„Gotowi do zemsty...” – projekt sformowania polskiego „wolnego korpusu” w okresie kampanii francuskiej 1814 roku
„Ready to take Revenge...” – the Project of Forming a Polish „Free Corps” during the French Campaign of 1814

Summary/Abstract: During the campaign of 1814 the French army was supported by the „free corps”, a unit that carried out irregular operations. A proposal to form a similar unit to supplement the Polish army was presented to the chief of staff of the Great Army by Stanisław Żarski, the chef de battalion from the Duchy of Warsaw’s army. The Polish „free corps” was to include soldiers of Polish descent that were currently held in prisoner of war camps in France. The details of Żarski’s proposal combined elements characteristic of both the Polish and French military.During the campaign of 1814, the French army was supported by 6,500 Polish soldiers. Due to the distance from the Duchy of Warsaw, Polish troops were later supplemented by prisoners of war of Polish origin who had previously served in the armies of the anti-French coalition. At the end of February, the chef de battalion Stanisław Żarski presented Marshal Louise-Alexandre Berthier with a proposal concerning the formation of a Polish „free corps” (le corps franc), which was to consist of Polish prisoners whose role was to conduct irregular warfare against coalition troops. The project combined French tactics (conducting „small wars”) with the rewards that were offered to soldiers as a result of the Kościuszko Uprising (veterans were promised plots of arable land). The project is an interesting example of the development of Polish military thought.

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