1 9 1 5 , ▁divided ▁its ▁administration ▁between ▁a ▁German ▁Governor ▁General ▁in ▁Wars aw ▁and ▁an ▁Aust rian ▁counter part ▁in ▁Lub lin . ▁ ▁R ather ▁than ▁foc using ▁on ▁min eral ▁and ▁industrial ▁resources , ▁the ▁purpose ▁of ▁eastern ▁expansion ▁was ▁to ▁strength en ▁German ▁agricult ure , ▁expand ▁J unker ▁hold ings ▁and ▁ac quire ▁large ▁settlement ▁areas ▁for ▁the ▁German ▁far mers ▁and ▁sett lers . ▁In ▁this ▁way , ▁the ▁German ▁leadership ▁hoped ▁both ▁to ▁appe ase ▁the ▁J unker ▁el ites ▁and , ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁ease ▁the ▁class ▁conflicts ▁in ▁its ▁rural ▁areas . ▁In ▁addition , ▁the ▁conf is cation ▁of ▁fert ile ▁territ ories ▁was ▁seen ▁as ▁one ▁way ▁of ▁gain ing ▁war ▁re par ations ▁from ▁Russia . ▁ ▁In ▁several ▁memor anda ▁sent ▁during ▁ 1 9 1 5 ▁and ▁ 1 9 1 6 , ▁Hans ▁Hart wig ▁von ▁Bes eler , ▁the ▁Governor - General ▁of ▁the ▁Polish ▁areas ▁under ▁German ▁control , ▁proposed ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁an ▁independent ▁Polish ▁state . ▁Under ▁the ▁influence ▁of ▁General ▁Er ich ▁Lud endor ff , ▁then ▁in ▁effect ▁the ▁director ▁of ▁Germany ' s ▁eastern ▁European ▁operations , ▁this ▁proposal ▁included ▁the ▁an nex ation ▁of ▁considerable ▁amounts ▁of ▁land ▁by ▁Pr uss ia , ▁Lith u ania ▁and ▁Austria - H ung ary . ▁Ger hard ▁von ▁Mut ius , ▁cousin ▁of ▁Chan cell or ▁Beth mann - H oll weg ▁and ▁the ▁foreign ▁office ' s