Regency Council

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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 planned to be office till a new king or Regent is appointed. In October 1917 the Council was also passed the command over the Polnische Wehrmacht.

The members of the Regency Council were:

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

[edit] History

Together with the State Council and the formed governments it exercised a limited administrative powers, mainly in education and justice areas. On October 7, 1918, it declared the independence of Poland, and in on November 14 of the same year it passed all authority to Józef Piłsudski, from November 22 the newly appointed Governor of the State (Naczelnik Państwa).

[edit] Prime Ministers (1917-1918)

• November 20, 1917 - February 27, 1918 : Jan Kucharzewski
• February 27, 1918 - April 3, 1918 : Antoni Ponikowski
• April 4, 1918 - October 23, 1918 : Jan Kanty Steczkowski
• October 23, 1918 - November 5, 1918 : Józef Świeżyński
• November 5, 1918 - November 11, 1918 : Ladislaw Wróblewski