157 years ago today, Polish statesman Józef Piłsudski was born. One of the great figures in European history, he laid the foundation for Prometheism, the project to weaken Moscow by supporting independence movements. It was never fully implemented, but the EU could adopt it as official policy

https://i.redd.it/oh5h0f15b15e1.png

by EUstrongerthanUS

29 comments

  1. Also authoritarian ruler and warmonger.

    Pretty much polish Mussolini.

  2. Supporting independence movement —> Tried to annex Lithuania, fights with Ukraine, therefore, weakening the only country capable of stopping Russia in the east.
    His ideas were great, but, they never went beyond paper declarations.

  3. He was a great figure in Polands history. For others i doubt it.

  4. He also wanted to emulate the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth by a NATO-like alliance that would be a pain in the ass for Russia – Międzymorze (Intermarium)

    Note that the big intermarium we’re all familiar with wasn’t meant to be a union. The plan for an actual union made by Piłsudski involved just Lithuania, Belarus and Poland. (some Polish nationalists didn’t even consider Ukraine a real country at the time)

    Plans for that union died after the polish-Bolshevik war in 1921 when it was clear there was no way to break USSR apart.

    Plans for intermarium alliance as a whole died with Piłsudski, but it was pretty unfeasible from the start. Poland was disliked by basically everyone around them because of:

    Polish – Czechoslovak war of 1919, Polish Annexation of Wilno, Germany is self explanatory

    This caused Poland to be blocked north – south, where the alliance was meant to be.

  5. Starting to get crazy. First imperial Japan, now this guy. Jfc.

  6. He’s responsible for polonisation, pacification of Galicia and the anti-Ukrainian policies in Western Ukraine. Another Polish “hero”

  7. The most of the wiki on Prometheism relies on mostly a single source..

    The equivalent of “trust med bro”

  9. The moustache man himself. Very grey figure, no doubt great for Poland at that time but it is telling that a certain Austrian painter had his picture on the wall.

  11. Glorifying bastard dictators just gives the Russians more ammunition you do realise? Fuck this guy, he would have been another Mussolini if he had the army for it

  12. A little-known fact about Piłsudski is that he didn’t actually defend Poland during the Miracle on the Vistula.

    A few days before the battle, he submitted his resignation, as he didn’t believe in victory. In reality, he was hiding in the south with his mistress. Witos did not accept his resignation, and it was General Rozwadowski who led the Poles to victory—an army that perhaps saved Europe from communism.

    It’s unfortunate that hardly anyone in Western Europe knows about this. That battle has changed the course of European history

  13. I wouldn’t call Piłsudski “one of the great figures” in European history. He was certainly one in Polish history but even then he is a highly controversial figure. He was a leader of newly independent Poland, he lead us through the war with the soviets and made many strong handed decisions that might have been right but he also soured relationship between Poland and basically all our neighbours which was in part what caused his ideas of Prometheism and Intermarium fail completely.

  15. OP is a zealot who never served in a military but is more than willing to send others to war. Delusions of imperial grandeur are all over their posts. It’s basically Macron but crazy and probably a loser.

    Pilusudzki is cool with me as I’m Polish. I get that others would not love him. He was the right figure for our history at the specific time.

  16. Quite complicated man for sure who went from train robberies under socialist banner at beginning of 20th century to being de facto dictator of Poland after 1926. Hated by both Ukrainians and Lithuanians. His biggest misfortune was being not able to put his ‘Jagellionan idea’ into action after Riga treaty between Poland and Soviet Union in 1922. Intial intent was for creating strong Belarus and Ukraine shielding Poland and actually Europe from Soviet Union. At the end Poland stuck somewhere in between borders based on Polish dominated population and those allowing for creating independent, self-sustainable and aligned Belarus and Ukraine.

    Imho he is quite overated in Poland however when comes to some issues like Russian imperialism he was right. Nationalistic tendies from late 80s were crucial to dismantling Soviet Union in 1991. The same may be applied to present Russia and today it’s crucial to support all prodemocratic and pro-Western movements in former Soviet Union states, especially in those regarded by Russians as ‘near abroad’

  17. I mean this is what Russia is doing to Europe, so Europe should do it back to them.

  18. You may call him a great statesman, an inspiring figure, you may even call him a “Father of the Nation” in regards to the second republic if you so wish, but he was not most certainly working against democracy and human rights… not really something to be admired today, wouldn’t you agree?
    Not to mention that most of his ambitions never even materialised and Poland fell in the end nevertheless.

    In retrospect I (and I would hope most Poles) can say that it his regime really wasn’t worth it. Not for our nation, nor for our neighbours, especially the Ukrainians and Lithuanians!

  19. Moscow already does this. The Russians support independence movements in the west, and alliance breaking movements like Brexit

  21. Lithaunia born big pile of shit if you ask me. We don’t like him here.

  22. I wouldn’t call him great European figure. Like anyone he had many flaws. A lot of pipe dreams, too little of reality checked.

  23. “The EU could adopt it as official policy”

    Bruh…

  24. If there’s one thing Europeans know is that intentional measures to weaken grumpy foreign empires always works out great in the end and it leads to no issues whatsoever

  25. He looks great for his age, incredible he is still alive

  26. Remembered an interesting fact that he converted from Catholicism to Protestantism to get married.

    That seems unusual for a Pole.

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