Polish People's Republic
The Polish People's Republic (, ) was a state in Central Europe that existed from 1947 to 1989, and the predecessor of the modern democratic Republic of Poland. With a population of approximately 37.9 million inhabitants near the end of its existence, it was the most populous state of the Eastern Bloc after the Soviet Union. Having a unitary Marxist–Leninist communist government, it was also one of the main signatories of the Warsaw Pact. The official capital since 1947 and largest city was Warsaw, followed by industrial Łódź and cultural Kraków.
Polish National Committee (1917–19)
Polish National Committee () was formed in Lausanne on 15 August 1917 by Polish National Democracy politician Roman Dmowski. Its goal was to support the Entente by creating a Polish Army (the Blue Army under Józef Haller), to fight alongside it in exchange of support for an independent Poland. In addition to Dmowski its chief activists included Ignacy Jan Paderewski, August Zaleski, Erazm Piltz, Marian Seyda and Maurycy Zamoyski. In September 1917, the Polish National Committee was recognized by the French as the legitimate representative of Poland. The British and the Americans were less enthusiastic about Dmowski's National Committee, but likewise recognized it as representing Polish interests in 1918. In January 1919 the Committee recognized the government of Ignacy Jan Paderewski and dissolved itself.