Second Polish Republic Facts for Kids

The Second Polish Republic was the country of Poland between the First World War (1914–1918) and the Second World War (1939–1945). It was officially called the Republic of Poland (Polish: Rzeczpospolita Polska).

Poland became an independent country again in 1918, right after World War I ended. This new state lasted until 1939. In that year, Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, and the Slovak Republic invaded Poland. This invasion marked the start of the Second World War in Europe.

Quick facts for kids

Republic of Poland

Rzeczpospolita Polska

1918–1939

Flag (after 1927)

Coat of arms

Anthem: "Mazurek Dąbrowskiego"
(English: "Poland Is Not Yet Lost")

Second Polish Republic in 1930

Capital

Warsaw
52°14′N 21°1′E / 52.233°N 21.017°E

Common languages

Official:
Polish

Unofficial:

Religion

1931 census
Majority:
64.8% Roman Catholicism

'Minorities:'

11.8% Eastern Orthodox
10.5% Greek Catholic
9.8% Jewish
2.6% Protestant
0.5% Other Christian
0.02% Other

Government

Unitary parliamentary constitutional republic (1918-1935)

Unitary presidential constitutional republic (1935-1939)

President

• 1918–1922

Józef Piłsudski^a

• 1922

Gabriel Narutowicz

• 1922–1926

Stanisław Wojciechowski

Prime Minister

• 1918–1919 (first)

Jędrzej Moraczewski

• 1936–1939 (last)

Felicjan S. Składkowski

Legislature

Sejm

• Upper chamber

Senate

• Lower chamber

Sejm

Historical era

Interwar period

• End of World War I

11 November 1918

• Treaty of Versailles

28 June 1919

• Peace of Riga

18 March 1921

• German invasion

1 September 1939

• Soviet invasion

17 September 1939

• Fall of Warsaw

28 September 1939

• Complete occupation

6 October 1939

Area

1921

387,000 km² (149,000 sq mi)

1931

388,634 km² (150,052 sq mi)

1938

389,720 km² (150,470 sq mi)

Population

• 1921

27,177,000

• 1931

32,107,000

• 1938

34,849,000

Currency

Marka (until 1924)
Złoty (after 1924)

ISO 3166 code

Preceded by

Succeeded by

	Kingdom of Poland
	German Empire
	Russian SFSR
	Republic of Zakopane
	Ukrainian PR
	West Ukrainian NR
	Komancza Republic
	Lemko-Rusyn Republic
	Galician SSR
	Galicia and Lodomeria
	Republic of Tarnobrzeg
	Central Lithuania
	Belarusian DR

Nazi Germany
Military Administration
Soviet Union
Lithuania
Slovak Republic
Polish Underground State
Polish govt-in-exile

As Chief of State (Naczelnik Państwa).

Poland's Size and People

In 1938, the Second Polish Republic was the sixth largest country in Europe. A census in 1921 showed that 27.2 million people lived there. By 1939, just before World War II, the population had grown to about 35.1 million.

Many different groups of people lived in Poland. Almost a third of the population belonged to minority groups. These included:

13.9% Ruthenians
10% Ashkenazi Jews
3.1% Belarusians
2.3% Germans
3.4% Czechs and Lithuanians

At the same time, many people of Polish heritage lived outside Poland's borders.

Poland's Neighbors

After some local conflicts, Poland's borders were set in 1922. Its neighbors were Czechoslovakia, Germany, the Free City of Danzig, Lithuania, Latvia, Romania, and the Soviet Union.

Poland also had a small coastline on the Baltic Sea. This area was near the city of Gdynia and was known as the Polish Corridor. Between March and August 1939, Poland also shared a border with the Hungarian region of Subcarpathia.

The political situation in the Second Republic was greatly affected by the end of World War I. It also faced challenges from its neighbors and the rise of Nazi Germany.

Life and Culture in Poland

The Second Republic saw steady economic growth. Important cities like Warsaw, Kraków, Poznań, Wilno, and Lwów became major European centers. They were home to well-known universities and other advanced schools.

The End of the Second Republic

The Second Polish Republic ended in 1939. This happened when Poland was invaded by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. This event started the Second World War in Europe.

Images for kids

Polish defenses at Miłosna during the Battle of Warsaw, August 1920.
Polish pavilion at Expo 1937 in Paris.
Polish pavilion at the 1939 World's Fair in New York City.
Poland's MS Batory and MS Piłsudski at the sea port of Gdynia, 18 December 1937.
The Eastern Trade Fair in Lwów, 1936.
Gdynia, a modern Polish seaport started in 1926.
Industry and communications in Poland before World War II.
The CWS T-1 Torpedo was the first car built in Poland.
Ciągówka Ursus was the first Polish farm tractor, made from 1922 to 1927.
Prime Minister Kazimierz Bartel, who was also a scholar and mathematician.
The National Museum in Warsaw (Polish: Muzeum Narodowe w Warszawie), opened in 1938.
Poland's population density in 1930.
Map showing languages spoken in Poland in 1931. Red: mostly Polish speakers; Green: mostly other languages like Yiddish, Hebrew, Ukrainian, Belarusian, and Russian.
Officers from the Polish Legions setting the Polish-Czechoslovak border in 1915.
Physical map of the Second Polish Republic.
Polish infantry marching, 1939.
Polish soldiers with anti-aircraft guns near Warsaw Central Station in September 1939.
Polish 7TP light tanks.
ORP Orzeł was a submarine in the Polish Navy during World War II.

Second Polish Republic facts for kids

Contents

Poland's Size and People

Poland's Neighbors

Life and Culture in Poland

The End of the Second Republic

Images for kids

See also