Maciej Rybiński

Maciej Rybiński (German Mathias RybinskiStoin ) ( born February 24, 1784 in Slavuta; † January 17, 1874 in Paris) was a Polish general. He was the last commander during the November Uprising of 1830 / 31st

Life

He attended the Academy in Lviv. In 1806 he joined the French army. He served there from time to time on the staff of General Louis Gabriel Suchet. He followed the general but not to its use in Spain, but remained in Poland. There he joined the army of the Grand Duchy of Warsaw. As a company commander, he reached in 1809 by two Austrian battalions defended the city Radzymin and conquered them. He was wounded in the face. Also in the following years he was distinguished by bravery and was awarded by Józef Antoni Poniatowski with the Virtuti Militari. In 1812 he took part in the Russian campaign of Napoleon. Even during the Battle of Smolensk gave the Emperor Rybiński the cross of the Legion of Honour. As a result, he has since promoted to colonel, passed several battles victorious. After returning to Poland he went to Cracow, where he formed a new regiment. This joined the Polish army, which was now in the kingdom of Saxony, on. Also in the following campaign won Rybiński, who was lieutenant colonel at that time, in several engagements. After the Battle of Leipzig, where Polish troops covered the retreat of the French troops, Rybiński was taken prisoner. He negotiated with Alexander I to an honorable surrender, which was also assured him. Rybiński himself was interned in Hungary.

After the founding of the Kingdom of Poland, he returned to Poland and joined the army of the kingdom. He also devoted himself to scientific studies. From political aspirations he stayed away, was monitored by the Russian government but because of his well-known Polish patriotism.

After the start of the November Uprising, he marched with the 1st infantry regiment that he commanded, to Warsaw and imputed the National Polish government. In the battle of Grochów in which he commanded the 4th Infantry Regiment, he fought back several Russian attacks. As a result, he became general of division. In the Battle of Wawer he won and took 4,000 Russian soldiers caught with numerous officers. The captured flags he sent to the commander in chief. In subsequent battles, he was successful. He was also involved in the Battle of Ostrolenka. At numerous of other fights he participated with his division.

He eventually made the withdrawal of Polish troops in Warsaw and the march to the fortress of Modlin. After the Supreme Commander of Kazimierz Małachowski had resigned the command, Rybiński accepted this only after long hesitation. He soon discovered that there was a lack of army weapons, food and other goods. After an initial ceasefire there were more fights, more general concluded a further truce to collect the Polish troops. As a result there was resistance against him and he was declared by the government deposed. The army did not recognize this and chose it again for the commander in chief. As a result, more and more signs of dissolution made ​​themselves widely in the army.

General Rybiński recognized the the uprising was lost and decided to lead the army over the border to Prussia. In addition to appropriate orders of the day, he published a manifesto to Europe and asked in a letter to the King of Prussia for protection for the defeated army. On 5 October 1831, Army crossed the Prussian frontier. The general went into exile in France. He was a leader in exile organization. After the beginning of the February Revolution of 1848, he campaigned for the establishment of a Polish Legion under French command.