Juliusz Rómmel
Encyclopedia
Juliusz Karol Wilhelm Józef Rómmel ' onMouseout='HidePop("95366")' href="/topics/Warsaw">Warsaw
) was a Polish
military commander and a general of the Polish Army. During the Polish-Bolshevik War, he gained great fame for achieving a decisive victory in the Battle of Komarów
, the largest cavalry engagement of the 20th century. A commander of two Polish armies during the Polish Defensive War
of 1939, Rómmel was one of the most controversial of the generals to serve during that conflict. He was also a distant relative of the future German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel
.
and reached the rank of colonel. During the Great War
, he served as the commanding officer of the 1st Artillery Brigade. In 1917, he was transferred to the Polish II Corps being formed in the area of Ukraine
and became one of its organizers. During the Russian Civil War
, he commanded the Polish Light Brigade, a part of General Zeligowski's
4th Rifle Division. Interned by Austria-Hungary
, in 1918 he joined the Polish Army.
, during the Polish-Bolshevik War, he created and commanded the 1st Cavalry Division
. In that post, he won a striking victory against Semyon Budyonny
in the Battle of Komarów
on , in which Budyonny lost an estimated 4,000 men. Rómmel's victory in the largest cavalry battle in the 20th century later added to his popularity and fame in Poland. In September 1920, he also fought with distinction in the ranks of Haller's Operational Group
of Sikorski's 3rd Army during the Battle of the Niemen River
.
and continued serving in the army in various command posts. He continued to command his wartime unit until 1924. Then, between 1926 and, 1939 he was an army inspector in the General Inspectorate of the Armed Forces
. In 1928, he was promoted to the rank of general dywizji (lieutenant general).
Under still uncertain circumstances, Rómmel and his staff were separated from his army and headed for Warsaw, arriving on the night of 7–8 September. The Commander-in-Chief, Edward Rydz-Śmigły, (then in Brześć), gave him command over all the Polish forces in the ad-hoc Warsaw Army, which included the Warsaw Defense Force under General Walerian Czuma
and the Modlin Fortress
defense force under General Wiktor Thommée
. Rydz-Śmigły gave him a signed order to "..defend the city as long as ammunition and food lasts, to hold as many of the enemy forces as possible."
He signed all the proclamations to the civilian population, as well as the final act of capitulation of Warsaw on 28 September. Before the surrender, Rómmel authorized Gen. Michał Karaszewicz-Tokarzewski to create the Służba Zwycięstwu Polski.
He spent the rest of the war interned in German POW camps
, the final years in Oflag VII-A Murnau
. Liberated by the US 12th Armored Division in April 1945, he was not welcome in the Polish II Corps and decided to return to Poland. Because of that, he was praised by communist propaganda as a war hero. He was also awarded with the Commander's Cross of Virtuti Militari
.
In 1947, he retired from the army and spent the rest of his life writing books. His role during the September Campaign and after has raised controversy.
Order of the Virtuti Militari, Commander's Cross
Order of the Virtuti Militari, Golden Cross
Order of the Virtuti Militari, Silver Cross
Order of Polonia Restituta, Commander's Cross with Star
Order of Polonia Restituta, Commander's Cross
Order of the Cross of Grunwald II class
Cross of Valour, IV award
Cross of Valour, I award
Gold Cross of Merit
Grand officier de la Légion d'honneur
Commandeur de la Légion d'honneur
Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur
Order of Lāčplēsis II class
was also an officer of the Polish Army and a bronze medalist in equestrian eventing team
at the 1928 Summer Olympics
in Amsterdam
.
|year=1984 |isbn=8-37006-152-4}}) |last2=Żurakowski |first2=Stanisław |authorlink2=Stanisław_Żurakowski |publisher=Editions Spotkania |location=Warszawa
|year=1991 |origyear=London, Nakładem autorów, 1976 |isbn= |oclc=24935744}}) |publisher=Wydawnictwo Iskry |location=Warszawa
|year=1958}}) |publisher=Rytm |location=Warszawa
|year=2004 |isbn= }}) |publisher=KAW |location=Warszawa
|year=2001 |isbn=8-38807-253-6}}
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
) was a Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
military commander and a general of the Polish Army. During the Polish-Bolshevik War, he gained great fame for achieving a decisive victory in the Battle of Komarów
Battle of Komarów
The Battle of Komarów was one of the most important battles of the Polish-Bolshevik War. It took place on August 31, 1920, near the village of Komarowo near Zamość...
, the largest cavalry engagement of the 20th century. A commander of two Polish armies during the Polish Defensive War
Invasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
of 1939, Rómmel was one of the most controversial of the generals to serve during that conflict. He was also a distant relative of the future German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel
Erwin Rommel
Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel , popularly known as the Desert Fox , was a German Field Marshal of World War II. He won the respect of both his own troops and the enemies he fought....
.
Early military career
Rómmel graduated from the Konstantin's Artillery School in St. Petersburg in 1903. He served in the Russian ArmyImperial Russian Army
The Imperial Russian Army was the land armed force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian army consisted of around 938,731 regular soldiers and 245,850 irregulars . Until the time of military reform of Dmitry Milyutin in...
and reached the rank of colonel. During the Great War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he served as the commanding officer of the 1st Artillery Brigade. In 1917, he was transferred to the Polish II Corps being formed in the area of Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
and became one of its organizers. During the Russian Civil War
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
, he commanded the Polish Light Brigade, a part of General Zeligowski's
Lucjan Zeligowski
Lucjan Żeligowski , was a Polish general, and veteran of World War I, the Polish-Soviet War and World War II. He is mostly remembered for his role in Żeligowski's Mutiny and as head of a short-lived Republic of Central Lithuania.-Biography:...
4th Rifle Division. Interned by Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
, in 1918 he joined the Polish Army.
The Polish-Bolshevik War
Initially a commanding officer of the 1st Legions Infantry DivisionPolish 1st Legions Infantry Division
Polish 1st Legions Infantry Division was a tactical unit of the Polish Army between the World Wars. Formed on February 20, 1919, partially of veterans of the I Brigade of the Polish Legions, the unit saw extensive action during the Polish-Bolshevik War and World War II.As one of the most...
, during the Polish-Bolshevik War, he created and commanded the 1st Cavalry Division
1st Cavalry Division (Polish)
The Polish 1st Cavalry Division was a tactical unit of the Polish Army between the World Wars...
. In that post, he won a striking victory against Semyon Budyonny
Semyon Budyonny
Semyon Mikhailovich Budyonny , sometimes transliterated as Budennyj, Budyonnyy, Budennii, Budenny, Budyoni, Budyenny, or Budenny, was a Soviet cavalryman, military commander, politician and a close ally of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin.-Early life:...
in the Battle of Komarów
Battle of Komarów
The Battle of Komarów was one of the most important battles of the Polish-Bolshevik War. It took place on August 31, 1920, near the village of Komarowo near Zamość...
on , in which Budyonny lost an estimated 4,000 men. Rómmel's victory in the largest cavalry battle in the 20th century later added to his popularity and fame in Poland. In September 1920, he also fought with distinction in the ranks of Haller's Operational Group
Operational Group
Operational Group was the highest level of tactical division of the Polish Army before and during World War II and the Invasion of Poland. It was corps-sized, although various Operational Groups varied in size....
of Sikorski's 3rd Army during the Battle of the Niemen River
Battle of the Niemen River
The Battle of the Niemen River was the second-greatest battle of the Polish-Soviet War. It took place near the middle Neman River between the cities of Suwałki, Grodno and Białystok...
.
Interwar period
After the war, in 1922, he was promoted to the rank of brigadier generalBrigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
and continued serving in the army in various command posts. He continued to command his wartime unit until 1924. Then, between 1926 and, 1939 he was an army inspector in the General Inspectorate of the Armed Forces
General Inspector of the Armed Forces
General Inspector of the Armed Forces was an office created in Poland in 1926. The General Inspector reported directly to the President, and was not responsible to the Sejm or the government. In the event of war, the General Inspector was to become the Commander-in-Chief.-See also:*Captain...
. In 1928, he was promoted to the rank of general dywizji (lieutenant general).
World War II and retirement
In March 1939, he was given command of the Łódź Army, a Polish tactical group that was to link the southern and northern flanks of the Polish Army during the probable war with Germany. He positioned his forces close to the border with Germany. When the Polish Defensive War finally broke out on 1 September 1939, this proved to be a fatal move. Without any natural defences, Rómmel's army was easily outmanouevred and cut out from the rest of the Polish forces, without much chance to act as a pivot of the Polish defences or even withdraw.Under still uncertain circumstances, Rómmel and his staff were separated from his army and headed for Warsaw, arriving on the night of 7–8 September. The Commander-in-Chief, Edward Rydz-Śmigły, (then in Brześć), gave him command over all the Polish forces in the ad-hoc Warsaw Army, which included the Warsaw Defense Force under General Walerian Czuma
Walerian Czuma
Walerian Czuma was a Polish general and military commander. He is notable for his command over a Polish unit in Siberia during the Russian Civil War and the commander of the defence of Warsaw during the siege of that city in 1939.-Biography:...
and the Modlin Fortress
Modlin Fortress
Modlin Fortress is one of the biggest 19th century fortresses in Poland. It is located the town of Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki in district Modlin on the Narew river, some 50 kilometres north of Warsaw...
defense force under General Wiktor Thommée
Wiktor Thommée
Wiktor Thommée was a Polish military commander and a Brigadier General of the Polish Army. A veteran of the Great War and the Russian Civil War, he is best known for his command over Piotrków Operational Group and the battle of the Bzura during the Polish Defensive War of 1939.- Early life :Wiktor...
. Rydz-Śmigły gave him a signed order to "..defend the city as long as ammunition and food lasts, to hold as many of the enemy forces as possible."
He signed all the proclamations to the civilian population, as well as the final act of capitulation of Warsaw on 28 September. Before the surrender, Rómmel authorized Gen. Michał Karaszewicz-Tokarzewski to create the Służba Zwycięstwu Polski.
He spent the rest of the war interned in German POW camps
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
, the final years in Oflag VII-A Murnau
Oflag VII-A Murnau
Oflag VII-A Murnau was a German Army POW camp for Polish Army officers and generals during World War II. It was located in the Bavarian town of Murnau am Staffelsee....
. Liberated by the US 12th Armored Division in April 1945, he was not welcome in the Polish II Corps and decided to return to Poland. Because of that, he was praised by communist propaganda as a war hero. He was also awarded with the Commander's Cross of Virtuti Militari
Virtuti Militari
The Order Wojenny Virtuti Militari is Poland's highest military decoration for heroism and courage in the face of the enemy at war...
.
In 1947, he retired from the army and spent the rest of his life writing books. His role during the September Campaign and after has raised controversy.
Honours and awards
Order of the Virtuti Militari, Commander's CrossVirtuti Militari
The Order Wojenny Virtuti Militari is Poland's highest military decoration for heroism and courage in the face of the enemy at war...
Order of the Virtuti Militari, Golden Cross
Virtuti Militari
The Order Wojenny Virtuti Militari is Poland's highest military decoration for heroism and courage in the face of the enemy at war...
Order of the Virtuti Militari, Silver CrossVirtuti Militari
The Order Wojenny Virtuti Militari is Poland's highest military decoration for heroism and courage in the face of the enemy at war...
Order of Polonia Restituta, Commander's Cross with Star Order of Polonia Restituta, Commander's Cross Order of the Cross of Grunwald II classCross of Valour, IV award
Cross of Valour, I award Gold Cross of Merit
Grand officier de la Légion d'honneur Commandeur de la Légion d'honneur Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur Order of Lāčplēsis II classOrder of Lacplesis
The Order of Lāčplēsis, the first and the highest Latvian military award, was established in 1919 on the initiative of the Commander of Latvian Army, during the Latvian War of Independence, Jānis Balodis. The Lāčplēsis Order is awarded in the first, second and third class. Initially, a holder of...
Relatives
His brother Karol RómmelKarol Rómmel
Karol Rómmel was a Polish and Russian military officer, sportsman and horse rider. He competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics , the 1924 Summer Olympics, and in the 1928 Summer Olympics...
was also an officer of the Polish Army and a bronze medalist in equestrian eventing team
Equestrian at the 1928 Summer Olympics
The Equestrian Events at the 1928 Summer Olympics included Dressage, Eventing, and Show Jumping. All three disciplines had both individual and team competitions. The competitions were held from August 8, 1928 to August 12, 1928.-Medal summary:...
at the 1928 Summer Olympics
1928 Summer Olympics
The 1928 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1928 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Amsterdam had bid for the 1920 and 1924 Olympic Games, but had to give way to war-victim Antwerp, Belgium, and Pierre de...
in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
.
in Polish
) |edition=2nd |publisher=Znak |location=WarszawaWarsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
|year=1984 |isbn=8-37006-152-4}}) |last2=Żurakowski |first2=Stanisław |authorlink2=Stanisław_Żurakowski |publisher=Editions Spotkania |location=Warszawa
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
|year=1991 |origyear=London, Nakładem autorów, 1976 |isbn= |oclc=24935744}}) |publisher=Wydawnictwo Iskry |location=Warszawa
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
|year=1958}}) |publisher=Rytm |location=Warszawa
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
|year=2004 |isbn= }}) |publisher=KAW |location=Warszawa
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
|year=2001 |isbn=8-38807-253-6}}