Second Polish Republic

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Image:Rzeczpospolita 1920.png The Second Polish Republic is an unofficial name applied to the Republic of Poland between World War I and World War II.

When the borders of the state were fixed in 1921, it had an area of 388.6 thousand sq. km. (sixth largest in Europe), and 27.2 million inhabitants according to the census of that year. In 1939, just before the outbreak of World War II, it had an estimated 35.1 million inhabitants. A third of these were national minorities (17% Ukrainians and Belarusians, 10% Jews, 5% Germans, and 1% percent Lithuanians, Russians and Czechs).

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History

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The beginnings

Occupied by German and Austro-Hungarian armies in the summer of 1915, the formerly Russian-ruled part of what was considered Poland was proclaimed an independent kingdom by the occupying powers on November 5, 1916, with a governing Council of State and (from October 15, 1917) a Regency Council (Rada Regencyjna Królestwa Polskiego) to administer the country under German auspices pending the election of a king.

Shortly before the end of World War I, on October 7, 1918, the Regency Council dissolved the Council of State and announced its intention to restore Polish independence. With the notable exception of the Marxist-oriented Social Democratic Party of the Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania (SDKPiL), most political parties supported this move. On October 23 the Council appointed a new government under Józef Swierzynski and began conscription into the Polish Army.

On November 5, in Lublin, the first Soviet of Delegates was created. On November 6 the Communists announced the creation of a Republic of Tarnobrzeg. The same day, a Provisional People's Government of the Republic of Poland was created under the Socialist, Ignacy Daszynski.

On November 10, Józef Piłsudski, newly freed from imprisonment by the German authorities at Magdeburg, returned to Warsaw. Next day, due to his popularity and support from most political parties, the Regency Council appointed Piłsudski Commander in Chief of the Polish Armed Forces. On November 14 the Council dissolved itself and transferred all its authority to Piłsudski as Chief of State (Naczelnik Państwa).

Centers of government that were created in Galicia (formerly Austrian-ruled southern Poland) included a National Council of the Principality of Cieszyn (created on November 19??) and a Polish Liquidation Committee (created on October 28). Soon afterward, conflict broke out in Lviv (Polish Lwów) between forces of the Military Committee of Ukrainians and the Polish "Eagles" of Lwów.

After consultation with Pilsudski, Daszynski's government dissolved itself and a new government was created under Jedrzej Moraczewski.

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Timeline (1919-1939)

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World War II

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The beginning of the Second World War put an end to the Second Polish Republic. The "Polish September Campaign" campaign began 1 September 1939, one week after the signing of the secret Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, and ended 6 October 1939, with Germany and the Soviet Union occupying the entirety of Poland. Poland did not surrender continued as Polish Government in Exile and Polish Secret State.

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Politics and government

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Chief of State

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Presidents

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Premiers

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Economy

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Demographics

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Ludność
Census date Population Percentage of rural population Population density
(people per 1 km2)
30 September 192127 177 00075,4%69,9
9 December 193132 107 00072,6%82,6
31 December 193834 849 00070%89,7
Largest cities in early 1939:
  1. Warszawa – 1289 thousands
  2. Łódź – 672 thousands
  3. Lwów – 340 thousands
  4. Poznań – 272 thousands
  5. Kraków – 259 thousands
  6. Wilno – 215 thousands
  7. Bydgoszcz – 141 thousands
  8. Częstochowa – 138 thousands
  9. Katowice – 133 thousands
  10. Sosnowiec – 130 thousands
  11. Lublin – 122 thousands
  12. Gdynia – 120 thousands
  13. Białystok – 107 thousands


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Culture

See Culture of Poland

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Administrative division and geography

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Polish voivodships in the interbellum
(data as per April 1, 1937)
car plates
(since 1937) 		Voivodship
Separate city 		Capital Area
in 1000 km² (1930) 		Population
in 1000 (1931)
00-19 City of Warsaw Warsaw 0,14 1179,5
85-89 warszawskie Warsaw 31,7 2460,9
20-24 białostockie Białystok 26,0 1263,3
25-29 kieleckie Kielce 22,2 2671,0
30-34 krakowskie Kraków 17,6 2300,1
35-39 lubelskie Lublin 26,6 2116,2
40-44 lwowskie Lwów 28,4 3126,3
45-49 łódzkie Łódź 20,4 2650,1
50-54 nowogródzkie Nowogródek 23,0 1057,2
55-59 poleskie Brześć nad Bugiem 36,7 1132,2
60-64 pomorskie Toruń 25,7 1884,4
65-69 poznańskie Poznań 28,1 2339,6
70-74 stanisławowskie Stanisławów 16,9 1480,3
75-79 ? śląskie Katowice 5,1 1533,5
80-84 tarnopolskie Tarnopol 16,5 1600,4
90-94 wileńskie Wilno 29,0 1276,0
95-99 wołyńskie Łuck 35,7 2085,6


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References

Template:Unreferencedet:II Rzeczpospolita he:היסטוריה של פולין: הרפובליקה השנייה no:Andre polske republikk pl:II Rzeczpospolita pt:Segunda República Polaca ro:A doua Republică Poloneză

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