The Polish Political Groups in Russia in Relation to the Idea of Establishing the Polish Corps (March-November 1917)

After the February Revolution in 1917, in the conditions of significant liberalization of the political climate, various Polish exile communities in Russia seemed to wake up from lethargy to reveal their plans and ambitions. This resulted in the creation of numerous groups, organizations and associations, from the extreme right to the radical left. Consequently, two the strongest political camps emerged: national democratic and liberal-democratic. One of the key factors antagonising the political circles of the Polish diaspora was their distinct attitude towards the idea of separating the Polish corps from the Russian army. The political dispute was reflected in the press releases issued by various parties. The most widely read press organs of the liberal-democratic movement such as “Dziennik Petrogradzki” (The Petrograd Journal) and “Echo Polskie” (The Polish Echo) were strongly against the concept of creation of the Polish Corps, and they were joined by leftwing newspapers “Trybuna” (The Tribune), “Robotnik w Rosji” (The Worker in Russia) and “Głos Robotnika i Żołnierza” (The Voice of a Worker and Soldier). The concept of creation of the Polish Corps was supported by the national democrats, who promoted the idea in “Dziennik Polski” (The Polish Journal) and “Gazeta Polska” (The Polish Gazette).Adam Miodowski, dr hab., Uniwersytet w Białymstoku. Zainteresowania badawcze: przejawy aktywizacji politycznej, społecznej i wojskowej Polaków oraz Polek u progu niepodległości i w okresie zmagań o jej utrwalenie.Uniwersytet w Białymstoku23124