Second Polish Republic

Republic of Poland Rzeczpospolita Polska
1918–1939
Flag of Second Polish Republic File:Flag of Poland (1927–1980).svg Top: Flag (1919–1927) Bottom: Flag (1927–1939) File:Coat of arms of Poland2 1919-1927.svg File:Coat of arms of Poland (1928–1939).svg Top: Coat of Arms (1918–1927) Bottom: Coat of Arms (1927–1939)
Anthem: "Mazurek Dąbrowskiego" Mazurek Dąbrowskiego" File:Ignacy dygas - mazurek dąbrowskiego.ogg
Map of the Second Polish Republic within Europe (1930) 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
• President	Gabriel Narutowicz (first) Władysław Raczkiewicz (last)
• Prime minister	Tomasz Arciszewski (last)
Legislature	Bicameral
• Upper house	Senate
• Lower house	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
Preceded by Succeeded by File:Flag of Poland.svg Kingdom of Poland File:Flag of the German Empire.svg German Empire File:Flag of Russian SFSR (1918-1937).svg Russian SFSR File:Flag of Poland.svg Zakopane File:Flag of Ukraine.svg Ukrainian People's Republic File:Flag of Ukraine.svg West Ukrainian People's Republic File:Flag of Ukraine.svg Komancza Republic File:Прапор Русской Народной Республіки Лемків.svg Lemko-Rusyn Republic File:Flag of the Galician SSR.svg Galician SSR File:Flag of Galicia-Lodomeria 1890-1918.svg Galicia-Lodomeria File:Socialist red flag.svg Tarnobrzeg File:Flag of Central Lithuania 1920.svg Central Lithuania File:Flag of Belarus (1991-1995).svg Belarusian DR File:Flag of Germany (3-2 aspect ratio).svg Weimar Republic File:Flag of the Lithuanian-Byelorussian SSR.svg Litbel SSR File:Flag of the Czech Republic.svg First Czechoslovak Republic Nazi Germany File:Flag of Germany (1935–1945).svg Soviet Union File:Flag of the Soviet Union (1936-1955).svg Lithuania File:Flag of Lithuania 1918-1940.svg Slovakia File:Flag of First Slovak Republic 1939-1945.svg Polish government-in-exile File:Flag of Poland (1927–1980).svg Polish Underground State File:Flaga PPP.svg
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

• Austria-Hungary
• German Empire
• Kingdom of Poland
• West Ukrainian National Republic
• File:Прапор Русской Народной Республіки Лемків.svg Lemko-Rusyn Republic
• Komancza Republic
• File:Flag of Ukrainian People's Republic 1917.svg Ukrainian People's Republic
• File:Flag of the Galician SSR.svg Galician Soviet Socialist Republic
• File:Flag of Galicia and Lodomeria (1849-1890).svg Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria
• File:Flag of Central Lithuania 1920.svg Republic of Central Lithuania

Successors

• Nazi Germany
• Soviet Union
• Polish Underground State

WW2

The Second Polish Republic, in 1939, refused to make territorial changes towards Germany. The Invasion of Poland (1939) brought the occupation of Poland by the German Reich and the Soviet Union 39 days later. The government fled to the United Kingdom and became the Polish government-in-exile, while based in London. It continued its existence in Poland as the Polish Underground State until 1945 when Poland was released but made a Communist satellite state of the Soviet Union. The pre-war government remained in exile until the collapse of Communism in 1990. Afterwards, it dissolved and handed its roles over to the current Polish State.