282 FENIKS
The number of Polish military formations multiplied likewise. On 16 August
1914, Pilsudski merged his Riflemen with other paramilitary groups of the same
persuasion, and formed the Polish Legions.^7 He took command of the First
Brigade of the Legions himself: hence the origin of his familiar nickname,
Komendant (The Commandant), and the Legion's marching song, My,
Pierwsza Brygada. The Second Brigade was commanded by Col. Hiittner, and
from July 1916 by Col. Jozef Haller (1873-1960). The Third Brigade, formed in
1916, was commanded by Col. Stanislaw Szeptycki (1867—1950) and then by B.
Roja (1879-1940). After their first, disastrous independent adventure in August
1914, the Legions were subordinated to Austrian orders. Associated with the
Legions was Pilsudski's elite formation, the Polish Military Organization
(POW), a secret conspiratorial body, designed for diversionary and intelligence
operations. This survived when the Legions were eventually disbanded.^8 On the
Russian side, the National Democrats recruited a volunteer Pulawy Legion,
directly intended to challenge Pileudski's influence. In later stages of the war the
Germans formed the Polniscbe Wehrmacht, an auxiliary corps for garrisoning
the Polish lands conquered from Russia; the Russians formed a Polish Rifle
Brigade within their own army; the French formed a 'Polish Army' from cap-
tured prisoners-of-war. The Americans and Canadians facilitated recruiting to
Polish formations in one or other of the Allied armies.^9
By 1916, the total number of Poles serving in the war reached 1.9 million. This
included 4 per cent of the population in the Vistula provinces; 14.8 per cent of
the Polish population of Prussian Poland, and 16.3 per cent of Galician Poles. In
the course of the fighting they were destined to suffer over one million casualties
including 450,000 dead.^10
The campaign on the Eastern Front was launched by Pilsudski before any of the
professional armies had moved. Following the proclamation of a fictitious
National Government, on 6 August 1914, a group of Riflemen crossed the Russian
frontier from Galicia and marched on Kielce. They made an extraordinary sight.
The cavalrymen were carrying saddles on their heads in the hope of capturing
horses from the enemy. On the outskirts of Kielce they were welcomed by their
own women who presented them with bouquets of flowers. The townspeople as a
whole, fearing Russian retribution, stayed indoors. A short street skirmish with a
Russian patrol drove the 'liberation army' out. In less than a fortnight, they were
back in Galicia. This was the fiasco which persuaded Pitsudski to submit to
Austrian orders, and to leave the fighting for the moment to the regular armies.^11
The Russian offensive prepared to roll eastwards in two sectors, in East
Prussia and in Galicia. To this end, the Commander-in-Chief, the Grand Duke
Nicholas, distributed a Manifesto to the Polish Nation:
Poles!
The hour has struck when the dreams of your fathers and forefathers can come true.
A century and a half ago, the living body of Poland was torn in pieces; but her soul did
not die. It was kept alive by a hope for the resurrection of the Polish nation and for its
fraternal union with Great Russia.