11 November 1918, known in Western Europe as the date of the armistice ending the first world war, is commemorated as Independence Day in Poland. As the Central Powers collapsed, Polish patriots began to disarm Austro-Hungarian and German occupation troops and assumed control of Western Galicia and the former Russian-ruled Polish Kingdom. Józef Piłsudski, the former head of the pro-Austrian Polish Legions, was freed by the Germans and allowed to return to Warsaw where he soon accepted the responsibilities of Commander-in-Chief and Temporary Head of State. Because of the activities of Roman Dmowski and the pro-Entente Polish National Committee, the Poles were also recognized as an Entente belligerent.
The reappearance of an …
Citation: Styrna, Pawel. "Poland regains independence". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 26 June 2009 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=7102, accessed 26 September 2023.]