The notion, genesis and representativeness of the second chambers of parliament on the example of the United States of America, the Russian Federation and the Federal Republic of Germany

In this article, the analysis of the studied topic was carried out on the example of the United States of America (USA), the Russian Federation and the Federal Republic of Germany, states with a bicameral parliament and which may be considered representative. All these countries are federal states. This article aims to present the notion of the second chamber of the parliament, its representativeness as well as the analysis of the process of shaping the second chambers over the centuries and an indication that the structure and role of contemporary parliaments in the countries surveyed is the result of the centuries-long evolution of this body.

Parliament and parliamentarism in building and transforming Czechoslovak statehood

The study focuses on the importance of the Parliament’s involvement in construction of the Czechoslovak state. With the exception of the German occupation, as the legislature of the Czechoslovak Republic, the National Assembly played an important role in affecting its republican and democratic character. The article discusses two of the most important stages of the formation of the Czechoslovak statehood. First is the Interwar period when the Czechoslovak statehood demonstrated features typical of parliamentary democracy with assumed parliamentary power, followed by the 1960s when the common state of the Czechs and Slovaks developed on a federal level.

Polish and Ukrainian political and military cooperation plans in 1919–1921

Geopolitical changes in post-WW-I Europe resulted in the rebirth of Poland and a short functioning of Ukrainian state, even without the formal recognition of its independence. Poland intended to become a leader for the western-border states of the Russian Empire by promoting a federal vision of Piłsudski’s followers. From Autumn 1919, it tried that toward the Ukrainian People’s Republic ruled by Petlura. Formally, it happened in April 1920 with the signing of political agreement and military convention. The goal was to take joint political and military action in the war between Poland and Bolshevik Russia in 1919-1920. However, the Ukrainian society did not support it and undermined its efficiency. Moreover, the leaders of both sides perceived the alliance’s essence differently and were not entirely loyal to each other. The cooperation’s end was a truce in the war signed on October 12, 1920, and then the Peace of Riga of March 18, 1921. Against Piłsudski’s will, Poland agreed to end cooperation with Petlura and intern his soldiers. The only thing Piłsudski agreed to was the independent action of Petlura’s followers, which had to end with a catastrophe.