Józef Bem

Józef Zachariasz Bem (1794 - 1850) was a Polish general.

General of Polish, Hungarian and Turkish armies, an artillery officer and theoretician (theory and construction of rockets). He was one of the favorite leaders of the Hungarian army; there are several squares and streets named after him and statues displaying him in Hungary, his name is part of Hungarian history as well.

Participated in Polish national uprising 1830-1831. In 1848 he took over command of the defense of Vienna against the imperial troops. In November 1848 he took command of the Hungarian army in Transylvania and Banat. At the end of the Hungarian revolution nominated commander-in-chief of the Hungarian army. Subsequently, Bem left for Turkey. He started to live in Kutahya, a small Turkish City. In June 1850 he was given the rank of general of division (ferik-pasha), and began to organize troops of Arab cavalry.