Jan Henryk Dąbrowski

Early career Following the appeal of the Polish Four-Year Sejm to all Poles serving abroad to join the Polish army, and not seeing much opportunity to advance in his military career in the now-peaceful Saxony, on 28 June 1792, Dąbrowski joined the Army of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth with a rank of podpułkownik and on 14 July he was promoted to the rank of vice-brigadier.

Dąbrowski was seen as a cavalry expert, and King Stanisław August Poniatowski was personally interested in obtaining Dąbrowski's services.

The Grodno Sejm, held in the fall of 1793, nominated him for a membership in a military commission; this caused him to be viewed with suspicion by the majority of the dissatisfied military, and he was not included in the preparations for the upcoming uprising. Thus he was taken by surprise when the Kościuszko Insurrection erupted, and his own brigade mutinied. In April, Dąbrowski lobbied for a plan to push through to the Polish territories in Galicia, but that was blocked by Napoleon who instead decided to use those troops on the Italian front. Dąbrowski's Polish soldiers fought at Napoleon's side from May 1797 until the beginning of 1803. As a commander of his legion he played an important part in the war in Italy, entered Rome in May 1798, and distinguished himself greatly at the Battle of Trebia on 19 June 1799, where he was wounded, as well as in other battles and combats of 1799–1801. However, the legions were never able to reach Poland and did not liberate the country, as Dąbrowski had dreamed. Napoleon did, however, notice the growing dissatisfaction of his soldiers and their commanders. They were particularly disappointed by a peace treaty between France and Russia signed in Lunéville on 9 February 1801, which dashed Polish hopes of Bonaparte freeing Poland. Disillusioned with Napoleon after the Lunéville treaty, many legionnaires resigned afterwards; of the others, thousands perished when the Legions were sent in the Saint-Domingue expedition in 1803; by that time Dąbrowski was no longer in command of the Legions. In December 1805, during the War of the Third Coalition, Dąbrowski participated in the Italian blockade of Venice, and was briefly commander of the province of Pescara in the Napoleonic Kingdom of Naples the following year. Together with Józef Wybicki he was summoned again by Napoleon in the fall of 1806 and tasked with recreating the Polish formation, which Napoleon wanted to use to recapture Greater Poland from Prussia, which had joined the Fourth Coalition against France. The ensuing conflict was known as the Greater Poland Uprising, and Dabrowski was the chief leader of Polish insurgent forces. Dąbrowski distinguished himself at the Siege of Tczew, the Siege of Gdańsk and at the Battle of Friedland. In 1809, he set out to defend Poland against an Austrian invasion under the command of Prince Józef Poniatowski. During the German campaign of 1813, he led his division at the Battle of Leipzig, where he took command of the VIII Corps on 19 October following Poniatowski's death.

Over the years, Dąbrowski wrote several military treatises, primarily about the Legions, in German, French and Polish. He has been often compared to the two other military heroes of the time of Partitions and the Legions, Tadeusz Kościuszko and Józef Poniatowski, It is not uncommon for modern works of Polish history to describe him as a "(national) hero".

Dąbrowski is also remembered outside of Poland for his historical contributions. His name, in the French version "Dombrowsky", is inscribed on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

Awards and decorations

Order of the White Eagle Commander's Cross of the Military Medal of the Duchy of Warsaw Officer of the Legion of Honour(First French Empire) Saint Helena Medal (posthumous)(Second French Empire) Knight of the Order of the Iron Crown(Kingdom of Italy) Order of Saint Vladimir(Russian Empire) Order of Saint Anna(Russian Empire)