Pisudski

Józef Klemens Piłsudski (5 December 1867 – 12 May 1935) was a Polish statesman and military leader who played a central role in reestablishing Poland as an independent state and shaping its early interwar period. Born in Zalavas, then part of the Russian Empire, he became involved in nationalist and socialist circles and spent years in exile before emerging as a leading figure of the Polish independence movement. During World War I he organized and led the Polish Legions within the Austro-Hungarian Army, gaining prominence as a national leader.

With the collapse of empires after the war, Piłsudski returned to Poland and, on 11 November 1918, became Chief of State (Naczelnik Państwa) of the newly reconstituted Polish state. He helped establish the country’s institutions and military forces and, in 1920, led Poland to victory in the Polish-Soviet War, a turning point that secured Poland’s eastern borders for the time. He remained the dominant political figure in the early years of the Second Polish Republic and was honored as the First Marshal of Poland.

In 1926 Piłsudski led the May Coup, installing an increasingly centralized and authoritarian regime under the Sanation movement. He held influential positions, including ministerial posts, and retained real power until his death in 1935. His legacy is debated: he is credited with securing Poland’s independence and stabilizing its borders, yet criticized for curtailing democratic processes and fostering personality-driven governance.

Piłsudski’s death in Warsaw in 1935 left a power vacuum that influenced Polish politics in the lead-up to World War II.