Stefan Rowecki
This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2009) |
Stefan Paweł Rowecki | |
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Nickname(s) | Grot, Rakoń, Grabica, Inżynier, Jan, Kalina, Tur |
Born | Piotrków Trybunalski, Congress Poland | 25 December 1895
Died | 2 August 1944 Sachsenhausen concentration camp, Oranienburg, Nazi Germany | (aged 48)
Allegiance | Second Polish Republic |
Service/ | |
Years of service | 1914–1943 |
Rank | Major general |
Unit | Commander-in-chief of Union of Armed Struggle and Home Army |
Battles/wars | World War I Polish–Soviet War World War II |
Awards | Order of the White Eagle Virtuti Militari (Golden Cross) Virtuti Militari (Silver Cross) (twice) |
Part of a series on the |
Polish Underground State |
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Stefan Paweł Rowecki (pseudonym: Grot, "Spearhead", hence the alternate name, Stefan Grot-Rowecki; 25 December 1895 – 2 August 1944) was a Polish general, journalist and the leader of the
Life
Rowecki was born in
Rowecki fought in the
World War II
From June 1939, Rowecki organised the Warsaw Armoured Motorized Brigade (Warszawska Brygada Pancerno-Motorowa, 7TP, TKS tanks). On 1 September 1939 the Nazi-German Army invaded Poland. Although Rowecki's unit did not reach full mobilization, it did, however, take part in the defense of Poland.
After the Polish defeat, Rowecki managed to avoid capture and returned to Warsaw. In October 1939, he became one of the leaders, then in 1940 commander, of the Union of Armed Struggle (ZWZ). In 1941, Rowecki organized sabotage in the territories east of the Polish pre-war borders Wachlarz. From 1942, he was commander of the Armia Krajowa (Home Army).
As commander of the Home Army, Rowecki instituted policies favorable to Jews. In February 1943, he ordered the Home Army to help the Jewish underground seeking to mount ghetto uprisings. In particular, Rowecki authorized aid to the Jewish underground in the Warsaw Ghetto before and during the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising by providing arms and mounting diversionary attacks.[2]
On 30 June 1943 he was arrested by the
In Berlin he was imprisoned at Oranienburg and was questioned by many prominent Nazi officials (including Ernst Kaltenbrunner, Heinrich Himmler and Heinrich Müller). He was offered an anti-bolshevik alliance, but refused. He was probably executed in August 1944 in Sachsenhausen.[4][5][6] His execution was ordered by Heinrich Himmler.[7]
There have been claims that the arrest of Rowecki on 30 June 1943 was a result of a wider intelligence operation against the Polish Underground State with the goal of eliminating top commanders and political leaders of the Polish resistance. During the same period, the Gestapo arrested the commander of National Armed Forces (NSZ), Colonel Ignacy Oziewicz on 9 June 1943. On 4 July 1943, General Władysław Sikorski died in a plane crash under mysterious circumstances. Within a period of two months, the Polish Army had lost three top commanders.[citation needed]
Medals
- Order of the White Eagle, posthumously (11 November 1995)
- Virtuti Militari Golden Cross (1942; Silver Cross in 1923)
- Polonia Restituta, Officer's Cross
- Polish-Soviet War and 4 times for Polish Defensive Warof 1939
- Gold Cross of Merit twice
- Cross of Independence with Swords
- Medal Pamiątkowy za Wojnę 1918-1921
- Medal 10-lecia Odzyskania Niepodległości
- Armia Krajowa Cross, posthumously (1967)
- Star of Perseverance (Gwiazda Wytrwałości, posthumously)
- posthumously by Ronald Reagan(USA 9 August 1984)
- Légion d'honneur, Officer's Cross (France 1937)
See also
- General Stefan "Grot" Rowecki Bridge- a bridge named after him in Warsaw
- FB MSBS Grot - a Polish modular assault rifle named after his WW2 pseudonym
References
- ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "POLAND DAILY - 1 AUGUST 2018". Telewizja Republika. 1 August 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
- S2CID 204482531.
- ^ blanka-kaczorowska.com Accessed October 31,2018
- ISBN 0-521-85268-4.
- ISBN 0-8131-1692-9.
Rowecki Sachsenhausen.
- ^
ISBN 0-271-02308-2.
- ISBN 0-300-10980-6.