Second Polish Republic

Republic of Poland Rzeczpospolita Polska
1918–1939
Top: Flag (1919–1927) Bottom: Flag (1927–1939) Top: Coat of Arms (1918–1927) Bottom: Coat of Arms (1927–1939)
Anthem: "Mazurek Dąbrowskiego" Mazurek Dąbrowskiego"
Map of the Second Polish Republic within Europe (1930)
Capital	Warsaw
Official languages	Polish
Recognised regional languages	Yiddish, Kashubian, Romani
Religion	64.8% Roman Catholicism
Demonym(s)	Polish, Pole
Government	Unitary parliamentary republic (1918–1926) Unitary semi-presidential authoritarian republic (1926–1935) Unitary presidential constitutional republic (1935–1939)
• Chief of State (1918–1922)	Józef Piłsudski
• President	Gabriel Narutowicz (first) Władysław Raczkiewicz (last)
• Prime minister	Tomasz Arciszewski (last)
Legislature	Bicameral
• Upper house	Senate
• Lower house	Sejm
History
• End of World War I	11 November 1918
• Surrendered to Germany and the USSR	6 October 1939
Area
• Total	388.634 km2 (150.052 sq mi)
Currency	Marka, Polish złoty
Preceded by Succeeded by Kingdom of Poland German Empire Russian SFSR Zakopane Ukrainian People's Republic West Ukrainian People's Republic Komancza Republic Lemko-Rusyn Republic Galician SSR Galicia-Lodomeria Tarnobrzeg Central Lithuania Belarusian DR Weimar Republic Litbel SSR First Czechoslovak Republic Nazi Germany Soviet Union Lithuania Slovakia Polish government-in-exile Polish Underground State
Today part of	Poland  Belarus  Ukraine  Lithuania

Second Polish Republic was name of Polish state from 1918 (end of WWI) through 1939 (start of WWII). When its borders were fixed in 1922 after several wars, it had borders with Czechoslovakia, Weimar Republic (Germany), Free City of Danzig, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and Soviet Union. Józef Piłsudski was the leader during most of the state's existence.

Establishment

By the end of World War One there were certain polish centers of power, the most prominent was Regency Council, established by the act of Act of 5 November, which used to be temporary head of state during the interregnum in Kingdom of Poland. On the emigration, in France there was Polish National Comitee, led by Roman Dmowski. On the former Austro-Hungarian part (Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria and Cieszyn Silesia) there was Polish Liquidation Committee, led by Wincenty Witos. A provinsional government called Provisional People's Government of the Republic of Poland, was formed in Lublin uder the Ignacy Daszyński.

On the 10 November 1918 Józef Piłsudski was released from the prison in Magdeburg in Germany, returned to Poland and day later (11.11) achieved a military power from the regency Council. On 14 November 1918 he achieved a full rule and became Chief of the State, a temporary head of country until election of the president while regency council got dissolved, he proclaimed Polish independence to other nations on 16 November 1918 by a telegram. Piłsudski issued a decree of basic functioning of Polish Republic on 22 November 1918 which declared that Poland is not monarchy anymore.

Predecessors

• Austria-Hungary
•  German Empire
• Kingdom of Poland
• West Ukrainian National Republic
• Lemko-Rusyn Republic
• Komancza Republic
• Ukrainian People's Republi
• Galician Soviet Socialist Republic
• Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria
• Republic of Central Lithuania

Successors

•  Nazi Germany
•  Soviet Union
•  Polish Underground State

World War II

The Second Polish Republic, in 1939, refused to make territorial changes towards Germany. The Invasion of Poland (1939) brought the occupation of Poland by the German Reich and the Soviet Union 39 days later.

References

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