What If Josef Pilsudski was alive in 1939?

Just a personal thought I've had recently, would there be any difference if Pilsudski was there as a symbol or a bulwark against Communists and Nazis?
 
Just a personal thought I've had recently, would there be any difference if Pilsudski was there as a symbol or a bulwark against Communists and Nazis?

To my knowledge, he was not particularly well-liked in France or Britain, but then, neither was much of the rest of the Sanacja regime. I'm not sure he could do more than the OTL government to set up alliances and secure military assistance. I don't think there's anything he can do militarily that Rydz-Smigly didn't, either--maybe some smarter deployment and earlier mobilization, but the plan to fall back to the Romanian Bridgehead just isn't going to succeed after September 17.

Pilsudski's actions during the War, however, may have a huge impact on the Government-in-Exile. If he goes to London to join the Government-in-Exile, he may prove something of a liability--relations with the Soviet Union will be sour even after Barbarossa, and there might be pressure from the British and Americans to force him into retirement. There will also be significant tensions between himself and Sikorski. He'll be pushing 80 by the end of the war, however--he would almost certainly die in exile, and there's no chance I can see of the Communists allowing his burial in Poland. His last act might be agitation for Sosabowski's Brigade to be dropped into Warsaw.

If he remains in Poland, working with the Home Army...

Not sure how much he can do besides moral support. He'll be 73 in 1940 and 77 in 1944.
 

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To my knowledge, he was not particularly well-liked in France or Britain, but then, neither was much of the rest of the Sanacja regime. I'm not sure he could do more than the OTL government to set up alliances and secure military assistance. I don't think there's anything he can do militarily that Rydz-Smigly didn't, either--maybe some smarter deployment and earlier mobilization, but the plan to fall back to the Romanian Bridgehead just isn't going to succeed after September 17.

Pilsudski's actions during the War, however, may have a huge impact on the Government-in-Exile. If he goes to London to join the Government-in-Exile, he may prove something of a liability--relations with the Soviet Union will be sour even after Barbarossa, and there might be pressure from the British and Americans to force him into retirement. There will also be significant tensions between himself and Sikorski. He'll be pushing 80 by the end of the war, however--he would almost certainly die in exile, and there's no chance I can see of the Communists allowing his burial in Poland. His last act might be agitation for Sosabowski's Brigade to be dropped into Warsaw.

If he remains in Poland, working with the Home Army...

Not sure how much he can do besides moral support. He'll be 73 in 1940 and 77 in 1944.

Think if he's that much a problem he might die in a plane crash like Sikorski?
 
Think if he's that much a problem he might die in a plane crash like Sikorski?

Perhaps, though given his rather advanced age, a "stroke" or other "natural cause" might be a less dramatic option. If the involvement of the western powers in that ever became common knowledge, however, the end of Communism in Poland would suddenly tear open an old wound in Polish-Western relations.
 
If Pilsudzki lived, Poland would probably keep more distance from Germany, so maybe it wouldn't make a land-grab after Munich, or even give France support in Czechoslovakian crisis. On the other side, with Marschal's doubts about France, Poland may end up even more isolated than OTL.

Interesting would be also differences inside Poland - with Pilsudzki alive he'd become the President of Poland from 1935.

But question is how much influence he would keep, with his advancing senility (which was an incresing problem during his late years).
 
Interesting would be also differences inside Poland - with Pilsudzki alive he'd become the President of Poland from 1935.
Where is that idea coming from? He had numerous opportunities to claim the presidency yet had never done so.
 
That's because under the March Constitution President was a weak office, even considering later ammenments - but in the April Constitution president was the most important position with strong powers. Besides the April Constitution was written with Piludzki as president in mind.
 
If Pilsudzki lived, Poland would probably keep more distance from Germany, so maybe it wouldn't make a land-grab after Munich, or even give France support in Czechoslovakian crisis.

Could be interesting. Especially as in September 1938 after urges from Czechoslovak generality to improve relations with Poland Benes wrote letter to Polish president in which basically he offered disputed Tesin territory for Polish neutrality or support.
 
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