in the autumn of 1918 poland regained national independence, which had been lost as a result of the partitions of poland. soon afterwards, numerous conflicts with several neighbouring states started, and in many cases polish women organized to actively participate in them, as auxiliaries to the polish army. the most famous example of such a unit was the ochotnicza legia kobiet (voluntary legion of women), created in late 1918 or early 1919 in lwów, for which poles fought with the ukrainians. the first commandant of the ochotnicza legia kobiet, colonel aleksandra zagorska, lost her only son, 14-year-old jerzy bitschan, in this conflict. poems and a song were written about him years later.