Overview

"In 1922, voters in the newly created Republic of Poland democratically elected their first president, Gabriel Narutowicz. Because his supporters included a Jewish political party, an opposing faction of antisemites demanded his resignation. Within hours, bloody riots erupted in Warsaw, and within a week the president was assassinated. In the wake of these events, the radical right asserted that only """"ethnic Poles"""" should rule the country, while the left silently capitulated to this demand. As Paul Brykczynski tells this gripping story, he explores the complex role of antisemitism, nationalism, and violence in Polish politics between the two World Wars. Though focusing on Poland, the book sheds light on the rise of the antisemitic right in Europe and beyond, and on the impact of violence on political culture and discourse."

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9780299307042

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Reviews

Discusses the 1922 election of Gabriel Narutowicz as the first president of the new Republic of Poland; describes how his victory, with the support of a Jewish political party, enraged the right, provoked riots, and led to his murder less than a week later. - Chronicle of Higher Education Brykczynski gives his narrative considerable immediacy by relying on available newspaper accounts. - Choice As exciting as a good novel, but meticulously researched and offering sophisticated historical analysis. - Piotr Wrobel,University of Toronto The interwar period was an often violent time in which the demons of the twentieth century increasingly had their way. Brykczynski places the assassination of President Gabriel Narutowicz in the context of growing antisemitism and the emerging challenge to democracy in the recently independent Polish nation. An important story, thoroughly researched and compellingly told. - John Merriman,Yale University Makes significant, interesting contributions to a wide range of historiographies, including debates about the place of civic nationalism in interwar political discourse and about the power and reach of interwar antisemitism. - Eva Plach, Wilfred Laurier University

Author Information

Paul Brykczynski is an independent historian who lives in Ontario.

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