Behind front line. Łódź at the end of 1914 – selected reflections

Abstract

In the article the author presents the life of the citizens of Łódź in Autumn 1914 when, initially, war was taking place in the distance and when a front moved to the city boarder. Withdrawals of the Russian authorities and their continuous coming back resulted in chaos, panic and a disorientation of the people living in the city. Additionally, it faced couple incursions of the German army during the times of war but still before the outburst of one of the most severe battles known as the Battle of Łódź. Russian authorities were becoming more rigorous concerning the introduced ordinance together with the threat of punishments and their execution by military courts. Łódź citizens tried to flee in the direction of Warsaw, which on some occasions was impossible due to the seizure of trains which were from then on to be used by the army. Because of the lack of operating post offices and telegraphy Łódź did not have any contact with other parts of the country. Moreover, the city faced shortage of food, fuel and money. General Citizens’ Committee started operating instead of the local government in the times of the lack of the Russian administration in the city. The fights around Łódź finished on 6 December 1914 together with the defeat and the withdrawal of the Russian troops. Germans took over the city and the region starting at the same time introducing their administrative rules and a new order, which continued till 1918.