Polish National Government (January Uprising)

National Government Rząd Narodowy
1863–1864
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Latin: Si Deus Nobiscum quis contra nos (If God is with us, then who is against us) Latin: Pro Fide, Lege et Rege (For Faith, Law and King)[discuss]
Claimed borders of the Polish–Lithuanian–Ruthenian Commonwealth during the January Uprising
Capital	Warsaw Vilnius Kyiv
Common languages	Polish Belarusian Ukrainian Lithuanian
Religion	Roman Catholic Church Belarusian Greek Catholic Church Ukrainian Catholic Church Eastern Orthodoxy
Government	Shadow government
Dictator of the Uprising
Reds
Legislature	Sejm
History
• January Uprising	January 22 1863
• Disestablished	1864
Preceded by Succeeded by Russian Empire Russian Empire
Today part of	Poland Lithuania Belarus Ukraine Russia Latvia

The Polish National Government of 1863–64 was an underground Polish supreme authority during the January Uprising, a large scale insurrection during the Russian partition of the former territories of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It had a collegial form, resided in Warsaw and was headed by Karol Majewski [pl]. It was intended as a temporary government, and functioned as an administrative institution with many ministries and departments.^[1]

During 1863–1864 it was a real shadow government supported by the majority of Poles who even paid taxes for it, and a significant problem for the Russian secret police (Third Section). "It organized one of the world's earliest campaigns of urban guerrilla warfare", according to Norman Davies. It became the prototype for the Polish Secret State during World War II.^[2]

It was designed to be able to unite Poland in a national struggle, and claimed all of the pre-partition Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth lands.

The last "dictator" of the National Government was Romuald Traugutt, who was arrested from the night of the 10th to 11 April 1864 by Russian authorities. With his execution, the uprising had its symbolic end.