The First Silesian Uprising

Germany’s defeat in the First World War opened a dispute over Upper Silesia’s state affiliation. The Polish movement sought incorporation into the restored Polish state; the German camp sought to retain the region in Germany. Neither side represented a uniform community.

In 1919 national tensions overlapped with postwar hardship, strikes and disputes over safety in workplaces. Workers demanded, among other things, the removal of people associated with German armed groups.

On 15 August 1919 people who had come to the Mysłowice mine over wage payments were shot and killed. The incident became an important focus for mobilisation. It does not explain the uprising by itself: tensions, strikes and underground preparations were already under way.

The Polish Military Organisation of Upper Silesia prepared armed action. Polish activists disagreed over its timing and usefulness. Wojciech Korfanty and the authorities in Warsaw feared the response of the great powers and German military superiority. Arrests of underground organisers further disrupted coordination.

Maksymilian Iksal’s order, issued during the night of 16–17 August, initially reached some structures in the Pszczyna and Rybnik districts. Fighting began on 17 August and spread to other districts the following day. We therefore date the outbreak to the night of 16–17 August 1919.

Alfons Zgrzebniok assumed insurgent command. The insurgents were less well armed and organised than the German forces, including border-security formations. Local successes did not offset their opponent’s superiority. Major areas of fighting included the Katowice, Pszczyna and Rybnik districts.

After the fighting was suppressed, some insurgents and their families sought refuge on the Polish side of the border. Repression also affected civilians.

The consulted IPN chronology records the last clashes on 26 August 1919. The uprising ended in military failure; the treaty’s plebiscite remained the basis of an international settlement. The next phase of the conflict would unfold under Allied administration.