Polish National Committee

The Committee continued the work of an earlier Polish National Committee active in Warsaw and Petrograd from 1914. It was founded once the February Revolution freed the Entente from deferring to Russia and the Polish question became an international one. It was dominated by National Democrats and conservatives; in the United States it was represented by Ignacy Jan Paderewski. In the autumn of 1917 France, Britain, Italy and the United States recognised it as the official Polish organisation.

The KNP conducted diplomacy, looked after Poles in the Entente countries and gave political direction to the Polish Army in France, taking full control of it in September 1918. It was a rival of the Regency Council and of Piłsudski's camp. After an agreement with Piłsudski in early 1919 its members formed the core of the Polish delegation to the Paris Peace Conference.