in 1929. From the left: sitting:
Hipolit Gliwic,
Walery Sławek,
Julian Szymański,
Marian Zyndram-Kościałkowski,
Walery Roman; standing:
Henryk Loewenherz,
Karol Polakiewicz,
Jakub Bojko,
Zdzisław Stroński,
Zdzisław Lechnicki,
Adam Piasecki The BBWR was created in November 1927, by
Walery Sławek, at the urging of Józef Piłsudski. The organization consisted of several smaller parties, including those representing national minorities. Also, a few deputies of the
Polish Socialist Party and PSL Piast decided to join the new movement. The BBWR was not a classic political party, as it consisted of people with sometimes very different opinions. They were united by the personality of Piłsudski, whom they supported, and the BBWR had several targets: to carry out changes in the constitution, to keep the
National Democracy political movement away from the parliament, and to attract conservatives and business circles. The political program of the BBWR was announced on January 19, 1928. It was based on the following principles: • the cult of Józef Piłsudski, • criticism of party favouritism, which had a destructive influence on the condition of the state, • the need to change the constitution, with more power in the hands of the president and limiting the powers of the parliament, • social
solidarism. During the
1928 election campaign, which took place in March, the BBWR won 130 seats in the
Sejm (out of 444), and 46 seats in the
Senate (out of 111). On June 28, 1928, the government of Prime Minister Kazimierz Bartel was created. Even though the movement did not have a majority in the Polish Parliament, Józef Piłsudski regarded his party as the winner. Still, to his surprise, left-wing politician
Ignacy Daszyński was chosen the speaker of the Sejm. On April 14, 1929, Bartel's government was replaced by the more radical government of
Kazimierz Świtalski. It was based on the so-called “group of colonels”, who were personal friends of Piłsudski. On December 6, 1929, the Sejm passed the
motion of no confidence, and Bartel replaced Świtalski. The new government was dissolved on March 29, 1930, and the new Prime Minister was Walery Sławek. In response, opposition parties united, creating the so-called
Centrolew, and organizing a mass anti-government demonstration in
Kraków, on June 29, 1930. On August 25, 1930, Józef Piłsudski took the post of
Prime Minister, and on September 9, the first arrests of opposition politicians took place. The parliament was dissolved, and the opposition leaders were imprisoned in the
Brest Fortress. In the
1930 election, which was also called the “Brest election”, the BBWR won 249 seats in the Sejm, and 75 in the Senate. On December 4, 1930, the second government of Walery Sławek was created. It existed until May 1930, when
Aleksander Prystor became a new Prime Minister. Facing the
financial crisis (see
Great Depression), Prystor decided to cut public spending in order to balance the budget. In 1933, a program of
public works was created to reduce widespread unemployment. Furthermore, in 1932 - 1933, the BBWR government carried out significant educational reform. Simultaneously, oppositional activities were curbed, following three new bills, which limited the means of street protests and possibilities of creating new movements (see also
Brest trials). In the summer of 1933, Prystor lost the confidence of Józef Piłsudski and was replaced by
Janusz Jedrzejowicz. At the same time, Piłsudski and his subordinates began drafting the
April Constitution, and on May 15, 1934, the new government of
Leon Kozłowski was created. In June of the same year, Minister of Internal Affairs Bronisław Pieracki was murdered by the
Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists. The government in response opened the
Bereza Kartuska detention camp. After the death of Józef Piłsudski (May 12, 1935), the weakened BBWR continued to exist until October 30, when Walery Sławek dissolved it. The tradition of the movement was continued by the
Camp of National Unity, formed in February 1937. ==Aftermath==