May Coup

The May Coup was Józef Piłsudski’s armed seizure of power in Poland in May 1926, which displaced the government and weakened parliamentary democracy.

Józef Piłsudski: A Polish military commander and statesman who led the May 1926 coup and dominated Poland until his death in 1935. He directed the forces that confronted the government and became the coup’s principal beneficiary.
Second Polish Republic: The Polish state that existed between the restoration of independence in 1918 and the German-Soviet invasions of 1939. The coup unfolded during the republic’s struggle to stabilize its institutions.
Polish Constitution of 1935: The constitution of the Second Polish Republic that concentrated executive power in the presidency. It codified the stronger executive order built under Piłsudski’s political camp.
Polish coup d'état of 1918: A political and military transition in Warsaw in November 1918 that helped establish independent Polish authority. Unlike the May Coup, it accompanied the collapse of imperial rule and the restoration of independence.
Stanisław Wojciechowski: A Polish politician who served as president from 1922 until resigning during the May 1926 crisis. His refusal to accept Piłsudski’s demands preceded his resignation amid the fighting.
Polish parliamentary crisis of 1925–1926: A period of cabinet instability and political conflict in Poland that preceded Piłsudski’s coup. Repeated government changes helped Piłsudski portray parliamentary rule as ineffective.
Brest trials: A series of 1931–1932 trials in Poland that prosecuted opposition politicians imprisoned at the Brest Fortress. They showed how the post-coup government used legal proceedings against political opponents.
Polish coup d'état of 1939: A proposed Polish military takeover in 1939 that did not occur before the German invasion. The unrealized plot highlights how the May Coup’s successful seizure depended on a different political moment.
Kazimierz Bartel: A Polish mathematician and politician who became prime minister after the May Coup. His first cabinet gave the victorious camp a civilian government after the president resigned.
Władysław Grabski: A Polish economist and politician who served as prime minister and introduced the złoty in 1924. His government’s fall amid economic strain formed part of the instability before the coup.

Linked from 8 pages