Government General of Warsaw
Encyclopedia
The Imperial German General Government of Warsaw was an administrative civil district created by the German Empire
in World War I
. It encompassed most of the north-western parts of the erstwhile Russian
-ruled Vistula Land
(Congress Poland
), covering nearly its entire half.
Although initially a part of Ober Ost
under the authority of general Erich Ludendorff
, after the military advances in the fall offensive of 1915
the territory was turned over to a separate administration in October. It continued to exist even after the later establishment of a rump
Kingdom of Poland, a Central Powers
puppet state
. Its governor-general was Hans Hartwig von Beseler
, who held the office for the entire duration of its existence. The seat of the General Government was located in the Royal Castle, Warsaw
, while the governor-general's seat was in the Belvedere
palace, Warsaw.
There was also an Austro-Hungarian
-controlled counterpart to its south called the Military Government of Lublin.
On 18 October 1916, a joint administration had been introduced for both districts of the former Congress Poland, with a German civil servant Wolfgang von Kries being appointed the first chief of the supposedly administration. On 9 December, Kries founded a Polish central bank, which issued a new currency, the Polish mark (Marka polska).
During the occupation German authorities drafted Poles into forced labor to replace German workers drafted into the army.
Chiefs of Joint Administration:
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. It encompassed most of the north-western parts of the erstwhile Russian
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
-ruled Vistula Land
Vistula land
Vistula Land or Vistula Country was the name applied to the lands of the Kingdom of Poland following the defeats of the November Uprising and January Uprising as it was increasingly stripped of autonomy and incorporated into Imperial Russia...
(Congress Poland
Congress Poland
The Kingdom of Poland , informally known as Congress Poland , created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna, was a personal union of the Russian parcel of Poland with the Russian Empire...
), covering nearly its entire half.
Although initially a part of Ober Ost
Ober Ost
Ober Ost is short for Oberbefehlshaber der gesamten Deutschen Streitkräfte im Osten, which is a German term meaning "Supreme Commander of All German Forces in the East" during World War I. In practice it refers not only to said commander, but also to his governing military staff and the district...
under the authority of general Erich Ludendorff
Erich Ludendorff
Erich Friedrich Wilhelm Ludendorff was a German general, victor of Liège and of the Battle of Tannenberg...
, after the military advances in the fall offensive of 1915
Gorlice-Tarnów Offensive
The Gorlice–Tarnów Offensive during World War I started as a minor German offensive to relieve Russian pressure on the Austro-Hungarians to their south on the Eastern Front, but resulted in the total collapse of the Russian lines and their retreat far into Russia...
the territory was turned over to a separate administration in October. It continued to exist even after the later establishment of a rump
Rump state
A rump state is the remnant of a once-larger government, left with limited powers or authority after a disaster, invasion, military occupation, secession or partial overthrowing of a government. In the last case, a government stops short of going in exile because it still controls part of its...
Kingdom of Poland, a Central Powers
Central Powers
The Central Powers were one of the two warring factions in World War I , composed of the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria...
puppet state
Puppet state
A puppet state is a nominal sovereign of a state who is de facto controlled by a foreign power. The term refers to a government controlled by the government of another country like a puppeteer controls the strings of a marionette...
. Its governor-general was Hans Hartwig von Beseler
Hans Hartwig von Beseler
Hans Hartwig von Beseler was a German Colonel General.- Biography :Beseler was born in Greifswald, Pomerania. His father, Georg Beseler, was a law professor at the University of Greifswald. He entered the Prussian Army in 1868, fought in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871, and had a successful...
, who held the office for the entire duration of its existence. The seat of the General Government was located in the Royal Castle, Warsaw
Royal Castle, Warsaw
The Royal Castle in Warsaw is a castle residency and was the official residence of the Polish monarchs. It is located in the Castle Square, at the entrance to the Warsaw Old Town. The personal offices of the king and the administrative offices of the Royal Court of Poland were located there from...
, while the governor-general's seat was in the Belvedere
Belweder
Belweder is a palace in Warsaw, a few kilometers south of the Royal Castle. The President of the Republic of Poland, Bronisław Komorowski, resides at Belweder.-History:...
palace, Warsaw.
There was also an Austro-Hungarian
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
-controlled counterpart to its south called the Military Government of Lublin.
During the occupation German authorities drafted Poles into forced labor to replace German workers drafted into the army.
Chiefs of Joint Administration:
- Wolfgang von Kries (18 October 1915 - 26 November 1917)
- Otto von Steinmeister (26 November 1917 - 6 October 1918)
See also
- Ober OstOber OstOber Ost is short for Oberbefehlshaber der gesamten Deutschen Streitkräfte im Osten, which is a German term meaning "Supreme Commander of All German Forces in the East" during World War I. In practice it refers not only to said commander, but also to his governing military staff and the district...
- Kingdom of Poland (1916-1918)
- Polish Border StripPolish Border StripThe Polish Border Strip , also known as the Polish Frontier Strip, refers to those territories which the German Empire wanted to annex from Congress Poland during World War I. It appeared in some plans proposed by German officials as a territory to be ceded by the Kingdom of Poland to the German...
- Eastern Front (WWI)
- General Governorate of BelgiumGeneral Governorate of BelgiumThe Imperial German General Governorate of Belgium was a German military government established in occupied Belgium during the First World War. The governorate was set up on 26 August 1914, when Field Marshal Colmar Freiherr von der Goltz was appointed the military governor of Belgium...