Otton Laskowski – co-creator of modern Polish military historiography

Abstract

Otton Laskowski (1892–1953) belongs to the group of military historians who occupy an important place in the history of historiography despite their modest military or academic rank. Laskowski’s position results from his activity in designing the Polish military language, shaping objectives and forms of military history, editing and translating sources, studying the medieval and Old Polish art of war and performing organisational duties. In the first sphere, this was expressed in his participation in the discussion on the creation of military terminology in independent Poland; in the second, in outlining the structure of military history and developing its practical character, subordinated to the needs of the army; lastly, his translations of French military literature are difficult to overestimate. Laskowski’s studies on the old history of the Polish military had a profound, though not always positive, impact on further research by national historians. His most notable work is the edition of “Encyklopedja wojskowa” [Military Encyclopaedia].