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>
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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>
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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>
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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>
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