The Formation of Authoritarian Rule in Poland between 1926 and 1939 as a Research Problem

In the aftermath of the First World War, many countries in Southern, Central, and Eastern Europe experienced authoritarian rule due to the political and economic turmoil of the era.The similarities and differences among various European authoritarian regimes have been extensively studied in both Polish and international scholarly literature.The case of authoritarian rule in Poland, particularly following the May Coup of 1926, is notable for its unique origins.Rooted in a period when Poland lacked statehood and fuelled by the armed independence irredentist movements of the First World War and the preceding years, Polish authoritarianism evolved from initial ideals of freedom and democracy.Central to this phenomenon was Marshal Józef Piłsudski, the ideological leader of Poland's ruling camp after the May Coup of 1926.This article presents an analysis of the current state of research on authoritarian rule in the Second Polish Republic, examining its origins, mechanisms, and distinctive features.It also outlines the key research postulates according to the author.The article seeks to answer why the liberationist and seemingly democratic movement of the former Polish independence irredentist camp became disillusioned with democracy and parliamentarism in the newly reborn independent Poland, eventually adopting authoritarian rule.