Jozéf Pisudski, the political and military leader who championed Polish independence during the First World War, has been honoured with a statue in the city of Kielce.
The monument was dedicated on August 12th 2014 to mark the centenary of riflemen under his command entering Kielce in southern Poland, then under Russian rule.
Marshal Pisudski saw the war, and defeat of Russia, as an opportunity to start a national uprising and restore his country’s sovereignty.
Having lost its independence at the end of the 18th century, Poland in 1914 was divided between the Tsarist, German and Austrian Empires.
The Polish Legions were formed in August 1914, with Austrian backing, to fight the Russians who were allied with Britain and France in the conflict against Germany and Austria-Hungary.
Marshal Pisudski became Chief of State of the newly independent Poland when the First World War ended in November 1918.
Several hundred guests attended the unveiling of his equestrian statue overlooking Freedom Square in Kielce. They included Karolina Kaczorowska, widow of the last President of Poland in exile before the end of communist rule and restoration of full democracy in 1990.
More details can be found (in Polish) on the Kielce City Hall website here
Sources: Kielce City Hall, Wikipedia
Images courtesy of Andrzej Mynarczyk/ Kielce City Hall
Posted by: Peter Alhadeff, Centenary News