II Rzeczpospolita

II Rzeczpospolita, or the Second Polish Republic, was Poland's statehood from 1918, after World War I, until World War II in 1939. It emerged as an independent nation following over a century of partitions by neighboring powers—Russia, Germany, and Austria-Hungary. The period was marked by efforts to rebuild a unified nation, establish a functioning government, and foster national identity amid economic and political challenges. It was characterized by significant cultural, social, and political development, but also by tensions related to border disputes and minority rights, culminating in its invasion by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union at the outbreak of World War II.