European Kingdoms

Polish Kingdom (Poland)
AD 1815 - 1918
Incorporating Congress Poland, the Kraków Republic, & the Vistula Country

Polish States All Modern States Central Europe Hessian States Saxon States The Rus / Old Russia

The Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth had been formed in 1569 by the Union of Lublin. It was terminated in successive phases between 1770 and 1795, having been fatally weakened by the Great Northern War and then the Polish War of Succession. Austria annexed a Polish county in 1770, paving the way for a wholesale dismemberment of the state in three 'partitions' of 1772, 1793, and 1795, with Austria, Prussia, and Russia all willing participants.

Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte of France, having defeated all three states in his conquest of mainland Europe outside of Russia, greatly encouraged the Poles to hope that he would be their saviour. The popular feeling was that he would recreate an independent Polish state, or at least form an autonomous state which was a vassal of France.

Napoleon, though, was reluctant to go so far, instead forming a compromise duchy of Warsaw which was created out of Prussian-controlled territory. This was controlled in personal union with Saxony, reviving the eighteenth century relationship between the two countries. Napoleon's defeat and fall in 1813-1814 meant that the duchy disappeared, swallowed up again by its more powerful neighbours.

Polish lands which were under Russian control between 1815-1916 were collected into what became known as the 'Polish Kingdom'. Nominally this was held in personal union with the Russia czar, but in reality it occupied a subordinate position, as established by the Congress of Vienna. Due to this it is often referred to by scholars as 'Congress Poland', with the Russian czar remaining its head of state. Warsaw and western Galicia also fell under Russian control.

The 1830 insurrection changed things, once the Poles were safely back under Russian control. The newly-created Vistula Country removed any traces of Polish autonomy. The czar remained the head of the Polish state, but general control was exercised through representatives, or viceroys.

The 'Free, Independent, and Strictly Neutral City of Kraków with its Territory', often styled the 'Kraków Republic', fell under the 'protection' of now-imperial Austria, plus Prussia and Russia. It was administered by a government senate but was absorbed by Austria in 1846, after which it was termed a grand duchy with the Austrian emperor himself holding the title.

(Information by Peter Kessler, with additional information from A History of Poland from its Foundation, M Ross, from The History of the Baltic Countries, Zigmantas Kiaupa, Ain Mäesalu, Ago Pajur, & Gvido Straube (Eds, Estonia 2008), from The Campaigns of Napoleon, David Chandler (Weidenfeld & Nicolson Ltd, London, 1996), from Napoleon 1812, Nigel Nicolson (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London, 1985), from The First World War, John Keegan (Vintage Books, 2000), and from External Links: The Napoleon Series, and The November Uprising - what were the Poles fighting for and why? (Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs), and Jewish Encyclopaedia.)

1815 - 1826

Viceroy/first representative (namestnik). 'Prince of Poland'.

1815 - 1831

From 1815 onwards, Congress Poland remains a subordinate territory of the Russian czar until the period between 25 January to 26 September 1831. The position of viceroy is unfilled after 1826 and the death of Józef Zajączek.

During this same period, the First (November) Insurrection is sparked by growing discontent across large areas of Poland at Russian rule. The Poles appoint their own leadership from 1830 to head the rebellion against the Russians (shown below in green).

The Polish kingdom of Poland was created as a result of agreement between the partitioning powers of Austria, Prussia, and Russia, rather than being the sovereign decision of the Polish people themselves, so there was always going to be resistance against a Russian king of the Poles - which led to the outbreak of open warfare in 1830

1830

Dictator in rebellion against Russia, Dec.

1830

Marshal of the diet of the rebellion, Dec.

1830 - 1831

Restored dictator in rebellion against Russia, Dec-Jan.

1831

President of the national government of the rebellion, Jan.

1831

Marshal of the diet of the rebellion, Jan.

1831

President of the senate of the rebellion, Jan-Aug.

1831

President of the senate of the rebellion, Aug-Sep.

1831

President of the senate of the rebellion, Sep.

1831

Russian control is restored on 26 September 1831 after a great deal of hard fighting by the Poles during the First Insurrection or Polish-Russian War of 1830-1831. Many Polish soldiers who are involved in the uprising choose to seek protection in Prussia, where they are disarmed and are not particularly welcome.

Contrary to expectations, the post-Napoleonic Congress of Vienna in 1815 decided to keep many of Napoleon's German territorial reforms, albeit in amended fashion, and not to restore an independent Poland

Others flee to Galicia. When Russia offers the Polish troops amnesty, Prussian treatment of the rapidly dwindling number of surviving Poles becomes increasingly harsh. Eventually, the surviving 212 Poles are placed on board a ship at Gdansk and are deported. The ship is bound for the USA, but a storm forces it to seek shelter in Portsmouth in Britain.

The Poles settle, mainly in London where they form the country's first Polish community (Lennard Goodman, a judge on the BBC tv show, Strictly Come Dancing, between 2004-2016 descended from one of their number).

On 22 February 1832, the 'New Statute' (the constitution of the insurrection) abolishes the last remnants of autonomy, and the area becomes known simply as Vistula Country (Privislyansky kray). The czar remains the head of the Polish state, but general control is exercised through the representatives, or viceroys.

1831 - 1856

Russian viceroy (namestnik). Prince of Warsaw.

1846

Having been administered by a government senate since 1815, a defeated Polish Kraków Uprising (which also involves western, predominantly Polish-dominant, parts of Galicia) ensures that the 'Kraków Republic' is now absorbed into the Austrian empire.

Its official designation becomes that of a grand duchy, with the Austrian emperor himself holding the title. This arrangement remains in place until 1918.

Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph enters his possession, the grand duchy of Kraków, in 1880, having benefited from the territory's enforced acquisition by his father in 1846

1856 - 1861

Russian viceroy. Died in office.

1861

Russian 'Minister of Land Forces'. Acting viceroy.

1861

Russian viceroy. Aug-Oct only. Resigned from office.

1861

Karl Lambert's one act of note during his brief tenure as viceroy of Poland is to institute marshal law in October 1861. Following that he promptly resigns from office, leaving his duties in the care of General Sukhozanet.

1861

Acting viceroy for the second time.

1861 - 1862

Viceroy. Withdrew following assassination attempt.

1862 - 1863

Viceroy. Liberal, but too late. Recalled.

1863

The period between 22 January 1863 to April 1865 witnesses the 'Second (January) Insurrection', or January Uprising. It owes a great deal to Count Lüders for its triggering, thanks to his brutal repression of Poles and the Catholic Church in Poland. The far more liberal hand of Grand Duke Konstatin Romanov arrives far too late to change the course of events.

The January Uprising of 1863 took place in Poland, but it disrupted Russian governance much further afield and caused the policy of Russification to be firmly enforced

The uprising takes place across much of the former Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth, including Poland, Lithuania, the Baltic Provinces, Latgallia, Livonia, and even Austrian-controlled Galicia. Following this, Poland is administered as an integral part of Russia.

1863 - 1874

Acting viceroy until Oct 1863, then final viceroy. Died.

1874

The position of viceroy of the Polish territories is terminated upon the death of the Graf von Berg, formerly acting governor of Finland at various times between 1855-1861. Governors-general are appointed to control the newly-established 'Warsaw Military District'.

1874 - 1880

First governor-general of the Warsaw Military District.

1880 - 1883

Former governor of Vilnius. Died in office.

1881

The first modern-era wave of Jewish Diaspora migrations back to Palestine begins with an event known as the First Aliyah. These Ashkenazi Jews are fleeing pogroms in Eastern Europe, most notably in the territories of the Russian empire under Alexander III and his imposition of anti-liberalisation reforms. These may be partially the result of the January Uprising of 1863 (see above).

Poland-Lithuania's long-standing Jewish population was gradually forced to emigrate during the later Russian empire period, with most either going west or returning to Palestine

Russia operates an area known as the 'Pale of Settlement', largely territory to the west which has been acquired from the former Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth. Today this forms Russia's western border region, and from 1791-1793 it has incorporated modern Belarus (eastern Poland at the time), eastern Latvia, Lithuania, the province of Bessarabia (modern Moldova), and western Ukraine.

The Jewish population of the 'Pale' (which had first settled there from about 1096 in what had then been the duchy of Poland) is restricted from moving eastwards into Russia proper and is now being discouraged from remaining in the western border regions of the empire. Some of their number end up elsewhere in the world, especially the USA, but also China where they form the Chinese Jews.

1883 - 1894

Belarusian. Enforced Russification on Poles. Died 1901.

1894 - 1896

Retired from office.

1897 - 1900

Georgian prince of Imeretia. Replaced for being liberal.

1900 - 1905

Died in Paris, still in office.

1903 - 1914

The Second Aliyah to Palestine is triggered in 1903 by an anti-Jewish riot in the city of Kishinev (modern Chişinău), the capital of the province of Bessarabia (modern Moldova), part of the Russian empire. Something like forty thousand mainly Ashkenazi Jews settle in Palestine, although only half remain permanently.

When the duchy of Courland was handed over to the Russian emperor in 1795, Rundāle Palace first became the property of Count Valerian Zubov, then passed into the hands of the Shuvalov family (see Count Pavel Shuvalov, Polish governor in 1894-1896), and was effectively nationalised in 1920 (click or tap on image to view full sized)

Many others, evicted from their settlements in the 'Pale' head towards western Polish territories or to the USA (something which is dramatically highlighted with a touch of artistic licence in the film musical, Fiddler on the Roof, 1971, which has its final scenes set in 1905).

1905

Mar-Aug only.

1905 - 1914

Survived two assassination attempts post-1905.

1905

Russian troops fire on protestors in St Petersburg (an event dubbed 'Bloody Sunday'), sparking the 1905 Russian Revolution. The outcome of the revolution is especially noticeable in Finland, which makes a great leap forwards in the application of democratic governance, and in Armenia and Azerbaijan, which gain considerably more freedom as a result. The Poles fare less well, facing brutal repressions under Georgy Antonovich Skalon.

Vladimir Lenin was the figurehead of Russia's October Revolution in 1917, and also its key instigator and controller, but the revolution plunged the former empire into three years of bitter civil war

1914

Acting gov-general. Removed for Eastern Front failures.

1914 - 1915

Russia supports its allies by joining the First World War against imperial Germany and Austria-Hungary. However, the Russian army advancing into Eastern Europe is routed by the Germans at the Battle of Tannenberg, and Russian Poland is lost.

Yakov Grigoryevich Zhilinskiy appears to be one of those at fault for poor military planning. German and Austrian governors are appointed to the region (shown here in green and red respectively).

1914 - 1915

Last Russian governor. In exile from Aug 1915.

1915 - 1918

German governor-general in Warsaw.

1915 - 1916

Austria-Hungarian governor-general in Lublin.

1916 - 1917

Austria-Hungarian governor-general in Lublin.

1916 - 1917

Poland is granted autonomy by the occupying powers on 5 November 1916, and the situation is confirmed by the 1917 Brest-Litovsk treaty, which gives much of Eastern Europe to Germany. On 14 January 1917 a Polish kingdom is declared which includes Galicia.

Galicia was incorporated into Poland's eastern territories during the First World War, restoring a traditional connection with at least part of that region

Also known as the 'Regency Kingdom of Poland', it exists only on paper and is superseded by the formation of the republic of Poland in 1918.

1917 - 1918

Austria-Hungarian governor-general in Lublin.

1918

Austria-Hungarian governor-general in Lublin. Feb-Nov.

1918

On 6 November 1918 a Polish state is declared. With Germany close to collapse and Austria-Hungary dismantling itself, on 7 November, the Habsburg Poles unite with the former Russian and German-ruled Poles to declare a free and independent Poland.