Marshal of Poland
NATO	OF-10

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

Field Marshal

Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...

 or General of the Army

General of the Army

General of the Army is a military rank used in some countries to denote a senior military leader, usually a General in command of a nation's Army. It may also be the title given to a General who commands an Army in the field....

 (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

Polish Armed Forces

Siły Zbrojne Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej are the national defense forces of Poland...

.

In all, the following persons have served as Marshal

Marshal

Marshal , is a word used in several official titles of various branches of society. The word is an ancient loan word from Old French, cf...

s of Poland

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...

.

• 1920 - Józef Piłsudski (1867–1935)
• 1922 - Ferdinand Foch
  Ferdinand Foch
  Ferdinand Foch , GCB, OM, DSO was a French soldier, war hero, military theorist, and writer credited with possessing "the most original and subtle mind in the French army" in the early 20th century. He served as general in the French army during World War I and was made Marshal of France in its...
  
   (1851–1929) (also Marshal of France
  Marshal of France
  The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
  
   and British Field Marshal
  Field Marshal (UK)
  Field Marshal is the highest military rank of the British Army. It ranks immediately above the rank of General and is the Army equivalent of an Admiral of the Fleet and a Marshal of the Royal Air Force....
  
  )
• 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
  Konstantin Rokossovsky
  Konstantin Rokossovskiy was a Polish-origin Soviet career officer who was a Marshal of the Soviet Union, as well as Marshal of Poland and Polish Defence Minister, who was famously known for his service in the Eastern Front, where he received high esteem for his outstanding military skill...
  
   (1896–1968) (also Marshal of the Soviet Union
  Marshal of the Soviet Union
  Marshal of the Soviet Union was the de facto highest military rank of the Soviet Union. ....
  
  )
• 1963 - Marian Spychalski
  Marian Spychalski
  Marian "Marek" Spychalski was a Polish architect, military commander, and communist politician.Born to a working-class family in Łódź, he graduated from the Faculty of Architecture at the Warsaw University of Technology in 1931...
  
   (1906–1980)

Wojciech Jaruzelski

Wojciech Jaruzelski

Wojciech Witold Jaruzelski is a retired Polish military officer and Communist politician. He was the last Communist leader of Poland from 1981 to 1989, Prime Minister from 1981 to 1985 and the country's head of state from 1985 to 1990. He was also the last commander-in-chief of the Polish People's...

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

Marian Spychalski

Marian "Marek" Spychalski was a Polish architect, military commander, and communist politician.Born to a working-class family in Łódź, he graduated from the Faculty of Architecture at the Warsaw University of Technology in 1931...

).

See also

• Marshal
  Marshal
  Marshal , is a word used in several official titles of various branches of society. The word is an ancient loan word from Old French, cf...
  
  
• Poland
  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...