▁Empire . ▁It ▁was ▁formed ▁about ▁a ▁month ▁before ▁the ▁Gre ater ▁Poland ▁U pr ising . ▁ ▁Background ▁▁ ▁The ▁Polish - L ith uan ian ▁Commonwealth ▁was ▁partition ed ▁by ▁Russia , ▁Pr uss ia ▁and ▁Austria ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century . ▁In ▁the ▁second ▁partition , ▁the ▁Gre ater ▁Poland ▁region , ▁including ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁O str ów ▁were ▁an nex ed ▁by ▁Pr uss ia . ▁Through out ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁and ▁into ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th , ▁the ▁town ▁and ▁the ▁region ▁were ▁a ▁center ▁of ▁the ▁Polish ▁independence ▁movement . ▁ ▁End ▁of ▁German ▁rule ▁▁ ▁During ▁the ▁aut umn ▁of ▁ 1 9 1 8 , ▁the ▁im min ent ▁defeat ▁of ▁Germany ▁and ▁Austria - H ung ary ▁in ▁the ▁First ▁World ▁War ▁and ▁the ▁dissol ution ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁Empire ▁following ▁the ▁Russian ▁Revolution ▁raised ▁the ▁possibility ▁that ▁an ▁independent ▁Polish ▁state ▁could ▁be ▁restored . ▁Although ▁the ▁Second ▁Polish ▁Republic ▁was ▁established ▁in ▁early ▁November , ▁the ▁question ▁of ▁the ▁Gre ater ▁Poland ▁region ▁remained ▁un resol ved . ▁As ▁a ▁consequence , ▁various ▁Polish ▁organizations ▁began ▁planning ▁for ▁an ▁armed ▁u pr ising ▁to ▁ensure ▁that ▁the ▁area ▁would ▁become ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁Polish ▁state . ▁ ▁Form ation ▁of ▁Cit iz ens ' ▁Committee ▁▁ ▁In ▁O str ów , ▁a ▁Cit iz ens ' ▁Committee ▁was ▁formed ▁by ▁local ▁Pol es ▁in ▁September ▁ 1 9 1 8