Edward Rydz-Śmigły

Marshal Edward Śmigły-Rydz [ˈɛdvard ˈrɨdz ˈɕmiɡwɨ] ^ⓘ also called Edward Rydz-Śmigły, (11 March 1886 – 2 December 1941) was a Polish politician, statesman, Marshal of Poland and Commander-in-Chief of Poland's armed forces, as well as a painter and poet.

Born in 1886, he came from humble beginnings and was raised by his maternal grandparents after he became an orphan at age 13. He graduated with distinctions from the local Gymnasium. He completed his studies in philosophy and history of art at the Jagiellonian University.

During the interwar period, he was an exceptionally admired public figure in Poland and was regarded as a hero for his exemplary record as an army commander in the Polish Legions of World War I and the ensuing Polish–Soviet War in 1920. He was appointed Commander-in-Chief and Inspector General of the Polish Armed Forces following Marshal Józef Piłsudski's death in 1935. Rydz served in this capacity at the start of World War II during the invasion of Poland.

When war loomed, political differences fell away and defense became the national priority. Consequently, Rydz's stature eclipsed even that of the president. The shock of the Polish defeat made objective evaluations of his legacy during and after the war difficult; his reputation, very much tied to the critical early months of World War II, remains tendentious and controversial.