Subdivisions of the Second Polish Republic

The various parts of what was now Polish territory had belonged to different states with different administrative structures: Austria-Hungary (mostly forming part of the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria), the German Empire (specifically the Kingdom of Prussia) and the Russian Empire.

In 1919 the first voivodeships of interwar Poland were created; in addition, the capital of Warsaw had the status of an independent city-voivodeship.

In the years 1919–1921 additional voivodeships were created, as borders of Poland were still fluid, with events such as the Silesian Uprisings in the West and the Polish-Soviet War in the East.

Shortly before the Second World War, in April 1939, Poland had 264 powiats, 611 urban and 3195 rural gminas and 40533 gromads.

Total number of Voivodeships - 16, plus the capital city of Warsaw, which was regarded as a separate unit.