Dawn of Galician austrophilism and the Austrian-Polish idea. Michal Bobrzynski as minister for Galicia and the issue of separating Galicia (1916–1917)

Abstract

The fall of the January rising and political changes in the Habsburg monarchy in the 60s of the 19th century led to revaluations in Polish politics. They were the basis for the birth of Austrian-Polish orientation predicting building the future of Polish nation with the Habsburgs. Galicia was to become the Polish Piedmont. Simultaneously with that Poles made the attempt to gain a special status for Galicia within the Habsburg monarchy – its separation. Despite the effort made those plans were not realized. They were revived during World War I in a completely different form. The announced by Franz Josef separation of Galicia was a reaction to the act from the 5th November 1916. The establishment of the Kingdom of Poland by de facto Germany shattered the idea of the Austrian-Polish solution for which the Poles in Austria greatly hoped in the future. Separation, which meant giving wide autonomy, was to soften their disappointment and to prevent possible irredentism. Initially the Poles accepted this project with enthusiasm. The leadership in the separation movement was taken by an eminent and widely respected politician Michal Bobrzynski. For this purpose he accepted the post in the cabinet as the minister for Galicia. Objective difficulties and increasing disintegration of the monarchy caused that the project turned out to be unreal. What is more, problems with its implementation additionally made Poles disheartened towards the Habsburg state. Their future they began to see in the emancipation from Austria and aiming at connection with the Polish state being constructed under the German protection. Bobrzynski’s resignation in June 1917 had a symbolic dimension in these circumstances. The politician acting not only towards the separation of Galicia but also being the main pillar and authority of the so-called Austrian-Polish idea stepped down.