POLES IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR BY THE EXAMPLE OF THE AUSTRIAN EMPIRE’S ARMY

The paper focuses on the role of the Ottoman Empire’s support of Galicia against the Russian’s invasion during World War I. The political situation of the Polish territories before the World War I, a great Polish political achievement from before it’s partitions i.e. the Constitution of the 3rd of May 1791 and the geographic location of Galicia are described. The history of Galicia during World War I is drown on the bases of the general history of the Eastern front and the impact of the Italian front on the Galicia’s situation at that time is clarified. As Galicia became a part of the Austrian Empire as a result of partitions of Poland, the paper emphasizes on the situation of the Austro-Hungarian Army during World War I and on Poles taking part in its military actions. The role of Galicia and Polish Legions formed there in achieving an independency of the whole country in 1918 is underlined