On November 3, 1918, Poland did not declare independence from Russia in a single act. The day was part of a rapid series of events that led to the restoration of the Polish state after 123 years without sovereignty. In various reference books, the date is presented as the moment of the proclamation of the Polish Republic, but Polish historical tradition mostly associates the restoration of independence with November 11.
The path from partitions to the restoration of the state
Poland disappeared from the political map after the third partition in 1795. Its territories were divided between the Russian Empire, Prussia and Austria. Therefore, the formulation that the country declared independence only from Russia is incomplete. The Polish national movement opposed the power and policies of the three empires, and the First World War created the conditions for the collapse of the old European order.
On October 7, 1918, the Regency Council, established in the Kingdom of Poland under German and Austro-Hungarian control, declared the independence of the Polish state. This act preceded the events of November and showed that the restoration of Poland was not a one-time action, but a process of transfer of power and unification of various Polish lands.
What happens on November 3
On November 3, the Regency Council dismissed the government of Józef Święjski. A few days later, on the night of November 6-7, the Provisional People's Government of the Polish Republic was established in Lublin, headed by Ignacy Daszynski.
The American Historical Office indicates November 3, 1918, as the date on which the Polish Republic was proclaimed. However, Polish historical institutions order the events differently: they emphasize November 11, when Józef Piłsudski took command of the Polish army, and three days later he received civil power.
Why November 11 remains a symbolic date
Piłsudski returned to Warsaw on November 10, 1918, after being released from the fortress in Magdeburg. The next day, the Regency Council handed him the supreme command of the army. At the same time, Germany signed the Armistice of Compiègne, which ended the hostilities in World War I.
On November 14, the Regency Council was dissolved and civilian power was transferred to Piłsudski. Two days later, he notified the governments of the belligerent and neutral countries of the creation of an independent Poland. International recognition came gradually, with the United States recognizing the Polish Provisional Government on January 22, 1919.
Prime Minister Józef Morawiecki described the mood of those days with the words: “Freedom! Independence! Unity! Our own country!“ It is this sequence of decisions, change of power and international recognition that is behind the restoration of Poland, and November 11 remains its national symbol.
Sources: pap.pl, polska-zbrojna.pl, apnews.com