Bolesław Roja

Brigadier General Bolesław Jerzy Roja (4 April 1876 − 27 May 1940) was an officer of the Polish Legions in World War I, a general, and a politician in the Second Polish Republic, recipient of some of the highest Polish military awards including Virtuti Militari. He opposed Józef Piłsudski and his Sanacja regime in the 1920s. After the German invasion of Poland in 1939 he was arrested and murdered by the Nazis in Sachsenhausen concentration camp.

Life Roja was born on 4 April 1876 in the village of Bryńce Zagórne near Żydaczów, Austrian Galicia to a family of forester Józef Roja and Maria née Trzcińska.

After the outbreak of World War I, Roja joined Polish Legions. He was a close coworker of Józef Piłsudski, but after the Oath crisis, he left the Legions and rejoined the Austro-Hungarian Army. In early 1918, he served in Graz, returning to Kraków after several months. Bolesław Roja immediately got involved in Polish patriotic activities. In late October 1918 he took over former Austrian Military Command in Kraków, and, on 1 November, the Regency Council, in recognition of his outstanding services, promoted him to the rank of Generał brygady and named him commandant of Kraków garrison. Roja's promotion was soon confirmed by Polish Commander-in-chief, Jozef Pilsudski.

Second Polish Republic Between February and August 1919, Roja commanded the Polish 2nd Legions Infantry Division, fighting for the return of Poland's sovereignty against the Red Army in present-day Belarus (see the Polish–Soviet War). On 8 August 1919, his unit captured Minsk, after which Roja was transferred to the command of the garrison of Kielce. In March 1920 he commanded Polish Army in Pomerelia (Okręg Generalny VIII Toruń), and in August 1920, he was commandant of Narew Operational Group of the Polish Northern Front. Roja was skeptical about Polish victory in the war against Soviet Russia. In July 1920, when the Red Army reached the suburbs of Warsaw, he planned to declare independence of Pomerelia, and sign a separatist peace with the Soviets. Due to his defeatist approach and involvement in politics, he was in late August 1920 demoted from his position. On 20 September, Roja was transferred to reserve until 1922. Cross of Independence. Cross of Valour, four times.

Promotions General brygady, November 2, 1918, General dywizji – 1922.