List of Polish heads of state (1918–present)
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History of Poland
Chronology
Until 966 966–1385 1385–1569 1569–1795 1795–1918 1918–1939 1939–1945 1945–1989 1989–present
Topics
Culture Demography (Jews) Economics Politics (Monarchs and Presidents) Military (Wars) Territorial changes (WWII)

Head of State (Naczelnik Państwa, 1918-1922)

• Marshal Józef Klemens Piłsudski (14 November 1918 - 14 December 1922) (and de facto dictator of Poland from the coup d'état on 14 May 1926 until his death on 12 May 1935).

Presidents of the Second Polish Republic (1922-1939)

#	President		Took office	Left office	Notes
1	Gabriel Narutowicz		14 December 1922	16 December 1922	Assassinated
2	Maciej Rataj		16 December 1922	20 December 1922	1st time, acting
3	Stanisław Wojciechowski		20 December 1922	14 May 1926	deposed in the May Coup
4	Maciej Rataj		15 May 1926	4 June 1926	2nd time, acting
5	Ignacy Mościcki		4 June 1926	30 September 1939	Exiled in Romania from 27 September 1939) after Poland's defeat. He then became the Inspector-General of the Polish Armed Forces. Previously he was the surrogate ruler of Poland during the Piłsudski dictatorship following the May Coup.

• Marshal Józef Klemens Piłsudski (1926 - 1935)
• Marshal Edward Rydz-Śmigły (1935 - 1939)

Presidents of the Republic of Poland in Exile (1939-1990)

The Polish Government in exile was recognized by the United States and the United Kingdom until 6 July 1945.

#	President		Took office	Left office	Notes
1	Bolesław Wieniawa-Długoszowski	Image:Generał Wieniawa.jpg	September 1939
2	Władysław Raczkiewicz		1939	1947
3	August Zaleski		1947	1972
4	Stanisław Ostrowski		1972	1979
5	Edward Raczyński		1979	1986
6	Kazimierz Sabbat		1986	1989
7	Ryszard Kaczorowski		1989	1990	Resigned after the election of Lech Wałęsa

Presidents of the Presidium of the People's Council (1944-1947)

Recognized by the United States and the United Kingdom since 6 July 1945

• Bolesław Bierut (1 January 1944 - 4 February 1947)
• Franciszek Trąbalski (4 February 1947) (Marshal of the Constituent Sejm)
• Władysław Kowalski (4 February - 5 February 1947) (Marshal of the Constituent Sejm)

President of the Republic of Poland (1947-1952)

• Bolesław Bierut (5 February 1947 - 20 November 1952)

Chairman of the Council of State of Poland (1944-1989)

Until the year 1952, the President was also the chairman of the Council of State. The July Constitution abolished the office of president. Since then, the Council of State was the de iure collective head of state, but the First Secretaries of the Central Committee of the Polish United Workers' Party were the de facto rulers.

• Bolesław Bierut (1 January 1944 - 20 November 1952) - as the President of the Republic of Poland
• Aleksander Zawadzki (20 November 1952 - 7 August 1964)
• Edward Ochab
• + Stanislaw Kulczynski
• + Oskar Ryszard Lange
• + Boleslaw Podedworny (acting) (7 August 1964 - 12 August 1964)
• Edward Ochab (12 August 1964 - 10 April 1968)
• Marian Spychalski (10 April 1968 - 23 December 1970)
• Józef Cyrankiewicz (23 December 1970 - 28 March 1972)
• Henryk Jabłoński (28 March 1972 - 6 November 1985)
• General Wojciech Jaruzelski (6 November 1985 - 19 July 1989)

First Secretaries of the Central Committee of the Polish United Workers' Party (1943-1989)¹

#	First Secretary		Took office	Left office	Notes
1	Władysław Gomułka		23 November 1943	3 September 1948	1st time
2	Bolesław Bierut		3 September 1948	12 March 1956
3	Edward Ochab		20 March 1956	21 October 1956
4	Władysław Gomułka		21 October 1956	20 December 1970	2nd time
5	Edward Gierek		20 December 1970	6 September 1980
6	Stanisław Kania		6 September 1980	18 October 1981
7	Wojciech Jaruzelski		18 October 1981	29 July 1989
8	Mieczysław Rakowski		29 July 1989	27 January 1990

President of the People's Republic of Poland (1989)

• General Wojciech Jaruzelski (19 July 1989 - 30 December 1989)

Presidents of the Third Polish Republic (1989-Present)

#	President		Took office	Left office	Notes
1	Wojciech Jaruzelski		31 December 1989	21 December 1990	Elected by Parliament in 1989
2	Lech Wałęsa		22 December 1990	22 December 1995
3	Aleksander Kwaśniewski		23 December 1995	23 December 2005
4	Lech Kaczyński		23 December 2005	Incumbent

¹First Secretary of Polish Workers Party until 21st December, 1948; PUWP thereafter.

See also

• Acting President of the Republic of Poland
• Polish presidential election, 1990
• Polish presidential election, 1995
• Polish presidential election, 2000
• Polish presidential election, 2005
• List of Polish monarchs