Historical calendar: anniversary of the swearing-in by president Stanisław Wojciechowski, the 3rd Polish government under the direction of Wincent Witos.
Today in our calendar we will look at the scenes of this event.
In the mid-1920s the situation of Poland deteriorated, both as regards interior affairs and the global situation. The resignation of Prime Minister Grabski and the economical cost of his reforms, combined with the threat of war with Germany after Treaty of LocarnoThe political crisis has been greatly exacerbated.
If that's not enough, economical problems are growing. Disgruntled was not only the unemployed workers or impoverished peasants, but besides government officials and soldiers who were reduced wages.
On 20 April 1926, ministers from the Polish Socialist organization withdrew from the government of Alexander Skrzyński. As a result, the government lost parliamentary support and had to resign. respective days later Skrzyński resigned. After this, the country suffered a political, economical and social crisis. For the next weeks, the fresh office was incapable to be established. Only on May 10, president Stanisław Wojciechowski established the 3rd government of Vincent Witos.
The government included: Vincenty Witos – as Prime Minister, Stefan Smólski – as Minister of Interior, Kajetan Dzierży Country-Morawski – as Head of the Ministry of abroad Affairs, Juliusz Tarnawa-Malczewski – as Minister of Military Affairs, Stefan Piechocki – as Minister of Justice, Stanisław Grabski – as Minister of spiritual religion and Public Enlightenment and Jerzy Zdzechowski – as Minister of Treasury, Stanisław Osiecki – as Minister of manufacture and Trade.
In addition to them, Władysław Kiernik – as Minister of Agriculture and State Goods, Józef Radwan – as Minister of Agricultural Reform, Adam Chądzyński – as Minister of Railways, Jan Stanisław Jankowski – as Head of the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare and Mieczysław Rybczyński – as Head of the Ministry of Public Works were besides included in the cabinet.
Vincent Witos, having a reasonably well-known political situation, refused to accept the mission of forming a government. For he feared the coup of Joseph Piłsudski. Therefore, just after assuming the office of Prime Minister, he warned president Wojciechowski about the planned assassination. However, believing Piłsudski's good intentions, he felt that it was not actual and the erstwhile warden would not go to treason.
He was wrong.
Seeing the melting of his influence, Piłsudski withdrew from public life in the summertime of 1923, returning to the manor home in Sulejówek. For a short period of time he focused on writing activity, but very rapidly began planning a coup. To this end, he travelled around the country and organized rallies during which he attacked further governments, especially the nationalists and members of the ‘Chjeno-Piasta’ coalition. He was preparing social ground for a future military coup.
According to Louis Hass, the marshal's ally was the large National Lodge of Poland, which worked for the public, disseminating information about the request to establish strong hands. Even if that's true, Piłsudski was very ungrateful due to the fact that after the May bombing... He ordered all his subordinates to step out of the masonry.
On May 11, 1926, an interview with Piłsudski was published in “Kurier Poranny” in which he announced that he would join "to fight, as before, with the main evil of the state: the regulation of the torn parties and parties over Poland, the forgetting of imponderabily, and the remembrance of only a penny and a profit". In response, the government ordered the paper to be confiscated. But it was besides late...
Previous entry from our calendar is available Here..
