Józef Piłsudski

Józef Piłsudski
Chief of State Chief of State of the Second Republic of Poland
In office 14 November 1918 – 11 December 1922
Prime Minister	Ignacy Daszyński, Jędrzej Moraczewski, Ignacy Jan Paderewski, Leopold Skulski, Władysław Grabski, Wincenty Witos, Antoni Ponikowski, Artur Śliwiński, Julian Nowak
Preceded by	Independence (eventually Regency Council)
Succeeded by	Gabriel Narutowicz (President)
Prime Minister of Poland 20th Prime Minister of the Second Republic of Poland
In office 15 August 1930 – 4 December 1930
President	Ignacy Mościcki
Preceded by	Walery Sławek
Succeeded by	Walery Sławek
Prime Minister of Poland 15th Prime Minister of the Second Republic of Poland
In office 2 October 1926 – 27 June 1928
President	Ignacy Mościcki
Preceded by	Kazimierz Bartel
Succeeded by	Kazimierz Bartel
General Inspector of the Armed Forces 1st General Inspector of the Armed Forces
In office 27 August 1926 – 12 May 1935
President	Ignacy Mościcki
Preceded by	(post created)
Succeeded by	Edward Śmigły-Rydz
7th Minister of Military Affairs
In office 16 May 1926 – 12 May 1935
President	Maciej Rataj (acting) Ignacy Mościcki
Prime Minister	Kazimierz Bartel, Himself, Kazimierz Świtalski, Walery Sławek, Aleksander Prystor, Janusz Jędrzejewicz, Leon Kozłowski, Marian Zyndram-Kościałkowski
Preceded by	Juliusz Tarnawa-Malczewski
Succeeded by	Tadeusz Kasprzycki
Personal details
Born	Józef Klemens Piłsudski (1867-12-05)5 December 1867 Zułów (Lithuanian: Zalavas), Vilna Governorate, Russian Empire
Died	12 May 1935(1935-05-12) (aged 67) Warsaw, Poland
Political party	None (formerly PPS)
Spouse(s)	Maria Koplewska (m.1899-d.1921) Aleksandra Szczerbinska (m.1921–1935)
Children	Wanda Jadwiga
Religion	Roman Catholicism
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	Second Polish Republic
Service/branch	Polish Legions Polish Army
Years of service	1914–1923 1926–1935
Rank	Marshal of Poland
Battles/wars	World War I Polish–Ukrainian War Polish–Lithuanian War Polish–Soviet War

Józef Klemens Piłsudski (Polish: [ˈjuzɛf ˈklɛmɛns pʲiwˈsutski]; 5 December 1867 – 12 May 1935) was a Polish statesman; he was Chief of State (1918–22), "First Marshal of Poland" (from 1920), and de facto leader (1926–35) of the Second Polish Republic, Minister of Military Affairs. From mid-World War I he had a major influence in Poland's politics, and was an important figure on the European political scene. He was the person most responsible for the creation of the Second Polish Republic in 1918, 123 years after it had been taken over by Russia, Austria and Prussia.

Describing himself as a descendant of the culture and traditions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Piłsudski believed in a multicultural Poland - a home of nations, recognizing numerous ethnic and religious nationalities and finally existing in strong historical alliance with independent states of Lithuania and Ukraine. His main opponent Roman Dmowski by contrast called for an independent state of Poland narrowed to the lands of historical Crown and founded mainly on an ethnically Polish demos and Roman Catholic identity.

Early in his political career, Piłsudski became a leader of the Polish Socialist Party. Concluding 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 under Austrian army control against Russia. In 1917, with Russia faring badly in the war, he withdrew his support from the Central Powers and was arrested by the Germans.

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