Brigade I of the Polish Legions was a unit of Austro-Hungarian Army

Austro-Hungarian Army

The Austro-Hungarian Army was the ground force of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy from 1867 to 1918. It was composed of three parts: the joint army , the Austrian Landwehr , and the Hungarian Honvédség .In the wake of fighting between the...

, manned by Austrian Poles, part of the Polish Legions in World War I

Polish Legions in World War I

Polish Legions was the name of Polish armed forces created in August 1914 in Galicia. Thanks to the efforts of KSSN and the Polish members of the Austrian parliament, the unit became an independent formation of the Austro-Hungarian Army...

, existing from 1914 to 1917.

History

The First Brigade was formed on December 19, 1914, as part of the Polish Legions in World War I

Polish Legions in World War I

Polish Legions was the name of Polish armed forces created in August 1914 in Galicia. Thanks to the efforts of KSSN and the Polish members of the Austrian parliament, the unit became an independent formation of the Austro-Hungarian Army...

. Until October 1916 the First Brigade was commanded by Józef Piłsudski, thereafter by Marian Żegota-Januszajtis. The First Brigade and the Third Brigade

Brigade III of the Polish Legions

Brigade III of the Polish Legions was a unit of the Austro-Hungarian Army, manned by Austrian Poles. It was formed in 1915, existed till 1917, and was a part of the Polish Legions in World War I.-History:...

 were disbanded after the 1917 Oath Crisis

Oath crisis

The Oath crisis was a World War I political conflict between the Imperial German Army command and the Józef Piłsudski-led Polish Legions.Initially supporting the Central Powers against Imperial Russia, Piłsudski wanted to defeat one of the partitioning powers with the hands of the two remaining...

.

The March of the First Brigade

My, Pierwsza Brygada

My, Pierwsza Brygada , also known as Marsz Pierwszej Brygady and Legiony to żołnierska nuta , was one of the best-known songs of the Polish Legions formed during World War I by Józef Piłsudski.Extolling the First Brigade of the Polish Legions the song is considered an important...

 was one of the best-known songs of the Polish Legions.

Combat

Major battles fought by the First Brigade included:

• battle of Łowczówek
  Battle of Łowczówek
  Battle of Łowczówek was a battle during World War I, fought on 22–25 December, between the First Brigade of the Polish Legion, fighting for Austria-Hungary, and troops of Imperial Russia...
  
   (December 22–25, 1914)
• battle of Konary
  Battle of Konary
  Konary is a small village in the region of Sandomierz Uplands, near the town of Klimontów, Poland.-History:During the Great War, in May and June 1915 it was a site of a major battle between the Russian Army and the forces of Józef Piłsudski's Polish Legions...
  
   (May 16–25, 1915)
• battle of Jastków (July 30 – August 3, 1915)
• battle of Kamionka (August 4–7, 1915)
• battle of Kostiuchnówka
  Battle of Kostiuchnówka
  The Battle of Kostiuchnówka took place from July 4 to July 6, 1916, near the village of Kostiuchnówka and the Styr River, in the Volhynia region of modern Ukraine, then part of the Russian Empire...
  
   (July 4-6, 1916)

Organization

The First Brigade comprised 3 infantry regiments (the 1st, 5th and 7th), a cavalry regiment (the 1st), artillery battalions, and support units.

Composition

The First Brigade consisted mostly of young soldiers of intelligentsia origin from Congress Poland

Congress Poland

The Kingdom of Poland , informally known as Congress Poland , created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna, was a personal union of the Russian parcel of Poland with the Russian Empire...

. Unlike regular military units characterised by military drill, relations between First Brigade soldiers and officers were collegial. The unit was inspired by Napoleonic-era ideas and the Polish uprisings, especially the January Uprising

January Uprising

The January Uprising was an uprising in the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth against the Russian Empire...

 of 1863. Another characteristic of the First Brigade was its total devotion to commander Józef Piłsudski, seen as the only military, moral and political authority by his soldiers.

Many writers, painters and other personalities of cultural life, served in the First Brigade. They include Wacław Sieroszewski, Andrzej Strug

Andrzej Strug

Andrzej Strug, real name Tadeusz Gałecki was a Polish socialist politician, publicist and activist for Poland's independence....

, Gustaw Daniłowski, Włodzimierz Tetmajer or Juliusz Kaden-Bandrowski

Juliusz Kaden-Bandrowski

Juliusz Kaden-Bandrowski was a Polish journalist and novelist.-Life:Juliusz Kazimierz Kaden-Bandrowski studied piano at conservatories in Lwów, Kraków and Leipzig...

.