World War II Polish General, Politician. He was the co-founder of the Polish Army during World War I. General Sikorski was elected Premier of Poland in 1922. He was ousted by a coup d'etat and was exiled settling in Paris. In 1940, he became commander-in-chief of the Polish Military Forces and Premier of the government in exile with headquarters in London. Sikorski became a prominent figure of Polish political life during the war. The exiled army under his command, equipped by the allies, numbered in the thousands and was a formitable force fighting side by side with the allies in Europe. When a mass grave in Katyn, Russia, containing the bodies of many Polish officers captured by Soviets during their invasion of Poland in 1939 was found by occupying Nazi troops, Sikorski demanded an explanation from Stalin. He constantly negotiated with Churchill and Roosevelt to circumvent any appeasement deals between the Allies and Russia which would come at Poland's expense. Many attempts on his life were made. Finally a suspicious crash of a Liberator bomber while taking off from the British base at Gibraltar with him aboard took his life as well as his daughter who was active with her father in the liberation of Europe.
World War II Polish General, Politician. He was the co-founder of the Polish Army during World War I. General Sikorski was elected Premier of Poland in 1922. He was ousted by a coup d'etat and was exiled settling in Paris. In 1940, he became commander-in-chief of the Polish Military Forces and Premier of the government in exile with headquarters in London. Sikorski became a prominent figure of Polish political life during the war. The exiled army under his command, equipped by the allies, numbered in the thousands and was a formitable force fighting side by side with the allies in Europe. When a mass grave in Katyn, Russia, containing the bodies of many Polish officers captured by Soviets during their invasion of Poland in 1939 was found by occupying Nazi troops, Sikorski demanded an explanation from Stalin. He constantly negotiated with Churchill and Roosevelt to circumvent any appeasement deals between the Allies and Russia which would come at Poland's expense. Many attempts on his life were made. Finally a suspicious crash of a Liberator bomber while taking off from the British base at Gibraltar with him aboard took his life as well as his daughter who was active with her father in the liberation of Europe.
Bio by: Donald Greyfield
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