The Military General Government of Poland, also known as the Military General Government of Lublin, was a military administration of an area of the Russian Empire under the occupation of Austria-Hungary, during World War I, that existed from 1915 to 1917. Its seat of government was originally based in Kielce, but moved to Lublin in October 1915.
History
On 25 August 1915, the Imperial and Royal Army formed the General Government of Kielce, renamed the General Government of Lublin on 1 October 1915. It covered the southern parts of Russian Poland. On 10 October 1916, the German Chancellor Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg demanded the dissolution of the Austrian General Government of Lublin and the creation of a joint administration with the German General Government of Warsaw. However, the Austro-Hungarian Foreign Minister Stephan Burián von Rajecz rejected the order. On 18 October 1916, an agreement was reached on the uniform legislation and administration of the General Governorates of Warsaw and Lublin. As a result of the proclamation of the Kingdom of Poland on 5 November 1916, the gradual transfer of administration to Poland was planned. Due to different ideas from the German and Austro-Hungarian sides regarding the future role of Poland and Polish independence efforts, the establishment of Polish state organs had stalled several times. It was only in the summer of 1917 that the first parts of the judiciary and the teaching system were released from the direct management of the occupation administration. Interventions by the Governor-General continued to take place.
Governors-General PortraitNameTermNotes1 Major GeneralFreiherr Governor-general based in Kielce from August to October 1915 and in Lublin for the remainder of his term.2 General of the Artillery Along with his German counterpart, Governor-General of Warsaw Hans Hartwig von Beseler, he established a nominally independent Kingdom of Poland in December 1916. Removed from his post by Charles I of Austria.3 Major GeneralCount Stanisław Szeptycki Resigned in protest of the transfer of the Chełm region to Ukraine as part of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (Ukraine–Central Powers).4 General of the InfantryAnton Lipošćak Notable for having saved the Piotrków Trybunalski Royal Castle from pillage by the Austro-Hungarian Army. He resigned from his post on 2 November 1918 following the dissolution of Austria-Hungary.
See also Imperial German General Government of Belgium Government General of Warsaw
Notes
References
Literature Gerhard Hirschfeld / Gerd Krumeich / Irina Renz (eds.): Encyclopedia First World War, keyword: "Generalgouvernement", Paderborn 2004, p. 524f. Stephan Lehnstaedt: The Military General Government of Lublin. The "utilisation" of Poland by Austria-Hungary in the First World War; Journal of East Central Europe Research, 2012, digitised (PDF; 0.6 MB)