Świętosław Wojdyla

Her Excellency Świętosław Wojdyla Свіатослав Воидила
Official portrait of Świętosław Wojdyla, 1941
1st President of West Miersa
In office 3 October, 1936 – 3 October, 1946
Premier	Więcesław Pawlicki Cezary Wojdyla Maurycy Wojdyla
Preceded by	position established
Succeeded by	Maurycy Wojdyla
Minister of Agriculture
In office 4 March, 1933 – 3 October, 1935
Preceded by	TBD
Succeeded by	TBD
Personal details
Born	Świętosław Filaret Wojdyla (1874-12-01)1 December 1874 Krada, Miersan Governate, Soravia
Died	2 October 1953(1953-10-02) (aged 78) West Żobrodź, Żobrodź, West Miersa
Resting place	National Cemetery, West Żobrodź, West Miersa
Nationality	Soravian (1874-1936) West Miersan (1936-1953)
Political party	Independent (1910-1920) ZVNP (1920-1936) Miersan National Party (1936-1953)
Spouse(s)	Stanisława Wojdyla (1904-1911) Wiera Wojdyla (1914-1953)
Children	7
Relatives	See Wojdyla family
Profession	Civil servant, politician

Świętosław Wojdyla (Soravian: Свіатослав Воидила, Sviatoslav Voydyla, 1 December, 1874 - 2 October, 1953) was a Soravian and West Miersan politician who served as the first President of West Miersa following its independence from Soravia as a result of the Godfredson Plan in 1936.

Born in Krada in 1874 to Cyryl Wojdyla, Świętosław Wojdyla entered the civil service for the Miersan Governate in 1890 after completing his education. He would serve in that role until 1910, when he entered Soravian politics. In the Duma, he was a backbencher, and even after joining the Soravian Nationalist and Revivalist Party, he only rose to the position of Agriculture Minister, serving in that role from 1933 until 1935.

After the Godfredson Plan was enacted by the Community of Nations, the Soravian government selected Świętosław Wojdyla to be West Miersa's first President, due to his previous cabinet experience, and to his willingness to obey Soravia's orders. He would serve two terms, being elected in 1936 and 1941, during which time he instituted policies of Miersanisation to West Miersa's ethnic minorities, maintained close relations with the Second Soravian Republic, and oversaw a period of economic growth, while centralising power within himself. After two terms, he stepped aside in favour of his brother, Maurycy Wojdyla, although he maintained extensive influence in the West Miersan government until the early 1950s.

His legacy has largely been positive among most West Miersans as a result of his role in establishing the Miersan Sotirian Republic, although Świętosław Wojdyla has been criticised by various groups, such as academics, nationalists, democratic activists, and ethnic minorities for his policies which have affected them.

Early life

Świętosław Wojdyla was born on 1 December, 1874 to Cyryl Wojdyla in Krada. He was the third child of seven, and the second son of four, being born after Cezary Wojdyla.

As the son of a low-level bureaucrat, Świętosław Wojdyla lived in "relative comfort," with Wojdyla attending a "prestigious school" in Krada where he learnt Soravian. After completing grammar school at the age of 16, he joined the civil service of the Miersan Governate, following the path of his father.

Świętosław Wojdyla proved to be an efficient civil servant, to the point that by 1900, he outranked his own father in the civil service of the Miersan Governate. During this time, Świętosław Wojdyla developed an interest in Soravian politics, particularly as he oversaw the construction of railways connecting the cities in the Miersan Governate to the rest of Soravia, which he felt would "ease the feeling that Samistopol does not care about us Miersans."

Political career

Early political career

Photo of Świętosław Wojdyla in 1918

By 1910, Świętosław Wojdyla was ready to enter Soravian politics. Wojdyla felt that "continued integration of the peripherial regions of Soravia into the Soravian state" would be in the best interest for Miersans, while seeking to ensure that they had a voice "inside the government."

After being elected to the Federal Duma, Świętosław Wojdyla primarily focused on agricultural issues, with Świętosław Wojdyla supporting "the right for farmers to sell their produce at whatever price they want," and criticising Czyzewski's agricultural policies, saying in 1916 that "Czyzewski's policies [to the farmers] are only reasonable during a period of war, and right now, we are not in a period of war." However, he lauded Czyzewski's response to the miners' strikes and to the Great Strike of 1914, with Wojdyla saying that "if they do not like the conditions that they are working under right now, they should work for rich owners.

In 1920, he would join the Soravian Nationalist and Revivalist Party, with Wojdyla feeling that "only Vladislav Pudovkin could lead us out of the great hardship that we Soravians are currently experiencing." Świętosław Wojdyla would remain a government backbencher, with Wojdyla not being prominent in the ZVNP's structure.

When the Great War broke out in 1927, Świętosław Wojdyla enthusiastically supported Soravia siding with the Grand Alliance, as he believed that "Soravia's destiny is to unite all of Miersa under a common Marolevic umbrella," and that if they sided with the Entente, "Soravia would forever be a second-rate power in the world." During the war, Świętosław Wojdyla would slowly rise through the ranks of the ZVNP, culminating in him becoming Agricultural Minister in 1933.

Following the Great War, and a cabinet shuffle, Świętosław Wojdyla would lose his position in the cabinet, but because of his experience inside the Soravian government, when the Godfredson Plan was approved by the Community of Nations, Wojdyla was tapped by the Soravians to serve as the first leader of the Miersan Sotirian Republic. Wojdyla accepted the offer, as he believed that he had a duty "to my native land."

Presidency

Świętosław Wojdyla overseeing a military parade in 1941

In September 1936, general elections were held which saw Świętosław Wojdyla win with 56.2% of the vote, and his newly-established Miersan National Party win 106 of the 138 elected seats to the National Assembly of the Miersan Sotirian Republic.

Thus, on 3 October, 1936, Świętosław Wojdyla was sworn in as the first President of West Miersa. From the start, Wojdyla demonstrated authoritarian tendencies, as although on paper, the Minister-President was to serve as the head of government, in practice, all power was concentrated in the President. This culminated in the dismissal of his first Minister-President, Więcesław Pawlicki, in November 1937, and the appointment of his elder brother, Cezary Wojdyla, to be Minister-President.

During his first term as President, as East Miersa was forced to pay indemnities to the west, Świętosław Wojdyla oversaw a growing economy. However, the rate of economic growth by the east was faster than that of the west, partially due to the West being more agricultural than the industrial East, and partially due to Wojdyla's own conservative outlook which hindered the potential economic growth. In addition, he implemented Miersanisation policies against the Lemovician, Savader, and Vedmedi minorities, which discouraged them from practicing their culture and using their language. However, Wojdyla refused to implement these measures against the Soravian population, as he viewed them as being important to the "maintenance of our sovereignty." During his first term, he maintained cooperation and "close ties" with the Soravian Second Republic, who he viewed as "Miersa's friend and benefactor."

In 1941, he was re-elected with 68.4% of the vote, while the Miersan National Party secured a second term. During his second term, Świętosław Wojdyla continued to oversee the implementation of his policies he set to establish during his first term. However, the following year, Cezary Wojdyla died in office, leading to Świętosław Wojdyla appointing his younger brother, Maurycy Wojdyla, as Minister-President.

After completing his second term, due to term limits within the West Miersan constitution, and his own advancing age, Świętosław Wojdyla stepped down as President: in the 1946 general elections, Maurycy Wojdyla became the second President of the Miersan Sotirian Republic. Thus, on 3 October, 1946, Maurycy Wojdyla succeeded Świętosław Wojdyla as President of the Miersan Sotirian Republic.

Post-presidency

Świętosław Wojdyla's 75th birthday, 1949

Even after stepping aside as President of the Miersan Sotirian Republic in 1946, Świętosław Wojdyla was still seen as the éminence grise, or the man behind the throne, of the West Miersan government, due to his status as the patriarch of the Wojdyla family, and as the older brother of the current President, Maurycy Wojdyla. This meant that Świętosław Wojdyla was able to continue influencing the day-to-day operations of the West Miersan government. While this encumbered Maurycy's ability to act independently, it did ensure that Świętosław Wojdyla's own policies would remain intact, and that Maurycy Wojdyla would remain "faithful to Soravia."

However, in his post-presidential period, he made very few public appearances, instead choosing to retreat from public life in favour of spending more time with his family "in my final years," as well as governing behind the scenes. His only official public appearance post-presidency was in 1949, when he attended the funeral of Tadeusz Czyzewski, appearing alongside President Vladislav Pudovkin of Soravia and President Maurycy Wojdyla of West Miersa.

However, as his mental state declined from the late 1940s onward, Wojdyla's influence within the West Miersan government declined until by the early 1950s, he was no longer effectively able to influence Maurycy's government. While in 1951, Świętosław Wojdyla attempted to make a political comeback by running for the leadership of the Miersan National Party and thus be its presidential candidate once more, his health was such that under the advice of Świętosław's physician, Dawid Paderewski, the Miersan National Party rejected his candidacy.

Personal life

Family

Świętosław Wojdyla's family in 1940

Świętosław Wojdyla married the eighteen-year old Stanisława Marcinkiewicz in 1904, and remained married until Stanisława's death in 1911 during childbirth. Together, they had two sons: Iwon Wojdyla, born in 1906 and died in 1989, and Romuald Wojdyla, born in 1909 and died in 1992; as well as a daughter, Angela Wojdyla, who was born in 1911 and died at six days from meningitis.

He would marry again in 1914 to the twenty-two year old Wiera Galkowska, and would remain married for the rest of their life: together, they had three daughters: Iwa Gadzinska, born in 1915 and died in 1993, Pamela Wojdyla, born in 1917 and died in 1931 during the Great War, and Halina Kalita, born in 1922 and died in 2005. They also had a son, Felicjan Wojdyla, who was born in 1919, but died in 1924 following a bout of smallpox.

Świętosław Wojdyla doted to not just his household, but to his extended family, with Świętosław Wojdyla saying that "the family is the most important thing in life: it is more important than Miersa, and more important than God, for if you do not treat your family well, you will not be able to succeed." Thus, he devoted as much time as possible to spending with his family, even at the expense of his work.

At the time of Świętosław Wojdyla's death in 1953, he was survived by four children, nine grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter.

Language

Świętosław Wojdyla's first language was Miersan: while he was fluent in standard Miersan, he also spoke the Kradian dialect. In school, he learnt Soravian as a second language, eventually becoming "as fluent as a native speaker," although he spoke it with a Miersan accent.

Due to his education at a grammar school, he also had some knowledge of ancient Piraean and Solarian, although he rarely used them. He boasted of "never learning Gaullican," calling the language "worse than useless in today's new world."

Religion

Świętosław Wojdyla's religion was the Miersan Episemialist Church, having been baptised in it, with his baptismal name being Filaret after Saint Philaretos.

He was known for being extraordinarily devout, having been brought up that way by his own father, with Wojdyla attending "every service" with "extraordinary diligence" until his death.

However, Świętosław Wojdyla was supportive of religious tolerance towards the Solarian Catholics in West Miersa, with Wojdyla saying in 1940 that "they are Sotirians, just like us: they must be welcomed with open arms into the Miersan Sotirian Republic, for they have willingly gave up their comforts out east for the freedom to practice their faith out west."

Ideology

Świętosław Wojdyla described himself as a conservative, with Wojdyla having been described as "opposing most changes in government policy." Thus, as West Miersan president, he largely maintained the existing economic and social policies of the Soravian government. This has led to extensive government involvement in the West Miersan economy.

He was a supporter of giving farmers "the right for farmers to sell their produce at whatever price they want," and supported their rights to "do with their crops and their land as they wish." This gained him a lot of support among Miersan farmers, and as President, he sought to ensure that the state's role in agricultural production was "reduced to the bare minimum."

Socially, Świętosław Wojdyla believed that the "existing traditions should be maintained," and emphasised his commitment to "maintaining traditional family values" throughout his career as a politician. However, he supported Miersanisation of West Miersa's minority groups, believing that "if we allow the Vedmedi, the goraly, and the kozaks to fester in our nation, they will kill the Miersan people and its culture."

His social conservatism was perceived to be the reason why despite his ethnic background, he supported union with Soravia prior to West Miersan independence, as according to Edmund Bieńkowski, a biographer of Świętosław Wojdyla, "it was in his own interests to support Soravia, as it was through Soravia that he was able to rise through the ranks." However, Wojdyla's views evolved over time: while prior to the Great War, he had "no interest in Miersan unity," as the Great War loomed, "he felt it was Soravia's destiny to unite all Miersans under a Soravian banner." After independence, Wojdyla became a staunch supporter of Miersan unification, with Wojdyla saying "it's God's will that one day, what is divided must come back together," although he was a staunch opponent of the Miersan Section of the Workers' International.

Health and death

Świętosław Wojdyla's tomb in West Żobrodź, 2008

For most of his life, Świętosław Wojdyla was robust, with his physician, Dawid Paderewski noting in 1936 that "Mr. Wojdyla demonstrates a robust constitution, has no physical ailments, and can clearly remember events that happened decades ago as if it were yesterday."

However, from the late 1930s onward, Świętosław Wojdyla began to have episodes of forgetfulness. This was more noticable during his second term as President when Wojdyla was noted by Dawid Paderewski as "struggling to remember things that he recently learnt." By around 1945, Wojdyla was described by Paderewski as exhibiting some "mild cognitive impairment."

By 1948, Świętosław Wojdyla's condition had reached the point where he was diagnosed with what was then known as senile dementia. Over the next few years, Wojdyla's condition continued to deteriorate, until by late 1952, he was "bedridden, unable to speak, walk, or do anything unassisted." Despite this, he continued to live with his family, who cared for him throughout the process.

On 9 September, 1953, Świętosław Wojdyla fell ill with pneumonia. Despite doctors' best efforts to treat him, he died on 2 October, 1953, at the Żobrodź Castle in West Żobrodź.

A state funeral was organised, and was held at the Cathedral of Saint Nikolai of Lipa in West Żobrodź, in traditional Episemialist rites. Following the state funeral, he was interred at the Wojdyla crypt at the National Cemetery.

Legacy

Świętosław Wojdyla's legacy is somewhat divisive: in West Miersa, Wojdyla is seen in a positive light, due to him being the country's first leader following West Miersa's independence from Soravia, as well as Wojdyla's conservative policies which helped protect religious freedom and "traditional Miersa from the Kirenian influence." Economist Gabriel Bojanowski noted that "thanks to Wojdyla's efforts, he was able to ensure that West Miersa would maintain its trade connections" with Soravia. His popularity remains high, with a 2018 survey by FirstPoll, 57% of West Miersans surveyed ranked Świętosław Wojdyla as being the greatest leader in West Miersan history.

However, many people have been critical of Świętosław Wojdyla, with economist Teodor Witek from the University of Krada arguing that Wojdyla's economic policies have "led to the stagnation of the West Miersan economy, and have made it poorer than its neighbours in both the west and the east." In addition, he has been criticised by many Miersan nationalists for "subordinating West Miersa to Soravia when West Miersa should chart its own course," by democratic activists for his authoritarian tendencies that have affected West Miersan politics to this day, and by ethnic minorities who were affected by Wojdyla's Miersanisation policies.

Honours

Domestic

• - Commander of the Order of the White Eagle, 1936
• - Medal of Freedom, 1936