est im ated ▁Germany ' s ▁desire ▁to ▁determine ▁Poland ' s ▁fate . ▁They ▁did ▁recogn ise , ▁according ▁to ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁Karl ▁von ▁St ür g kh , ▁that ▁" P oles ▁will ▁remain ▁Pol es ▁[...] ▁even ▁ 1 5 0 ▁years ▁after ▁Gal icia ▁was ▁joined ▁to ▁Austria , ▁Pol es ▁still ▁didn ' t ▁become ▁Aust ri ans ". ▁It ▁was ▁clear ▁to ▁Aust rian ▁polit icians ▁that ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁a ▁Polish ▁state ▁along ▁the ▁lines ▁intended ▁by ▁Germany ▁would ▁mean ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁Gal icia , ▁so ▁they ▁proposed ▁its ▁partition ▁and ▁the ▁formation ▁of ▁East ▁Gal icia ▁as ▁an ▁Aust rian ▁province . ▁ ▁Of ▁the ▁candidates ▁for ▁the ▁new ▁Polish ▁throne , ▁Arch du ke ▁Charles ▁Stephen ▁of ▁Austria ▁() ▁and ▁his ▁son ▁Charles ▁Albert ▁were ▁early ▁cont enders . ▁Both ▁res ided ▁in ▁the ▁Gal ician ▁city ▁of ▁Say bus ch ▁( now ▁Ż yw iec ) ▁and ▁spoke ▁Polish ▁flu ently . ▁Charles ▁Stephen ' s ▁daughters ▁were ▁married ▁to ▁the ▁Polish ▁arist ocr ats ▁Prin ces ▁Cz art ory ski ▁and ▁Rad zi wi ł ł . ▁ ▁By ▁early ▁ 1 9 1 6 , ▁the ▁" A ust ro - Pol ish ▁solution " ▁had ▁become ▁hypoth et ical . ▁Er ich ▁von ▁Fal ken h ay n , ▁the ▁German ▁Chief ▁of ▁the ▁General ▁Staff , ▁had ▁rejected ▁the ▁idea ▁in ▁January , ▁followed ▁by ▁Beth mann - H oll weg ▁in ▁February . ▁Beth mann - H