Status and Prospect for Research on Functioning and Achievements of Both Legislative Chambers of the Polish Parliament and Their Successors since mid-October 1938 till December 1939

This article presents the status of research on the Sejm of the 5th Term (1938–1939) and circumstances related to establishment of the National Council (Pol. Rada Narodowa) by president Władysław Raczkiewicz in December 1939. Therefore, the most important political and legal issues such as: electoral campaign and elections in autumn 1938 as well as change of statutes for both chambers of the Polish Parliament during the last Sejm session on 2 September 1939, were mentioned in this paper. Also, the main areas of activity of ethnic minorities representatives in the Sejm of the fifth term (1938–1939) and the problem of the Silesian Sejm (Pol. Sejm Śląski) before the outbreak of WWII were discussed. It allowed the author to present research postulates, both for necessary basic research and in the terms of concept analysis conducted through the historico-legal method with some elements of comparative studies. This would require additional archival research, both at home and abroad, i.e. in France, the USA, and the United Kingdom. It should be complemented by formal analysis of the last the Sejm and the Senate resolutions of September 1939.