Marshal of Poland

Marshal of Poland
NATO	OF-10

Rydz-Śmigły receiving the Marshal's buława (mace) from Polish President Ignacy Mościcki, Warsaw, November 10, 1936.

Marshal of Poland (Marszałek Polski) is the highest rank in the Polish Army. It has been granted to only six officers. At present, this rank is equivalent to a Field Marshal or General of the Army (OF-10) in other NATO armies.

History

There are today no living Marshals of Poland, since this rank is bestowed only on military commanders who have achieved victory in war. Recently, however, the rank of four-star with modernized name Generał has been introduced, and on August 15, 2002, was granted to Czesław Piątas, at present civilian, former Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Poland. In all, the following persons have served as Marshals of Poland.

• 1920 - Józef Piłsudski (1867–1935)
• 1922 - Marshal of France Ferdinand Foch (1851–1929) - French General who was supreme commander of the Allied armies of World War I on the Western Front, also made an honorary British Field Marshal
• 1936 - Edward Rydz-Śmigły (1881–1941)

Soldiers of the LWP (Polish People's Army) with Marshal-of-Poland rank:

• 1945 - Michał Rola-Żymierski (1890–1989)
• 1949 - Konstanty Rokossowski (1896–1968) (also Marshal of the Soviet Union)
• 1963 - Marian Spychalski (1906–1980)

Wojciech Jaruzelski, despite colleagues' encouragement in the 1980s, declined promotion to Marshal of Poland (most likely because of Marshal Marian Spychalski).

See also

• Marshal
• Poland