Nation Name: Republic of Poland
Head of State: President Ignacy Moscicki
Head of Government Prime Minister Kazimierz Bartel
Government Form: Bicameral Parliamentary Democracy
Ideology: Authoritarianism / Nationalism / Big Tent / Sanationism
Foreign Policy: The Polish Republic is deeply influenced by the tumultuous rebirth of Polish independence after the Great War. The Greater Polish and Silesian rebellions against Germany, the Polish-Soviet War, the Polish-Ukrainian War, the Seven Day War against Czechoslovakia has given rise to a palpable and powerful siege mentality arising in both the average person in Poland as well as the policymakers in Warsaw, painting the picture of a Poland surrounded by enemies. There are a number of currents in the formation and direction of Polish foreign policy, some advocate close ties to France and the United Kingdom while some advocate the formation of a Polish-centric intermarium alliance based on close relations with Romania, Yugoslavia, the Baltic states, normalizing and improving relations with Czechoslovakia and other nations in Eastern Europe which regained their independence after the Great War and have little interest in renewed Russian or German-Austrian occupation. Claims sour the relations with Czechoslovakia however as Poland still claims the Zaolzie region, more importantly, similar situations sour the relations with Germany, as Poland still refuses to recognize the results of the plebiscites in the Polish-majority regions of Germany, namely Upper Silesia and Masuria.
Civil Freedoms /10: 5
Political Freedoms /10: 5
Economic Freedoms /10: 4
Military Size: (300 000 Active / 700 000 Reserves)
Military Description: The Polish Armed Forces were sown together from whatever could be and sent into battle in many conflicts in the immediate aftermath of the Great War. They supported the rebels in Germany, fought in Cieszyn Silesia against the Czechoslovaks and even managed to stop the defeat the Soviet Union in the Polish-Soviet War. This was an army that was equipped with a hodgepodge of German, Austro-Hungarian, Russian and French equipment. After these conflicts ended in 1920/1921, the Polish armed forces went on a campaign of standardization, jump-starting a surprisingly capable domestic arms industry which seems on track to develop a number of highly effective designs both for vehicles, aircraft, artillery, small arms etc. The training of the Polish army is thorough. The NCO's are a competent body of men and the officers, both senior and junior refresh their training in the field and in the lecture-hall alike, where modern technical achievement and the lessons of contemporary wars in the yearly years are demonstrated and discussed. A massive problem is a lack of funds however which leads to poor quality equipment. The limited defense budget allows only for minimal mechanization and the production rates for modern hardware is low.
Organizations: Member of some international organizations but stands relatively isolated.
Description of Your Nation's Economy: Not good, but slowly getting better. Poland had spent over 120 years being the neglected borderland of three different empires, these same empires later fought back and forth across Polish territory in the Great War, devastating local infrastructure. After regaining independence, Poland had to reunite three regions that had formerly been part of three different countries with different economic systems and all in addition to the devastation wrought by World War I, the exploitation of the Polish economy by the German and Russian occupying powers, and the sabotage performed by retreating armies during the conflict. In 1924 Prime Minister and Economic Minister Wladyslaw Grabski introduced the Zloty as a single common currency for Poland which remained a stable currency and greatly helped Poland to control the massive hyperinflation and embark on a stable growth trajectory with the average annual GDP growth rate at 5.2% in 1920–1929. Statistically, the majority of citizens live in the countryside and farmers make up over 65% of the population while agricultural production made up 65% of Poland's GNP. Industrially, Polish Upper Silesia and Lesser Poland are the most developed alongside parts of Central Poland and the country can largely be seen as split between the more developed and wealthy "Poland A" west of the Vistula and a poorer and more backward "Poland B" east of the Vistula. High levels of population growth leads to borderline chronic unemployment in a number of regions where economic growth can't keep up with population growth. Only about 7% of the roads are paved and ready for high levels of automobile traffic and none of the major cities are connected by highways.
Description of Your Nation's Government: At it's reformation, Poland was structured as a parliamentary democracy from 1919 to 1926. Poland was also one of the first countries in the world to recognize full women's suffrage with all female citizens being granted the right to vote in 1918 by a decree of Jozef Pilsudski. Frequently changing governments and other negative publicity the politicians received such as accusations of corruption or 1919 coup attempt, made the system of governance increasingly unpopular which led to Pilsudski's Coup in 1926. This coup has led to a significant shift toward authoritarianism, leading Poland to be best described as a Hybrid Regime. The 1928 parliamentary elections were still considered free and fair, although the pro-Pilsudski Nonpartisan Bloc for Cooperation with the Government won them. The 1930 Election was accused of fraudulence and with opposition activists sent to the Bereza Kartuska prison, Poland has faced criticism for it's slide toward authoritarianism under the rule of the Sanationist regime. The Sanationist movement is mainly comprised former military officers who were disgusted with the perceived corruption in Polish politics and formed as a coalition of rightists, leftists and centrists whose main focus was the elimination of corruption and the reduction of inflation. Although Pilsudski never claimed power himself, he exercises a massive level of influence over Polish politics ever since the Coup and basically dominates Polish affairs the strongman of a generally popular center-rightist regime. Poland's internal stability was enhanced while economic stagnation was ended. At the same time, the Sanation regime prosecuted political opponents. A distinguishing feature of the regime is that unlike the situation in most of non-democratic Europe, it still shows no sign of evolving itself into a full-scale totalitarian dictatorship. Freedom of speech and press and political parties were never legally abolished, and opponents are usually dealt with via "unidentified perpetrators" rather than court sentences.
Goals for the Nation: A Poland that moves carefully, picks it's alliances wisely and it's wars equally so can do much to make itself prosper. Poland can try to find a patron in one of the Great Powers to guarantee it's sovereignty or it can try to fore it's own path. The territorial disputes with Czechoslovakia and Germany will have to be addressed, either by treaty renouncing the claims or by force annexing them, depending on how the global situation develops. Strong ties will be pursued with Romania and Yugoslavia as well as the Baltic states with Lithuania in particular in hope to restore relations. Economic growth is a top priority in order to make any grander ambition able to be realized, be it seizure of territory, becoming a leading power in Eastern Europe or assuring one's sovereignty. To that end, a significant program of public works, industrialization, agricultural and infrastructural investment will need to be embarked on, possibly with greater levels of economic liberalization to attract British and French funds to make up for Poland's limited budget. Such economic endeavors will be expensive and time-consuming but are central. Another central endeavor will be the modernization of the armed forces, which will however require a stronger economy to pay for the cost. The last issue is the ethnic strife in southeastern Poland between the Polish and Ukrainian communities which will need to be adressed.
RP Sample: Here's one
#420 don't remove
