Abstract
Both in the final period of the Partitions and in the Second Republic of Poland, the majority of the society lived in villages. The countryside appeared to be the main area of the linguistic, cultural and religious diversity. Its daily life was marked not only by economic differences, but also ethnic, denominational and cultural ones, which grew in importance by becoming the crucial elements of the social stratification. A relatively amicable cohabitation of various groups was put to the test during a period of wars and other unrests, when existing friendships were losing their significance and the population was forced to explicitly define themselves in terms of their ethnicity or religion. Based on the programme assumptions and the comments or speeches made by the politicians of Polish Peasant Party (Polskie Stronnictwo Ludowe) “Piast”, it can be concluded, that the party tolerated only such aspirations of other ethnic groups, which did not involve any attempts to share political power and which expressed loyalty to the state. In the case of Slavic minorities, it was believed that due to effective government’s policy, they might be drawn to Poland or even assimilated, especially the minority of Belarusians. The assimilation programme of the German minority from the Western Borderlands was considered to be futile and with little chances of success. The solution to the Jewish problem was sought in supporting Polish economic and cultural activity, Polish industry, trade and craft as well as liberal professions and cooperative movement. The remaining minorities dispersed in Poland were not even taken into account under the party’s ideological concepts.
Highlights
S of Polish Peasant Party (Polskie Stronnictwo Ludowe) C “Piast” and Wincenty Witos. Both in the final period of the Partitions and in the Second Republic of Poland, the majority of the society lived in villages
M differences and ethnic, denominational and cultural ones, which grew in importance by becoming crucial elements of the social stratification
Alongside with a clear emergence of great political movements, the theoretical and conceptual effort was taken to deal with the issue of ethnic minorities, whose most prominent stage of development was noted in the interwar period
Summary
Both in the final period of the Partitions and in the Second Republic of Poland, the majority of the society lived in villages. In the interwar period Ukrainians, Jews and Belarusians constituted the largest number of ethnic minorities, having their abode in Poland PSL Piast objected to granting the minorities from the Eastern Borderlands the right of autonomy under the Polish state and in the course of time observing the way Ukrainians acted, the party considered them potential enemies of Poland. The primary place in the political thought of PSL Piast related to the issue of ethnic minorities was taken by the aspect of ethnic groups living in the Eastern and Western Borderlands as well as Jewish people. The problems of other minorities was of not much interest to the party Solutions to these ethnic issues proposed by PSL Piast in accordance with their political thought included regulations in political, cultural and educational spheres, among other things. The remaining minorities dispersed in Poland were not even taken into account in the party’s ideological concepts
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