Topic: The Second Polish Republic Under the Sanation Government (revision class)

Target group

7th‑grade students of elementary school

Core curriculum

XXIX. Second Polish Republic in 1921‑1939. Student:

3. discusses the crisis of parliamentary democracy in Poland – the reasons, course and effects of the May coup;

4. describes Polish authoritarianism – the rule of sanation, systemic changes (April Constitution of 1935)

General aim of education

The student describes the crisis of parliamentary democracy in Poland, the economy and the society of the Second Polish Republic

Key competences

• communication in foreign languages;

• digital competence;

• learning to learn.

Criteria for success
The student will learn:

• to define the reasons, the progress and the effects of the May Coup D’État;

• to describe the everyday lives of pupils of the elementary schools in the Second Polish Republic;

• to characterize the strong and weak points of the economy and social life of the Second Polish Republic.

Methods/techniques

• expository

  • talk.

• activating

  • discussion.

• programmed

  • with computer;

  • with e‑textbook.

• practical

  • exercices concerned.

Forms of work

• individual activity;

• activity in pairs;

• activity in groups;

• collective activity.

Teaching aids

• e‑textbook;

• notebook and crayons/felt‑tip pens;

• interactive whiteboard, tablets/computers.

Lesson plan overview

Before classes

1. The teacher informs the students about the need to recall the knowledge from the lesson: II RP pod rządami obozu sanacyjnego.

Introduction

1. The teacher states the subject of the lesson, explains the aim of the lesson and together with students determines the success criteria to be achieved.

2. The teacher explains that the main purpose of the lesson will be to conduct an open discussion on the topic selected and drawn by students.

Realization

1. The teacher asks the students to carry out the following tasks in pairs: Task 1, Exercise 1. The teacher takes care of providing feedback.

2. The students write down their suggestions for the topic of the discussion. For example: Was Piłsudski a dictator?; Could Poland successfully carry out the work of merging the country after a century‑long captivity?; Did women in interwar Poland take advantage of the new laws? Did they have equal opportunities as citizens, compared to men? The draw is taking place.

3. The purpose of the students' further work is to prepare the statements for a 7‑minute discussion on the topic proposed and drawn by the students.

4. The teacher chooses two students who will conduct the debate. The third student acts as a secretary: he measures the time of the participants' speeches, he monitors the order of the discussion, allows the willing to speak.

Summary

1. The teacher sums up the debate, and if necessary, adds further conclusions. He places them in the context of the most important phenomena of the period of Sanation regime of the interwar Poland. If there is enough time, he proposes to students to perform Task 2.

Homework

1. Listen to the abstract recording at home. Pay attention to pronunciation, accent and intonation. Learn to pronounce the words learned during the lesson.

2. Make at home a note from the lesson, for example using the sketchnoting method.

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

The Second Polish Republic Under the Sanation Government (revision class)

In 1926, Józef Piłsudski decided to take the power with the use of armed force. Ignacy Mościcki assumed the office of President. The August Novelization of 1926 became a temporary solution. One of the first decrees to be issued was the appointment of the General Armed Forces Inspector (Polish acronym: GISZ). Józef Piłsudski was appointed for this office by Ignacy Mościcki. In 1935, the April Constitution was adopted, limiting the authority of the Parliament. During the campaign for the new term of the Sejm in September 1930, the opposition leaders were arrested. Some of them were forced to emigrate. The Brest elections of November granted the Nonpartisan Bloc for Cooperation with the Government (BBWR) 56% of the seats in the Sejm and almost 68% in the Senate. It was a result of a violation of democratic principles. The founding of the Bereza Kartuska prison in the 30s became a symbol of the Sanation’s activities. On 12 May 1935, Józef Piłsudski died. After his death, President Mościcki took control of the government administration, Edward Rydz‑Śmigły was named the General Armed Forces Inspector, and in 1936, he was named Marshal.

The Second Polish Republic maintained friendly relations with Latvia and Romania only. The alliance with France was weakened due to the signing of the Locarno Treaties, which were unfavorable to Poland, in 1925. In 1932, the Polish‑Soviet pact of non‑aggression was signed in Moscow. In 1934, Poland and Germany signed the declaration of nonviolence in mutual relations.

According to the general census of 1921, Poland had 27 million inhabitants, with Poles constituting ca. 69% of the population. The remainder of the population consisted of Ukrainians (14%), Jews (8%), Belarusians (4%), Germans (4%), as well as Lithuanians, Czechs, and Tatars. Not long after the May Coup D’État, the economic situation improved. The port of Gdynia was expanded, and the construction of the Polish Coal Trunk‑Line connecting Gdynia with Silesia began. The Great Depression affected Poland at the beginning of the thirties of the twentieth century, striking mainly agriculture. The situation in industry became difficult as well. The economic situation of Poland gradually improved in connection with the improvement of the economic situation worldwide. In 1935, Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski became the Minister of Treasury, while simultaneously being a Deputy Prime Minister. He initiated the construction of the Central Industrial Region, which encompassed nearly 100 industrial plants.