Talk:Polish Legions in World War I

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[edit] Formation

Quoting and translating from Urbankowski (Józef Piłsudski, t.1, p.186): "Piłsudski wanted an uprising and his followers saw him as its leader. Austia wanted to control and restrain him, endecja and conservatives, suprised by the sudden turn of events, wanted to neutralize Piłsudski's influence - and hence the Legions were born". In essense it was a formation not planned nor desired by anybody before its formation, a compromise, a "lesser evil" for all concerned :) Just something to shine a little light on how national myths are born... The name was probably first used on 14 August during in a speach by Hipolit Śliwiński, talking about second-hand information brought by then president of Kraków, Juliusz Leo, from Vienna. The date of creation is somewhat murky and controversial; Austrian government gave official permission on 27 August, but Piłsudski used the name in a dispatch to his soldiers on 22 August. Interestingly, Piłsudski cited non-existing agreements and bodies, propping the spirit of his small force with what we could easily call propaganda... :) -- _{Piotr Konieczny aka Prokonsul Piotrus | talk}  00:35, 1 July 2007 (UTC)

In late 1914, first brigade had about 2500 soldiers on front, about as much taking care of recruiting and logistics. Second brigade had over 7000 soldiers, most of them at front (Urb, p.194). More numbers, p.202-203: mid-1915 - 5000 in 1st Brigade, mid-1916 - over 25 000 total, January 1917 - 21 000 total, -- _{Piotr Konieczny aka Prokonsul Piotrus | talk}  00:52, 1 July 2007 (UTC)