Polish History by Stef Komar

May 3rd Constitution Day

May 3rd Poland celebrates Constitution Day. In 1791, only several years after the United States adopted its Constitution, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth adopted the second Constitution in the world and the first Constitution in Europe.
At the beginning of the 17th Century, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was a major power and the largest country in Europe. In the 18th century, however, Poland was weakened by the self-interest of the aristocratic oligarchy. Only the nobility was privileged and had the right to vote. The peasants were indentured slaves and the townspeople had no rights. Each deputy of the parliament had the power to veto any legislation that was being proposed, which made it virtually impossible to pass laws which threatened to limit the rights of the nobility, but which would have strengthened the country. The King and Government had weak authority compared to that of the nobility who elected the king and were also the protectors of the country.

In the mid 18th Century progressive and patriotic Poles with encouragement of King Stanislaus August Poniatowski began to propose reforms that created the first public education system in the world under an Education Ministry, sought to create a professional army, as well as give rights and protections to the townspeople and peasants. The monarchs of Russia and Prussia became concerned that the reformist ideas might spread to their own countries. In 1767 Russian troops were sent in. Laws were passed at gunpoint which preserved the status quo. In response, Casimir Pulaski, the American Revolutionary hero, rebelled in 1768 against the imposition of those laws and fought until 1772 when his troops were overwhelmed by the superior numbers of the Russian army. At this time, Russia, Prussia and Austria together seized and annexed large portions of Polish territory - which became known as the first partition. 

In 1788 the reformers, in an attempt to save the country, convened a special parliamentary session with the cooperation of the King which ended, to the joy of the vast majority of the population, with the adoption of a modern constitution which separated the three branches of government, established a standing army, instituted taxes on the nobility to finance government, granted protections to the peasants, elevated the standing of the townspeople to that of the nobility, and guaranteed religious freedom.

One year later, the oligarchy, to save their privileges, requested the intervention of Catherine the Great who was only too happy to quell the new democracy. Polish troops lead by Thadeus Kosciuszko, another hero of the American Revolution, stopped fighting the combined forces of the oligarchs and Russians when the King unexpectedly switched sides. This prompted the second partition whereby Prussia and Russia annexed further territory of the Commonwealth. Two years later, in 1794, Kosciuszko, proclaiming freedom to the peasants, started a rebellion which was initially successful until Prussia, Russia and Austria all sent their armies to suppress it. The three monarchies divided what was left of Poland with the official agreement that Poland as a state or name would never exist again. Poland or Lithuania would not exist for 123 years. 

The Constitution of May 3rd lasted only one year and was called the last will and testament of a dying Poland. It became an inspiration to generations of Poles who nourished the idea of an independent, just Poland and who repeatedly agitated and rose up to fight for the principles which the constitution promoted. May 3rd was proclaimed a holiday only two days after the Constitution was adopted. Outlawed during the partitions, it became a holiday again in 1918 when Poland finally regained its independence. In 1951 the holiday was declared illegal by the Soviet imposed Communists of post-World War II Poland until 1990 when Poland again became independent.