The Poles in the Russian army in Lubelszczyzna at the beginning of the First World War

Abstract

Before the First World War a part of Polish territory, including Lubelszczyzna was in the Military District in Warsaw. There were standing five army corps, which consisted of 200,000 soldiers. In Lubelszczyzna there was standing one corps – XIV Army Corps in the power of 30,000 men. Due to the current rules, the could be very few among them. The restrictions referred to officers too, but only to the Catholics (Catholic’s vacant). Poles of others religions were out of the restrictions. Poles were mainly commanders, up to the brigade commanders. Among them there were also generals Eugeniusz de Hennig Michaelis and Edward Kolankowski. After the war broke out the number of Poles in the Russian army increased, which was connected with the mobilization, the war acts and their consequences.