# Act of 5th November (1916)

URL: https://poland-history.com/timeline/1916-act-of-5th-november
Location: Warsaw
Categories: main-event

The German and Austrian emperors proclaimed a Kingdom of Poland from former Russian lands, without defined borders or a king, hoping to recruit Polish soldiers. Within the broader World War I & Independence period: The First World War destroyed the partitioning empires. Poland regained independence in November 1918 and fought for its borders in a series of wars and uprisings until 1921. At this point in the timeline (5 November 1916), the governing authority was Central Powers occupation (German and Austro-Hungarian governors-general). After the Russian retreat the former Congress Poland was administered by German (Warsaw) and Austro-Hungarian (Lublin) governors-general. Act of 5th November mattered because it altered the structure of power and the direction of Polish statehood. The event is placed here so readers can follow it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion and culture across Polish history.

## Why it matters
Act of 5th November mattered because it altered the structure of power and the direction of Polish statehood.

Ruler at the time: [Central Powers occupation](https://poland-history.com/rulers/central-powers-occupation)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Act of 5th November](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Act_of_5th_November)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Act of 5th November](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Act+of+5th+November)
- [Wikipedia — History of Poland during World War I (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Poland_during_World_War_I)