Polish Army
Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
At hall on this site on April 3, 1917, a speech by I. J. Paderewski to delegates at convention of the Polish Falcons began the movement to recruit a Polish army in U.S. to fight in Europe with Allies for creating an independent Poland.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
On April 3, 1917, as the United States stood on the brink of entering World War I, the celebrated pianist and patriot Ignacy Jan Paderewski addressed Polish Falcons delegates in a hall on this site. His speech galvanized a drive to raise a Polish army from immigrants in America to fight alongside the Allies in Europe. Their goal was as much political as military: to help resurrect an independent Poland, then partitioned among three empires.
Why it matters
The moment shows how immigrant communities in America shaped world events, channeling their hopes for an independent homeland into the larger cause of World War I.
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Related people
- · Ignacy Jan Paderewski
Related events
- · World War I
Themes & tags
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