ABSTRACT
The Polish-Soviet war of 1919-1920 added new losses and destructions. Reborn and reunited as a result of the war and revolutions, the new Polish state was plagued by societal problems of great magnitude. Indeed, political equality in conditions of ethnic cleavage contributed to the intensity of political conflicts and destabilized the parliamentary system. Parliamentary government requires qualities of political culture: a willingness to play the competitive game of parliamentary politics without mutual hatred, in the spirit of fair play, and the readiness of the minority to accept the verdict of the majority. The right-wing National Democrats were quite understandably accused of having caused the crime and having celebrated the memory of the assassin. A corollary to the controversy over military and civilian authorities was the public controversy started by Pilsudski's historical writings. In such conditions, Pilsudski's concern for effective organization of military command seems justifiable, even if his lack of confidence in parliamentary institutions was excessive.
