# Paderewski becomes Prime Minister (1919)

URL: https://poland-history.com/timeline/1919-paderewski-becomes-prime-minister
Location: Warsaw

Pianist Ignacy Jan Paderewski became Prime Minister and foreign minister, representing Poland at the Paris Peace Conference. Within the broader World War I & Independence period: The First World War destroyed the partitioning empires. Poland regained independence in November 1918 and fought for its borders in a series of wars and uprisings until 1921. At this point in the timeline (16 January 1919), the governing authority was Józef Piłsudski (Chief of State). Architect of independence and Chief of State; after the 1926 coup he remained Poland's dominant figure until his death in 1935. Paderewski becomes Prime Minister mattered because it altered the structure of power and the direction of Polish statehood. The event is placed here so readers can follow it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion and culture across Polish history.

## Why it matters
Paderewski becomes Prime Minister mattered because it altered the structure of power and the direction of Polish statehood.

Ruler at the time: [Józef Piłsudski](https://poland-history.com/rulers/jozef-pilsudski)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Ignacy Jan Paderewski](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignacy_Jan_Paderewski)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Paderewski becomes Prime Minister](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Paderewski+becomes+Prime+Minister)
- [Wikipedia — History of Poland during World War I (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Poland_during_World_War_I)