Programme activity of the Democratic Party between years 1940 and 1944: ideological declarations, programmes, conspiratorial brochures

Abstract

Ideological declarations, programmes and conspiratorial brochures published during WWII by both currents of the Democratic Party (“Stronnictwo Demokratyczne”), i.e. the “Rectangle” Democratic Party (“Prostokąt” Stronnictwo Demokratyczne), the Polish Democracy Party (“Stronnictwo Polskiej Demokracji”) and the Young Democracy Movement (“Ruch Młodej Demokracji”), i.e. the Youth Division of the Polish Democracy Party in two major publishing centres (Warsaw and Cracow), have not been the object of numerous academic publications up till now. Furthermore, most researchers were interested in them on the margin of more extensive studies and these issues were not the main object of their interest. The author of this article makes an attempt at focusing on the content of twelve conspiratorial prints of the democrats: eight written by the activists of the “Rectangle” Democratic Party, three by the activists of the Polish Democracy Party, and one by the members of the Young Democracy Movement. By applying the method of analysis and criticism of sources, the study encompasses ideological declarations, programmes and conspiratorial brochures which were published by the Democratic Party between 1940 and 1944, and are kept in public archives. The documents include: Ideological Declaration of the “Rectangle” Democratic Party, Reaction and Democracy, Initial Premises for the Programme of General Post-War Political Reconstruction, Programme Outline for Organising a Modern State, Democratisation of Culture, Draft of Ideological Declaration of the Democratic Party, Border with Germany, At the Moment of Breakthrough, Ideological Theses of the Polish Democracy Party, Programme of the Young Democracy Movement, Border Issues.