Units of Polish volunteers to the service of France

Since the XVI {{E}} century, the France and the Poland maintains positive ratios. Thus a son of king de France, Henri, was elected king de Pologne; when with Stanislas Leszczyński, he is the father-in-law of the king Louis XV, to which he bequeaths the Lorraine. With the creation of the Grand Duchy of Warsaw and the French Mission in Poland of the Weygand general, bonds were woven which caused the constitution of Polish units, being put voluntarily at the service of France.

Wars of the Revolution and the Empire

It is with the Révolution that the first Polish volunteers were enough numerous to constitute a whole unit. It is Dombrowski which constitutes the first legion of Polish volunteers in 1796, and at the service Armée with Italy puts it ordered by the general Bonaparte. It is named for this reason Italic Légion.

In 1798, a second legion Italic is made up. They are dissolved when peace is signed with Austria.

In 1799, they are reconstituted under the name of Italic Légion and Légion of the Danube, then integrated into the French Army in 1800, like the 1 {{Re}} and 3 {{E}} foreign half-brigades. They are sent to Saint-Domingue, under the name of 113 {{E}} and 114 {{E}} half-brigades.

the Italic name of legion is given thereafter to a unit of Italian volunteers within the reserve army of Dijon, setting-up by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1799. This legion is made of Italian patriots driven out by the reaction antijacobine which makes following the defeat of Joubert with Novi.

The units of Polish volunteers form in 1808 the Légion of the Vistula, with four regiments, range with six in 1810. It is distinguished in Spain, then its manpower are decimated in Russia, so much so that the survivors are gathered in the only regiment of the Vistula in 1813, dissolved in 1814.

Second world war

Countryside of France (1940)

Of the Poles who had not been able to fight during the invasion of their country were equipped by France, and constituted:

  • the 1 {{Re}} DIP (division of Polish infantry, or DGP, Polish pomegranate division), within the IV {{E}} French Army;
  • the 2nd battalion of tanks, which did not fight, and was reformed in Scotland in 1942;
  • the Group of Hunting Polonaise (GC I/145) on Caudron - Renault C 714 Cyclone.

French Resistance

The Polish soldiers present in France at the time of the armistice of June 16th formed the POWN ( Polska Organizacja Walki O Niepodleglosc - Polish Organization of fight for independence), whose name means well that it is a question of continuing the fight against Germany everywhere where one is.

See too

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