Edmund Kalikst Eugeniusz Charaszkiewicz ( "Hahr-ahsh-KYEH-veech," October 14, 1895, Poniec, western Poland — December 22, 1975, London, England) was a Polish military intelligence officer who specialized in irregular warfare. Over the twenty years between the World Wars, using such techniques, he helped set Poland's interwar borders. Also, for a dozen years before World War II, he coordinated Marshal Józef Piłsudski's Promethean movement, aimed at liberating the non-Russian peoples of the Tsarist Russian Empire and the Soviet Union. October 14 is the 287th day of the year (288th in Leap years). ... 1895 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Poniec is a town situated in southern part of Greater Poland Voivodship (since 1999), formerly in Leszno Voivodship (1975-1998), in Poland. ... December 22 is the 356th day of the year (357th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1975 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ... St. ... Military intelligence (abbreviated MI, int. ... Any holder of an office or of a post may bear the title officer. ... Irregular soldiers in Beauharnois, Quebec, 19th century Irregular military refers to any non-standard military. ... World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons like the atom bomb. ... Marshal of Poland (Marszałek Polski) is the highest rank in the Polish Army. ... Term of Office from November 14, 1918 until December 9, 1922 Profession Statesman and military commander Political Party none, see Sanacja for details First Lady Maria Piłsudska Date of Birth December 5, 1867 Place of Birth Zułów, in todays Lithuania Date of Death May 12, 1935 Place of Death... Prometheism (Polish: Prometeizm) was a political project initiated by Polands Józef PiÅ‚sudski. ... Росси́йская Импе́рия, (also Imperial Russia) covers the period of Russian history from the expansion of Russia under Peter the Great into the Russian Empire stretching from the Baltic to the Pacific Ocean, to the deposition of Nicholas II of Russia, the last tsar, at the start of the Russian Revolution...

Early life and career

A century before Charaszkiewicz was born, Poland had in 1795 been wiped from the political map of Europe by her neighbors. In November 1913, Charaszkiewicz, aged 18, joined a Polish patriotic paramilitary organization, the Riflemen's Association. A few days after the outbreak of World War I in August 1914, he enlisted in Józef Piłsudski's Polish Legions. In late 1917 he was inducted into the Polish Auxiliary Corps (the former Second Brigade of the Polish Legions), in which he served till February 1918. He was then released to serve in the German Army. To avoid such service, and because he was liable to arrest and internment as a former Polish Legionnaire, he went into hiding in Kraków, then Warsaw. 1795 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... November is the eleventh month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four Gregorian months with the length of 30 days. ... 1913 is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... A paramilitary is a group of civilians trained and organized in a military fashion. ... An organization is a formal group of people with one or more shared goals. ... World War I was primarily a European conflict with many facets: immense human sacrifice, stalemate trench warfare, and the use of new, devastating weapons - tanks, aircraft, machineguns, and poison gas. ... Note: as an adjective (stressed on the second syllable instead of the first), august means honorable. ... 1914 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... Term of office from November 14, 1918 until December 9, 1922 Profession Statesman and military commander Political party none, see Sanacja for details Spouse Maria PiÅ‚sudska Date of birth December 5, 1867 Place of birth Zułów, in todays Lithuania Date of death May 12, 1935 Place of... Polish Legions (Polish Legiony Polskie) was the name of Polish armed forces created in August of 1914 in Galicia. ... 1917 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... February is the second month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1918 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Motto: none Voivodship Lesser Poland Municipal government Rada miasta Kraków Mayor Jacek Majchrowski Area 326,8 km² Population  - city  - urban  - density 757,500 (2004 est. ... Warsaw (Polish: Warszawa, see also other names, in full The Capital City of Warsaw, Polish: Miasto StoÅ‚eczne Warszawa) is the capital of Poland and its largest city. ...

Just after World War I, in November 1918, Charaszkiewicz joined the Polish Army as a sublieutenant. During the Polish-Soviet War (1919–1921) he fought in Lithuania, and was interned there (July 19 – August 18, 1920) after being taken prisoner by the Lithuanians during the Polish defense of Vilnius. He escaped and returned to the Białystok Rifle Regiment. In February 1921, for conspicuous valor behind Soviet lines, he would be recommended for Poland's highest military decoration, the Virtuti Militari. World War I was primarily a European conflict with many facets: immense human sacrifice, stalemate trench warfare, and the use of new, devastating weapons - tanks, aircraft, machineguns, and poison gas. ... November is the eleventh month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four Gregorian months with the length of 30 days. ... 1918 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Polish Army (Polish Wojsko Polskie) is the name applied to the military forces of Poland. ... Polish-Bolshevik War Conflict Polish-Bolshevik War Date 1919–1921 Place Central and Eastern Europe Result Polish victory The Polish-Soviet War was the war (February 1919 – March 1921) that determined the borders between the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic and Second Polish Republic. ... 1919 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1921 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... July 19 is the 200th day (201st in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 165 days remaining. ... August 18 is the 230th day of the year (231st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1920 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. ... February is the second month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1921 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... A military decoration is a decoration given to military personnel or units for heroism in battle or distinguished service. ... Order Virtuti Militari The Order Virtuti Militari (Latin: For Military Bravery) is Polands highest military decoration for valor in the face of the enemy. ...

Assigned to military intelligence

Meanwhile, on December 15, 1920, Charaszkiewicz was assigned to the Polish General Staff's Section II, or Intelligence — specifically, to its Upper Silesia Plebiscite Department. During the Third Silesian Uprising he served (May 2 — August 15, 1921) as deputy commander of destruction detachments. For his courage and steadfastness in action against the Germans, as he blew up mined structures in the face of withering enemy fire, thereby halting the German advance, he was in February 1922 again recommended for the Virtuti Militari. Military intelligence (abbreviated MI, int. ... December 15 is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1920 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. ... A General Staff is a group of professional military officers who act in a staff or administrative role under the command of a general officer. ... Intelligence has two different common meanings : Intelligence (trait) Animal intelligence Artificial intelligence Intelligence (information gathering) Business intelligence Military espionage This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Upper Silesia (Polish Górny Śląsk, German Oberschlesien, Czech Horní Slezsko) is the south-eastern part of Silesia, a historical and geographical region of Poland (Opole Voivodship and Silesian Voivodship) and of the Czech Republic (Silesian-Moravian Region). ... A referendum (plural: referendums or referenda) or plebiscite is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ... The word department has a number of meanings: It can mean an administrative sector of the government. ... The Third Silesian Uprising (Polish: Trzecie powstanie śląskie) was the last out of three military insurections of the Polish people in the Upper Silesia region against the occupying German/Prussian forces in order to liberate the region and join to Poland, that regained her independence after the World War I... May 2 is the 122nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (123rd in leap years). ... August 15 is the 227th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (228th in leap years), with 138 days remaining. ... 1921 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... A German Thrash metal band formed in Lörrach, Germany in 1983. ... Detachment is a state in where a person becomes separated from his or her environment and its influence. ... February is the second month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1922 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Order Virtuti Militari The Order Virtuti Militari (Latin: For Military Bravery) is Polands highest military decoration for valor in the face of the enemy. ...

Charaszkiewicz would later (February 1940) describe the Polish military-intelligence operation in the Third Silesian Uprising as a model operation of its kind: its objectives were clearly defined; the requisite personnel were skilfully recruited and trained; the necessary explosives, weapons, ammunition, equipment and supplies were smuggled into the operational areas and cached well in advance; and the plans were efficiently and resourcefully executed. He would later favorably contrast the Third Silesian Uprising with the indecisive preparations for, and execution of, Poland's takeover of Zaolzie ("Teschen") 17 years later, in 1938. February is the second month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1940 was a leap year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Zaolzie (Czech Záolší (Zaolží), Slezsko zaolšanské, Polish Zaolzie, Śląsk zaolziański meaning Trans-Olza river) was the area disputed between Poland and Czechoslovakia West of Cieszyn with approximately 906 km² and 258,000 inhabitants. ... Teschen is the German name of the city at the Olza river that is currently divided onto separate towns of Cieszyn in Poland and Český Těšín in the Czech Republic. ... 1938 was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Charaszkiewicz was promoted to lieutenant on June 1, 1919; to captain on July 1, 1925; and to major in 1935. A Lieutenant is a military, paramilitary or police officer. ... June 1 is the 152nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (153rd in leap years), with 213 days remaining. ... 1919 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Captain is both a nautical term and a military rank. ... July 1 is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 183 days remaining. ... 1925 was a common year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... Insignia of an 0-4 in the U.S. Armed Forces In the US Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and the British Army, a major is a commissioned officer superior to a captain and inferior to a lieutenant colonel. ... 1935 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

By 1931, till World War II, he served, last in the rank of major, as chief of "Office 2" (so named in April 1929) of the General Staff's Section II. Office 2 was charged with the planning, preparation and execution of irregular-warfare operations. 1931 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons like the atom bomb. ... April is the fourth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four with the length of 30 days. ... 1929 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

In the face of growing threats from Germany and the USSR, Polish work on organizing a commando network had begun immediately after the wars for Poland's borders following World War I. Charaszkiewicz had been assigned to this network on April 15, 1922. April 15 is the 105th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (106th in leap years). ... 1922 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

Especially after Adolf Hitler's accession to power in 1933, Polish commando networks were vigorously built up. In future military actions, they were meant to paralyze enemy road and rail transportation and destroy enemy military depots. Adolf Hitler (April 20, 1889–April 30, 1945) was the Chancellor of Germany from 1933, and Führer und Reichskanzler (Leader and chancellor) of Germany from 1934, to his death. ... 1933 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Personnel for these networks were recruited with great care. Thanks to this, the intelligence services of Poland's neighbors learned nothing about them until mid-1939, when the rising German threat prompted large-scale Polish commando training, to the detriment of secrecy. 1939 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Major Charaszkiewicz's Office 2 planned and organized commando operations both for peacetime and in the event of war. Centers for such operations were created in Poland as well as in neighboring countries, chiefly Germany and the Soviet Union.

Prometheism

Office 2's programs also included "Promethean operations," conceived by Józef Piłsudski. The idea was to combat Soviet imperialism by supporting irredentist movements among the non-Russian peoples of the Soviet Union. Thus the Prometheists' ultimate goal was nothing less than the dismemberment of the Soviet Union. Prometheism (Polish: Prometeizm) was a political project initiated by Polands Józef PiÅ‚sudski. ... Prometheism (Polish: Prometeizm) was a political project initiated by Polands Józef PiÅ‚sudski. ... Term of office from November 14, 1918 until December 9, 1922 Profession Statesman and military commander Political party none, see Sanacja for details Spouse Maria PiÅ‚sudska Date of birth December 5, 1867 Place of birth Zułów, in todays Lithuania Date of death May 12, 1935 Place of... Irredentism is claiming a right to territories belonging to another state on the grounds of common ethnicity and/or prior historical possession, actual or alleged. ...

As Piłsudski and his adherents (the "Piłsudskiites") exerted a preponderant influence on Poland's government through nearly the entire interwar period, the Promethean agenda became integral to the operations of many Polish public institutions concerned with eastern European affairs.

After Piłsudski's May 1926 coup d'état, Section II intensified its engagement with Prometheism. The movement's leaders included prominent Sanacja figures such as Colonel Walery Sławek and the publicist and Sejm deputy, Tadeusz Hołówko. Great importance was attached to Prometheism by Section II's successive chiefs: Colonel Tadeusz Schaetzel, Colonel Tadeusz Pełczyński, and Lieutenant Colonel Jerzy Englicht. The movement's intelligence operations were directed by Edmund Charaszkiewicz. Contacts were maintained with Ukrainians and Cossacks, and with representatives of several peoples of the Caucasus: Azeris, Armenians and Georgians. May Coup (Polish: Przewrót majowy or zamach majowy) was a coup detat successfully carried out in Poland by Józef PiÅ‚sudski between May 12 and May 14, 1926. ... Flag of the Chief of State (1919-1927) Sanacja was a coalition political movement of the Second Polish Republic in the inter war years. ... Walery Sławek ( 1879- 1939) was a Polish politician who three times served as Prime Minister of Poland in the early 1930s. ... This article is about the lower chamber of Polish parliament. ... A deputy can be: In politics, a member of many national legislatures, particularly those legislative bodies styled Chambers of Deputies. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The Caucasus , a region boardering Asia Minor, is located between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea which includes the Caucasus mountains and surrounding lowlands. ... Azerbaijan (Azerbaijani: AzÉ™rbaycan) is a country in the Caucasus, at the crossroads of Europe and Southwest Asia, with an eastern coast on the Caspian Sea. ...

In its prosecution of the Promethean agenda, Office 2 worked with official institutions such as the Institute for Study of Nationality Affairs and the Polish-Ukrainian Society and its Polish-Ukrainian Bulletin, published from 1932. The latter Society included such experts on East European affairs as Leon Wasilewski, Stanisław Łoś and Stanisław Stempowski, and its founder and prime mover as well as the Bulletin's editor was Włodzimierz Bączkowski, a leading figure in the "Promethean movement." From March 1934 Major Charaszkiewicz was a member of the Commission for Scientific Study of [Poland's} Eastern Lands and the Committee on [Poland's] Eastern Lands and Nationalities at the Council of Ministers. He had already become a spokesman for the oppressed peoples east of Poland who wished to deepen their national self-awareness and groom leaders for their liberation. 1932 is a leap year starting on a Friday. ... March is the third month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 1934 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Since 1927, Wasilewski, Sławek, Schaetzel and Hołówko had been laying foundations for Promethean movements in Paris, Warsaw and Istanbul. They had been studying questions involving national self-determination and federative polities with help from academic experts at institutions such as the Eastern Institute in Warsaw and an analogous one in Vilnius, as well as at an Institute for Study of Nationalities and at several publications. 1927 was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Prometheism (Polish: Prometeizm) was a political project initiated by Polands Józef PiÅ‚sudski. ... The Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of Paris throughout the world. ... Warsaw (Polish: Warszawa, see also other names, in full The Capital City of Warsaw, Polish: Miasto StoÅ‚eczne Warszawa) is the capital of Poland and its largest city. ... Shows the Location of the Province Ä°stanbul Istanbul (Turkish: Ä°stanbul; contraction of the citys previous Greek name Constantinople) is the largest city in Turkey, and arguably the most important. ... Self-determination is a principle in international law that a people ought to be able to determine their own governmental forms and structure free from outside influence. ... A federation (from the Latin fÅ“dus, covenant) is a state comprised of a number of self-governing regions (often themselves referred to as states) united by a central (federal) government. ... Polity is a general term that refers to political organization of a group. ... Warsaw (Polish: Warszawa, see also other names, in full The Capital City of Warsaw, Polish: Miasto StoÅ‚eczne Warszawa) is the capital of Poland and its largest city. ... Vilnius Old Town Vilnius (sometimes also Vilna in English, Belarusian Вільня, Polish Wilno, Russian Вильнюс, German Wilna, see also Cities alternative names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania with population in excess of 540 thousand (in 2003). ...

Charaszkiewicz's deputies at Office 2 were two officers from the Third Silesian Uprising: Major Feliks Ankerstein (1929-1939), who had commanded a group during that Uprising; and Major Włodzimierz Dąbrowski, who had commanded a group in the Destruction Department (Referat Destrukcji). The Third Silesian Uprising (Polish: Trzecie powstanie śląskie) was the last out of three military insurections of the Polish people in the Upper Silesia region against the occupying German/Prussian forces in order to liberate the region and join to Poland, that regained her independence after the World War I... 1929 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1939 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... WÅ‚odzimierz DÄ…browski (b. ...

Commando operations

A principal task of Office 2 was organizing and conducting commando operations outside Poland, chiefly in bordering countries, and preparing resistance cells in areas of Poland that, in the event of war, might be occupied by enemy forces. Office "B" (responsible for the East), headed in 1937-1939 by Major Dąbrowski, prepared commando operations against the Soviet Union, conducting "Promethean operations" among non-Russian peoples (e.g. Caucasus, Tatar, Ukrainian and Cossack emigrés) and creating covert organizations at Poland's borders with Soviet Belarus and Ukraine. The task of Office "A" (the West) was preparing and running commando operations against "Western" countries of interest. The French Navy commando Jaubert storm the Alcyon in a mock assault. ... 1937 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1939 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Caucasus , a region boardering Asia Minor, is located between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea which includes the Caucasus mountains and surrounding lowlands. ... The term Tatar may refer to A member of the Tatars, Kazan Tatars, Crimean Tatars Tatar language, Crimean Tatar language Native people of Crimea, Tatarstan See also: Turkic peoples, Turkic languages. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

Agents of Office 2 operated in Germany, Danzig, Czechoslovakia and Lithuania. They also penetrated anti-Hitler German emigré communities in Czechoslovakia and especially in France. In 1935 Charaszkiewicz and Ankerstein organized in the Free City of Danzig a covert "Group Zygmunt," which in September 1939, on the outbreak of World War II, would conspicuously defend the Danzig Post Office. This organization's networks were to cover Poland's western border, Pomorze (Pomerania) and the Free City of Danzig, and were to concentrate on sabotage and commando operations in the event of these areas' temporary occupation by the enemy. 1935 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Napoleonic-era GdaÅ„sk 19th century map of Duchy of Warsaw and Free City of Danzing The Free City of GdaÅ„sk (French: Ville Libre de Dantzig), sometimes reffered to as Republic of GdaÅ„sk was a semi-independent state established by Napoleon during the Napoleonic Wars in years 9... September is the ninth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four Gregorian months with the length of 30 days. ... 1939 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Pomerania (Polish: Pomorze, German: Pommern and Pommerellen, Pomeranian (Kashubian): Pòmòrze and Pòmòrskô, Latin: Pomerania, Pomorania) is a geographical and historical region in northern Poland and Germany on the south coasts of the Baltic Sea between and on both sides of the Vistula and Oder (Odra) rivers, reaching the Reknitz river...

The signing of the Polish-German Nonaggression Declaration of January 26, 1934, had produced a reorientation in Polish foreign policy. Czechoslovakia's Zaolzie (an area containing Polish-majority Cieszyn — "Teschen" in German — that had been in dispute between Poland and Czechoslovakia) had lain outside Office 2's sphere of interest, but from the spring of 1934 covert propaganda and commando operations began to be developed there. January 26 is the 26th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1934 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Zaolzie (Czech Záolší (Zaolží), Slezsko zaolšanské, Polish Zaolzie, Śląsk zaolziański meaning Trans-Olza river) was the area disputed between Poland and Czechoslovakia West of Cieszyn with approximately 906 km² and 258,000 inhabitants. ... Teschen is the German name of the city at the Olza river that is currently divided onto separate towns of Cieszyn in Poland and Český Těšín in the Czech Republic. ... 1934 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Major Charaszkiewicz suggested to an old Polish Legions comrade, Wiktor Tomir Drymmer — since September 1933, director of the Polish Foreign Ministry's Consular Department — the creation of an organization covering all countries that harbored substantial Polish communities. They concurred that this would be necessary due to the inevitability of war with Germany. They were also agreed that the organization was to be strictly covert, both in Poland and abroad; was to be of a nationalist character; and was to be elite rather than large-scale in nature. The organization's regulations were drawn up by Captain Feliks Ankerstein. Eventually it was decided that the organization should be run by a "Committee of Seven" (K-7) comprising half Foreign Ministry personnel — Drymmer, his political deputy Dr. Władysław Józef Zaleski, Tadeusz Kowalski, and the latter's deputy Tadeusz Kawalec — and half Office 2 personnel: Charaszkiewicz, Ankerstein and the latter's deputy, Captain Wojciech Lipiński. Later, Lieutenant Colonel Ludwik Zych, chief of staff of Poland's Border Guard, would be coopted. K-7 set about recruiting young Poles residing in Czechoslovakia, Germany, Lithuania, Latvia and Romania's Bukovina. They were trained in small groups in Poland, to be deployed in wartime. Beginning in May 1938, K-7 conducted courses in Warsaw, Gdynia and several other Polish localities. September is the ninth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four Gregorian months with the length of 30 days. ... 1933 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... This article is about the month of May. ... 1938 was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ...

In Zaolzie, about 1935, the first Polish commando operations had taken place; later, during the 1938 annexation of that territory by Poland, K-7 members participated. The proceedings were directed from Warsaw by Drymmer and Charaszkiewicz, and on the ground by Ankerstein and later Zych. 1935 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1938 was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ...

After the conclusion of the Zaolzie ("Teschen") takeover, preparations began October 7, 1938, for a covert operation, codenamed Łom ("Crowbar"), in easternmostCzechoslovakia's Carpathian Rus, coordinated with Hungarian operations to the south. The Polish commander on the ground was again Major Ankerstein, while at Warsaw Charaszkiewicz was again in overall command. The operation took place in October and November 1938. In mid-March 1939, its objective was accomplished: the restoration of Carpathian Rus to its pre-World War I master, Hungary, and thereby also the recreation of the historic common Polish-Hungarian border (see article on the First Vienna Award). Six months later, during the Polish September Campaign of 1939, that common border would become of pivotal importance when Hungarian Regent Miklós Horthy's government, as a matter of "Hungarian honor," declined Hitler's request for permission to send German forces across Carpathian Rus into southeastern Poland to speed Poland's conquest. Horthy's refusal would allow the Polish government and tens of thousands of Polish military to escape into neighboring Hungary and Romania; and from there, to France and French-mandated Syria to carry on the war as the third-strongest Allied belligerent after Britain and France. Zaolzie (Czech Záolší (Zaolží), Slezsko zaolšanské, Polish Zaolzie, Śląsk zaolziański meaning Trans-Olza river) was the area disputed between Poland and Czechoslovakia West of Cieszyn with approximately 906 km² and 258,000 inhabitants. ... Teschen is the German name of the city at the Olza river that is currently divided onto separate towns of Cieszyn in Poland and Český Těšín in the Czech Republic. ... October 7 is the 280th day of the year (281st in leap years). ... 1938 was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Carpathian Ruthenia (Ukrainian Карпатська Русь, Karpatska Rus ) or Carpatho-Ukraine or Carpathian Ukraine is a name for a small part of Central Europe that was part of the Kingdom of Hungary (since 1526 under Habsburg rule). ... October is the tenth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... November is the eleventh month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four Gregorian months with the length of 30 days. ... 1938 was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... March is the third month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 1939 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Carpathian Ruthenia (Ukrainian Карпатська Русь, Karpatska Rus ) or Carpatho-Ukraine or Carpathian Ukraine is a name for a small part of Central Europe that was part of the Kingdom of Hungary (since 1526 under Habsburg rule). ... The First Vienna Award was the result of the First Vienna Arbitration (November 2, 1938), which took place at Viennas Belvedere Palace on the eve of World War II. By the award, arbiters from Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy sought a non-violent way to enforce the revanchist territorial... Polish September Campaign Conflict World War II Date 1 September - 6 October 1939 Place Poland Result Decisive German and Soviet victory The Polish September Campaign — also known as Polish-German War of 1939, in Poland often as Wojna obronna 1939 roku (Defensive War of 1939), in Germany as Polish Campaign... 1939 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... // High public office A regent, from the Latin regens who reigns is anyone who acts of head of state, especially if not the Monarch (who has higher titles). ... Admiral Horthy inspecting the German fleet with Adolf Hitler Miklós Horthy de Nagybánya (Vitéz Nagybányai Horthy Miklós in Hungarian) (June 18, 1868–February 9, 1957) was a Hungarian Admiral and statesman and served as the Regent of Hungary from March 1, 1920 until October 15, 1944. ... Carpathian Ruthenia (Ukrainian Карпатська Русь, Karpatska Rus ) or Carpatho-Ukraine or Carpathian Ukraine is a name for a small part of Central Europe that was part of the Kingdom of Hungary (since 1526 under Habsburg rule). ...

Office 2's next task was organizing "behind-the-lines diversion networks" that were to undertake intelligence, sabotage and diversion upon the outbreak of war, especially in areas occupied by the Germans. Charaszkiewicz was one of the creators of the concept of these "networks." Particularly intensive work at organizing them began early in May 1939. These structures were given a variety of names such as "Secret Military Organization" and "Mobile Combat Units." In many cases — in Silesia, in southwestern Poland, and in western Poland — after Poland had been overrun by Germany in September 1939, these networks would become the foundations for the first local underground organizations, which in many instances later became part of the Armed Combat Association (Związek Walki Zbrojnej, or ZWZ). One such organization that arose on the foundation of a "behind-the-lines diversion network," in Kraków, on September 22, 1939, was the White Eagle Organization, which in 1940 became part of ZWZ. This article is about the month of May. ... 1939 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... This article needs cleanup. ... September 22 is the 265th day of the year (266th in leap years). ... 1939 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1940 was a leap year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ...

A network of commando groups was created, tasked with paralyzing lines of communication and destroying enemy supply depots and command networks. Their membership came from varied backgrounds, including the Riflemen's Association, Reserve Noncommissioned Officers' Association, Reserve Officers' Association, referrals by County Offices of Physical Education and Military Training, the Polish Scouting Association, the Polish Socialist Party, and a host of other organizations. The preparatory work was coordinated by a Department for Planning Wartime Intelligence and Diversion, created in late 1937. Its tasks included organizing mobilization procedures for the foreign intelligence network and assuring its functioning under wartime conditions, as well as providing commando support for the Polish army at the front. The Polish Socialist Party (Polska Partia Socjalistyczna, PPS) was one of the two most important Polish political parties from its inception in 1892 until 1948, when it merged with the Stalinist Polish Workers Party (PPR) to form the Polish United Workers Party (PZPR), the ruling party in the Peoples... 1937 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

The spring of 1938 saw broadened training of officers and members of commando networks. In the summer of 1939, weapons and explosives began to be distributed to commando centers and patrols. Deliveries were also made to networks created within the Third Reich. Despite the secrecy of the preparations, German intelligence obtained information on the Polish networks, and German security agencies received orders for repressing the Polish networks. When overt war did come in September 1939, the mass terror applied to the Polish population by the Germans, in many instances — although by no means universally — paralyzed the Polish networks. 1938 was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1939 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... September is the ninth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four Gregorian months with the length of 30 days. ... 1939 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...

During the Polish retreat before advancing German forces, Drymmer and other irregular-warfare leaders left behind K-7 members and freshly sworn-in individuals. Likewise in September 1939, at a Polish consulate in Romania's Bukovina, K-7 trained a group of young men in commando tactics. Major Charaszkiewicz himself, at the outbreak of war, became head of Department F at the Staff of the Polish Commander-in-Chief and carried on this function from September 1 to September 20, 1939. According to other information, he was special-assignments officer to the Commander-in-Chief, Marshal Edward Rydz-Śmigły; in that capacity, with the latter's approval, he commissioned at least one underground organization, about September 12, 1939. Next, along with other members of K-7, Charaszkiewicz crossed Poland's border into Romania. There he organized a group of officers who were to return to occupied Poland to set up another underground organization. September 1 is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years). ... September 20 is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years). ... 1939 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Marshal of Poland (Marszałek Polski) is the highest rank in the Polish Army. ... Edward Rydz-Śmigły. ... September 12 is the 255th day of the year (256th in leap years). ... 1939 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...

In Romania, Charaszkiewicz established ties with a Sanacja group, sometimes referred to as "the Schaetzel-Drymmer group," that was ill-disposed to Marshal Rydz-Śmigły and supportive of Foreign Minister Józef Beck. Charaszkiewicz also played a substantial role in creating an Office "R" of Polish intelligence headquartered in Bucharest, with satellite outposts scattered about Romania. This was important not only to the conduct of intelligence work but also to the organization and maintenance of liaison with occupied Poland. Flag of the Chief of State (1919-1927) Sanacja was a coalition political movement of the Second Polish Republic in the inter war years. ... Józef Beck Józef Beck ( October 4, 1894 - June 5, 1944) was a Polish statesman, diplomat, military officer, and close associate of Józef Piłsudski. ... Bucharest (Romanian: BucureÅŸti) is the capital city and industrial and commercial centre of Romania, located in the southeast of the country, on the DâmboviÅ£a river. ...

In Bucharest, in October 1939, Charaszkiewicz received from his British colleague, Lt. Col. Colin Gubbins — soon to become the prime mover of the Special Operations Executive (S.O.E.) — a very warm letter informing him that Gubbins had been personally searching for him, and offering every possible assistance, including financial (Charaszkiewicz declined the money). Through Gubbins' good offices, Charaszkiewicz obtained from the British military attaché a British visa. October is the tenth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 1939 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Major General Sir Colin Gubbins (1896-1976) was the prime mover of the SOE (Special Operations Executive) in the Second World War. ... The Special Operations Executive (SOE), often called the Baker Street Irregulars after Sherlock Holmess fictional group of spies, was a World War II organisation initiated by Winston Churchill and Hugh Dalton in July 1940 as a mechanism for conducting warfare by means other than direct military engagement. ...

In France and Britain

On October 31, 1939, Charaszkiewicz arrived in France. October 31 is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 61 days remaining, as the final day of October. ... 1939 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...

During the ensuing "phony war," the new Polish premier and commander-in-chief in exile, General Władysław Sikorski, endeavored to establish the causes of Poland's defeat in September 1939. To that end, he instructed officers with pertinent knowledge to submit reports. Likely it was in response to this that Charaszkiewicz drew up a series of intriguing reports in late 1939 and early 1940 that comprise the bulk of his Collection of Documents that was published 60 years later, in 2000. The Phony War, or in Winston Churchills words the Twilight War, was the phase of World War II marked by no military operations in Continental Europe, that followed the collapse of Poland. ... WÅ‚adysÅ‚aw Sikorski during World War II. WÅ‚adysÅ‚aw Eugeniusz Sikorski (May 20, 1881 – July 4, 1943) was a Polish military and political leader. ... September is the ninth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four Gregorian months with the length of 30 days. ... 1939 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1939 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1940 was a leap year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... This article is about the year 2000. ...

Sikorski, whose military and political career had been suspended while the Piłsudskiites held sway in Poland after their May 1926 coup d'état, now sidelined many officers deemed to have been close to the Piłsudskiites. Perhaps that might help explain why an officer as experienced in irregular warfare as Charaszkiewicz, then only 44 years old, was, seems never again to have been put in charge of such operations. A man so meticulous in planning covert operations might, for example, have pointed out the woefully inadequate Polish Home Army preparations for the Warsaw Uprising of August-October 1944. May Coup (Polish: Przewrót majowy or zamach majowy) was a coup detat successfully carried out in Poland by Józef PiÅ‚sudski between May 12 and May 14, 1926. ... For other meanings of Home Army see: Home Army (disambiguation) The Armia Krajowa or AK (Home Army) functioned as the pre-eminent underground military organization in German-occupied Poland, which functioned in all areas of the country from September 1939 until its disbanding in January 1945. ... The Warsaw Uprising (Powstanie Warszawskie) was a controversial armed struggle during the Second World War by the Polish Home Army (Armia Krajowa) to liberate Warsaw from German occupation and Nazi rule. ... Note: as an adjective (stressed on the second syllable instead of the first), august means honorable. ... October is the tenth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 1944 was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ...

After France's capitulation (June 22, 1940), Charaszkiewicz evacuated to Great Britain. He organized, and served as deputy commander, then commander, of armored train "C" and later "D" (October 1940 – August 1943) of the 1st Armored Train Commmand. On August 3, 1943, he was transferred to the Polish Infantry Training Center, and then to the Administrative Department of the Polish Ministry of National Defense. Next, to the conclusion of military operations and until February 1946, he served as deputy chief, then chief, of the Information Department of the Inspectorate of the Polish Military Headquarters. On May 27, 1945, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel. From February to April 1946 he directed the General Department in the Inspectorate for Civilian Affairs, and in September 1946 he joined the Polish Resettlement Corps. He was demobilized September 11, 1948, and settled in London. June 22 is the 173rd day of the year (174th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 192 days remaining. ... 1940 was a leap year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Armoured train is a train protected with armour. ... October is the tenth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 1940 was a leap year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Note: as an adjective (stressed on the second syllable instead of the first), august means honorable. ... 1943 is a common year starting on Friday. ... August 3 is the 215th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (216th in leap years), with 150 days remaining. ... 1943 is a common year starting on Friday. ... February is the second month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1946 was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... May 27 is the 147th day (148th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 218 days remaining. ... 1945 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... February is the second month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... April is the fourth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four with the length of 30 days. ... 1946 was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... September is the ninth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four Gregorian months with the length of 30 days. ... 1946 was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... September 11 is the 254th day of the year (255th in leap years). ... 1948 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Charaszkiewicz took an active part in Polish emigré life: in the Piłsudskiite "League for Polish Independence" and in the Józef Piłsudski Institute (of which he was for many years president), founding and for some years editing the Institute's periodical, Niepodległość (Independence). He was also prominent in the Silesian Insurgents' Association. He continued to be a foremost exponent of Prometheism. Prometheism (Polish: Prometeizm) was a political project initiated by Polands Józef PiÅ‚sudski. ...

Over his career as an intelligence officer, Charaszkiewicz helped pioneer many modern techniques of irregular warfare. Shortly before World War II, he shared information on these with Britain's Colin Gubbins. In reports of his meetings with the future S.O.E. leader, Charaszkiewicz noted how far Poland's irregular-warfare techniques were ahead of Britain's. Irregular soldiers in Beauharnois, Quebec, 19th century Irregular military refers to any non-standard military. ... Major General Sir Colin Gubbins (1896-1976) was the prime mover of the SOE (Special Operations Executive) in the Second World War. ...

Charaszkiewicz received many Polish decorations, including the Cross of Virtuti Militari, 5th class (1922), the Order of Polonia Restituta, the Cross of Independence with Swords (1931), the Cross of Valor (1922, three times), the Silver Cross of Merit and the Silesian Sash of Valor and Merit, as well as numerous foreign decorations. He died in London, December 22, 1975. Order Virtuti Militari The Order Virtuti Militari (Latin: For Military Bravery) is Polands highest military decoration for valor in the face of the enemy. ... 1922 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Polonia Restituta ribbon The Order of Polonia Restituta (Polish Order Odrodzenia Polski) is a Polish Order (decoration), established on February 4, 1921. ... Cross of Independence (Krzyż Niepodległości) was one of the highest a military decorations of Poland between World War I and World War II. It was awarded to people who fought heroically for the independence of Poland. It was released in three versions. ... 1931 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... 1922 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... December 22 is the 356th day of the year (357th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1975 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ...

References

• Edmund Charaszkiewicz, Zbiór dokumentów ppłk. Edmunda Charaszkiewicza (Collection of Documents by Lt. Col. Edmund Charaszkiewicz), opracowanie, wstęp i przypisy (edited, with introduction and notes by) Andrzej Grzywacz, Marcin Kwiecień, Grzegorz Mazur, Kraków, Księgarnia Akademicka, 2000.
• Wiktor Tomir Drymmer, W służbie Polsce (In Service to Poland), Warsaw, 1998.
• Sergiusz Mikulicz, Prometeizm w polityce II Rzeczypospolitej (Prometheism in the Policies of the Second [Polish] Republic), Warsaw, Książka i Wiedza, 1971.
• Józef Kasparek, Przepust karpacki: tajna akcja polskiego wywiadu (The Carpathian Back Door: a Secret Polish Intelligence Operation), Warsaw, Sigma NOT, 1992.