Exhibition | Oppression and Self-assertion | War and Occupation | Conflicts and Rapprochements
The Partitions of Poland
| Struggle for Freedom and Enthusiasm for Poland
Intensification of the "Germanization policy"
| World War One and the Reconstitution of Poland
Border Conflicts and Demonization
| A Calculated Rapprochement
When World War One began in 1914, Polish hopes for an independent state grew. The war pitted Germany and Austria-Hungary against Russia, and each side competed for the favor of the Poles.
After occupying the area of Poland which had previously been controlled by Russia, Germany and Austria-Hungary declared in November 1916 that this territory would henceforth be known as the "Kingdom of Poland," hoping that this device would help them recruit Polish soldiers to reinforce their armies, which had been battered by war and attrition. However, the declaration of a "Kingdom of Poland" did not satisfy Poland's desire for a sovereign and independent nation-state.
When US President Wilson announced his "14 Points" in January 1918, an independent Poland officially became one of the war aims of the Entente Powers. Poland finally became independent on 11 November 1918, the day of the armistice. The new Poland's first president was Józef Piłsudski, a politician and general who had only recently been released from German custody.
