Józef Klemens Piłsudski (5 December 1867 – 12 May 1935) was Chief of State (1918–22), "First Marshal" (from 1920) and (1926–35) the authoritarian leader of the Second Polish Republic. From mid-World War I he had a major influence in Poland's politics, and was an important figure on the European political scene. He is considered largely responsible for Poland's regaining its independence in 1918, after 123 years of partitions. Piłsudski managed to wrestle the control of Wilno from Lithuania, but was unable to incorporate much of his Lithuanian homeland into the newly resurrected Polish State.