The history of The history of PolandPoland

Where is Poland?

National symbols

The national flag

The national emblem

Anthem

During the formation of the Polish country , lands among the Baltic Sea, the Vistula River, the Odra and the Noteć belonged to tribes of Mazowszanie, Polanie, Wiślanie, Lędzianie and Goplanie. These tribes are included to the West Słowian Group. The lands of Poland at that time were not much populated and there were mostly rural areas. In the X th century the most powerful tribe was Polanie. Around Gniezno and Poznań they have set their own country. Under the reign of dukes from the Piast Dynasty, the Polish history was born. A very important event this history was the Baptism, which took place in AD 966.

The first King of Poland

The first crowned king of Poland was Bolesław Chrobry. He was crowned in 1025. He was a son of Mieszko I and Czech princess Dobrawa. His achievement is the Union in Gniezno in 1000.

Mieszko I

Bolesław Chrobry

The battle of GrunwaldIt was fought on 15 July in 1410. The Polish-Lithuanian army was fighting against the army of the Teutonic Order. It was one of the biggest battles of medieval Europe, in which the Polish defeated the Teutonic Knights.

The XVII th century-a war century

The symbol of great victories of Rzeczpospolita in XVII century were hussars. They were the main type of Polish army.

The battle of Vienna (conflict with Russia and Turkey)

After many battles fought with Turkey, finally the hero appeared. He was hetman Jan III Sobieski, who was to be a king. He pushed away the Turkish army in Vienna in 1683.

Swedish Deluge. In the summer in 1655 the Swedish army

approached Poland. Most of the country was occupied, however the attack on Jasna Góra caused the war of the whole country. The war ended in making peace in Oliwa in 1660. According to it, the king of Poland Jan Kazimierz resigned his rights to Swedish throne.

Who wrote down the Polish history?

I. Gall AnonimHe was the author of the first Polish History Chronicle. II. Wincenty KadłubekHe is also the author of the Polish History Chronicles from legendary times to 1202.

III. Jan Długosz

Wars of the XX th century

Poland during the Ist World War /1914-1918/-Polish army sided with either the Central Powers or the Entente. The Polish wanted to form their own divisions to take part in the Ist World War in order to show their willingness to fight for their independence.

Józef Piłsudski was one of the most courageous and determined people. He was the Temporary Chief of State from 1918, and between 1919 and 1922- the Chief of State. He was in charge of the Polish army during the Polish-Bolsheviks War. He was also in charge when Poland was attacked by the Red Army, which was spreading communism to the west.

The miracle at the Vistula

It was a battle between 13th and 22nd August 1920 during the Polish-Bolsheviks War. The Polish army with the leader - Józef Piłsudski-has stopped and defeated the Red Army, as a result not only Poland but also Western Europe were rescued.

The Polish fighting abroad-the Home army (in Polish „Armia Krajowa”) with Władysław Anders in charge, the 10th Armoured Cavalry Brigade (pl „10 Brygada Kawalerii Pancernej”) with Stanisław Maczek as a leader, the Polish Independent Carpathian Brigade (pl „Samodzielna Brygada Strzelców Karpackich”) which was led by the general Zygmunt Szyszko-Bohusz, the Polish Army with the general Zygmund Berling in charge. They fought in the west under the command of Władysław Sikorski.

The Second World War

The IInd World War was the most destructive conflict in the human history. It involved almost the whole world. Its results were enormous in Poland too. According to the official records, around 6 million Polish citizens died including approximately 3 million of the Jews and people of Jewish origin. The real number of casualties is difficult to estimate because there were also victims of the Stalin’s terror and the further repression after the war. The material damage was around 38% of the National Wealth and a lot of cities were turned into ruins.

The Warsaw Uprising

1st August to 2nd October 1944. It was an armoured rebellion against the German Army which occupied Warsaw. It was organized by the Home Army as a part of the Operation Tempest (pl „Akcja Burza”). At the end of the uprising the rebels were defeated and thousands of people died, almost entire Warsaw was destroyed. But in fact, it was the evidence of courage and the best example of bravery and heroism of the Polish Nation.

The Polish oppression - times of Stalin and the Polish People’s Republic (in polish Polska Republika Ludowa - PRL).

From 1944 to 1989 the communists were ruling Poland. The Polish People’s Republic was a country fully depended on the Soviet Union. The Polish United Worker’s Party („Polska Zjednoczona Partia Robotnicza” - PZPR) ruled the PRL. The government was putting the communists’ ideas into practice. In the PRL there were many social uprisings against the communists. They were put down violently and took place between 1956 and 1970.

Between 1944 and 1989 Poland wasn’t a fully sovereign country. During these years authorities were gradually changing. The terror was decreased and a range of freedom was broaden. Although it wasn’t the same as in Western Europe. At the PRL times the society was protesting. These strikes were mainly connected with the politics: lack of sovereignty and freedom of speech; and with the economy: the low standard of life.

A very important episode of those times was a legalizing of the Independent Self-governing Trade Union „Solidarity” (Niezależny Samorządny Związek Zawodowy- NSZZ „Solidarność”). It was an opposing organization consists of over 10 million people. Lech Wałęsa was in charge of it. In December 1990 he became the President of the Republic of Poland. He was chosen in the grand elections. He was a president until 1995.

Martial Law

Was announced in Poland on 13th December 1991. Poland was ruled by the Military Council of National Salvation (pl Wojskowa Rada Ocalenia Narodowego) with Wojciech Jaruzelski as a leader. The official reason of The Martial Law was bad economic situation in the country. During that period around 10000 people were imprisoned and interned. They were mostly activists from „Solidarity”. It finished in 1983.

The formation of the III Republic of Poland

The first period of the III Republic of Poland /from 1990 to 2000/ was connected with building a legal basis of the independent and democratic country.

1990-the general elections for a president 1991-the parliamentary elections 1997-the Constitution was written Poland has a policy of good relations with all the

countries especially the neighbouring ones. From 1999 Poland is a partner of NATO. From 2004 Poland is a part of the European Union.

Great and famous Polish people

John Paul II (Karol Wojtyła) the Polish Pope from 16th October 1978 to 2nd April 2005.

On 16th October 1978 the sensational news was revealed-the Cardinal Karol Wojtyła, archbishop of Cracow, was elected to be the Pope. He chose a new name - John Paul II. He was the first pope from many centuries who wasn’t Italian. To the Polish it was a source of pride, joy and hope. However the government of the PRL was completely astonished and panicked.

The Nobel Laureates

Maria Curie-Skłodowska in the field of Physics in 1903, in Chemistry in 1911.

Henryk Sienkiewicz in the field of Literature in 1905.

Władysław Reymont in Literature in 1924.

The Nobel Laureates

Czesław Miłosz in Literature in 1980.

Lech Wałęsa won The Nobel Peace Prize in 1983.

Wisława Szymborska in Literature in 1996.

Presidents of RP

Wojciech Jaruzelski 19.07.1989 - 22.12.1990

Lech Wałęsa 22.12.1990 - 22.12.1995

Aleksander Kwaśniewski 22.12.1995 - 23.12.2005

Presidents of RP Lech Kaczyński 23.12.2005 - 10.04.2010

Bronisław Komorowski 06.08.2010