The general who beat Budyonny's Cavalry Army at Komarów and defended Warsaw in 1939
Born in Grodno to a noble family of German descent, he graduated from the Konstantin Artillery School in St Petersburg and served as an Imperial Russian artillery officer in the Russo-Japanese War and the First World War. Joining the Polish Army in 1918, he commanded the 1st Cavalry Division in the Polish-Soviet War and defeated Budyonny's First Cavalry Army at Komarów on 31 August 1920. In September 1939 he commanded the Łódź Army, which was outflanked near the border, then took over the Warsaw Army and defended the capital until he negotiated its surrender at the end of the month, having first authorised the underground Service for Poland's Victory. He spent the war in German prisoner-of-war camps and returned to Poland; his conduct in 1939 remains controversial.
Also known as: Juliusz Rommel · Julius von Rummel
Activities and affiliations
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1918–1947
Military command
Career Timeline
- 1903–1917Imperial Russian artillery officer in the Russo-Japanese War and First World War
- 1918.11Joined the Polish Army
- 1920.07–1921.07.17Commander, 1st Cavalry Division — Battle of Komarów
- 1929.06.27–1939.09Army inspector
- 1939.03–09Commander of the Łódź Army and the Warsaw Army — defence and surrender of Warsaw
- 1939.09–1945.04Held in German prisoner-of-war camps