Poland
Józef Piłsudski
1867–1935 Chief of State and Marshal of Poland
A former socialist conspirator who had fought for Poland's independence all his life, Piłsudski formed the Polish Legions in 1914 against Russia, was imprisoned by the Germans in 1917 and returned to Warsaw on 10 November 1918. As Chief of State he led the Polish army through the wars of 1919 to 1921 and masterminded the Warsaw counterstroke of August 1920. His dream was a federation of states from the Baltic to the Black Sea, with Poland leading and Russia excluded, but the Riga settlement left Poland with large Ukrainian and Belarusian minorities. He retired in 1923 and returned to power in a coup in May 1926. He died in 1935 and remains Poland's national hero.