On the eve of World War I, Polish nationalists were divided into three groups. One group, led notably by Pilsudski, eagerly sought the war as an insurrectionary measure against the tsar. A second group did not favor the war, but felt that a Russian victory would be more beneficial—allowing for more Polish autonomy. The socialists did not favor war but were prepared to use it to foster social revolution in the event of hostilities. (See Poland)
