Polish troops in the invasion and occupation of Bosnia and Hercegovina by the Austro-Hungarian Empire (1878-1914)

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Polish-speaking recruits from Galicia, the Duchy of Cieszyn, and Bukovina made up a considerable proportion of the Austro-Hungarian troops that invaded and occupied Bosnia and Hercegovina in the three and a half decades at the tum of the 19th century. In 1878-1888 and 1906-1914 forty-live infantry battalions with Polish recruits were stationed in the region. Altogether at least c. 12,000 Poles served at various times in these units. They participated in a number of major military operations, such as the invasion of Bosnia in 1878, the raid on Novi Pazar (Sanjak) in 1879 and the suppression of Bosnian rebellion in 1882. The combat losses were fairly insignificant, but in the early stage of the occupation the troops were plagued by diseases caused by climatic conditions, poor sanitation and inadequate backup. The recruits did not show any reluctance at the prospect of going to Bosnia, nor did the Polish public opinion oppose the war. In fact in many Galician towns local government officials came up with solemn declarations of support for the policy of the government in Vienna and multiplied symbolic gestures of solidarity with the local contingent on duty in the Balkans. Soldiers of Polish nationality made a notable contribution to the ’civilisatory groundwork projects’. In 1878-1888 the army was used to build basic transport infrastructure, do a great deal of policing, and assist in the creation of local administration and the justice system. The Poles' military service in Bosnia did not result in the creation of any expatriate communities. There were pockets of Polish migrants in Bosnia, but their appearance could hardly have been influenced by the presence of the Polish servicemen in the region. And, practically none these small Polish communities sprang up in the vicinity of a garrison town.