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 |
| Gabriel Narutowicz (first) Władysław Raczkiewicz (last) | |
| Tomasz Arciszewski (last) | |
| Legislature | Bicameral |
| Senate | |
| 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 |
| 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.
Predecessors
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Austria-Hungary
German Empire- Kingdom of Poland
- West Ukrainian National Republic
Lemko-Rusyn Republic- Komancza Republic
Ukrainian People's Republic
Galician Soviet Socialist Republic
Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria
Republic of Central Lithuania
Successors
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WW2
[change | change source]The Second Polish Republic, in 1939, was invaded by the Greater German Reich and the U.S.S.R. after refusing to make territorial changes towards Germany. Poland was then fully occupied by both countries 39 days later. The government fled to the United Kingdom and became the Polish government-in-exile, while based in London. It continued it's existence in Poland as the Polish Underground State until 1945 when Poland was released but made a communist, soviet, satellite state. The pre-war government remained in exile until the collapse of Communism in 1990. Afterwards, it dissolved and handed it's roles over to the current Polish State.
