The May Coup d'Etat (Polish: Przewrót majowy or zamach majowy) was a coup d'état successfully carried out in Poland by Józef Piłsudski, between May 12, and May 14, 1926. The coup overthrew the government of President Stanisław Wojciechowski and Prime Minister Wincenty Witos, with a new government headed by the Lwów Polytechnic Professor, Kazimierz Bartel, and the Sanacja political movement. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... is the 132nd day of the year (133rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 14 is the 134th day of the year (135th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Motto: Contemnit procellas (It defies the storms) Semper invicta (Always invincible) Coordinates: , Country  Poland Voivodeship Masovia Powiat city county Gmina Warszawa Districts 18 boroughs City Rights turn of the 13th century Government  - Mayor Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz (PO) Area  - City 516. ... Flag of the Chief of State (1919-1927) Sanacja was a coalition political movement of the Second Polish Republic in the inter war years. ... Marshal (also sometimes spelled marshall in American English, but not in British English) is a word used in several official titles of various branches of society. ... Office Chief of State, Marshal of Poland Term of office from November 14, 1918 until December 9, 1922 Profession Statesman Political party none (see Sanacja for details), formerly PPS Spouse Maria PiÅ‚sudska Aleksandra PiÅ‚sudska Date of birth December 5, 1867 Place of birth Zułów, in todays... President is a title held by many leaders of organizations, companies, trade unions, universities, and countries. ... Term of office from December 20, 1922 until May 14, 1926 Profession university professor Political party PSL Piast Date of birth March 15, 1869 Place of birth Kalisz, Poland Date of death April 9, 1953 Place of death GoÅ‚Ä…bki near Warsaw, Poland Stanislaw Wojciechowski was born on March 15... A prime minister is the most senior minister of a cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. ... Wincenty Witos Wincenty Witos (1874 - 1945) was an actvist of the Polish Peasant Party (PSL) from 1895 and leader of Piast faction from 1913. ... // A coup dÉtat (pronounced ), or simply coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government, often through illegal means by a part of the state establishment — mostly replacing just the high-level figures. ... Office Chief of State, Marshal of Poland Term of office from November 14, 1918 until December 9, 1922 Profession Statesman Political party none (see Sanacja for details), formerly PPS Spouse Maria PiÅ‚sudska Aleksandra PiÅ‚sudska Date of birth December 5, 1867 Place of birth Zułów, in todays... is the 132nd day of the year (133rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... May 14 is the 134th day of the year (135th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... President is a title held by many leaders of organizations, companies, trade unions, universities, and countries. ... Term of office from December 20, 1922 until May 14, 1926 Profession university professor Political party PSL Piast Date of birth March 15, 1869 Place of birth Kalisz, Poland Date of death April 9, 1953 Place of death GoÅ‚Ä…bki near Warsaw, Poland Stanislaw Wojciechowski was born on March 15... A prime minister is the most senior minister of a cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. ... Wincenty Witos Wincenty Witos (1874 - 1945) was an actvist of the Polish Peasant Party (PSL) from 1895 and leader of Piast faction from 1913. ... Lviv Polytechnic (full name Lviv Polytechnic National University, Ukrainian Національний університет Львівська політехніка, Polish Politechnika Lwowska) is the biggest scientifical university in Lviv. ... Kazimierz Bartel ( 1882- 1941), was a Polish mathematician and politician; Prime Minister of Poland,1926-1930. ... Flag of the Chief of State (1919-1927) Sanacja was a coalition political movement of the Second Polish Republic in the inter war years. ...

At first, Piłsudski was offered the Presidency, but declined in favour of Ignacy Mościcki. Piłsudski, however, remained the most influential politician in Poland, and in fact became its dictator. Office Term of office from June 1, 1926, until September 30, 1939 Profession Professor of chemistry Political party none (until 1892, Proletariat) Spouse Maria, née DobrzaÅ„ska Date of birth December 1, 1867 Place of birth Mierzanów, Poland Date of death October 2, 1946 Place of death Versoix... Dictator is originally the title of a magistrate in ancient Rome appointed by the Senate to rule the state in times of emergency. ...

Buildup to the Coup

In November 1925, the government of Prime Minister Władysław Grabski was replaced by the government of Prime Minister Aleksander Skrzyński, which had received support from the National Democratic Party (Narodowa Demokracja or endecja) and the Polish Socialist Party (Polska Partia Socjalityczna, PPS). General Lucjan Żeligowski became the Minister of Military Affairs of the new government. However, after the PPS withdrew its support, this government also fell and was replaced by that of Prime Minister Wincenty Witos, formed by PSL Piast and Chrześcijański Związek Jedności Narodowej (Chjeno-Piast). However, the new government had even less popular support than the previous ones, and the rhetoric from the far Rightist Parties supported by Józef Piłsudski, who viewed the constant power shifts in the Sejm (Polish Parliament) as extremely chaotic and damaging, set the stage for a coup d'etat. Year 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Categories: People stubs | Prime Ministers of Poland | 1874 births | 1938 deaths ... Aleksander Skrzynski ( 1882- 1931) was a Polish politician who served as prime minister from 1925 to 1926. ... The National Democratic Party was a pre-WWII Polish right-wing political party co-founded by Roman Dmowski. ... The Polish Socialist Party (Polska Partia Socjalistyczna, PPS) was one of the two most important Polish political parties from its inception in 1892 until 1948, when it merged with the Stalinist Polish Workers Party (PPR) to form the Polish United Workers Party (PZPR), the ruling party in the Peoples... General Lucjan Żeligowski The title of this article is incorrect because of technical limitations. ... A defence minister (Commonwealth English) or defense minister (American English) is a cabinet portfolio (position) which regulates the armed forces in a sovereign nation. ... Wincenty Witos Wincenty Witos (1874 - 1945) was an actvist of the Polish Peasant Party (PSL) from 1895 and leader of Piast faction from 1913. ... Chjeno-Piast was an unofficial (yet common) name of a coalition of Polish political parties formed in 1923. ... The Sejm building in Warsaw. ... A coup détat, or simply a coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government, usually done by a small group that just replaces the top power figures. ...

In addition to the domestic turmoil, Polish politics had been shaken up by the trade war with Germany, started in June 1925, and by the signing of the Treaty of Locarno on October 16th. Under the terms of the treaty, the World War I Western European Allied powers and the new states of central and Eastern Europe sought to secure the post-war territorial settlement, in return for normalising relations with defeated Germany. A trade war refers to two or more nations raising or creating tariffs or other trade barriers on each other in retaliation for other trade barriers. ... The Locarno Treaties were seven agreements negotiated at Locarno, Switzerland on 5–16 October 1925 and formally signed in London on December 1, in which the World War I western European Allied powers and the new states of central and eastern Europe sought to secure the post-war territorial... is the 289th day of the year (290th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... The borders of Western Europe were largely defined by the Cold War. ... In general, allies are people or groups that have joined an alliance and are working together to achieve some common purpose. ... Central Europe The Alpine Countries and the Visegrád Group (Political map, 2004) Central Europe is the region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe. ... Pre-1989 division between the West (grey) and Eastern Bloc (orange) superimposed on current national boundaries: Russia (dark orange), other countries of the former USSR (medium orange),members of the Warsaw pact (light orange), and other former Communist regimes not aligned with Moscow (lightest orange). ...

The coup d'état

On 10 May 1926, the government of Chjeno-Piast was formed, and on the same day Józef Piłsudski, in an interview with Kurier Poranny newspaper, said that he was ..ready to fight the evil (of Sejmocracy) and promised a sanitation (a play on words based on the Sanacja movement) of the political life. The newspaper edition was confiscated. is the 130th day of the year (131st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Flag of the Chief of State (1919-1927) Sanacja was a coalition political movement of the Second Polish Republic in the inter war years. ...

On the night of 11 May to 12 May a state of alert was declared in the Warsaw military garrison, and some units marched to Rembertów, where they pledged themselves to Piłsudski's command. On 12 May they marched on the capital and captured bridges over the Vistula. In the meantime, the legal government of Wincenty Witos declared a state of emergency. is the 131st day of the year (132nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 132nd day of the year (133rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Motto: Contemnit procellas (It defies the storms) Semper invicta (Always invincible) Coordinates: , Country  Poland Voivodeship Masovia Powiat city county Gmina Warszawa Districts 18 boroughs City Rights turn of the 13th century Government  - Mayor Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz (PO) Area  - City 516. ... Area 19,30 km² Population 21,893 Population density /km² Mayor Notable landmarks Rembertów Website Image:Warszawa Rembertów. ... The Vistula (Polish: ) is with 1,047 kilometers (678 miles) the longest river in Poland. ... A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend certain normal functions of government, may work to alert citizens to alter their normal behaviors, or may order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. ...

Piłsudski (center) on Poniatowski Bridge, Warsaw, May 12, 1926, during the May Coup d' État. At right is Gen. Gustaw Orlicz-Dreszer.

At about 17h00 on the Poniatowski bridge, Marshal Piłsudski met president Stanisław Wojciechowski. Piłsudski demanded resignation of the Witos cabinet, while the president demanded Piłsudski's capitulation. With no result in this round of negotiations, fighting erupted around 19h00. The next day, a new round of negotiations was started with the mediation of archbishop Aleksander Kakowski and Marshall of the Sejm Maciej Rataj; however, they brought no change to the stalemate. On 14 May, the PPS declared their support for the rebels and called for a general strike, supported by the Railwaymen's Trade Union (Związek Zawodowy Kolejarzy). This strike significantly delayed the movement of the armed forces loyal to the government. Eventually Wojciechowski and Witos decided to resign in order to prevent the Warsaw fighting from turning into a country-wide civil war. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Poniatowski Bridge - from the river. ... is the 132nd day of the year (133rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Gustaw Konstanty Orlicz-Dreszer (October 2, 1889-July 16, 1936) was a Polish general, and a political and social activist. ... Poniatowski Bridge - from the river. ... Term of office from December 20, 1922 until May 14, 1926 Profession university professor Political party PSL Piast Date of birth March 15, 1869 Place of birth Kalisz, Poland Date of death April 9, 1953 Place of death GoÅ‚Ä…bki near Warsaw, Poland Stanislaw Wojciechowski was born on March 15... In Christianity, an archbishop is an elevated bishop. ... Cardinal Kakowski (centre) with the two other members of the Regency Council Cardinal Aleksander Kakowski (1862-1938) was a Polish politician and Catholic priest, member of the Regency Council, the arcbishop of Warsaw and the last titular primate of the Kingdom of Poland before Poland regained her independence in 1918. ... Marszałek sejmu (Sejm Marshal, Marshal of the Sejm) is the title of the Speaker (chair) of Sejm the lower house of Polish parliament since the 15th century. ... Maciej Rataj (19 February 1884 - 21 June 1940) was a Polish politician, president, socialist activist and writer. ... May 14 is the 134th day of the year (135th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A general strike is a strike action by an entire labour force in a city, region or country. ... A civil war is a war in which parties within the same culture, society or nationality fight against each other for the control of political power. ...

215 soldiers and 164 civilians were killed during those events, and approximately 900 people were wounded.

A new government led by prime minister Kazimierz Bartel was formed, and Piłsudski became the Minister of Military Affairs in that government. On 31 May Zgromadzenie Narodowe nominated Piłsudski for the presidency, but he declined the offer. Eventually Ignacy Mościcki became the new president; however, Piłsudski wielded unofficial power much larger than his single Ministry legally gave him. Kazimierz Bartel ( 1882- 1941), was a Polish mathematician and politician; Prime Minister of Poland,1926-1930. ... is the 151st day of the year (152nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The National Assembly (Zgromadzanie Narodowe) is the name of both chambers of the Polish parliament, the Diet (Sejm) and the Senate, when sitting in joint session. ... Office Term of office from June 1, 1926, until September 30, 1939 Profession Professor of chemistry Political party none (until 1892, Proletariat) Spouse Maria, née DobrzaÅ„ska Date of birth December 1, 1867 Place of birth Mierzanów, Poland Date of death October 2, 1946 Place of death Versoix...

Aftermath

Piłsudski initiated Sanacja government (1926-1939) — conducted at times by authoritarian means — directed at restoring moral "health" to public life. Although until his death in 1935, he played a preponderant role in Poland's government, his formal offices — apart from two stints as prime minister in 1926-28 and 1930 — were for the most part limited to those of minister of defense and inspector-general of the armed forces. The adoption of a new Polish constitution in April 1935 (the April Constitution), tailored by Piłsudski's supporters to his specifications — providing for a strong presidency — came too late for Piłsudski to seek that office. But the April Constitution would serve Poland until the outbreak of World War II and would carry its Government in Exile through to the end of the war and beyond. Flag of the Chief of State (1919-1927) Sanacja was a coalition political movement of the Second Polish Republic in the inter war years. ... Year 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The term authoritarian is used to describe an organization or a state which enforces strong and sometimes oppressive measures against the population, generally without attempts at gaining the consent of the population. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar). ... A prime minister is the most senior minister of a cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. ... A defence minister ( Commonwealth English) or defense minister ( American English) is a cabinet portfolio (position) which regulates the armed forces in a sovereign nation. ... In a civilian or military administration, an Inspector General is a high ranking official charged with the mission to inspect and report on some bodies in his field of competency. ... US 1979 and 2002 Reissue Cover Also known as paint spatter cover For the military meaning, see Armed forces. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar). ... The April Constitution of Poland ( Polish Ustawa konstytucyjna 23 IV 1935) was the general law passed by the act of the Polish Sejm on April 23, 1935. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The Government of the Polish Republic in Exile was the government of Poland after the country had been occupied by Germany and the Soviet Union during September-October 1939. ...

External links

• Coup d'état of May 1926

Further reading

• Joseph Rothschild, Pilsudski's Coup D'Etat, Columbia University Press, 1967, ISBN 0-231-02984-5.