Józef Piłsudski (1867–1935) was Chief of State (1918–22), "First Marshal", and authoritarian leader of the Second Polish Republic. From mid-World War I he was a major influence in Poland's politics, and an important figure on the European political scene. He is considered largely responsible for Poland regaining independence in 1918, after 123 years of partitions. Early in his political career, Piłsudski became a leader of the Polish Socialist Party. Concluding, however, that Poland's independence would have to be won by force of arms, he created the Polish Legions. In 1914 he anticipated the outbreak of a European war, the Russian Empire's defeat by the Central Powers, and the Central Powers' defeat by the western powers. When World War I broke out, he and his Legions fought alongside the Austro-Hungarian and German Empires to ensure Russia's defeat. In 1917, with Russia faring badly in the war, he withdrew his support from the Central Powers. From November 1918, when Poland regained independence, until 1922, Piłsudski was Poland's Chief of State. In 1919–21 he commanded Poland's forces in the Polish-Soviet War. In 1923, with the Polish government dominated by his opponents, particularly the National Democrats, he withdrew from active politics. Three years later he returned to power with the May 1926 coup d'état, and became the de facto dictator of Poland. From then until his death in 1935, he concerned himself primarily with military and foreign affairs.

Read the rest of this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%B3zef_Pi%C5%82sudski

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1242:

Northern Crusades: In the Battle of the Ice, Novgorod forces led by Alexander Nevsky rebuffed an invasion attempt by the Teutonic Knights at Lake Peipus on the present-day border of Estonia and Russia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Ice

1614:

Native American Pocahontas married English colonist John Rolfe in Virginia, and was christened Lady Rebecca. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pocahontas

1862:

American Civil War: Union Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan's Army of the Potomac engaged Confederate forces led by Maj. Gen. John B. Magruder at the Battle of Yorktown in Yorktown, Virginia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Yorktown_%281862%29

1976:

The Tiananmen Incident, a protest against the repression of the Chinese regime nearing the end of the Cultural Revolution, took place in Tiananmen Square in Beijing. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiananmen_Incident

1992:

Bosnian War: Serb gunmen killed two people while firing upon a large crowd of anti-war protesters in Sarajevo, marking the start of the four-year-long Siege of Sarajevo. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Sarajevo

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

Paschal Lamb (n): 1. (historical) The lamb eaten at Passover. 2. (figuratively) Jesus Christ, symbolized as a sacrifice. 3. (heraldry) A lamb depicted with nimbus and bearing a flag http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Paschal_Lamb

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

God's own hand

Holds fast all issues of our deeds: with him The end of all our ends is, but with us

Our ends are, just or unjust: though our works Find righteous or unrighteous judgment, this

At least is ours, to make them righteous. --Algernon Charles Swinburne http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Algernon_Charles_Swinburne