For many years prior to WW1 (1795??)there was no country of Poland. It had been partitioned by Germany and Russia. Part of the Treaty that ended WW1 returned autonomy to Poland.
So though our people had retained their Polish culture, they were citizens of either Russia or Germany.
The Russians ruling in Poland considered the Poles as second-class citizens and it seems they felt the Jews were below that, as your family stories attest.