In the search of a system of government at the beginning of independence (1918–1919) Cover Image

W poszukiwaniu systemu rządów u progu niepodległości (1918–1921)
In the search of a system of government at the beginning of independence (1918–1919)

Author(s): Krzysztof Prokop
Subject(s): History, Law, Constitution, Jurisprudence, Constitutional Law, Modern Age, Recent History (1900 till today), Pre-WW I & WW I (1900 -1919), Interwar Period (1920 - 1939)
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu w Białymstoku
Keywords: The Second Polish Republic; system of government; constitution; parliament; head of state

Summary/Abstract: The subject of the article is to identify the factors and conditions that determined the system of government of the II Republic of Poland in the first years after regaining independence at the end of 1918. The study is devoted to three issues: the system of government at the turn of 1918 and 1919, the system of government under the Small Constitution and the system of government in the light of drafts of the Constitution of the II Republic of Poland. According to the author substitutes of the parliamentary system of government were born already in the first weeks of the functioning the Polish state authorities. Under the Small Constitution of 20 February 1919, an attempt was made to introduce the system of parliamentary supremacy. This turned out to be impossible given the high level of authority enjoyed by the country’s head of state – Józef Piłsudski, who also served as its commander in chief. Drafts of the Constitution assumed (mostly) the weak position of the president. In this way, the Constitution of 17 March 1921 adopted the parliamentary-cabinet system of government, which was modeled on the system adopted by the III French Republic.

  • Issue Year: 17/2018
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 25-42
  • Page Count: 18
  • Language: Polish