Włodzimierz Zagórski (general)

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Włodzimierz Zagórski of Ostoja coat of arms (January 21, 1882 in Saint-Martin-Lantosque, France – fate unknown, missing since August 7, 1927) was a Polish general, staff officer, aviator.

He was born in France and was educated there. He spoke fluently several languages and was trained as a pilot at the very beginnings of the aviation. Served as a military intelligence officer in the Austro-Hungarian army as an officer responsible for the activities against Russia. During the years of 1914–1916 he was a chief of staff of Polish Legions. Since November 1918 in Polish Armed Forces. He took part in the Battle of Warsaw against the Soviet invader in 1920 under the command of general Rozwadowski.

In 1921-1923 he was in reserve, then from March 1923 he was a chief of Military Industry Department. From 17 August 1924 until 18 March 1926 he was a chief of Air Force Department in War Ministry^[1]. An important figure in the development of Polish airforce, he was accused of mismanagement and corruption centered around the Francopol company, of which he had shares. As a result of press campaign. During the May 1926 coup d'état, on the orders of general Rozwadowski, Zagórski took the command of Warsaw Air Group from Ludomił Rayski on May 12 and decided to use the airplanes against the forces of Józef Piłsudski. Arrested on May 15, 1926 in Warsaw and with other four generals who during the Piłsudski armed coup took the side of the legal government and imprisoned in Wilno. As he was a skilled pilot himself, he was also falsely accused of personally flying on missions to bomb the Piłsudski soldiers.

General Włodzimierz Zagórski has been finally released from prison in Wilno on August 6, 1927. Escorted by younger officers, he traveled by train to Warsaw, but disappeared soon after arrival. Press speculation abounded, but in the end he has never been seen again nor his body has been found. Some argued that the former intelligence officer was able to disappear before he was soon to be found guilty in the Francopol affair; others alleged that Zagórski was murdered on the orders or even by Józef Piłsudski himself, but none of this has ever been proved.

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

• "Zagórski Włodzimierz". Internetowa encyklopedia PWN. Retrieved on 2007-06-19.  (Polish)
• "Zagórski Włodzimierz". WIEM Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 2007-06-19.  (Polish)

Persondata
NAME	Zagórski, Włodzimierz
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Zagórski-Ostoja
SHORT DESCRIPTION	general
DATE OF BIRTH	January 21, 1882
PLACE OF BIRTH	Saint-Martin-Lantosque, France
DATE OF DEATH	unknown, missing since August 7, 1927
PLACE OF DEATH	unknown