Tymczasowa Rada Stanu posiedzenie inauguracyjne 1917

The Provisional Council of State (; German: ''Provisorische Staatsrat im Koenigreich Polen'') was the first government of the

Kingdom of Poland The Kingdom of Poland (; Latin: ''Regnum Poloniae'') was a monarchy in Central Europe during the Middle Ages, medieval period from 1025 until 1385. Background The West Slavs, West Slavic tribe of Polans (western), Polans who lived in what i ...

, a new state created by the military authorities of Germany and Austria on some Polish lands during the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. The Provisional Council was officially created on the basis of Act of November 5th (of 1916), and started meetings on 14 January 1917. The Council had 25 members; 10 from Austrian lands and 15 from German lands. Its president was Wacław Niemojowski, and its vice president was Józef Mikułowski-Pomorski.

Józef Piłsudski Józef Klemens Piłsudski (; 5 December 1867 – 12 May 1935) was a Polish statesman who served as the Chief of State (Poland), Chief of State (1918–1922) and first Marshal of Poland (from 1920). In the aftermath of World War I, he beca ...

held authority over military matters. The Council demanded more autonomy from the occupying governments, including in education. After attempts by Austria and Germany to ensure that the Council would be but a puppet body, Piłsudski resigned from it, which led to the

oath crisis The Oath crisis (; German language, German: ''Eidkrise'') was a World War I political conflict between the Imperial German Army command and the Józef Piłsudski-led Polish Legions in World War I, Polish Legions. Initially supporting the Central P ...

in the Polish legions in July. In its aftermath, the entire Council disbanded on 25 August 1917. It was followed by the Temporary Committee of the Provisional Council of State (''Komisja Przejściowa Tymczasowej Rady Stanu'') and then by the Regency Council. Members of the Council were Józef Brudziński, Stanisław Bukowiecki, Stanisław Dzierzbicki, Ludwik Górski, Józef Higersberger, Marian Januszajtis-Żegota, Kazimierz Natanson,

, Franciszek Pius Radziwiłł, Wojciech Rostworowski, Eustachy Sapieha, Stanisław Chaniewski, Stanisław Staniszewski, Władysław Studnicki, and Artur Śliwiński.

References

{{gov-stub 1916 establishments in Poland 1917 disestablishments in Poland Poland in World War I Political history of Poland Kingdom of Poland (1917–1918) Provisional governments