THE POLISH PROBLEM DURING THE WORLD WAR The World War found the Poles estranged from one another, and without a united national policy. Pilsudski, the "activist," crossed the frontier from Galicia with a few hundreds of his armed band and engaged the Russian empire in battle as forerunner of the army of an independent and united Poland. But the Polish National committee, formed in Cracow on Aug. 16, aimed at unit ing Galicia and Congress Poland as a third party in the Dual Monarchy and required the Polish Legion to take the oath to the emperor. In Warsaw, another Polish committee under Dmowski denied the right of the Cracow committee to speak in the name of the Polish nation; protested loyalty to the tsar ; and attempted to form a Polish Legion on the side of Russia. Meanwhile the Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaievich issued a proclamation (Aug. 14) in which he promised to unite the three parts of Poland in an autonomous state with the Russian empire. When the Russian army occupied a great part of Galicia the Russophil party in Galicia (the National Democrats) accepted this programme.
In the summer of 1915, however, the Central Powers con quered all Congress Poland. After the fall of Warsaw on Aug. 5, 1915, governments were set up on behalf of Germany at War saw. and Austria-Hungary at Lublin. It was now the Russian solution that was platonic. But fresh difficulties confronted the Austrian solution. The Polish Socialist Party (P.P.S.) under Pilsudski declared that no recruiting should take place for Polish legions until an autonomous Polish Government had been formed to conduct it. Meanwhile Tisza, the Hungarian Minister Presi dent, had vetoed the Austrian trialist scheme, which was also opposed by Germany. Vienna, again, rejected the plans put for ward by Germany, of annexing Congress Poland to Germany, or of forming an independent Polish buffer state in economic military and political alliance with the Central Powers.
Hungary issued a proclamation on Nov. 5, 1916, holding out a prospect of the restoration of an independent Congress Poland as a hereditary constitutional monarchy closely attached to the Central Powers. Francis Joseph promised Galicia increased auton omy within Austria-Hungary. The discussion of details was shelved; the military governments at Warsaw and Lublin con tinued to administer the country. The German Governor, General von Beseler, arranged for the election of a diet with fairly exten sive powers in local administration, education and justice. Mean while, by decree dated Nov. 26, 1916. a Provisional Council of State was appointed, which was solemnly opened on Jan. 14, 1917. Pilsudski began to work out the plans for a national Polish Army. He refused, however, to raise it for German use ; and actually the German plan of raising a Polish Army failed completely.
In March 1917 the Russian dynasty fell. On March 3o the new Russian Government recognized Poland's right to self determination and promised the creation of a new Polish State.
These events altered the attitude of the Allies towards Poland, particularly as they were now reinforced by the entry of the United States into the War. The answer of the Entente Powers to the peace proposals of the Central Powers issued on Jan. 1 o, 1917 had already declared their adhesion to the tsar's manifesto to his armies (Dec. 25, 1916) which had spoken of "the formation of a free Poland in all parts into which it is at present divided." The danger still threatening Poland from Russia vanished with the breakdown of Kerensky's offensive (July, 1917). The Central Powers -were now the only enemy. In May, 1917, the Polish members of the Austrian Reichsrat unanimously demanded "an independent united Poland with an outlet to the sea," and declared that the Polish case was one for "international consider ation." At the same time, the Polish council of State in Warsaw asked the occupants for a widening of its powers, and split up over the German demand for a recruiting appeal and an oath of loyalty. Pilsudski resigned from the diet with his adherents, and set about turning his secret military organization against Germany.