Kingdom of Poland (1916-1918) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kingdom of Poland
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| 1917–1918 | |||||||||
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| Status | Client / puppet state of the German Empire |
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| Capital | Warsaw | ||||||||
| Common languages | |||||||||
| Government | Regency | ||||||||
| King | |||||||||
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• 1917–1918
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Vacant | ||||||||
| Head of State | |||||||||
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• 14 Jan – 25 Aug 1917
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Council of Statea | ||||||||
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• 1917–1918
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Regency Councila | ||||||||
| Prime Minister | |||||||||
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• Nov 1917 – Feb 1918
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Jan Kucharzewski | ||||||||
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• 27 Feb – 4 Apr 1918
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Antoni Ponikowski | ||||||||
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• 4 Apr – 23 Oct 1918
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Jan Kanty Steczkowski | ||||||||
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• 23 Oct – 5 Nov 1918
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Józef Świeżyński | ||||||||
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• 4–11 Nov 1918
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Władysław Wróblewski | ||||||||
| Historical era | World War I | ||||||||
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• Established
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14 January 1917 | ||||||||
| 3 March 1918 | |||||||||
| 11 November 1918 | |||||||||
| ISO 3166 code | PL | ||||||||
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The Kingdom of Poland was a country that existed for a short time during World War I. It was also called the Regency Kingdom of Poland. This new state was planned by the German Empire to be a "puppet state". This means it would be controlled by Germany.
Germany wanted to bring back Poland after it had been divided up for about 100 years. This was part of Germany's plan to control more land during the war. In 1915, Germany even spread messages to Poles. They said German soldiers were coming to free Poland from Russia.
In 1917, a plan for a new government was suggested. Germany also tried to make Polish landowners move from the Baltic states. They wanted these Poles to sell their land to Germans. Similar efforts were made in Polish areas that were part of Prussia.
World War I ended when Germany signed an agreement called the Armistice of 11 November 1918. After this, the area that was the Kingdom of Poland became part of the Second Polish Republic.
Plans for a New Poland
Before World War I began in 1914, Germany had plans for its eastern border. They wanted to protect it from the Russian army. One idea was to take a strip of land from Congress Poland. This area later became known as the Polish Border Strip.
To avoid having too many Polish people in Germany, there was a plan. Poles from this strip would be moved to a new Polish state further east. Germans would then settle in the strip.
During the first year of the war, German and Austrian soldiers quickly took over a Russian area. This area was called the Vistula Land, which was the old Congress Poland. In 1915, Germany and Austria divided control of this land. Germany had a Governor General in Warsaw, and Austria had one in Lublin.
Germany's goal in expanding east was not just about factories. They wanted to make their farms stronger. They also wanted to get large areas for German farmers to settle. This way, German leaders hoped to please powerful landowners. They also wanted to reduce conflicts between social classes in the countryside. Taking over fertile lands was also seen as a way to get money from Russia to pay for the war.
Images for kids
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Archduke Charles Stephen (Karl Stephan) in 1917
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Governors-General Beseler (first from left) and Kuk (second from left) in 1916
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Occupation of the Kingdom of Poland during World War I: German Empire Occupied (from Russia) by Germany Austria-Hungary Occupied (from Russia) by Austria-Hungary Russian Empire
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The Regency Council. Left to right: Ostrowski, Kakowski, and Lubomirski
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Members of the Regency Council with officers of the Polish Army
See also
In Spanish: Regencia de Polonia para niños
