The 11th of November is just the beginning.
The 11th of November is National Independence Day in Poland. We celebrate it to commemorate the events of 1918, when the Regency Council in office in Warsaw handed over sovereignty over the reborn Polish Army to Józef Piłsudski. This this came about was due to several factors. First and foremost, it was down to the fact that Piłsudski had arrived in the Polish capital the previous day, having previously been released from the Magdeburg fortress, having been held there since August 1917. Moreover, members of the Polish Military Organisation formed by Piłsudski were active in Warsaw, exerting a kind of pressure on the Regency Council. Nor should it be forgotten that, as of the 9th of November, a revolution had been underway in Germany – the last Partitioner to take part in the war. It was because of these factors, among others, that Piłsudski was able to seize power, signaling an important step towards the Republic’s freedom. However, there was still a long way to go before Poland would be recognised as an independent state on the international arena. The first step in this direction was a telegram sent by Józef Piłsudski.
As Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Army …
On November the 16th, 1918, a spark message was transmitted from the area of the Warsaw Citadel which read as follows:
To the President of the United States,
To the Royal English Government,
To the Government of the French Republic,
To the Royal Italian Government,
To the Imperial Japanese Government,
To the Government of the German Commonwealth
and to the Governments of all belligerent and neutral countries.\
As Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Army, I wish to notify the governments and nations of the belligerent and neutral states of the existence of an independent Polish state, encompassing all the lands of a united Poland.
The political situation in Poland and the yoke of occupation have so far prevented the Polish nation from freely expressing its fate. Thanks to the changes brought about by the glorious victories of the allied armies – the restoration of Poland’s independence and sovereignty is now an accomplished fact.
The Polish state is being established by the will of the whole nation and is based on democratic foundations. The Polish government will replace the reign of violence, which for one hundred and forty years has been weighing down the fate of Poland, by a system built on order and justice. Relying on the Polish army under my command, I hope that henceforth no foreign army will enter Poland before we have formally expressed our will in this matter. I am convinced that the mighty democracies of the West will lend their aid and fraternal support to a Polish Republic reborn and independent.
Commander-in-Chief
[Józef] Piłsudski
For the Minister of External Affairs
[Tytus] Filipowicz Warsaw, the 16th of November 1918
The following day, Tytus Filipowicz sent another dispatch to the Foreign Ministers of Great Britain, France, Portugal, Italy, the United States and Japan, proposing an exchange of diplomatic representation.
Independent but uncertain of its future
One did not have to wait long for the first reaction. Already on the 20th of November, four days after the dispatch, Polish independence was recognised by Germany. However, one had to wait until January and February of 1919 for further acts of acknowledgement As a result of the cooperation between the leaders of the Polish political scene – Piłsudski, Dmowski and Paderewski – the formation of a government was possible which gained the recognition of Western countries. After a two month waiting period Poland could finally feel a greater sense of security. However, the question of its future borders was still in question.