ABSTRACT
According to Alden Hatch's adulatory account of Jozef Hieronim Retinger, he was "brilliant", which was certainly true; he was an intriguer, an SOE operative; a champion of uniting the West in opposition to the threat from the East, and a Polish patriot. In conclusion he was the key figure in most of the great European Union. Through either self-delusion or dissimulation, Retinger seemingly convinced himself that it was only after World War II, that he was able to look beyond the problems of Poland and consider the larger design of a united Europe, and that this structure would be a creation of multiple federations. Despite all the talk of "world government", Retinger continued to espouse the same vision: a community of nations, built on federation, including Eastern Europe, with dubious attitudes towards the United States. He died after receiving the Last Sacraments of the Church. He was the godfather of the European Union. And, one of the great modern Poles.
