| Commander; Polish general, field marshal of the Turkish army Date of Birth: 14.03.1794 Country: Poland |
Józef Bem was a Polish general and military commander. He was born on March 14, 1794, in Tarnów, Poland. Bem began his military career by enlisting in the Polish Cavalry Artillery and fought in the war against Russia in 1812.
In recognition of his bravery during the defense of Danzig in 1813, he was awarded the Order of the Legion of Honour. Bem received his education at the Cadet Corps and the Artillery Academy in Warsaw. After the reformation of the Polish army in 1815, he rejoined the artillery and lectured at the Warsaw Artillery Academy.
However, after the death of Emperor Alexander I, Bem was dismissed from service due to his perceived disloyalty. When the November Uprising broke out in Warsaw in November 1830, Bem quickly joined the Polish forces and rose to a prominent position.
Due to his outstanding performance in battles at Iganie and Ostrolenka, Bem was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the Polish artillery. During the siege of Warsaw, he skillfully managed the artillery. After the war, Bem first went to Germany and then settled in Paris, where he pursued various scientific projects as a private individual.
The European Revolution of 1848 rekindled Bem's activism. During the March Revolution in Vienna, he became the chief organizer of the resistance against government forces. After the capitulation, he fled to Hungary and was entrusted by Lajos Kossuth with the leadership of Transylvania.
Under Bem's command, the Transylvanian forces fought against Austrian and Russian troops, achieving notable success. However, they were ultimately defeated by General Luders near Timisoara and Hermannstadt in July 1849.
Following another defeat at Timisoara and facing arrest, Bem fled to Turkey, where he converted to Islam and took the name of Amurat Pasha. He then worked on restructuring the Turkish army. In 1850, at the urging of Russia and Austria, Bem was exiled to Aleppo.
In November of the same year, Bem led Turkish forces to suppress a bloody uprising by the Arab population against Christians. Unfortunately, in December, he succumbed to fever and died. Bem's body, weakened by years of hard work and injuries, could not withstand the illness.
Bem was known for his military talent and was beloved by his troops. Thirty years after his death, the Hungarians erected a monument in his honor in Marosvásárhely.