He wanted to be a Polish philologist and philosopher, but fate had other plans for him. When he took his first steps as a commander, his superiors could not praise him highly enough. He quickly gathered a substantial collection of decorations and medals. And I must admit - he did deserve it!
Initially, there were no indications that he would make a great military career. Stanisław Maczek, a committed humanist, lover of Sienkiewicz's and Żeromski's prose and Kasprowicz's poetry, in 1910 began studying Polish and philosophical studies at the local university in Lviv. He also joined the Polish Riflemen's Association - and that was to determine his future.
Collection of decorations for courage
After the outbreak of World War I, he was called up to the Austro-Hungarian army. It was in its ranks that he acquired valuable combat experience and received a reserve officer patent. He also underwent specialized courses:in skiing, mountain climbing and the tactical and assault use of machine weapons. He was awarded several times for his merits on the battlefield.
Stanisław Maczek as a colonel in the photo from the 1930s.
The end of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy enabled Stanisław Maczek to return to his reborn homeland. On November 14, 1918, he found himself in Krosno, where he volunteered for the Polish Army. Over the next months, he participated in the battles with the Ukrainians and the Bolsheviks, becoming an undisputed specialist in escapades.
Maczek showed himself from the best side, among others, during the Polish-Bolshevik war.
He was quickly promoted - first to the rank of captain, then major. In recognition of his combat achievements, on October 23, 1920, he received the highest Polish combat decoration - the Order of Virtuti Militari, class 5, and a few months later also the Cross of Valor.
During this time, Stanisław Maczek developed his distinctive style of command, which brought him so much success on the battlefields of the Second World Conflict.
He tried to win the battle primarily through maneuver, surprise, flanking the enemy, unconventional actions and the maximum use of the terrain. And - whenever it was needed - he personally set an example to his subordinates.
A career turning point
In the interwar period, Maczek continued to perfect his soldier craft. He climbed step by step to new positions, invariably collecting excellent notes from his superiors. In 1924 he completed a one-year course at the Higher Military School with the fifth position. However, the real breakthrough in his career came 14 years later when he was unexpectedly appointed commander of the 10th Motorized Cavalry Brigade.
It was the first large motorized unit, experimental in the Polish Army. Entrusting it to Maczek (then a colonel) was a proof of great confidence in his qualifications.
Probably not without significance here were his frontline experiences and the conclusions that came from the maneuvers - during the exercises he loved to organize "ad hoc" various infantry units transported on trucks. It is worth adding here that the brigade was originally supposed to be supervised by Colonel Stefan Rowecki (later called "Grot") - but he refused.
The brigade consisted of two motorized cavalry regiments - the 24th Cavalry Regiment and the 10th Cavalry Regiment, and smaller units. Additionally, it was assigned a tank battalion, a motor artillery squadron, a sapper battalion, a battery of anti-aircraft guns and an aviation platoon.
When Stanisław Maczek took command for the soldiers, a period of intense exercises began. Thanks to this, in a short time the formation became a showcase of the Polish Army, both in terms of equipment, as well as discipline and training. And it remained so even after Hitler's attack - Maczek's brigade was the only large unit of the Polish Army to fully survive the murderous defensive war.
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You can read about the secret of the successes of our greatest leaders in the book "Polish gods of war" . The above text is an excerpt from the chapter devoted to Stanisław Maczek.
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