Feminists, Nationalists, and Soldiers: Women in the Fight for Polish Independence

Although almost nothing has been written about them, a large number of Polish women worked to achieve and then to defend Poland's national independence during the sixteen-year period between 1905 and 1921. Few actually took up arms. Yet in all three parts of partitioned Poland, women were active in every important political and social movement connected with the Polish cause. Even more interesting than the work they did, however, was their motivation, a blend of national consciousness and the search for equality. In fact, many women believed that only the re-creation of an independent Poland would bring about their emancipation. The Polish women's movement offers a fascinating example, therefore, of the relationship between feminism and nationalism. To a large degree, international relations defined the women's movement in Poland in the early decades of the twentieth century.