On 16 January 1919, a non-aligned government arose with the cooperation of ZLN members Władysław Seyda as Minister of the “Prussian” District, Józef Englich in finance, and Reverend Antoni Stychel as Deputy Speaker of Parliament. When the situation at the front of the Polish-Soviet War became critical in spring 1920, the ZLN were prominent in their vocal criticism of Piłsudski and soon inspired the creation of the Council of National Defense (Rada Obrony Państwa) with Roman Dmowski (the de facto intellectual leader of the National Democrats).