Finał epopei Legionów Polskich 1916-1918

Abstract

The Polish Legions have been the most famous Polish armed forces since World War I. Already during warfare they became a legend, which was strengthened and extended at the time of the II Republic of Poland. Legionists belonged to the generation which lived to the moment when Poland regained independence and took an active part in the fight for it. Young volunteers who in August 1914 set off to fight for independent Poland followed the track of the January Uprising insurgents and participants of other independence spurts. They believed that the Polish armed forces had to take part in the European "War of Nations" as, among the others, the occupants were enemies to each other therein. After over two years of fighting, the Legionists eventually lived to the proclamation of the German and Austrian emperors announcing the formation of the Polish State. The Act of November 5th, 1916 changed the situation of Legion troops significantly, and opened new hopes and perspectives. The Legions were withdrawn from the front and transferred to the Kingdom of Poland, where they were to become staff of the Polish army organized under the German command. The Polish soldiers, however, were not eager to join the army which the occupant had wished to form as there was no guarantee to preserve the national character of the troops and the results of the war struggle were still uncertain. Thus, the volunteers did not feel attracted to join the army. What is more, a very serious internal crisis started to aggravate in the Legions themselves, which was generated by the lack of progress in the formation of the Polish State and its armed forces, the occupational policy of the Central Powers and the development of the international situation. Joseph Piłsudski, a co-founder and spiritual leader of the Legions (in any case, the majority of them), realized, as soon as spring 1917, that the further connection of the Polish cause with the Central Powers lacked in raison d'être. That is why the Legionists from the I and most of the III Brigade refused to swear allegiance to confirm brotherhood in arms with the armies of the Central Powers. In consequence, the soldiers of the Kingdom of Poland's were interned whereas the Galicia's soldiers, who sympathized with them, were transferred to the Austro-Hungarian army, which had been earlier held in contempt. In July 1917, the Oath crisis led to the actual disintegration of the Legions and disabled the formation of a larger Polish army at the German's side. This dissertation aims at the presentation and elucidation of the final period in the history of the Polish Legions and the lots of soldiers after leaving the Legions' troops. The research on these issues is considerably less substantial than on the period of the front fights in 1914-1916, which attracted much greater historians' interest. Military achievements of the Legions' troops were thoroughly analyzed in the Interwar Years, what is more, they enjoyed greater interest among the contemporary researchers of the Legions. On the other hand, the complicated problems of the Legions troops' existence and the lots of their soldiers in 1914-1918 have not been fully described in any comprehensive scientific study yet. Moreover, this requires a new insight and more profound analysis, asking new questions and a revision of common or set opinions and stereotypes. The above purpose of the dissertation implies several research questions. Namely, what were the intentions of the Central Powers as far as the formation of the Polish army was concerned after the Act of November 5th , 1916? What role was attributed to the Polish Legions in these plans? What was the attitude of the Kingdom of Poland's society to the Legions and to the concepts of the formation of the Polish army under the German command? What were the results of the recruitment action conducted by Władysław Sikorski? In addition, we should also explain in more detail what the internal situation of the Legions looked like. What led to the Oath crisis and what was Joseph Piłsudski's role therein? Were the intern camps' conditions really as terrible as presented by the Piłsudski advocates' propaganda? What was the attitude of the society to the interned and released Legionists? How were the Legions' soldiers treated in the Austro-Hungarian army and how did their lots on the Italian Front look like? What were the characteristics of the organizational and training output of the Polish Military Force? These issues are subjects of detailed considerations in subsequent chapters of the dissertation. The dissertation is written in a chronology-problem order and consists of six chapters. The first one is of a fore-wording nature, introducing a political and military situation experienced by the Legions' troops in autumn 1916. It outlines the war events as well as the social atmosphere and political situation in Polish lands before and after the Act of November 5th. Moreover, the Polish and German concepts on the formation of the Polish army are explained, too. Chapter two focuses on the staff and organizational potential of the Legions, then their training according to German regulations and the internal situation within the troops. Additionally, the conscriptions organization, the attitude of the society to this issue and the methods and results of the recruitment action were analyzed as well. Chapter three is the most extensive one and deals with the crucial events in the Legions' existence - the Oath crisis. This part discusses confidential negotiations between the Germans and Austrians, in result of which the Legionists were to be divided into the citizens of the Kingdom of Poland and Austro-Hungary. Galicia's citizens were to be gradually withdrawn from the army. The attempted enforcement of these decisions triggered a storm of indignation in the Legions' troops and inflamed the relations with the Germans. Joseph Piłsudski's decision to break off with the Central Powers was facilitated by the development of the international situation and increasing anti-occupational moods of the Polish society directed against Germany and Austria. In this part of my work I explain in detail the circumstances which led to the refusal to swear allegiance by the majority of the soldiers of the I and III Brigade, as well as ensuing consequence there of. Chapter four presents the lots of those Legionists who were interned in Beniaminów, Szczypiorno and Łomża. Apart from the analysis of the living conditions, I also included the spiritual condition of the interned soldiers, the inner organization, typical occupations and the society's interest in the lot of the imprisoned soldiers. The next chapter deals with those soldiers who took the required oath and became a part of the troops of the Polish Military Force. At first, they were acutely criticized by the Piłsudski's advocates. Later, the atmosphere around this formation improved, and its organizational output appeared to be extremely useful in November 1918. The last chapter concerns the lot of the Polish Auxiliary Corps after it was transferred to Galicia at the turn of August and September 1917. The attempts at the troops' reform failed, and the soldiers who supported the attitude of the interned fellow men were transferred to the Austro-Hungarian army whereas their mother regiments were dissolved. The analysis of the treatment of former Legionists in the Austro-Hungarian army and their stay on the Italian Front, which allowed making new evaluations, has been carried out in this part of my work. The II Brigade persevered at the side of the Habsburg's monarchy despite increasing doubts, as long as the middle of February 1918. The Treaty of Brest and the armed protest of the Legions' soldiers in Rarańcza determined a final break off with Austria. The Polish Legions became a symbol of the armed struggle for the independence of the Republic of Poland. The way to a longed for aim - independent homeland - was neither simple nor easy. It led not only through the battlefields of the Kingdom of Poland, the Carpathian Mountains and Volhynia, but through intern camps as well. Apart from hard fighting and everyday soldier's hardship, it was fulI of dramatic turning points and political crises. Dedicated and committed endeavor of the Legionists, however, has not been wasted. Dreams of regaining independence by Poland came true thanks to, among the others, the Legionists. Translated by Ewa Wyszczelska-Oksień