to a catholic organization Sodalicja Mariańska
Sodality of Our Lady
The Sodality of Our Lady The Sodality of Our Lady The Sodality of Our Lady (also known as the Sodality of the Blessed Virgin Mary (in Latin, Congregationes seu sodalitates B. Mariæ Virginis) is a Roman Catholic Marian Society founded in 1563 by young Belgian Jesuit, Jean Leunis (or Jan), at the...
which popularised the cult of the Virgin Mary and to The Third Secular Franciscan Order
Secular Franciscan Order
thumb|rigth|Lapel pin of Secular Franciscan Order.The Secular Franciscan Order is a community of Catholic men and women, of any of the Rites in communion with Rome , in the world who seek to pattern their lives after Christ in the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi. Secular Franciscans are...
. Strong patriotism and religiousness were deeply rooted in Haller's family life and strongly influenced young Józef. Those family values - patriotism and religion - which shaped his personality, determined his future decisions.
In 1882 the Haller family moved to Lviv
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
(Lwów) where Józef attended a German gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
. When he left the gymnasium he continued his education in the military Lower Realschule
Realschule
The Realschule is a type of secondary school in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. It has also existed in Croatia , Denmark , Sweden , Hungary and in the Russian Empire .-History:The Realschule was an outgrowth of the rationalism and empiricism of the seventeenth and...
(secondary school) in Košice
Košice
Košice is a city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
(present-day Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
) and then in the Higher Realschule in Hranice na Moravě
Hranice na Morave
Hranice , sometimes called Hranice na Moravě , is a town in Moravia, the eastern Czech Republic.In the Austrian-Hungarian era, this city was famous for its military academy and yeshivah .- External links :...
, which was also attended to by some Austrian archduke
Archduke
The title of Archduke denotes a noble rank above Duke and below King, used only by princes of the Houses of Habsburg and Habsburg-Lorraine....
s. Afterwards, he studied at the Faculty of Artillery at the Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
's Technical Military Academy.
Austro-Hungarian Army
When Józef Haller graduated from the university he was designated the rank of Second LieutenantSecond Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
and then started his 15-year long service with the Austro-Hungarian Army
Austro-Hungarian Army
The Austro-Hungarian Army was the ground force of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy from 1867 to 1918. It was composed of three parts: the joint army , the Austrian Landwehr , and the Hungarian Honvédség .In the wake of fighting between the...
. Between 1895-1910 he served with the 11th Artillery Regiment in Lviv
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
. In 1903 Józef married Aleksandra Sala and in 1906 his son Eryk was born.
In 1910 Józef resigned from the Austro-Hungarian Army stating that since he had reached the rank of captain and he is not able to learn anything new in the Austrian Artillery, he leaves the army in order to serve the country in some other way until his Homeland needs him.
Social work
After dropping out of the army, Haller dedicated himself to social workSocial work
Social Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
. He was an active member of a farmers cooperative movement where he achieved remarkable successes. In 1912 he took up a post as the inspector in Farmer's Association (Towarzystwo Kółek Rolniczych). His duties included organizing agricultural, farm and dairy courses. He was also a member of the Scouting Movement and Polish Gymnastic Society "Falcon" (Sokół) which was founded in 1911. Some of his priorities there were to militarize "Falcon" and polonize the scouting movement and then transform it into "harcerstwo" which is a Polish equivalent of scouting (the primary difference between most Scouting organizations and the Polish Harcerstwo was described by Andrzej Małkowski as Harcerstwo is Scouting plus independence).
Since mid 1912 he had worked as a military trainer: he set up Falcon teams, organized secret soldier, non-commissioned officer and officer courses for the Polish youth. In 1913 along with other colleagues he worked out model badges and terminology for "harcerstwo", many of which are still used today. He made a major contribution to creating the Scouts Cross where he suggested combining some elements of the Maltese Cross
Maltese cross
The Maltese cross, also known as the Amalfi cross, is identified as the symbol of an order of Christian warriors known as the Knights Hospitaller or Knights of Malta and through them came to be identified with the Mediterranean island of Malta and is one of the National symbols of Malta...
and the Polish Virtuti Militari
Virtuti Militari
The Order Wojenny Virtuti Militari is Poland's highest military decoration for heroism and courage in the face of the enemy at war...
Order.
The Eastern Legion
When the Great War broke out it was a sign to mobilize Polish patriotic paramilitary organizations. On 27 August 1914 Józef Piłsudski issued an order in which he declared formation of the Polish LegionsPolish Legions in World War I
Polish Legions was the name of Polish armed forces created in August 1914 in Galicia. Thanks to the efforts of KSSN and the Polish members of the Austrian parliament, the unit became an independent formation of the Austro-Hungarian Army...
. On the strength of the order the Eastern Legion was formed in Lviv under the command of the General Adam Pietraszkiewicz. Haller was one of the founders of this formation which is a combination of Falcon's Drużyny Polowe (Fields Brigades), Drużyny Bartoszowe (Bartosz Brigades) and the Polskie Drużyny Strzeleckie (Polish Rifle Squads
Polish Rifle Squads
The Polish Rifle Squads was a Polish pro-independence paramilitary organization, founded in 1911 by the Youth Independence Organization Zarzewie in the Austro-Hungarian sector of partitioned Poland....
). At that time Austrian failures in Galicia led to occupation of Lviv
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
and the whole territory of the eastern Galicia by the Russian army
Imperial Russian Army
The Imperial Russian Army was the land armed force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian army consisted of around 938,731 regular soldiers and 245,850 irregulars . Until the time of military reform of Dmitry Milyutin in...
. The Legion had to withdraw into the surroundings of Mszana Dolna
Mszana Dolna
Mszana Dolna is a town in Limanowa County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland, with 7,431 inhabitants . Historically it was part of Galicia.- External links :* http://www.mszana-dolna.pl...
. Although the unit had been completely formed it did not participate in the battle. Due to a collapse of morale among soldiers and resistance against swearing loyalty to the Austrian emperor
Franz Joseph I of Austria
Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I was Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia, King of Croatia, Apostolic King of Hungary, King of Galicia and Lodomeria and Grand Duke of Cracow from 1848 until his death in 1916.In the December of 1848, Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria abdicated the throne as part of...
, the legion was disbanded.
Polish Legions
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, were subjected to Joseph Haller's directions. He became the commander of the 3rd Legions’ Infantry Regiment after its former reorganisation. He was then ranked lieutenant-colonel. On September the 30th, 1914, Haller and the military unit under his surveillance left Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
, and set off to the front line in Eastern Carpathians. Despite bad climatic and topographic conditions, the brigade supported the defence of the Carpathians and hindered Russian access to Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
.
In the beginning of October 1914, the brigade got to Hungarian side of Carpathians. On October the 12th the 3rd Legions’ Infantry Regiment troops under the command of Haller surmounted the Rafajlowa village in Galicia. On 22nd and 23 October the main troops reached the village through the route near the Pantyr Mountain in Gorgany
Gorgany
Gorgany is a mountain range in Western Ukraine in Outer Eastern Carpathians, adjacent to Chornohora range. The highest peak of Gorgany is Syvulia with the other high peaks including Ihrovyshche, Vysoka and Grofa. The mountains are made of flysch rock, mostly sandstone, which create typical for...
(later on it was named the Legions’ Mountain Pass), built by sappers and assaulted on Stanisławów
Ivano-Frankivsk
Ivano-Frankivsk is a historic city located in the western Ukraine. It is the administrative centre of the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast , and is designated as its own separate raion within the oblast, municipality....
. On 24 October the troops defeated Nadvirna
Nadvirna
Nadvirna is a city located in the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast in western Ukraine. It is the administrative centre of Nadvirna Raion.Until World War I, Nadvirna was integrated into the Austro-Hungarian Empire, in the province of Galicia. In the inter-war years, the borders changed and it was annexed...
. Five days later the Molotkow battle took place. The failure pushed Haller's soldiers back to Rafajlowa. In November the brigade was divided into two separate units. Haller's brigade remained in Rafajlowa, whereas the others continued the battle in Huculszczyzna and Bukovina.
On the night of 24 January 1915, Russians attacked the 3rd Legions’ Infantry Regiment. Polish soldiers did not expect the offensive. However, due to their commander's actions, they defeated the enemy and took many Prisoners of War (POWs). A permanent struggle resulted in the loss of approximately 50% of soldiers. After the successful defence and stabilization on the front line, lieutenant colonel Haller passed the leadership of the 3rd Legions’ Infantry Regiment to major Henryk Minkiewicz
Henryk Minkiewicz
Henryk Minkiewicz was a Polish socialist politician and a General of the Polish Army. Former commander of the Border Defence Corps, he was among the Polish officers murdered in the Katyń massacre.-Early life:...
, simultaneously remaining in the 2nd Legions’ Infantry Brigade as commander's orderly officer. On 14 March 1915 he was promoted colonel.
On a temporary permit in Częstochowa
Czestochowa
Częstochowa is a city in south Poland on the Warta River with 240,027 inhabitants . It has been situated in the Silesian Voivodeship since 1999, and was previously the capital of Częstochowa Voivodeship...
, in May 1915 Haller was injured in a car accident. He spent 10 months recovering in a hospital. In spring of 1916 Haller became a member of the Colonels’ Council, which incorporated the heads of Legions’ military units, and functioned in opposition to Legions’ Headquarters, which advocated Austrian policy. In July 1918 Haller was given an assignment to command the 2nd Legions’ Infantry Brigade, which he accepted.
Polish Rifle Division
On 15 February 1918, Haller questioned the agreements of the Treaty of Brest-LitovskTreaty of Brest-Litovsk
The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was a peace treaty signed on March 3, 1918, mediated by South African Andrik Fuller, at Brest-Litovsk between Russia and the Central Powers, headed by Germany, marking Russia's exit from World War I.While the treaty was practically obsolete before the end of the year,...
which reduced the chances for the creation of an independent Poland,. Together with the II Brigade of the Polish Legions and the rest of Polish soldiers, Haller broke through the frontline near Rarańcza
Battle of Rarancza
The Battle of Rarańcza was fought between Polish Legionnaires, and Austria-Hungary, from February 15 to 16, 1918, near Rarańcza in Bukovina, and ended with a Polish victory.-Background:...
. and joined the Polish troops in Russia. He was ranked commander of a newly formed Polish 5th Siberian Rifle Division.
From 28 March 1918 he took charge of the military units of the Polish 2nd Corps
Polish II Corps in Russia
The Polish II Corps in Russia was a Polish military formation formed in revolutionary Russia in 1917.-History:The Corps was formed at the initiative of the Chief Polish Military Committee , a Polish faction in the revolutionary and split Russian Empire military...
in Ukraine. On 7 April 1918 Haller was appointed General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
.
Kaniów
Germany considered the presence of Polish military units in Ukraine an infringement of the Treaty of Brest-LitovskTreaty of Brest-Litovsk
The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was a peace treaty signed on March 3, 1918, mediated by South African Andrik Fuller, at Brest-Litovsk between Russia and the Central Powers, headed by Germany, marking Russia's exit from World War I.While the treaty was practically obsolete before the end of the year,...
. At midnight on the 10th and 11 May 1918 German troops assaulted Polish units near Kaniv
Kaniv
Kaniv is a city located in the Cherkasy Oblast in central Ukraine. The city rests on the Dnieper River, and is also one of the main inland river ports on the Dnieper...
(Polish: Kaniów). There were no warnings preceding the attack. The battle continued for one day. After the ammunition storage expired, the Polish 2nd Corps surrendered. Many people were seriously injured. The Polish army lost less than 1000. the Germans close to 1500. Haller avoided imprisonment by faking his own death. Using the name "Mazowiecki" he fled to Moscow, where he became the head of Polish Army Commission.
France
In July 1918, after a long journey through KareliaKarelia
Karelia , the land of the Karelian peoples, is an area in Northern Europe of historical significance for Finland, Russia, and Sweden...
and Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
, General Haller arrived in France. On 4 October 1918 he was designated to be in charge of the forming Polish Army. Those units were organised by volunteers. They consisted of Polish men who firstly served in the French army, former POWs of Austrian-Hungarian and German armies (nearly 35000) and Polish emigrants from the United States and Canada (about 23000 people) and Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
(300 people). Political surveillance over the army was initially a domain of Polish National Committee
Polish National Committee (1917-1919)
Polish National Committee was formed in Lausanne on 15 August 1917 by Polish National Democracy politician Roman Dmowski. Its goal was to support Entente by creating the Polish Army fighting alongside of it in exchange of receiving support for independent Poland...
. But according to an agreement of 28 September 1918, the Blue Army was recognised by the Triple Entente
Triple Entente
The Triple Entente was the name given to the alliance among Britain, France and Russia after the signing of the Anglo-Russian Entente in 1907....
member countries and the independent Polish army.
In 1918 Polish troops commanded by Joseph Haller struggled with German soldiers on the western front line in the Vosges mountain region and Champagne
Champagne, France
Champagne is a historic province in the northeast of France, now best known for the sparkling white wine that bears its name.Formerly ruled by the counts of Champagne, its western edge is about 100 miles east of Paris. The cities of Troyes, Reims, and Épernay are the commercial centers of the area...
.
Blue Army
Renault FT-17
The Renault FT, frequently referred to in post-WWI literature as the "FT-17" or "FT17" , was a French light tank; it is among the most revolutionary and influential tank designs in history...
tanks enhanced the Polish Armed Forces
Polish Armed Forces
Siły Zbrojne Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej are the national defense forces of Poland...
yet to be founded. General Haller arrived in Warsaw on 21 April 1919, where he was welcomed as a national hero. He was granted honorary citizenship of Warsaw.
Polish-Ukrainian War
Because the Blue Army was the only well armed combat unit in the recreated Polish Army, the command decided not to split it into smaller pieces. The whole army was deployed at the Polish-Ukrainian frontlinePolish-Ukrainian War
The Polish–Ukrainian War of 1918 and 1919 was a conflict between the forces of the Second Polish Republic and West Ukrainian People's Republic for the control over Eastern Galicia after the dissolution of Austria-Hungary.-Background:...
. In the course of victorious battles against the Ukrainian army, Haller's forces reached the Zbruch River
Zbruch River
Zbruch River is a river in Western Ukraine, a left tributary of the Dniester.It flows within the Podolia Upland starting from the Avratinian Upland. Zbruch is the namesake of the Zbruch idol, a sculpture of a Slavic deity in the form of a column with a head with four faces, discovered in 1848 by...
, passing Volhynia
Volhynia
Volhynia, Volynia, or Volyn is a historic region in western Ukraine located between the rivers Prypiat and Southern Bug River, to the north of Galicia and Podolia; the region is named for the former city of Volyn or Velyn, said to have been located on the Southern Bug River, whose name may come...
and Eastern Galicia. However, in June the General himself was dispatched to the Polish-German borderline in order to take command of the army on the South-Western front.
Pomerania
In October 1919, Haller was entrusted with the command of the Pomeranian Front, created in order to claim the territory of PomeraniaPomerania
Pomerania is a historical region on the south shore of the Baltic Sea. Divided between Germany and Poland, it stretches roughly from the Recknitz River near Stralsund in the West, via the Oder River delta near Szczecin, to the mouth of the Vistula River near Gdańsk in the East...
, in peaceful and planned way, as the territory was granted to Poland according to the Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
. As planned, the taking over of Pomerania began on 18 January 1920, starting with Toruń, which was taken over by squadrons of the 16th Pomeranian Infantry Division. More territories were taken from the retreating German Army, until 11 February 1920, when the last of the soldiers left Gdańsk
Gdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...
(Danzig).
Despite a few incidents, including armed resistance and sabotage, the Pomeranian takeover proceeded rather easily. On 10 February 1920, General Haller together with the Minister of Internal Affairs, Stanisław Wojciechowski, and the new administration of the Pomeranian Province came to Puck
Puck, Poland
Puck is a town in northwestern Poland with 11,350 inhabitants. It is in Gdańsk Pomerania on the south coast of the Baltic Sea . Previously in the Gdańsk Voivodeship , Puck has been the capital of Puck County in the Pomeranian Voivodeship since 1999.-History:The settlement became a marketplace...
, where he performed a "symbolic wedding ceremony" of Poland and the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
.
Polish-Soviet War
In 1920 Haller was appointed Inspector GeneralInspector General
An Inspector General is an investigative official in a civil or military organization. The plural of the term is Inspectors General.-Bangladesh:...
of the Volunteer Army, the formation to which he made a great contribution. During the Battle of Warsaw
Battle of Warsaw (1920)
The Battle of Warsaw sometimes referred to as the Miracle at the Vistula, was the decisive battle of the Polish–Soviet War. That war began soon after the end of World War I in 1918 and lasted until the Treaty of Riga resulted in the end of the hostilities between Poland and Russia in 1921.The...
, he led the forces defending the capital's foregrounds. He was also a member of the Council for Defence of the Nation
Council for Defence of the Nation
The Council of National Defense was an extraordinary temporary governmental body created by a decree of the Sejm of the Second Polish Republic, of 1 July 1920....
(July–August 1920) and later led the North-Eastern Front. At this stage of his career, he saw the end of the war.
The interwar period
After the war, Józef Haller had inter alia function of the Inspector GeneralInspector General
An Inspector General is an investigative official in a civil or military organization. The plural of the term is Inspectors General.-Bangladesh:...
of Artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
(in the years 1920-26), and the president of the Supreme Military Evaluation Commission. He was also a member of the War Council, lead the Hallerczyks’ Union, and from 3 July 1920 until 4 February 1923, was President of the Polish Scouting and Guiding Association. During the years 1922-27 he was a member of the Sejm
Sejm
The Sejm is the lower house of the Polish parliament. The Sejm is made up of 460 deputies, or Poseł in Polish . It is elected by universal ballot and is presided over by a speaker called the Marshal of the Sejm ....
, of the Christian Union of National Unity
Christian Union of National Unity
Christian Union of National Unity was an electoral coalition of Polish Christian Democratic for the Polish legislative election, 1922.The coalition was composed of several smaller parties:* Związek Ludowo-Narodowy...
Party. Because of his nationalist
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
views, he was considered, among others, one of those who were responsible for the anti-Semitic riot
Riot
A riot is a form of civil disorder characterized often by what is thought of as disorganized groups lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of violence against authority, property or people. While individuals may attempt to lead or control a riot, riots are thought to be typically chaotic and...
s in Częstochowa
Czestochowa
Częstochowa is a city in south Poland on the Warta River with 240,027 inhabitants . It has been situated in the Silesian Voivodeship since 1999, and was previously the capital of Częstochowa Voivodeship...
in 1919 in which soldiers of the Blue Army took part. He was also said to be responsible for inspiring an atmosphere of hostility towards president Gabriel Narutowicz
Gabriel Narutowicz
Gabriel Narutowicz was a Lithuanian-born professor of hydroelectric engineering at Switzerland's Zurich Polytechnic, and Poland's Minister of Public Works , Minister of Foreign Affairs , and the first president of the Second Polish Republic....
, claiming that he had been elected with "non-Polish" votes; Narutowicz would be assassinated days after his election.
General Haller condemned Piłsudski's May Coup d'État which resulted in him being retired on 31 January 1926. In the 1920s along with his wife Alexandra and his son Eryk he settled in Pomerania
Pomerania
Pomerania is a historical region on the south shore of the Baltic Sea. Divided between Germany and Poland, it stretches roughly from the Recknitz River near Stralsund in the West, via the Oder River delta near Szczecin, to the mouth of the Vistula River near Gdańsk in the East...
in the Gorzuchowo mansion, near Chełmno. In 1923 and 1933, he traveled to the USA with a mission of support for veterans and disabled members of the Blue Army. During the years 1936-39, he was one of the organizers and leaders of Front Morges
Front Morges
Front Morges was a political alliance of centrist political parties of interwar Poland . It was founded in 1936 in the Swiss village of Morges by general Władysław Sikorski and former Polish Prime Minister Ignacy Paderewski. Prominent activists included Józef Haller, Wojciech Korfanty, and Karol...
which was in opposition to the government of the sanacja
Sanacja
Sanation was a Polish political movement that came to power after Józef Piłsudski's May 1926 Coup d'État. Sanation took its name from his watchword—the moral "sanation" of the Polish body politic...
regime. On 10 October 1937, on the Labour Party's
Stronnictwo Pracy
Stronnictwo Pracy was a Polish Christian democratic political party, active from 1937 in the Second Polish Republic and later part of the Polish government in exile. Its founder and main activist was Karol Popiel....
Constitutional Congress he was elected the head of the party's Principal Board.
World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
broke out, he managed to make his way through Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, to France, where he offered himself to serve General Władysław Sikorski's government, which was about to be formed. He also led the Intergovernmental Committee for Registration. On the first days of November 1939 he entered the government as a Minister without Portfolio
Minister without Portfolio
A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister that does not head a particular ministry...
. At the turn of the years 1939-1940, he travelled again to the USA, but this time to encourage American Polonia
Polonia
The Polish diaspora refers to people of Polish origin who live outside Poland. The Polish diaspora is also known in modern Polish language as Polonia, which is the name for Poland in Latin and in many other Romance languages....
to join the Polish Army, which was being formed in France
Polish Army in France (1939-1940)
The Polish Army in France formed in France under the command of General Władysław Sikorski in late 1939, after the fall of Poland resulting from the Polish Defensive War...
.
After the fall of the government in France, he reached Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, through Spain and Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. In Great Britain during the years 1940-1943, he was a Minister of Education in Polish Government-in-Exile.
Postwar
After the war Józef Haller decided to remain abroad and settled in London for good where, steeped in the legend of the "Blue General", he died 4 June 1960 at the age of 87. He was buried in the GunnersburyGunnersbury
Gunnersbury is a place in the London Borough of Hounslow, with its northern edge in the London Borough of Ealing, west London. It has an area of less than half a square kilometre and is within the west area of the Chiswick W4 postal district of London....
cemetery. Thanks to the initiative of the Polish scouts
Boy Scout
A Scout is a boy or a girl, usually 11 to 18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split this age group into a junior and a senior section...
from "Whites" team, his ashes were returned to Poland on 23 April 1993 and are now kept in a crypt in St. Agnieszka's garrison church in Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
.
Promotions
- Captain of Artillery - 1909
- Captain of InfantryInfantryInfantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
- 18 October 1914 - MajorMajorMajor is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
of Infantry - 25 October 1914 - Lieutenant ColonelLieutenant colonelLieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
of Infantry - 20 November 1914 - ColonelColonelColonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
of Infantry - 14 March 1915 - Brigadier – 7 April 1918
- Major General – 29 November 1918
- Lieutenant General – 10 June 1920
Honours and awards
- Knight of the Order of the White Eagle
- Silver Cross of the Order of Virtuti Militari
- Commander's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta
- Cross of Valour, four times
- Legion of Honour, Class II (France)
- Croix de guerreCroix de guerreThe Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
(France) - Scouts Cross
- Order of Malta
- Order of St. Stanislaus
- Imperial Order of Leopold
- Order of VasaOrder of VasaThe Royal Order of Vasa was a Swedish Royal order of chivalry, awarded to citizens of Sweden for service to state and society especially in the fields of agriculture, mining and commerce. It was instituted on 29 May 1772 by King Gustav III of Sweden...
- Military Merit MedalMilitary Merit Medal (Austria-Hungary)The Military Merit Medal was a military decoration of the Empire of Austria-Hungary. It was founded by Emperor Franz Joseph I on March 12, 1890...
(Austria-Hungary) - Grand Officer of the Order of the Crown of ItalyOrder of the Crown of ItalyThe Order of the Crown of Italy was founded as a national order in 1868 by King Vittorio Emanuele II, to commemorate the unification of Italy in 1861...
- Freedom Cross Second Class (Estonia)
See also
- The Blue Army
- Haller Family in German Wikipedia
- Poland's Wedding to the Sea
- Stanisław Haller de Hallenburg