A Short History of Poland

The most well-known archeological evidence of Poland’s prehistoric era is the Biskupin. It is a life-size replica of an Iron Age (700 BC) forted settlement located in north-central Poland. In the mid-10th century, the country started to form its boundaries and other territorial entities. Mieszko, the first historically accepted ruler of Poland during the Piast Dynasty, was baptized in 966 making Catholic Christianity as the new official religion. During the late 1300, Poland formed a coalition with its neighbor – the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The nation went through its golden age during the 16th century, after the birth of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Poland was the biggest country in Europe during this period. A Swedish invasion, known in history as “The Deluge”, and the Cossacks’s Chmielnicki Uprising marked the end of Poland’s flourishing. Consequently, Russia, Austria, and Prussia were created from Poland’s territories during the mid-18th century.

In 1807, Napoleon revived a Polish state, the Duchy of Warsaw, but was soon divided in 1815 due to the successful Allies at the Congress of Vienna. After World War I Poland regained its freedom as the Second Polish Republic. In 1926, the Sanacja movement, through the May Coup of Jozef Pilsudski, dominated Poland until the start of World War II. The Germans attacked Poland in September 1, 1939 while the Soviet Union followed on September 17 resulting to a divided 2-zone nation. Poland had the highest number of deaths over other countries involved in World War II; more than 6 million Polish lost their lives half of which are Jews. Poland lost almost 40% of its national assets.

After the war, the Soviet Union established a Communist type of government. In 1952, the People’s Republic of Poland was declared. Independent trade union known as “Solidarity” played an important role in demolishing the Communist Party. In 1990, Lech Walesa, a Solidarity contender, won the president election. Poland became joined NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2004.