The Forgotten Proto-parliament: The Kingdom of Poland's Council of State in 1918 and its Activity during the First World War
The Forgotten Proto-parliament: The Kingdom of Poland's Council of State in 1918 and its Activity during the First World War

Summary/Abstract: The paper is to present the Council of Estate of the Polish Kingdom founded in 1916 during the First World War. It shows origins of the institution in the Act of 5 November 1916 of the Emperor of Germany and of Austria. In this Act they declared the creation of the Kingdom of Poland, contained in the territories that previously belonged to the Polish State before its Partition at end of the 18 century later conquered in 1915 by the Germans and Austrians on Russians. Amongst the other state institutions such as the Regent Council, the Government, local institutions and the army there was also created a representative institution that was intended to be the future parliament of the Kingdom. The paper discusses the problem of the organization of the Council and its activity in the fields of policy and law-making with the background of the development of political circumstances in the First World War. The proclamation of a new Polish Republic 1918 brought the end of the institutions created during the war. However, the results of the activity of such institutions as the Council of Estate became a very important basis for the future Polish Parliament established in 1919.

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