Władysław Sikorski: Soldier, Politician and Statesman, 1881–1943

Abstract

With little more than fifty years since the death of General Władysław Sikorski in an air crash off Gibraltar on 4 July 1943, it is perhaps appropriate to reflect on the historical role of one of the most controversial Polish leaders of modern times. Like other prominent Poles who combined a political and military career, such as Marshal Józef Piłsudski, Sikorski has attracted as many critics as admirers, and the passage of half a century has scarcely diminished the intensity of debate about him both in Poland and in the Polish diaspora. His performance as leader of the so-called Polish Government-in-Exile from 1939 until 1943 in particular has been the subject of sharp exchanges. But while it is not surprising that this final, crucial period of his career should have received so much attention, it should not be overlooked that even before the tragic outcome of the September Campaign of 1939 resulted in his premiership Sikorski had already emerged as a well-known and substantial public figure during the period of the Second Polish Republic. Stepping into the limelight of Polish and international politics in 1939 represented for him, albeit in circumstances he could hardly have anticipated or desired, the realization of a long-standing ambition to lead his country once again, as he had done briefly in the early 1920s.