Jozef Haller was born on August 13, 1873 in Jurczyce near Krakow. Young Haller studied in Vienna at the Technical Military Academy, subsequently serving with the Austrian Army. In 1916, during the First World War, he became the commander of the Second Brigade of the Polish Legion. Than in 1918 in the aftermath of the "Charge of Rarancza," as commander of the Polish Auxiliary Corps with the Austrian Army, he crossed over to the Russian side. Subsequently, he arrived in France, where on behalf of the Polish National Committee, and on the side of France, he created what was known as "Haller's Army", or "The Blue Army", because the soldiers wore blue uniforms. In France, General Jozef Haller had commanded six divisions of the Polish Army during the 1914 -18 War, and other units had been attached to the French Foreign Legion. At the outbreak of war about 25,000 Polish-Americans had volunteered to fight in the trenches. Then the Haller's Army was transferred to Poland in 1919 and as commander, he arrived in the homeland on the Ukrainian front. During 1940-1943 he was the Minister of Education in the government of Wladyslaw Sikorski. General Jozef Haller 1873 - Born in Poland 1918 - Commander of the Polish Auxiliary Corps with the Austrian Army 1918 - April, Commander-in-Chief of II Army Corps 1918 - May 27, Commander-in-Chief of Polish Military Forces out of Austro-German occupied territory 1920 - July 23, Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Front 1920/27 - Member of Parliament (Sejm) 1937 - He created the Labor Party 1940/43 - Minister of Education in the government of W. Sikorski 1960 - He died After the war Józef Haller decided to remain abroad and settle in London for good where steeped in the legend of "Blue General" he died 4 June 1960 at the age of 87 He was buried on the Gunnersburry cemetery. Thanks to the initiative of Polish scouts from "Whites" team, his ashes were returned to Poland on 23 April 1993 and are now kept in a crypt in St. Agnieszka's garrison church in Kraków. General Jozef Haller and the Blue Army http://www.geocities.com/hallersarmy/ An estimated 20,000 Polish persons answered the call to fight for freedom and the opportunity to regain Poland's independence during World War I in the Polish Army in France (in Polish, Armia Polska we Francyi). They were recruited from among the Polish immigrants who came to America to fight with France. The Polish Army in France was also called "Haller's Army," after the general who commanded it, or the "Blue Army," for the blue uniforms the soldiers wore. Haller's Army Index .... Polish http://www.pgsa.org/haller.php http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Józef_Haller_de_Hallenburg
Germany's war defeat and outbreak of revolution on its territory in November 1918 created a new political situation in Pomorze Gdanskie (Gdansk Pomerania). One of the main factors determining it was a prospect of reunion of Pomorze and the rest of Polish lands within reviving Polish state. In 1918-1919 it was an important international issue, discussed during a peace conference in Paris. In a peace treaty signed on the 28th of June 1919 in Versailles Poland was granted over 50% of area of Pomorze Gdanskie. From the rest - except for territories which remained within German state (Elblag, Malbork, Kwidzyn, Sztum) - Free City of Gdansk was formed. Taking over the granted part of Pomerania by Poland took place between the 17th of January and the 10th of February 1920, after a peace treaty with Germany came into force. The most important moment of Pomorze's incorporation to Poland was a celebration of "Poland's wedding with the sea". It took place on the 10th of February in Puck, with participation of Stanislaw Wojciechowski - a minister of internal affairs, general Jozef Haller - a commander-in-chief of Pomeranian Front, Stefan Laszewski - a Pomeranian voivod and military delegates of England, France and Italy. A symbolic act of "wedding with the sea" was performed by general Haller who threw a platinum ring, founded by Polonia (Polish community) from Gdansk, into the sea. The presented photograph, showing general Haller among Kashubian fishermen, was probably taken during his stay in Pomerania on occasion of "wedding with the sea" celebration. http://www.poland.pl/archives/interwar/article,,id,279290.htm
