Jozef Pilsudski: Founding Father of Modern Poland by Joshua D. Zimmerman

Author:Joshua D. Zimmerman [Zimmerman, Joshua D.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Biography & Autobiography, Historical, History, Europe, Eastern, Jewish, Wars & Conflicts, World War I, Poland, Political Science, International Relations, Diplomacy
ISBN: 9780674984271
Google: I_NjEAAAQBAJ
Publisher: HarvardUP
Published: 2022-06-28T20:26:41+00:00

Sejm Elections and Reinstatement as Head of State

A fundamental step toward the formation of a democratic state took place on January 26, 1919, when elections to the legislative Sejm were held. Military conflicts were still ongoing in East Galicia and in Poznania, and with the Bolsheviks in the northeast provinces, elections could only be held in the Kingdom of Poland and West Galicia. To the 296 deputies elected were added 44 unelected seats for Poles who had formerly served as members of the German parliament from Poznań or West Prussia or of the Austrian parliament from East Galicia.90

Prior to the elections Pilsudski had expressed concern about a divided parliament. “Responsibility for state affairs will fall on those who, receiving the majority of votes, will take power into their own hands,” he wrote on the eve of Election Day. “The worst outcome, I suppose on the other hand, is that the Sejm will have no clear majority.”91 Before election results were made public, an Italian journalist asked Pilsudski if he would give up power as he had promised, to which Pilsudski replied, “I am a servant of the people and I will hand over my authority to the assembly, however it is constituted.” He added, “I regard this Sejm as the free expression of the people and I will devote all my soldierly work to the Homeland.”92

On Election Day, a periodical published by Jan Jędrzejewicz ran an editorial, “Piłsudczycy” (Pilsudskiites). The mere biography of Pilsudski, it stated, served as a model of patriotism and sacrifice. “Who is a Pilsudskiite?” the article asked: “A person who cannot lead a private life. A person who lives a life of service in his work and beliefs.” Pilsudski, as their leader, had demonstrated an ability to realize his aims before and during the Great War. “Responsibility for the fate of the nation must be placed in the hands of those who are worthy of this responsibility. For generations, people grew up under the sign of service to the national cause. The day of their spiritual birth is August 6, 1914,” the article stated, referring to the day Pilsudski led troops into imperial Russia to mark Polish entry into World War I, “the flagship day that will forever shine in our souls.”93

The 340 deputies in reborn Poland’s first elected assembly were divided along partisan lines, with 34.2 percent of the seats going to the rightists, 30.8 percent to centrists, and 30.5 percent to leftists. By region, the National Democrats received 45 percent of the votes in the former Kingdom of Poland as against 22 percent for the Polish Socialist Party, while dominating in the areas taken from Germany. National minorities received 3.5 percent of the seats, with eleven going to representatives of Jewish political parties and two to the German People’s Party.94

The impact of the elections on Poland’s standing abroad was immediate. On January 30 the United States became the first Entente country to establish formal diplomatic relations with Poland. “The formal recognition by the United

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