Four Year Plan (Poland)
Encyclopedia
Four Year Plan was a short-term national investment plan, created by Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski
, deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Treasury in the government of the Second Polish Republic
. The plan, which came into existence on July 1, 1936, foresaw expansion of infrastructure, increase in the defensive abilities of Poland, preparation of foundations for future expansion of Poland’s industry, and activization of the Old-Polish Industrial Region
, the oldest industrial region of the country. Apart from Kwiatkowski, it was co-created by Pawel Kosieradzki and Wladyslaw Kosieradzki. Polish government projected that the plan would be completed by June 30, 1940. Its most important element was creation of the Central Industrial Region, and for the period 1940-1955, three five-year old plans had been prepared.
, Great Britain
and France
. The most developed areas were concentrated in the west, in the territories which had belonged to the German Empire
(especially Upper Silesia
), while central and eastern parts of Poland were underdeveloped, with high unemployment. The Great Depression
hit Poland hard, especially in the countryside.
Late 1920s and early 1930s were times of crisis, but the overall situation began to improve around 1935. European economies began to recover, and foreign investments reappeared in Poland. This created a visible economic revival, nevertheless, millions of people, especially in overpopulated areas in the south, were unemployed. Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski wanted to change the situation, and on June 10, 1936 in the Polish Parliament
, he sketched his four-year national investment plan. According to his project, the plan would cost between 1650 - 1800 million zlotys, and it was based on Polish capital. A year later, it turned out that initial costs were insufficient and Kwiatkowski raised them to 2400 million zlotys.
, in the section from Oswiecim
to Sandomierz
, then two dams were finished in Poreba
, and Roznow
. In 1937, construction of the Central Industrial Area, the biggest industrial project of interbellum Poland was started.
), Kwiatkowski wanted to alleviate differences between these two regions. Therefore, several investments were projected for the Eastern Borderlands of the country, including the three rail lines:
, the plan was hardly started, with its first part - industrialization, especially armament industry.
The Four Year Plan did not solve the most important problem of Poland - high unemployment and overpopulation of the countryside. One can only speculate, what would have happened had the 15-year plan been completed.
Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski
Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski was a Polish politician and economist, Deputy Prime Minister of Poland, government minister and manager of the Second Polish Republic....
, deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Treasury in the government of the Second Polish Republic
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish history in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland , the Polish state was...
. The plan, which came into existence on July 1, 1936, foresaw expansion of infrastructure, increase in the defensive abilities of Poland, preparation of foundations for future expansion of Poland’s industry, and activization of the Old-Polish Industrial Region
Old-Polish Industrial Region
Staropolski Okręg Przemysłowy is an industrial region in Poland. It is the oldest and in terms of area covered, largest of Polish industrial regions. It is located in the Kielce Heights in south-eastern Poland.Primary industrial cities: Kielce, Radom, Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, Starachowice and...
, the oldest industrial region of the country. Apart from Kwiatkowski, it was co-created by Pawel Kosieradzki and Wladyslaw Kosieradzki. Polish government projected that the plan would be completed by June 30, 1940. Its most important element was creation of the Central Industrial Region, and for the period 1940-1955, three five-year old plans had been prepared.
Origins
The Second Polish Republic was, in comparison to Western European standards, a poor and backward country, and its economy was far behind such nations, as GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The most developed areas were concentrated in the west, in the territories which had belonged to the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
(especially Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia. Since the 9th century, Upper Silesia has been part of Greater Moravia, the Duchy of Bohemia, the Piast Kingdom of Poland, again of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown and the Holy Roman Empire, as well as of...
), while central and eastern parts of Poland were underdeveloped, with high unemployment. The Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
hit Poland hard, especially in the countryside.
Late 1920s and early 1930s were times of crisis, but the overall situation began to improve around 1935. European economies began to recover, and foreign investments reappeared in Poland. This created a visible economic revival, nevertheless, millions of people, especially in overpopulated areas in the south, were unemployed. Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski wanted to change the situation, and on June 10, 1936 in the Polish Parliament
Sejm
The Sejm is the lower house of the Polish parliament. The Sejm is made up of 460 deputies, or Poseł in Polish . It is elected by universal ballot and is presided over by a speaker called the Marshal of the Sejm ....
, he sketched his four-year national investment plan. According to his project, the plan would cost between 1650 - 1800 million zlotys, and it was based on Polish capital. A year later, it turned out that initial costs were insufficient and Kwiatkowski raised them to 2400 million zlotys.
Central Industrial Area
Soon after Kwiatkowski’s announcement, first works began. A levee was built along the VistulaVistula
The Vistula is the longest and the most important river in Poland, at 1,047 km in length. The watershed area of the Vistula is , of which lies within Poland ....
, in the section from Oswiecim
Oswiecim
Oświęcim is a town in the Lesser Poland province of southern Poland, situated west of Kraków, near the confluence of the rivers Vistula and Soła.- History :...
to Sandomierz
Sandomierz
Sandomierz is a city in south-eastern Poland with 25,714 inhabitants . Situated in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship , previously in Tarnobrzeg Voivodeship . It is the capital of Sandomierz County . Sandomierz is known for its Old Town, a major tourist attraction...
, then two dams were finished in Poreba
Poreba
Poręba is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Pszczyna, within Pszczyna County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It lies approximately west of Pszczyna and south of the regional capital Katowice....
, and Roznow
Roznów
Rożnów may refer to the following places in Poland:*Rożnów, Lower Silesian Voivodeship *Rożnów, Lesser Poland Voivodeship *Rożnów, Opole Voivodeship...
. In 1937, construction of the Central Industrial Area, the biggest industrial project of interbellum Poland was started.
Investments in other parts of Poland
Since the Second Polish Republic was a country divided into the so-called Poland A (better developed western half), and Poland B (less developed eastern part, see: KresyKresy
The Polish term Kresy refers to a land considered by Poles as historical eastern provinces of their country. Today, it makes western Ukraine, western Belarus, as well as eastern Lithuania, with such major cities, as Lviv, Vilnius, and Hrodna. This territory belonged to the Polish-Lithuanian...
), Kwiatkowski wanted to alleviate differences between these two regions. Therefore, several investments were projected for the Eastern Borderlands of the country, including the three rail lines:
- Krzemieniec - Tarnopol,
- LutskLutskLutsk is a city located by the Styr River in northwestern Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Volyn Oblast and the administrative center of the surrounding Lutskyi Raion within the oblast...
- Wlodzimierz Wolynski, - Molodeczno - StolpceStouptsyStoubtsy or Stoŭbcy, also known as Stouptsy and Stolbtsy is a town in Minsk Province, Belarus, an administrative center of the Stowbtsy raion . It is located at , at the Nieman river. The population is near 16,000.-History:...
.
End of the plan
Kwiatkowski’s plan turned out to be a great success, as it was completed at the beginning of 1939, more than a year earlier than planned. As early as December 1938, the Minister came up with a new, 15-year plan, which was divided into five parts, each of them connected with a specific branch of economy (urbanization, communication, industrialization, agriculture, education). Due to outbreak of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the plan was hardly started, with its first part - industrialization, especially armament industry.
The Four Year Plan did not solve the most important problem of Poland - high unemployment and overpopulation of the countryside. One can only speculate, what would have happened had the 15-year plan been completed.