Council of National Unity

Rada Jedności Narodowej (Council of National Unity, RJN) was the quasi-parliament of the Polish Underground State during World War II. It was created by the Government Delegate on 9 January 1944. Originally the political arm of the Polish Secret State was Political Consultative Committee (Polityczny Komitet Porozumiewawczy, PKP), a council composed of 4 main political parties. On 21 March 1943 it was renamed to Home Political Representation (Krajowa Reprezentacja Polityczna, KRP) and became an underground coalition parliament, composed of members of Polish Socialist Party, National Party, People's Party and Labor Party. It became the controlling body of both the Delegate's Office and the Headquarters of the Armia Krajowa. On 9 January 1944 it was turned into Council of National Unity, the underground parliament of Poland. Initially only the rump council was chosen, composed mostly of members of the former KRP. On 12 March of the same year the Council was extended to include more members. RJN was opposed to the communist-controlled quasi-parliament, State National Council. On 15 March 1944, the RJN declared its manifesto named O co walczy naród polski (What does the Polish nation fight for). According to the document, the main aims of Poland in the Second World War were: restoration of free, independent, strong and safe Poland reaching an international peace cooperation of all nations defeating Germany, its dismemberment and disarmament forcing Germany to rebuild the countries it destroyed organisation of a trial of war criminals alliance with France, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States restoration of diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union Regarding the post-war Poland, the RJN declared that its borders were to be based on the borders as of 1938, with East Prussia, Opole Silesia and part of Pomerania incorporated as war reparations. The Polish political system was to be based on parliamentary democracy, with strong self-government.