following the regaining of independence by poland in november 1918, matuszewski was transferred to the second unit of the general staff of the polish army, of which he became chief at the culmination of the polish-bolshevik war. after the bolshevik defeat, józef piłsudski summarized the espionage activity of matuszewski in the following words: "it was the first war since many centuries waged by poland during which we [poland] knew more about the enemy than the enemy knew about us." matuszewski participated in the talks that resulted in the 1921 treaty of riga.