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Marshal Edward Rydz-Śmigły (11 March 1886 – 2 December 1941; nom de guerre ''Śmigły, Tarłowski, Adam Zawisza'') was a Polish politician, statesman, Marshal of Poland, Commander-in-Chief of Poland's armed forces as well as a talented painter and a poet. During the interwar period, Edward Rydz-Śmigły was an exceptionally popular public figure in Poland, regarded as a hero for his exemplary record as an army commander in the World War I Polish Legions and the ensuing Polish-Soviet War of 1920, and his popularity grew upon his appointment as Commander-in-Chief and Inspector General of the Polish Armed Forces following Marshall Józef Piłsudski‘s death in 1935. Rydz served in this capacity at the start of World War II during the 1939 German invasion of Poland. His position gave Rydz-Śmigły ''de facto'' command over all matters of national defense in time of war. Initially he did not surround himself with any organized political grouping, but over time he gave up the role of a disinterested observer and became more public in his views and pronouncements, and his speeches increasingly took on a political hue. Having few political connections and taking advantage of the feuds within the ruling elite following Piłsudski‘s death, he gradually emerged at the pinnacle of the nation's politics. Yet his tenure was characterised by grave domestic problems and failures in foreign policy. The ruling elite attempted to draw attention away from these problems by promoting Rydz-Śmigły as Piłsudski‘s heir and a natural patriotic magnet for all of society, with its own propaganda and sloganeering, giving rise to the notion that his leadership would lead Poland out of her near impossible geo-political situation.〔https://digital.lib.washington.edu/researchworks/bitstream/handle/1773/22699/Rydz-Smigly.pdf?sequence=1〕 From 1937 onwards the increasing threat from Hitler's Germany further strengthened Rydz‘s stature as the ''"first soldier of the Republic"''. As war loomed, political differences fell away and defense became the national priority, and Rydz‘s stature eclipsed even that of the president. Posters bearing his image adorned public buildings and bulletin boards, as his athletic pose and gentle smile evoked confidence in the population at large. This adulation reached its zenith just before the outbreak of hostilities, and included songs, poetry, and almost daily revelations about his life in the press.〔 The ''"Rydz legend"'' died in the wake of the 1939 September campaign. The shock of the Polish defeat made objective evaluations of his legacy during and after the war almost non-existent. Up to the present day his reputation, so much tied to the critical early months of World War II, is tendentious and controversial. Laudatory accounts written before the Second World War served ideological ends, a fact illustrated by their style. Two major points of view dominated the underground and exile literature during the communist regime of 1945-1989: one saw in him an inept leader who abandoned the Polish armed forces by fleeing the country; the other defended the military and foreign policies of the Sanacja government prior to the war with Germany. Modern Second World War Polish historiography focuses on national problems or issues during the 1935-1939 period and lacks a perspective devoted to the Marshal. ==Early life== Edward Rydz was born in the Polish village of Łapszyn (now Lapshin in Ukraine) near Brzeżany, Galicia, under Austria-Hungary to Polish parents. He was the son of a professional Non-commissioned officer in the Austro-Hungarian Army, Tomasz Rydz, and his wife Maria Babiak. Rydz grew up in rather humble circumstances and was orphaned at the age of 13. He was then raised by his maternal grandparents and, after their deaths, by the family of Dr. Uranowicz, the town physician at Brzeżany. After graduating with distinction at the local ''Gymnasium'' Rydz went to Kraków where he completed studies in philosophy and history of art at the Jagiellonian University. He then studied to be a painter at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków, and later in Vienna and Munich. In 1910–1911 he attended the reserve officers' academy in Vienna, and received military training at the famous Austrian 4th Infantry Regiment "Deutschmeister" (so called after Archduke Eugene, a cousin of Emperor Franz Joseph I, who was Grand Master of the Teutonic Order). He finished his military education with distinction and was offered a commission in the Imperial Army which he declined. In 1912 Rydz became a founder of the Polish paramilitary group, the Riflemen's Association (''Związek Strzelecki''). At the same time he completed his art studies. He was regarded as a very promising talent in landscape and portrait painting, and was often praised by his professors and critics, who foresaw a great future for him. Drafted into the Austrian Army in July 1914, Rydz was transferred in August to the Polish Legions and fought in World War I in the famous Polish 1st Brigade of Józef Piłsudski. He took part in numerous engagements against the Imperial Russian Army in the region of the Southern Vistula, and rose quickly in rank. By 1916, he was already a full colonel. However he did not forget his art and exhibited his work at a gallery in Kraków around that time. In 1917, after their refusal to swear an oath to the Austrian and German authorities, the Legions were disbanded, their soldiers interned and their leader Józef Piłsudski imprisoned in Magdeburg fortress. By Piłsudski's appointment, Rydz (who was released from prison on grounds of ill health) became commander of Polish Military Organization (''POW'') and adopted the nom de guerre ''Śmigły'' (''Fast'' or ''Agile''), which he later officially added to his surname. In October 1918, Rydz entered the socialist government of politician and diplomat Ignacy Daszyński in Lublin as Minister of War. Having been promoted to brigadier general, he underlined that upon his acceptance of the office he was to be seen as a deputy of Piłsudski. It was at this time he began using the name Rydz-Śmigły. On 11 November 1918 the Government relinquished all power to Piłsudski, who became Provisional Head of State. After some hesitation, Piłsudski (displeased by Rydz-Śmigły's cooperation with the socialists, he himself "''having left the streetcar of Socialism at the stop called Independence''") nevertheless confirmed him as a brigadier general of the Polish army. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Edward Rydz-Śmigły」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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