[5] In order to ensure loyalty of the newly re-conquered territories the Prussians engaged in several propaganda gestures hoping they would be enough to gain land-owners and aristocratic support.

[1] Even when Poles managed to issue calls asking for enforcing of the guarantees formulated in treaties of Congress of Vienna and proclamations of Prussian King in 1815 they were rejected by Prussia.

[1] As the November Uprising in Russian-held Congress Poland began, the Prussians closely worked with Russia in regards to stopping any Polish independence drive.

Supported by Karl von Grolman, a Prussian general, a program was presented that envisioned removing Poles from all offices, courts, judiciary system, and local administration, controlling the clergy, and making peasants loyal through enforced military service.

[1] As Encyclopædia Britannica writes "At the end of 1830, however, a new policy was inaugurated with the presidency of E. H. von Flottwell: the experiment of settling subsidized German colonists on Polish soil (started by Frederick the Great after the first partition of Poland) was resumed".

By granting Jews rights and abolishing old limitations, the Prussians hoped they could integrate the Jewish population into German society, and gain a counterweight to the Polish presence.

Through military service and school education, and in the case of "regulated" peasants in the wake of the benefits wrought by the final emancipation decree introduced in 1823, some segments of these social groups had begun to identify with the Prussian state.

Karol Libelt noted from Berlin that he was under the impression that the whole people wanted a free and independent Poland to serve as a German shield against Russia and that the Polish question would soon be resolved.

Additionally the French incited Poles to start uprising, as they wanted to secure a diversionary element in case the Holy Alliance would turn its forces against France.

[19][page needed] On March 21, the National Committee released a proclamation calling for a common struggle seeking understanding with the Germans, and a day later recognized the rights of Jews .

While Poles avoided possible confrontation in the event of raising the question of independence and demanded national reorganization instead, the Germans called for separation of the Duchy from Prussia.

[21] The reason for initial support of Poles by Prussians and Germans was the fear of Russian intervention which would stop creation of strong unified Germany.

[1] Leading German politicians and thinkers supported using Poles as protection against Russia, such as Karl August Varnhagen, Robert Blum, Heinrich von Gagern, Georg Gervinius, Johann Wirth and Constantin Frantz.

[1] In Pomerelia, constituting the bulk of the former Province of West Prussia, the Polish population took inspiration from events in Greater Poland and openly turned against Prussian officials, led by Natalis Sulerzyski and Seweryn Elżanowski.

By the end of March, though, local Germans turned harshly against Poles, and together with Prussian military pacified the area, while Polish leaders were imprisoned.

[14] By late April, about 8,000 German civilians of the Noteć(Netze) district north of Poznań were organized in paramilitary units and another 6,000 around the towns of Międzyrzecz (Meseritz) and Nowy Tomyśl (Neutomischel).

As John Fane, 11th Earl of Westmorland, a British diplomat in Berlin, reported on 6 April 1848, "great excesses had been committed by armed bands of Poles, headed by some of the Nobles and Refugees, who have pillaged and set fire to country seats and farm houses and rendered themselves guilty of other depredations which the Government will endeavour to repress by moveable columns of Troops".

[18] Prince Adam Czartoryski came to Berlin for political talks, and general Ignacy Prądzyński prepared plans for possible war with Russia.

[16] On 5 April the new "Royal Civil Commissioner for the Province Posen", Karl Wilhelm von Willisen, a figure claiming to be sympathetic to the Polish cause, arrived at Poznań and his early actions disappointed the Germans greatly.

[21] Willisen soon came into conflict with the military commander of Poznań, general Friedrich August Peter von Colomb, who opposed any kind of Polish independence efforts.

According to Jerzy Kozłowski a particular role in the conflict was played by German colonists who formed their own militia, engaging in acts of terror against Polish population.

[2][30] Witold Matwiejczyk claims these colonists came from previous settlement efforts by Prussian government which intensified efforts to settle Germans into Poznań region after 1815,[31] and were hostile towards the Polish movement, but initially fearing Russian intervention kept a low profile[32] During the conflict the colonists formed military formations called Schutzvereine and Schutzwache and not only accompanied Prussian military in pacifying Polish villages but also engaged in acts on their own initiative[33] German colonists were particularly active in Szczytno[clarification needed] region[34] and in Czarnkowski region[clarification needed] formed their own militia unit [35] where a local German military commander known for his anti-Polish attitude managed to organize several hundred colonists into paramilitary units and took over Czarnkow from Polish forces[36] On 30 April Ludwik Mierosławski successfully defeated Prussian forces at the Battle of Miłosław; after winning at Książ, Prussian general Blumen commanding 2500 soldiers and four cannons, encroached on Miłosław where Ludwik Mierosławski was located along with 1200 soldiers and four cannons.

[5] It was to start talks on reorganization of the Western Prussia provinces on 5 April in Chełmno, but it never came to that, as Prussians arrested most of its members and put them in prison in Grudziądz.

Seweryn Elżanowski in response organized a military formation counting several hundred people which took part in combat near Tuchola Forest after which it moved into Greater Poland.

A crucial point was that, unlike in the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria or in Congress Poland, the peasantry took active and decisive part on behalf of Polish resistance.

[5] 1,500 Poles were imprisoned in Poznań Citadel, mostly peasants who took part in the fighting, their heads shaved bald and branded by Prussian authorities by chemical substance which scarred them with permanent wounds on hands, ears and faces.

[1] Some favored an armed struggle for independence and formed the Poznan Committee (Kormitet Poznanski), which represented the democratically oriented landowners and intellectuals, or the socialist Society of Plebeians (Zwiazek Plebejuszy).

[13] Other Polish activists, mostly members of the landed gentry and the intelligentsia, abandoned armed insurrection and began to propagate a doctrine of organic work by strengthening the economic potential and educational level, calling "Now we will go against Prussians not with scythes but with votes" and decided to focus their energy on increasing their economic and political position before deciding for military confrontation.

Its aims were the increasing of national self-awareness among Polish population, rising its life standards and defense of Catholic faith and Polish-owned land.

In practice its members continued to work and soon numerous successor organizations were founded leading way to Polish resistance in the Prussian Partition of Poland based on economic and legal opposition.