Ludwik Czyżewski

Ludwik Czyżewski
Nickname(s)Julian
Dalia
Wiktor
Franciszek
Beskid
Born(1892-10-08)October 8, 1892
Wiszniów, Galicia-Lodomeria, Austria-Hungary
DiedMarch 25, 1985(1985-03-25) (aged 92)
Wrocław, Wrocław Voivodeship, Poland
Allegiance Austria-Hungary
 Poland
Branch Austro-Hungarian Army
Polish Armed Forces
Home Army
Years of service1914 – 1945
Rank Brigadier General
Commands held2nd Legions' Infantry Regiment
Battles/warsWorld War I
Polish–Soviet War
World War II

Ludwik Czyżewski was a Polish General during the Invasion of Poland during World War II. He commanded the 2nd Legions' Infantry Regiment during the Battle of Borowa Góra but was defeated in the battle. He was also a member of the Border Protection Corps as well as the Home Army before being posthumously promoted to Brigadier General in 1972 by the President-in-Exile, Stanisław Ostrowski.

Biography

In 1911, he passed his secondary school examination at the Brzeżany Gymnasium [pl].[1] He then studied medicine in Lviv, where he was active in the Active Combat Association and the Riflemen's Association. In 1914, he was conscripted into the Austro-Hungarian Army. He fought on the Eastern and Italian fronts as a company commander.[2] Its parent unit was the 100th Infantry Regiment. During his service in the Austro-Hungarian Army, he was promoted to second lieutenant on September 1, 1915, and lieutenant on November 1, 1917.[3][4] In October 1918, he created the village of The Polish branch in Ljubljana, headed by a return to Poland.

From November 1918 in the Polish Armed Forces, he co-founded the 9th Infantry Regiment (later the 26th Infantry Regiment), a company commander, and then battalion commander and was promoted to captain on June 1, 1919. He then participated in the Silesian Uprisings and then in the Polish-Soviet War. In the period October 1920 – 1922 in the Ministry of Military Affairs. In 1922, he was in a course for staff officers at the Infantry Training Center and from 1923 to 1924, he was a battalion commander in the 25th Infantry Regiment. Czyżewski was promoted to Major on August 15, 1924, and in 1928, he was quartermaster of the 25th Infantry Regiment.[2] On March 31, 1930, he was transferred to the Border Protection Corps to the position of the commander of the Bereźne Battalion [pl].[5] He was then promoted to lieutenant colonel with seniority on January 1, 1931, in the corps of infantry officers. On March 23, 1932, he was transferred to the 2nd Legions' Infantry Regiment in Sandomierz to the position of deputy regiment commander.[6][7] In 1935, he took command of this regiment and commanded it during the Invasion of Poland.[2] He was promoted to colonel with seniority on January 1, 1937, in the corps of infantry officers.[8]

After the Third Reich's invasion of Poland, on September 5, 1939, he commanded the Polish forces at the Battle of Borowa Góra. He fought until September 28 after he surrendered during the Battle of Modlin.

During the German occupation, he did not go into captivity and was an active member of the SZP, ZWZ and the Home Army. He was the commandant of the Home Army Łódź District and the commandant of the Home Army Lviv District.

After the war, he initially worked as a teacher at a school in Adamki in the Kalisz poviat. In 1946, he came out of hiding and returned to his family. He moved to Wrocław, where he worked on the reconstruction of the town hall, then at Książnica-Atlas [pl] in Wrocław, before retiring in 1968 as the director of the institution.

He was buried in the Old Cemetery in Piotrków Trybunalski.[2]

Czyżewski was also an author of memoirs about the defense of Modlin as well as the brother of Julian Czyżewski.[9]

The President of the Republic of Poland in exile appointed a brigadier general with seniority on May 3, 1972, in the corps of generals.[8]

Awards

Foreign Awards

  • Austria-Hungary: Military Merit Medal, Bronze Medal of Military Merit with swords on the ribbon
  • Austria-Hungary: Medal for Bravery, Gold Cross[11]
  • Austria-Hungary: Medal for Bravery, Silver Cross[11]
  • Austria-Hungary: Medal for Bravery, Bronze Cross[11]
  • Austria-Hungary: Karl Troop Cross[11]

References

  1. ^ Sprawozdanie Dyrekcyi C. K. Gimnazyum Wyższego w Brzeżanach za rok szkolny 1910/11. Brzeżany. 1911. pp. 113, 114.
  2. ^ a b c d Bielski 1991, p. 376.
  3. ^ Lista starszeństwa c. i k. Armii 1917, p. 219, 632.
  4. ^ Lista starszeństwa c. i k. Armii 1918, p. 237, 800.
  5. ^ Dziennik Personalny MSWojsk., Nr 8 z 31 marca 1930 roku, p. 124.
  6. ^ Dziennik Personalny MSWojsk., Nr 6 z 23 marca 1930 roku, p. 254.
  7. ^ Rocznik Oficerski 1932, p. 24, 532.
  8. ^ a b Kryska-Karski & Żurakowski 1991, p. 85.
  9. ^ Jan Harasimowicz (2006). Encyklopedia Wrocławia. Vol. III. Wrocław: Wydawnictwo Dolnośląskie. p. 133. ISBN 83-7384-561-5.
  10. ^ M.P. z 1932 r. Nr 12, poz. 16.
  11. ^ a b c d Lista starszeństwa c. i k. Armii 1918, p. 800.

Bibliography

  • Bielski, Mieczysław (1991). Grupa Operacyjna „Piotrków” 1939 (in Polish). Warsaw: Wydawnictwo Bellona. ISBN 83-11-07836-X.
  • Ranglisten des kaiserlichen und königlichen Heeres 1917. Wiedeń. 1917.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Ranglisten des kaiserlichen und königlichen Heeres 1918. Wiedeń: Nadworna i Państwowa Drukarnia. 1918.
  • "Dziennik Personalny Ministerstwa Spraw Wojskowych". Retrieved February 9, 2019.
  • Rocznik Oficerski 1923. Warsaw: Ministerstwo Spraw Wojskowych. 1923.
  • Rocznik Oficerski 1924. Warsaw: Ministerstwo Spraw Wojskowych. 1924.
  • Rocznik Oficerski 1928. Warsaw: Ministerstwo Spraw Wojskowych. 1928.
  • Rocznik Oficerski 1932. Warsaw: Ministerstwo Spraw Wojskowych. 1932.
  • Ludwik Czyżewski, Od Gór Borowskich do Zakroczymia, Wydawnictwo MON, Warszawa 1982, ISBN 83-11-06741-4
  • Ludwik Czyżewski, Wspomnienia dowódcy obrony Zakroczymia w 1939 r., Mazowiecki Ośrodek Badań Naukowych - Biblioteczka Mazowiecka Nr 3, Książka i Wiedza, Warszawa 1973.
  • Kryska-Karski, Tadeusz; Żurakowski, Stanisław (1991). Generałowie Polski niepodległej. Warsaw: Editions Spotkania.
  • Kosk, Henryk Piotr (1998). Generalicja polska. Popularny słownik biograficzny: A–T. Vol. 1. Pruszków: Oficyna Wydawnicza „Ajaks”. ISBN 8387103551.