WARSAW, a city of Poland; formerly the capital of the Polish kingdom; under Russian rule the capital of the govern ment of Warsaw; and since November, 1918, the capital of the Polish Republic and the seat of its government; situ ated on the Vistula, being connected with its fortified suburb, by a floating bridge. Warsaw consists of an old and new town, independent of its suburbs; the place is one of great antiquity and many of its ancient houses and streets are quaint and picturesque; the new town contains some attractive boulevards and handsome buildings, squares and parks. The chief edifices are the council house, a collegiate church, the barracks, Tarnek or palace of the ancient kings, now used to house government offices, and containing the diet hall, and all the national archives; several statues, some private palaces of the nobility, with the castle and an equestrian statue of Sobieski. The manufactures are woolen stuffs, soap, tobacco, gold and silver wire, hats, hosiery, paper, chemicals, carriages, harness, etc. It is the center of industry, commerce, and literary ac tivity, and the great entrepeit of com merce of Poland. The university, sup pressed by the Emperor Nicholas after the insurrection of 1830, was subsequent ly re-established through the influence of the Grand-Duke Constantine. In 1566
Warsaw succeeded Cracow as the capital of Poland. In 1793 Kosciusko retreated on Warsaw, and defended it with suc cess against the Prussians, during the summer of 1794; but, on the arrival of Suwarrow and the Russians, Praga, a suburb of the city, was taken and de stroyed. Under Russian rule Warsaw was for many years the residence of a viceroy representing the Emperor of Russia; it was also the place of meet ing of the Polish parliament. In 1830 the Russians were driven from it by the Poles; but it was, in the following year, retaken. As a result of its position, the city was especially exposed during the World War. It was strongly protected by the Narev river and by a string of strong fortresses and several attempts of the Austro-German forces to capture it failed. In 1915, however, after the fall of the Narev fortresses, the city was evacuated by the Russians and it was occupied on Aug. 5, 1915, by Austro German troops, who held it until the end of the war. Pop. (1919) about 820,000. See POLAND.