 From 1918 after Poland gained independence, he served in the Polish Army; in January 1919 he was the commander of Polish forces fighting in Cieszyn Silesia against the Czech offensive.During the Battle of Warsaw in 1920 he commanded the First Polish Army and served as the military governor of the city besieged by the Red Army.He was born as the son of Antoni Izydor Latinik, high school geography teacher and author of the work "Jeografija Galicyi dla szkół ludowych" ("Geography of Galicia for the People's Schools"), and Kornelia née Romer, daughter of Teofil Romer, nobleman and Kraków Uprising participant, and granddaughter of Ignacy Łempicki.