Stanisław Szeptycki

Stanisław Szeptycki
File:Szeptycki.jpg Count-General Stanisław Szeptycki
Born	(1867-11-03)3 November 1867 Prylbychi, Austria-Hungary
Died	9 October 1950(1950-10-09) (aged 82) Korczyna, Poland
Allegiance	Poland Austria-Hungary
Rank	Lieutanant General
Battles / wars	Russo-Japanese War World War I Polish-Soviet War
Signature	File:Stanisław Szeptycki signature.jpg

File:Stanisław Szeptycki (-1905).jpg

Szeptycki serving as a military attaché in Russian Manchuria during the Russo-Japanese War (1904/5)

Stanisław Maria Jan Teofil Szeptycki (3 November 1867 – 9 October 1950) was a Polish count, general and military commander.

Biography

Born in 1867 in Galicia, Austria-Hungary to the aristocratic Szeptycki family, he was the grandson of Polish playwright Aleksander Fredro, son of the count Jan Kanty Szeptycki and brother of Andrey Sheptytsky, Metropolitan Archbishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (Stanisław was a Catholic of the Latin rite, his brother Andrey/Andrzej was also initially of the Latin Rite, but instead followed Greek Catholicism). Szeptycki joined the Austro-Hungarian Army, where he attained the rank of colonel. In 1914 he joined the Polish Legions, where he became commander of the Third Brigade, and from November 1916 to April 1917 commander of the entire Polish Legions formation. Following the Oath Crisis he commanded the German-aligned Polnische Wehrmacht. Until February 1918 he was Austro-Hungarian governor general of Lublin, but resigned in protest when Germany turned Chełm and the surrounding area over to the Ukrainians. He joined the newly recreated Polish Armed Forces in November 1918 following the country's independence and replaced General Tadeusz Rozwadowski as Chief of the General Staff, a post that he held until March 1919. During the Polish-Soviet War of 1919–1921, Szeptycki commanded the Polish Northeast Front and the 4th Army. In 1919 he commanded Operation Minsk. He disagreed with the Polish Commander-in-Chief, Józef Piłsudski, which cost him his post, and joined the National Democratic opposition to Piłsudski. From June to December 1923 he was Minister of Military Affairs; during that time he challenged Piłsudski to a duel for a perceived slight (Piłsudski refused the challenge). After Piłsudski's May 1926 Coup d'État, Szeptycki was dismissed from active service. After World War II, from 1945 to 1950, he headed the Polish Red Cross (Polski Czerwony Krzyż). He died in Korczyna in 1950.

Promotions

• File:K.u.k. Leutnant orangegelbe Eaglisierung.png Leutnant (Second lieutenant) - 1888
• File:K.u.k. Oberleutnant der Infanterie.png Oberleutnant (First lieutenant) - 1892
• File:K.u.k. Hauptmann der Infanterie.png Hauptmann (Captain) - 1900
• File:K.u.k. Major.png Major (Major) - 1 November 1907
• File:K.u.k. Oberstleutnant.png Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant colonel) - 1 May 1911
• File:K.u.k. Oberst.png Oberts (Colonel) - 1 May 1914
• File:K.u.k. Generalmajor.png Generalmajor (Brigadier general) - 28 April 1917
• File:PL Epolet gen dyw.svg Generał dywizji (Major general) - 4 November 1918
• File:PL Epolet gen broni.svg Generał broni (Lieutenant general) - 21 April 1920

Honours and awards

• Polish:
  • File:POL Virtuti Militari Kawalerski BAR.svg Commander's Cross of the Virtuti Militari (1922)
  • File:POL Virtuti Militari Srebrny BAR.svg Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari (1921)
  • File:POL Polonia Restituta Komandorski ZG BAR.svg Commander's Cross with Star of the Order of Polonia Restituta (7 November 1925)
  • File:POL Polonia Restituta Komandorski BAR.svg Commander's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (1921)
  • File:POL Krzyż Walecznych (1920) 4r BAR.svg Cross of Valour, four times
  • File:POL Krzyż Zasługi (1923) BAR.svg Golden Cross of Merit
  • File:POL Medal Pamiątkowy Za Wojnę 1918-1921 BAR.svg Commemorative Medal for the War of 1918–1921
  • File:POL Medal 10-lecia Odzyskania Niepodległości BAR.svg Medal of the Tenth Anniversary of Regained Independence
• Austro-Hungarian:
  • File:AUT KuK Order of the Iron Crown 2nd Class BAR.svg Order of the Iron Crown, 2nd Class (1916)
  • File:AUT KuK Order of the Iron Crown 3rd Class BAR.svg Order of the Iron Crown, 3rd Class (1905)
  • File:AUT Imperial Order of Leopold ribbon Commander.svg Order of Leopold, 2nd Class (1914)
  • File:AUT KuK Order FJ military GCross BAR.svg Order of Franz Joseph, 1st Class (1918)
  • File:AUT KuK Kriegsbande BAR.svg Military Merit Cross, 2nd and 3rd Class (1916, 1915)
  • File:AUT KuK Decoration for Services to the Red Cross BAR.svg Decoration for Services to the Red Cross
  • File:AUT Karl-Truppenkreuz BAR.svg Karl Troop Cross
  • File:AUT KuK Red Ribbon BAR.svg 1898 Jubilee Medal
  • File:AUT KuK 1908 Jubilee Cross (Military) BAR.svg 1908 Jubilee Cross
• Other:
  • File:PRU Order of Crown ribbon.svg Order of the Crown, 2nd Class (1909, Prussia)
  • File:D-PRU EK 1914 2 Klasse BAR.svg Iron Cross, 2nd Class (Prussia)
  • File:682px Ribbon of the Military Order of Merit of Württemberg.svg Military Merit Order, 2nd Class (Württemberg)
  • File:D-BAV Order Saint George BAR.png Order of Saint George, 2nd Class (1900, Bavaria)
  • File:BAV Military Merit Order ribbon (non war).svg Military Merit Order, 2nd Class (Bavaria)
  • File:Legion Honneur Commandeur ribbon.svg Commander of Legion of Honour (1922, France)
  • File:Legion Honneur Chevalier ribbon.svg Chevalier of Legion of Honour (1906, France)
  • File:Order of the Bath UK ribbon.svg Order of the Bath, CB (1921, United Kingdom)
  • File:ROM Order of the Star of Romania 1877 GCross BAR.svg Grand Cross of Order of the Star of Romania (1923, Romania)
  • File:SRB-SHS-YUG Orden Svetog Save VKrst BAR.svg Grand Cross of Order of St. Sava (1923, Yugoslavia)
  • File:Cavaliere di Gran Croce OCI Kingdom BAR.svg Knight Grand Cross of Order of the Crown of Italy (1923, Kingdom of Italy)
  • File:EST Cross of Liberty Military Leadership.png Cross of Liberty, 2nd Class (1922, Estonia)
  • File:Lacplesis Military Order Ribbon.png Order of Lāčplēsis, 2nd class (1921, Latvia)
  • File:RUS Order św. Stanisława (baretka).svg Order of Saint Stanislaus, 2nd Class (1905, Russian Empire)
  • File:Order of Glory Ribbon Bar.png Golden Weapon for Bravery (1908, Russian Empire)

Further reading

• Andrzej Wojtaszak, General Broni Stanislaw Szeptycki (1867-1950) (University of Szczecin 2000)