anned ▁from ▁public ▁use , ▁and ▁eth n ically ▁Polish ▁children ▁pun ished ▁at ▁school ▁for ▁speaking ▁Polish . ▁Pol es ▁were ▁subject ed ▁to ▁a ▁wave ▁of ▁force ful ▁ev ict ions ▁( R ug i ▁Pr usk ie ). ▁The ▁German ▁government ▁fin anced ▁and ▁encourag ed ▁settlement ▁of ▁eth nic ▁Germ ans ▁into ▁those ▁areas ▁aim ing ▁at ▁their ▁ge opol it ical ▁g erman isation . ▁The ▁Pr uss ian ▁Land tag ▁passed ▁laws ▁against ▁C athol ics . ▁ ▁Tow ard ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁during ▁Poland ' s ▁fight ▁for ▁independence , ▁Imperial ▁Germany ▁made ▁further ▁attempts ▁to ▁take ▁control ▁over ▁the ▁territ ories ▁of ▁Congress ▁Poland , ▁aim ing ▁at ▁eth nic ▁cle ans ing ▁of ▁up ▁to ▁ 3 ▁million ▁Jewish ▁and ▁Polish ▁people ▁which ▁was ▁meant ▁to ▁be ▁followed ▁by ▁a ▁new ▁wave ▁of ▁settlement ▁by ▁eth nic ▁Germ ans . ▁In ▁August ▁ 1 9 1 4 , ▁the ▁German ▁imperial ▁army ▁destroyed ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁K alis z , ▁ch asing ▁out ▁tens ▁of ▁thousands ▁of ▁its ▁Polish ▁citizens . ▁ ▁Inter war ▁Period ▁( 1 9 1 8 – 3 9 ) ▁ ▁After ▁Poland ▁reg ained ▁its ▁independence ▁as ▁the ▁Second ▁Republic ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁I , ▁the ▁question ▁of ▁new ▁Polish ▁borders ▁could ▁not ▁have ▁been ▁easily ▁settled ▁against ▁the ▁will ▁of ▁her ▁former ▁long - term ▁occup iers . ▁Pol es ▁continued ▁to ▁be ▁per sec uted ▁in ▁the ▁disput ed ▁territ ories