Regency Council (Poland)

"Regency Council" redirects here. For other uses, see Regent.

Regency Council: Ostrowski, Kakowski, Lubomirski

The Regency Council of the Kingdom of Poland (Polish: Rada Regencyjna Królestwa Polskiego) was a semi-independent and temporary highest authority (head of state) during World War I, formed by Germany and Austria-Hungary in the occupied Polish territories in September 1917. It was supposed to stay in office until a new king or Regent would be appointed. In October 1918 the Council overtook also the command over the Polska Siła Zbrojna.

The members of the Regency Council were:

• Cardinal Aleksander Kakowski, Archbishop of Warsaw,
• Prince Zdzisław Lubomirski, the President (Mayor) of Warsaw,
• Józef Ostrowski, a great landowner and a conservative politician, former Chairman of the Polish Club in the Duma in St. Petersburg

History

Together with the State Council and the formed governments it exercised a limited administrative powers, mainly in education and justice areas. On November 14 of the same year it passed all authority to Józef Piłsudski, from November 22 the newly appointed Supreme Head of the State (Naczelnik Państwa).

Prime Ministers

• Jan Kucharzewski (November 26, 1917 – February 27, 1918)
• Antoni Ponikowski (February 27 – April 3, 1918)
• Jan Kanty Steczkowski (April 4 – October 23, 1918)
• Józef Świeżyński (October 23 – November 5, 1918)
• Władysław Wróblewski (November 5–11, 1918)