The First Brigade comprised 3 infantry regiments (the 1st, 5th and 7th), a cavalry regiment (the 1st), artillery battalions, and support units.
Composition
The First Brigade consisted mostly of young soldiers of intelligentsia origin from Congress Poland.[2] Unlike regular military units characterised by military drill, relations between First Brigade soldiers and officers were collegial. The unit was inspired by Napoleonic-era ideas and the Polish uprisings, especially the January Uprising of 1863. Another characteristic of the First Brigade was its total devotion to commander Józef Piłsudski, seen as the only military, moral and political authority by his soldiers.[2]