Editing History of Poland (section)

===Democratic politics (1918–1926)===

[[File:Narutowicz.jpg|thumb|right|[[Bier]] of [[Gabriel Narutowicz]], the first President of Poland, who was assassinated in 1922.]]

Among the chief difficulties faced by the government of the new Polish republic was the lack of an integrated infrastructure among the formerly separate partitions, a deficiency that disrupted industry, transportation, trade, and other areas.<ref name="playground 291–321"/>

The first [[1919 Polish legislative election|Polish legislative election]] for the re-established [[Sejm]] (national parliament) took place in January 1919. A temporary [[Small Constitution of 1919|Small Constitution]] was passed by the body the following month.<ref name="Lukowski 223">{{Harvnb|Lukowski|Zawadzki|2006|p=223}}.</ref>

The rapidly growing population of Poland within its new boundaries was three-fourths agricultural and one-fourth urban; Polish was the primary language of only two thirds of the inhabitants of the new country.  The minorities had very little voice in the government. The permanent [[March Constitution of Poland]] was adopted in March 1921. At the insistence of the National Democrats, who were concerned about how aggressively Józef Piłsudski might exercise presidential powers if he were elected to office, the constitution mandated limited prerogatives for the presidency.<ref name="Heart 115-121"/>

[[File:Wladyslaw Grabski ca 1930 (777649) (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|upright|[[Władysław Grabski]] reformed the currency and introduced the [[Polish złoty]] to replace the [[Polish mark|mark]].]]

The proclamation of the March Constitution was followed by a short and turbulent period of constitutional order and parliamentary democracy that lasted until 1926. The legislature remained fragmented, without stable majorities, and governments changed frequently. The open-minded [[Gabriel Narutowicz]] was elected president according to the Constitution by the [[National Assembly (Poland)|National Assembly]] in 1922, without popular vote. However, members of the nationalist right-wing faction did not regard his elevation as legitimate.  They viewed Narutowicz rather as a traitor whose election was pushed through by the votes of alien minorities. Narutowicz and his supporters were subjected to an intense harassment campaign, and the president was assassinated on 16 December 1922, after serving only five days in office.<ref name="Hart 121-123">{{Harvnb|Davies|2001|pp=121–123}}.</ref>

[[Land reform]] measures were passed in 1919 and 1925 under pressure from an impoverished peasantry. They were partially implemented, but resulted in the parcellation of only 20% of the great agricultural estates.<ref name="Ziemia dla chłopów">{{Harvnb|Pilawski|2009}}.</ref> Poland endured numerous economic calamities and disruptions in the early 1920s, including waves of workers' strikes such as the [[1923 Kraków riot]]. The [[German–Polish customs war]], initiated by Germany in 1925, was one of the most damaging external factors that put a strain on Poland's economy.<ref>{{Harvnb|Lukowski|Zawadzki|2006|pp=237–238}}.</ref><ref name="playground 307, 308">{{Harvnb|Davies|2005b|pp=307, 308}}.</ref> On the other hand, there were also signs of progress and stabilization, for example a critical reform of finances carried out by the competent government of [[Władysław Grabski]], which lasted almost two years. Certain other achievements of the democratic period having to do with the management of governmental and civic institutions necessary to the functioning of the reunited state and nation were too easily overlooked. Lurking on the sidelines was a disgusted army officer corps unwilling to subject itself to civilian control, but ready to follow the retired Piłsudski, who was highly popular with Poles and just as dissatisfied with the Polish system of government as his former colleagues in the military.<ref name="playground 291–321"/><ref name="Hart 121-123"/>