Evening star., 1949-11-07
Soviet Marshal Quits
10 Become Defense
Minister Of Poland
BY the Assoeiofed Press

~ NV NssS$t0iS0 FfSSS
WARSAW. Poland, Nov. 7.-On,
OF Russia's top army commanders
Marshal Konstantin K. Rokossov
sky. quit the Red Army today t,
enter the Polish cabinet as minis
ter Of national defense.
Rokossovsky, born in Poland 5,
years ago. will be appointed to tn,
important council of state-a DOS
expected to give him a strong voic,
IN governmental as well at mill
tary affairs Of this Soviet orbi
nation.
Rokossovsky commanded one O.
the Soviet army groups that lib
Grated Warsaw. Since the end O.
the war he has commanded tn,
Soviet western army in parts O.
former German territory occupied
- by Poland.
Asked by Polish President.
A Polish government commu.
nique said President Boleslav
Beirut, "in view of the fact tina,
Marshal Rokossovsky is a Pol.
and that he is very popular with
the Polish nation" had requested
Russia to make him available TO,
service in Poland.
Russia since the war had as
sisted in establishing and training
the officers corp for Poland's new
army.
Rokossovsky's appointment with
Poland becomes effective at once
He is expected to make his first
: public appearance here tomorrow
when parliament meets.
The Polish government an
nounced that Marshal Michal
zymierski. the retiring minister
OF national defense, had requested
President Beirut to allow him to
resign "in connection with new
tasks and a new state function
entrusted 10 me.
Duties Not Announced.
The nature of Zymierski's new
duties was not announced.
The council of state will apply
to the Polish Parliament (Sejm)
tomorrow to enlarge the council
membership to include Rokossov-
sky.
Under the February, 1947, con-
stitution the commander in chief
OF the Polish armies is . member
OF the council only ID time of
war. The Parliament must con-
firm any other increase Tn mem
bership Of the council, which nor
mally consists only Of the presi-
dent, speaker and deputy speaker
of the Parliament. and the pres
ident Of the supreme control
chamber. ~
Zymierski, in an order of the
day to Poland's armed forces, re-
ferred to Rokossovsky as a WAR
saw worker" and "one Of the most
famous commanders IN the fight
against Hitler"
/ Rokossovsky, the order. said.
"entered the history Of the Polish
nation at the head Of the Rus
sian troops which liberated the
Polish territory"
I The new Polish commander
during the war led Russian Ar
haies on the Don front and In
White Russia. His troops pursued
the retreating Germans through
Poland and into Germany. They
participated in the liberation Of
Warsaw in 1945.
Since the war he has COM
manded the Russian communica-
tion lines to the troops occupying
the Soviet zone Of Germany.
Headquarters for his command
have been at Legnica Giegnitz), In
the Germany territories occupied
by Poland after the German sur
render. Last August he was made
an honorary citizen of Wroclaw,
Poland formerly Breslau, Ger
many.
Details Of Rokossovsky's early
life have not been published.
though he has in the past gen.
orally been considered of Polish
ancestry. Today's official refer
ences to him as "a Pole" and as
a Warsaw worker" indicate that
he was born in that part Of
Poland ruled by Russia until the
German armies drove the Rus
SLAMS out during World War I.
Soviet sources have said Rokos-
sovsky was a major in the Czarist
armies during the first war,
joined the Red guards in 1917,
and fought in the 1920 Russo
Polish campaign, In which the
Russians first reached the gates
Of Warsaw but. were later driven
back.
During World war IL RokOS-
sovsky commanded one of the
armies responsible for the de-
tense Of Moscow in the winter Of
1941-42. Soviet newspapers hailed
him as the "yictor of Moscow" af-
ter the successful Russian coun-
ter-attack which followed. &
In 1943 Rokossovsky command
Cd the Don armies. when they
+. liauidated the Germans who had
been besieging Stalingrad.
Britain Sees New Step
In PoIondps Subservienee
LONDON, Nov. 7 R. The
British Foreign Office today called
the appointment of Soviet Mar
shal Konstantin Rokossovsky al
Polish defense minister further
and most important development
In bringing about the subservience
of Poland to the Soviet Union"
A spokesman said lit is the best