The People of Poland at War: 1914-1918

Central Europe, 1914-1918. A broad vista of the lives of the inhabitants of the border zones between Russia, Germany, and Austria-Hungary during the Great War. The ordinary man's struggle to survive against the background of political and military affairs during the First World War, and in the comparative European context.

This book is a pioneering synthesis of the history of Poland, 1914-1918, summing up 100 years of the work of historians on the period and outlining new research aims. It is an integrated approach to the story of the Russian, German, and Austro-Hungarian zones of partitioned Poland, culminating in the restoration of the country's independence and its accommodation to the new political configuration in Europe after 1918. It uses a combination of the research tools of social and cultural history, anthropology, and environmental history, showing the everyday life of ordinary people alongside military and diplomatic affairs. The policies pursued by the partitioning and occupying powers are juxtaposed with the activities of Polish pro-independence groups and Pilsudski's Legions.