Józef Piłsudski was famous for his sharp tongue. "Piss you chickens, not make politics" is only the most famous of his bon mots. This time, however, he exaggerated. The text that came out of his hand could compromise him forever in the eyes of his subordinates and comrades-in-arms.
President Wojciechowski instinctively curled his copious mustache and stroked a gray goatee. The stubble of your head is associated with the image of a corsair boldly facing the opposite winds to this day. A corsair fantasy would be very useful to him now. Wojciechowski already knew that a storm was gathering on the horizon. It wasn't just the bad weather outside the window.
It was - admittedly - quite warm, the temperature exceeded 20 degrees, but the sky was completely obscured by clouds, and showers did not allow for free walks. No wonder that Warsaw residents flocked to cinemas and theaters along the Nowy Świat street, especially since a great comedy was being played with the most famous comedians of Pat and Patachon's era, "He, She and Hamlet". It was June 11, 1923 and better weather could be expected.
President Stanisław Wojciechowski had unusual stubble (source:public domain).
Despite the rain, the atmosphere in the capital was hot. Of course, the political one. Two weeks earlier, the second government of Witos was established. The real bomb was fired by Marshal Piłsudski just two days after his swearing in, resigning from the post of Chief of the General Staff.
This move could not be read except as a political demonstration. Wojciechowski owed his career to Piłsudski, but their paths were just diverging. He did not know yet that in less than three years they would cross again on the Poniatowski Bridge on the decisive day of the May coup.
For his eyes only
What's next? - must have passed through the president's head. Who will replace Piłsudski in the position? Can anyone replace it at all? There was no doubt about one thing - the battlefield in the coming months would be the army. Whoever wins the fight for influence in the army will rule Poland.
No wonder that the envelope with the inscription scrawled by the Marshal:" In the event of my death or resignation, only the chairman of the Closed War Council has the right to open the envelope , as a general to command the war, or as the president of the Republic of Poland. ”
What was inside? Wojciechowski knew that the contents of the envelope were created in a very difficult period for the young state (right after the murder of President Narutowicz) and for Piłsudski himself. The President met the Commander's eyes, who nodded slightly. He opened the envelope and started reading:
After the death of President Narutowicz, I decided to leave my qualifications of generals of the Polish Army written honestly and bluntly in the event of my death or my resignation ...
The flash in President Wojciechowski's eye showed that he had quickly caught the key word. He already knew what he was dealing with - the mortal enemy of any politician. Honesty.
Opinions completely non-political
The Marshal listened to the words he wrote down six months earlier:“..General Haller Józef. He will lose the seriousness of his subordinates very quickly due to a kind of demagogy and seeking popularity at all costs starting with the non-commissioned officer, ending with his orderly. Chattering without measure or end. No secret is certain in his hand. ”
He frowned as he looked at the president, whose eyes flickered quickly across the lines of the text:
General Rozwadowski Tadeusz. A capable and quickly orienting head. No organizational or administrative capacity. He would resemble the well-known historical figure of Prądzyński, making several plans one after the other on the spot, without having the power of character to consistently carry out any of them. In the command personalities, he wanders like a little child in the woods.
General Szeptycki Stanisław. With each failure, he always blames his subordinates and superiors. Due to lack of character, he is not suitable for supreme command. He is not suitable for the Chief of Staff of the Commander-in-Chief, I would not even advise his personal enemy.
According to Piłsudski, general Józef Haller was too much in pursuit of popularity (source:public domain).
Only a good word came up from time to time:
General Haller Stanisław. Fit for an army commander, has no whims about the surroundings and he will manage in any staff. As the Chief of Staff of the Commander-in-Chief, he is a very good and loyal employee.
The Marshal's opinion about Leonard Skierski is unusual - Piłsudski was clearly influenced by his personal charm. "Strength of character and will is always enough to persevere in any situation, while fulfilling the duties of command according to strength and possibilities." But most of the notes are filled with sentences like: "Only fit for dismissal from the army" . Or "I'd be glad if he wasn't in the Polish army." "In my opinion, useless:neither at the front nor at the rear."
Warm words… about bitter enemies
On the one hand, Piłsudski poured venom, but on the other, he was able to appreciate people who were widely regarded as his political opponents. About Władysław Sikorski:“Intelligent, lively mind, light character next to great ambitions. Extremely easy to deal with people whom he skillfully and purposefully uses. Also suitable as chief of staff for the Commander in Chief. ”
There was also a spoonful of tar in the barrel of honey: "Easy to be private and to blame and blame others on others." Sikorski was not the Marshal's candidate for the Commander-in-Chief, but his characteristics are still one of the most flattering in the entire set.
The commandant thought of Kazimierz Sosnkowski even more favorably:
A man with unchanging ability to work without physical fatigue. My candidate for the commander of the army. The shortcomings in terms of operation will be healed quickly. His work to date has accustomed him to measuring the strength of the state in various efforts and to assessing phenomena not strictly military; in this respect, a rare exception among Polish generals.
Candidate for the position of the Chief of Staff of the Commander-in-Chief. One of my candidates for Commander-in-Chief on a very large previous job in operational terms.
Both Sikorski and Sosnkowski performed the functions of the Commander-in-Chief in the fight against exile. The opinion about the third of the Commander-in-Chief - Edward Rydz-Śmigły, the only one who waged a full-scale war - is also flattering:
Strong soldier character, strong will, and calm, even, composed character. In terms of strength of character, he is the highest among Polish generals. Bold ideas do not scare him, failures do not break. j.
Prophetic words?
Śmigły-Rydz was of course one of Piłsudski's candidates for the Commander-in-Chief. Prophetically, however, there are two reservations that he made:" He would not be able to cope with the spoiled and oversized ambitions of the generals at the present time , I am not sure of his operational abilities in terms of the work of the Commander-in-Chief and the ability to measure forces not purely military, but of his entire state and of the enemy ”. Unfortunately, both of these comments were confirmed in the disastrously planned and waged defense war of 1939.
Józef Piłsudski, departing from politics, gave a famous speech during a banquet in the Malinowa hall of the Bristol Hotel, on July 3, 1923 (source:public domain).
Piłsudski would probably not have withdrawn from any word that he wrote down in his characteristics. But on June 11, 1923, in Wojciechowski's office, was he still a sworn soldier of the young state, or maybe when he looked at the president, he had thoughts that he would say only at the beginning of July, when he would resign from all his military functions?
A soldier is called upon to perform heavy duties, sometimes contrary to his conscience, his thoughts, and dear feelings. When I thought for a moment that I would defend these gentlemen, as a soldier, I hesitated in my conscience. And when I hesitated once, I decided that I couldn't be a soldier.
Pitsudski undoubtedly realized that he was not going into a peaceful retirement. He knew that if he was going to ever return to the political scene, he must have the army behind him. This was to be served by the consistently built and cultivated cult of the Commander and by developing the bonds of veterans (especially legions) and active service soldiers. If, however, the generals could be turned against him, these efforts would be in vain.
The list of brigade generals, whom Piłsudski divided into three groups, would be particularly useful for a political action formulated in this way:the first most numerous were officers of "quite average" , in the second he included the officers "whom I want to pay attention to", and in the third ... "obstacles" .
The generals from the third group would do anything not to let Piłsudski come to power, knowing that this would automatically mean the end of their career. A skillful and opposed to Piłsudski politician, he would probably also be able to win over those from the first group to his side. In practice, Piłsudski gave the army, and especially the generals, a devastating opinion on 46 cards. Marshal's enemies would be rubbing their hands at the thought of such a political weapon.
Atomic Weapon of the Twenties
The fact that such thoughts could come to his mind is evidenced by the fact that he changed the order on the envelope, adding a note that the envelope can be opened "with the consent of Marshal J. Piłsudski each time". Wojciechowski did not open the envelope. He didn't play a dirty card against a former political ally. He behaved decently, but was he wise? Should Piłsudski be destroyed to avoid his dictatorship? And did Wojciechowski regret his decision when the Marshal practically forced him to resign on the Poniatowski Bridge?
Piłsudski himself expected the worst:"" Honor and Fatherland ". Are you looking for honor? You will find your heir also in the mud, in the native mud! He was made to drink the mud. Such is the fate of the commander-in-chief of Poland without honor. A Poland whose heart cannot tremble. Gentlemen, this symbol of the commander-in-chiefs of Poland, necessarily dying in the mud, is the history of Poland to date. When I look at this monument I say:And I'm going to the mud. ”
Bibliography:
- Mieczysław Cieplewicz, Polish Generals in J. Piłsudski's Opinion , "Military Historical Review", January-March 1966, No. 1 (37), pp. 316-337.
- Piłsudski to read , edited by Z. Najder and R. Kuźniar, Krakow 2016.