Stanisław Szeptycki

{{Infobox military person

| name = Stanisław Szeptycki

| image = Szeptycki.jpg

| image_size = 160px

| caption = Count-General Stanisław Szeptycki

| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1867|11|3}}

| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1950|10|9|1867|11|3}}

| birth_place = Prylbychi, Austria-Hungary

| death_place = Korczyna, Poland

| placeofburial =

| nickname =

| allegiance = {{flag|Poland}}
{{flag|Austria-Hungary}}

| rank = Lieutenant General

| serviceyears =

| commands =

| battles = Russo-Japanese War
World War I
Polish-Soviet War

| laterwork =

| awards =

| signature = Stanisław Szeptycki signature.jpg

}}

File:Stanisław Szeptycki (-1905).jpg in Russian Manchuria during the Russo-Japanese War (1904/5)]]

Stanisław Maria Jan Teofil Szeptycki{{Cite web|url=http://www.sejm-wielki.pl/b/cz.I007732|title=Stanisław Maria Jan hr. Szeptycki z Przyłbic h. wł.|website=Sejm-Wielki.pl|access-date=2019-11-03}} (3 November 1867 – 9 October 1950) was a Polish count, general and military commander.

Biography

Born in 1867 in Galicia, Austria-Hungary to the aristocratic Szeptycki family, he was the grandson of Polish playwright Aleksander Fredro, son of the count Jan Kanty Szeptycki and brother of Andrey Sheptytsky, Metropolitan Archbishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (Stanisław was a Catholic of the Latin rite, his brother Andrey/Andrzej was also initially of the Latin Rite, but instead followed Greek Catholicism).

Szeptycki joined the Austro-Hungarian Army, where he attained the rank of colonel. In 1914 he joined the Polish Legions, where he became commander of the Third Brigade, and from November 1916 to April 1917 commander of the entire Polish Legions formation. Following the Oath Crisis he commanded the German-aligned Polnische Wehrmacht. Until February 1918 he was Austro-Hungarian governor general of Lublin, but resigned in protest when Germany turned Chełm and the surrounding area over to the Ukrainians. He joined the newly recreated Polish Armed Forces in November 1918 following the country's independence and replaced General Tadeusz Rozwadowski as Chief of the General Staff, a post that he held until March 1919.

During the Polish-Soviet War of 1919–1921, Szeptycki commanded the Polish Northeast Front and the 4th Army. In 1919 he commanded Operation Minsk. He disagreed with the Polish Commander-in-Chief, Józef Piłsudski, which cost him his post, and joined the National Democratic opposition to Piłsudski. From June to December 1923 he was Minister of Military Affairs; during that time he challenged Piłsudski to a duel for a perceived slight (Piłsudski refused the challenge).

After Piłsudski's May 1926 Coup d'État, Szeptycki was dismissed from active service. After World War II, from 1945 to 1950, he headed the Polish Red Cross (Polski Czerwony Krzyż).

He died in Korczyna in 1950.

Promotions

50px Leutnant (Second lieutenant) - 1888
50px Oberleutnant (First lieutenant) - 1892
50px Hauptmann (Captain) - 1900
50px Major (Major) - 1 November 1907
50px Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant colonel) - 1 May 1911
50px Oberts (Colonel) - 1 May 1914
50px Generalmajor (Brigadier general) - 28 April 1917
50px Generał dywizji (Major general) - 4 November 1918
50px Generał broni (Lieutenant general) - 21 April 1920

Honours and awards

Polish:
60px Commander's Cross of the Virtuti Militari (1922)
60px Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari (1921)
60px Commander's Cross with Star of the Order of Polonia Restituta (7 November 1925)
60px Commander's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (1921)
60px Cross of Valour, four times
60px Golden Cross of Merit
60px Commemorative Medal for the War of 1918–1921
60px Medal of the Tenth Anniversary of Regained Independence
Austro-Hungarian:
60px Order of the Iron Crown, 2nd Class (1916)
60px Order of the Iron Crown, 3rd Class (1905)
60px Order of Leopold, 2nd Class (1914)
60px Order of Franz Joseph, 1st Class (1918)
60px Military Merit Cross, 2nd and 3rd Class (1916, 1915)
60px Decoration for Services to the Red Cross
60px Karl Troop Cross
60px 1898 Jubilee Medal
60px 1908 Jubilee Cross
Other:
60px Order of the Crown, 2nd Class (1909, Prussia)
60px Iron Cross, 2nd Class (Prussia)
60px Military Merit Order, 2nd Class (Württemberg)
60px Order of Saint George, 2nd Class (1900, Bavaria)
60px Military Merit Order, 2nd Class (Bavaria)
60px Commander of Legion of Honour (1922, France)
60px Chevalier of Legion of Honour (1906, France)
60px Order of the Bath, CB (1921, United Kingdom)
60px Grand Cross of Order of the Star of Romania (1923, Romania)
60px Grand Cross of Order of St. Sava (1923, Yugoslavia)
60px Knight Grand Cross of Order of the Crown of Italy (1923, Kingdom of Italy)
60px Cross of Liberty, 2nd Class (1922, Estonia)
60px Order of Lāčplēsis, 2nd class (1921, Latvia){{cite book |last=Priedītis |first=Ērichs Ēriks |title=Latvijas Valsts apbalvojumi un Lāčplēši. |language=lv |publisher=Junda |location=Riga |year=1996 |isbn=9984-01-020-1 |oclc=38884671}}
60px Order of Saint Stanislaus, 2nd Class (1905, Russian Empire)
60px Golden Weapon for Bravery (1908, Russian Empire)