What do we remember about the Second Polish Republic? (revision)
to describe the most important events of interwar Poland;
to talk about new facts from the history of interwar Poland;
characterize the most important figures/characters of the Second Polish Republic.
World War I (or the Great War) broke out in 1914 as a result of the conflicting interests of European powers. It ended in the autumn of 1918 with the defeat of Central Powers. Millions of soldiers died, European countries plunged into an economic crisis. A wave of revolution swept through Europe, which resulted in the abolition of the Russian, German and Austro‑Hungarian monarchies. Thanks to Józef Piłsudski and Roman Dmowski, and as a result of favorable circumstances, Poland regained its independenceindependence.
Initially, the Polish state was limited to the western parts of the Austrian and Russian partitions. The fight for the changing of borders lasted several years. A successful uprisingsuprisings against Germany broke out in Greater Poland. As a result of three uprisingsuprisings and the plebiscite in Upper Silesia, Poland obtained a third part of these areas. The reborn Polish Army took the fight to the east, first with the Ukrainians over Lviv, and then with the Soviet Russia. The Polish victory at the battle of Warsaw in August 1920 (the so‑called Miracle on the Vistula) was of vital importance.
The reborn Polish state was experiencing an internal crisis. Economic difficulties were hard to overcome. Poland was ravaged by the war and partitions, which coincided with the post‑war crisis. The Second Polish Republic was a state of many nations and religions, which also caused tension.
After regaining independenceindependence, Józef Piłsudski assumed temporary power as the Chief of State. The parliament chosen in the general elections was divided – there were many groups and it was difficult to create a majority government. Cabinets fell one after another. After the end of the wars for the borders, the first president of the Republic of Poland, Gabriel Narutowicz (1922), was elected. However, after only a week he was murdered. Dissatisfied with the situation in the country, Piłsudski, together with his faithful troops, rebelled against legal power and overthrew it (the so‑called May Coup in 1926). He assumed power as a dictator, although he was formally only the commander of the army. Pilsudski's rules are called Sanation (from Latin sanatio – healing).
The Second Polish Republic was a state composed of three partitions, which differed from each other. The specialists cabinet, created by Władysław Grabski, overcame the inflation and the crisis after the First World War. A new currency has been introduced (Polish zloty). Construction of the port in Gdynia started, which turned this small village into a developing city. Poland suffered as a result of the Great Depression.
Marshal Jozef Pilsudski died in 1935. Power was transferred to his colleagues. The main roles were performed by President Ignacy Mościcki, Army Commander Edward Rydz‑Śmigły and Minister of Foreign Affairs Józef Beck. Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski became the Minister of the Treasury. He started the implementation of a large construction plan for the Central Industrial District in southern Poland. Numerous factories and industrial plants were built. Kwiatkowski focused on the active role of the state in the economy, the fight against unemployment, the development and modernization of the country.
Look at the interactive photography and learn more about national and ethnic minorities living in the Second Polish Republic. Think and tell the others what is the specificity of a state in which different minorities co‑exist.
Look closely at the political caricature „Polowanie na niedźwiedzia” (The hunt for the bear), which appeared in the satirical magazine „Mucha”(The Fly) in July 1920.
The characters in the foreground are Marshal Józef Piłsudski and General Józef Haller. Under the picture, there was the caption:
Hold it off a little more with the fork, Mr. Marshal! We'll be there any minute with an ax and we’ll dance with the Bolshevik Bear.
Which event is the caricature describing? What does the bear symbolize?
Each nation rises monuments to celebrate its heroes. Attach the right inscription to each of the monuments.
"The most important thing is Poland. Gdynia and the sea are one. ", 1918. 1919. “The deeds and blood of the people gave birth to freedom.", "I am Polish, therefore I have Polish obligations.", “1919. 1920. 1921", "First Marshal of Poland", "On February 10, anno domini 1920, the Polish Army commanded by General Józef Haller took perpetual possession of the Polish sea."
| monument of Józef Piłsudski in Warsaw | |
| monument of Greater Poland Insurgents in Inowrocław | |
| pillar in Puck commemorating Poland's wedding with the sea | |
| monument of Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski in Gdynia | |
| monument of Roman Dmowski in Warsaw | |
| monument of Silesian Insurgents in Katowice |
Keywords
constitution, National Democracy, coup d'état, uprising, Republic, independence, Authoritarianism, the interwar period
Glossary
Niepodległość – niezależność państwa od wpływu innych państw lub instytucji na swoje działania.
Powstanie – wystąpienie ludności przeciwko dotychczasowej władzy lub porządkowi. Często ich celem jest odzyskanie niepodległości państwowej lub przyłączenie jakiegoś spornego terytorium do innego państwa.
Endecja – Narodowa Demokracja, polski ruch polityczny, a następnie partia polityczna, powstała pod koniec XIX wieku, którego założycielem był Roman Dmowski. Główne hasła były oparte na ideologii nacjonalizmu i zostały wyrażone w publikacji Dmowskiego Myśli nowoczesnego Polaka.
Konstytucja – inaczej zwana ustawą zasadniczą. Jest to akt prawny, który najczęściej jest najważniejszym i najwyższym dokumentem stanowiącym prawo w państwie.
Zamach stanu – wystąpienie, często z użyciem siły zbrojnej (wojska, milicji, organizacji paramilitarnych itp.), którego celem jest obalenie istniejącej, legalnej władzy i przejęcie kontroli nad państwem.
Autorytaryzm - ustrój polityczny, w którym o polityce kraju decyduje przywódca i jego najbliższe otoczenie. Decyzje podejmowane przez przywódcę są zatwierdzane przez marionetkowy, będący pod jego kontrolą, parlament. Istotną rolę sprawuje cenzura i policja polityczna, która prześladuje ewentualną działalność opozycyjną.