Establishment of Polish State in 1918 in Memories of the Diplomat Jan Stanisław Łoś

Abstract

The article is about the establishment of the Polish state in the memories of a Polish diplomat, historian, politician and journalist associated with the conservative community Jan Stanisław Łoś (1890–1974). He presented an interesting interpretation of regaining independence by Poland, which he called the “outbreak of Poland”. According to him, Poland “broke out” because it was created spontaneously, unplanned, uncontrolled by anyone. Independence was the result of the Polish national instinct, which spontaneously ordered the Poles to unite and to be independent. The article describes the first days of independence in Lublin, which in November 1918 was the headquarter of the Polish Provisional Government. The Polish diplomat and public official witnessed those events, which accompanied the revival of the independent Polish Republic. J.S. Łoś provided unknown facts and events, which is why his memoirs, written in 1970s, can be considered as a historical source.