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Chapter1.PoliticsinPoland-framework,actorsandrelations
Chapter1
PoliticsinPolandframework,actorsandrelations
1010Introduction
ItwasanendtotheGreatWardenotingthecollapseofthethreePowersthat
hadpartitionedPoland(i.e.Russia,PrussiaandtheHabsburgmonarchy)that
openedthewaytoregainedindependenceforPoland.Tepoliticallandscape
attheturnofthe20thcenturyhadbeenasblurredasitwascomplex.Polandas
asovereigncountryhadnotexistedforthe123yearsfrom1795,andamongPoles
anyremainingculturalandpoliticalelitesweredividedbycompetingvisionsas
tothefutureofanyPolishstatethatmightemerge.Viewstoberegardedaseither
nationalistorsocialistweretothefore.Ultimately,however,the1918-39period
ofPolishhistoryinwhichparliamentarydemocracyprovedtobetheprevalent
politicalregime,allowsfortheseparateidentificationoftheseyearsfromthose
comingbeforeandafer-throughtheuseofthetermSecondPolishRepublic.
1020Historicalbackground
Inthe20thcentury,thefirstsignsofsocialandpoliticalmobilisationinlands
thathadoncebeenPolandcamewithworkforceprotestsof1905-06thatcoincided
withasimilarwaveofstrikesthroughouttheAustro-HungarianEmpire.Anewly-
establishedclassofworkersthathadonlymigratedtocitiesratherrecently,and
hadexperiencedtoughworkingandlivingconditionsinsodoing,demanded
improvementsintheseareas,aswellastherespectandautonomyduetothem.
Althoughthesocialimpactsoftheensuingriotswerelimited,theygenerated
politicalorganisationsanddoctrinesthatlaterinfluencedpoliticsintheSecond
Republic,encompassingsocialism,nationaldemocracyandagrarianismasthey
did(Porter-Szucs,2014:45).
HistoriansunderlinehowthePolishsocialistvisionofthefuturestrangely
combinedthegoalsofsocialistrevolutionandnationalliberation,totheextentthat
uthejumblingofsuchslogansasnationandproletariatwasquiteextraordinaryin
the19thcentury”(Porter-Szucs,2014:47).Tebestandmostsignificantexampleof
thiscombinationwasprovidedbyaPolishSocialistParty(PPS)openlycommitted
tosocialandnationalliberation,andclaimingthatonlypopularsupportcouldgive
risetoanindependencestate,withtheaspectandgoalofnationalindependence