145 years ago, on 4 November 1877, Tomasz Arciszewski was born in Sierzchowy_ Poland. He was a socialist, conspirator and Prime Minister of the Polish Government in Exile, who devoted his entire life to fighting for the sovereign existence of the Polish State.
Brought up in the ethos of the January Uprising, (participated by his father), he joined the Polish Socialist Party, beginning the fight for Poland’s independence and improvement of workers’ social and living conditions. In the ranks of the PPS fighting organisation alongside Józef Piłsudski, he took part in the famous action at Bezdany, in which the fighters attacked a Russian train, requisitioning about 200,000 roubles. The acquired funds were used to develop the Union of Active Struggle (Związek Walki Czynnej), an underground group forming the nucleus of the Polish Military Organisation, whose structures Arciszewski co-founded during World War One. At the same time, as early as August 1914, he joined the Polish Legions, organising an intelligence unit, the so-called Bek Squad.
On the eve of Poland’s regaining its independence, on 7 November 1918, Arciszewski took up the post of Minister of Labour and Social Welfare in the Provisional People’s Government, which started in Lublin under Ignacy Daszyński. During the Polish-Soviet War, he organised the Workers’ Committee for the Defence of Warsaw and Independence, carrying out diversionary actions. In the interwar period, he was a PPS MP for many years. Being in opposition to the Sanation government, he co-organised the coalition of political parties Centrolew. Moreover, throughout the interwar period, he chaired the Workers’ Association of Children’s Friends.
After the outbreak of World War II, Arciszewski was active in conspiracy, co-organising as early as September 1939 Workers’ Brigades for the Defence of Warsaw. On the night of 25-26 July 1944, as part of Operation “Bridge III”, he was evacuated to London, where he sought help for the fighting Warsaw insurgents. He was soon entrusted with the post of Prime Minister by Władysław Raczkiewicz, President of the Republic of Poland, which he held until 26 April 1947.
Tomasz Arciszewski died on 20 November 1955 in London, continuing to work for his homeland until the end.