POLANDVirtosu Ina, 201248201EU Studies Department

General informationOfficial language/s PolishRegional language/s KashubianEthnicgroups(2011)94%Polish0.9%Silesian0.08%Belarusian0.07%German etc.Population-2012census 38,544,513GDP(2013estimate)-Total $813.988 billion-Per capita $21,118

Etymology

The source of the name Polandand theethnonymsfor thePolesderive from the name of theWest Slavictribe of thePolans(Polanie).

The origin of the namePolanieitself is uncertain. It may derive from such Polish words aspole(field).The early tribal inhabitants denominated it from the nature of the country. Lowlands and low hills predominate throughout the vast region from theBalticshores to the foothills of theCarpathian Mountains.

Prehistory

TextThe most famous archeological find from the prehistory of Poland is theBiskupinfortified settlement, dating from theLusatian cultureof the earlyIron Age, around 700 BC.

When the GOD was a sunSvetovid, the Slavic god of war, fertility, and abundance.

Once upon a time, over a thousand years ago, when the area of todays Poland was covered with thick and wild forests, there lived three brothers. Their names were Lech, Czech and Rus... What legend say......Lech thrust his sword in the ground under the oak tree and said: Here I will build my kingdom and around this magnificent oak tree its capital will appear. Because the eagles nest is in the oaks branches, the city will be called Gniezno (gniazdo is a Polish word for nest) and the symbol of our country will be the white eagle in the red sky.

Under the Piast dynastyAD 962 - 1370 The Polish state was born in 966 with the baptism of Mieszko I, duke of the Slavic tribe of Polans and founder of the Piast dynasty. His conversion from Paganism to Christianity was Poland's first recorded historical event.

Mieszko I (ca. 935 - May 25, 992), son of the legendary Siemomys, was the first historically known Piast duke of the Polans, who gave their name to the country that would later be called "Poland." In 965 he married Dobrawa. Mieszko was baptised in 966, probably under the influence of his Christian first wife.

Under the Piast dynastyAD 962 - 1370 In A.D. 1000, Holy Roman Emperor Otto III, while on pilgrimage to the tomb of St. Adalbert at Gniezno, invested Bolesaw with the title Frater et Cooperator Imperii ("Brother and Partner in the Empire"). Some historians state that the Emperor also pledged a royal crown to Bolesaw. During that same visit, Otto III accepted Gniezno's status as an archbishopric Bolesaw the Brave (Chrobry) (967 1025) built on his father's achievements, for the first time uniting all the provinces that subsequently came to comprise the traditional territory of Poland. Bolesaw is considered the first King of Poland.

Under the Piast dynastyAD 962 - 1370 Bolesaw II the Generous, was the thirdKing of Polandfrom 1076 to 1079. He was the eldest son of DukeCasimir I the Restorerand PrincessMaria Dobroniega. Bolesaw II is considered to have been one of the most capable of thePiastrulers.

In 1075 he reestablished theArchdiocese of Gniezno(consecrated in 1064) and founded theDiocese of Pock.

Bolesaw II was also the first Polish monarch to produce his own coinage in quantity great enough to replace the foreign coins

Under the Piast dynastyAD 962 - 1370 1138 a period of fragmentationAfter death of Boleslaw III Krzywousty, on 28 October, Poland is divided into several principalities: Mazovia, Silesia, Great Poland, Kujavia and Sandomierz.Little Poland is reserved for the senior Polish prince in Krakow, who is nominal overlord for all the principalities until 1180. Further subdivisions occur throughout the next two centuries.

Under the Piast dynastyAD 962 - 1370 Under Prince Konrad I ofMazovia, attempts to conquer thePrussiansare intensified, with large battles and crusades taking place in 1209, 1219, 1220, and 1222.Prince Konrad of Mazovia challenged continually for control of Poland, finally achieving his purpose in 1241. He was also responsible for inviting the Teutonic Knights into Prussia.Teutonic Knights settle in the Lower Vistula on the border with the Prussians, who have been ravaging Mazovia. The Order attempts to Christianise the pagan Prussians and form its own military-religious state (known as the Ordenstaat) which it governs for the next three hundred years.

Under the Piast dynastyAD 962 - 1370 TheBattle of Legnica, also known as theBattle of Liegnitzwas abattlebetween theMongol Empireand the combined defending forces of European fighters that took place atLegnickie Polenear the city ofLegnicain theSilesiaprovince of theKingdom of Polandon 9 April 1241. A combined force ofPoles, CzechsandGermansunder the command of the Polish dukeHenry II the PiousofSilesia, supported by feudal nobility and knightsfrommilitary orderssent by thePope, attempted to halt the Mongol invasion of Europe. The battle came two days before the Mongol victory over the Hungarians at the much largerBattle of Mohi.

Belligerents Mongol EmpireAlliance Polish states Knights Templar Knights Hospitaller Holy Roman Empire Moravian Margraviate Duchy of Bavaria Teutonic Knights

Under the Piast dynastyAD 962 - 1370

The regional division ended when Wadysaw the Elbow-high united the various principalities of Poland. Kazimierz is the only Polish king who did receive and maintain the title of the great in Polish history. He built many new castles, reformed the Polish army and Polish civil law and criminal law. The last of the Piast dynasty, considerably strengthened the country's position in both foreign and domestic affairs. Before his death in 1370, the sonless king arranged for his nephew, the Andegawen Louis of Hungary, to inherit the throne.

Kasimierz / Casimir III Wielki (the Great), the Last Piast (1333-1370)

Under the Piast dynastyAD 962 - 1370

Casimir III realized that the nation needed a class of educated people, especially lawyers, who could codify the country's laws and administer the courts and offices. His efforts to found an institution of higher learning in Poland were finally rewarded whenPope Urban Vgranted him permission to open the University of Krakw. The First University in Poland, originally founded as Cracow Academy by Casimir III the Great

Kingdom of Poland (Anjou-Hungary) AD 1370 - 1386Louis / Ludwik I Wegierski (the Great)During the fifteen years ofHungarianrule, power was held by the mother of Louis the Great, Elizabeth of Poland, the dowager queen of Hungary until her death in 1380. Elizabeth was the daughter of Wladyslaw I of the Piast dynasty, which is how her son was able to establish his claim to the throne.

Jagiellon dynasty

AD 1386 - 1569The Jagiellon era is usually characterized as the beginning of Poland's "golden age" and saw the country become a major European power and extend her frontiers to the north and east. 1385 The Union of Krewo was signed between Louis' daughter Jadwiga and the Lithuanian Grand Duke Jogaila (later known as Wadysaw II Jagiello), beginning the Polish-Lithuanian Union and strengthening both nations in their opposition to the Teutonic Knights and the growing threat of Moscow.

Jagiellon dynastyThe Battle of Grunwald 1410

TheTeutonic Knightsof EastPrussiaare crushed at the Battle of Grundwald by Polish andLithuanianforces under Jogaila's leadership, halting the eastward expansion of the Knights. After this defeat, theLivonian Order begins to weaken and disintegrate.

Jagiellon dynasty Golden LibertyTheNihil noviact adopted by the PolishSejm(parliament) in 1505, transferred most of thelegislative powerfrom the monarch to the Sejm, an event which marked the beginning of the period known as "Golden Liberty", when the state was ruled by the "free and equal Polish nobility.Bona SforzaZygmunt I StaryZygmunt II Augustus

Jagiellon dynastyPrussian homage 1525In 1525, Albrecht Hohenzollern, the last Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, converted to Lutheranism and established a secular duchy in East Prussia. He journeyed to Cracow to pay homage to the Polish King, Zygmunt I Stary (the Old), and to swear to the eternal association of his duchy with Poland. The situation along Poland's northern borders normalized in 1466 following another defeat of the Teutonic Order by king Casimir IV the Jagiellonian in the Thirteen Years War . In the outcome, the Eastern Pomerania with the city of Gdansk were returned to Poland.

In 1543 the Pole,Nicolaus Copernicus, an astronomer fromToru, published his epochal works,De revolutionibus orbium coelestium(On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres), and thus became the first proponent of a predictive mathematical model confirmingheliocentric theorywhich ultimately became the accepted basic model for the practice of modern astronomy.

Jagiellon dynastyGolden Age

Jan Kochanowskiwas a PolishRenaissaincepoet who established poetic patterns that would become integral to the Polish literature.

PolishLithuanian Commonwealth AD 1569 - 1795The Union of Lublin (or the Accord of Lublin), was a formal joining together of Poland andLithuania, Ruthenia (a Latinisation of 'Rus', the Lithuanian-controlled Slavic lands to the east, which now form parts of Belarus,Russia, and Ukraine, with minor extensions into Poland andSlovakia), plusLivonia,Polotsk, andSamogitia. It was ratified on 4 July 1569 by Sigismund II Augustus.

PolishLithuanian CommonwealthThe 17-th century crisis

Poland-Lithuaniasuffered from a number of dynastic crises during the reigns of theVasakingsSigismund IIIandWadysaw IVand found itself engaged in major conflicts withRussia, Sweden and the Ottoman Empire, as well as a series of minorCossackuprisings. The Deluge (Polish Potop) is a name commonly assigned in the history of Poland to a series of wars in the 17th century which left Poland in ruins.

BelligerentsPolishLithuanian CommonwealthTsardom of Russia(165658)Crimean KhanateAustria(from August 1657)Hungary(from August 1657)Cossack Hetmanate(Treaty of Hadiach)Brandenburg-Prussia(from November 1657)DenmarkNorwayDutch RepublicSwedish EmpireTsardom of Russia (1654 Nov 1656; July 1658 onwards)Brandenburg-Prussia(1656 Nov 1657)Cossack HetmanateTransylvania (from December 1656)MoldaviaWallachiaLithuania(Radziwi'sUnion of Kdainiai)

PolishLithuanian Commonwealth1683In 1683, Jan III Sobieski led the Polish army of 30,000 men to relieve Vienna besieged by the Turks. The charge of the huzaria, Polish heavy cavalry, smashed the Turkish lines and ended once and for all the centuries old Turkish threat to Central Europe.

PolishLithuanian CommonwealthHusaria The pride and glory of the cavalry, its mailed first, was the Husaria, the winged cavalry (or "winged horsemen"). These well trained and elite units served in the armies of the Polish and Lithuanian Commonwealth from around the early 16th century to the early 18th century.

PolishLithuanian Commonwealth1721

The end of the Great Northern War, which was fought against Sweden. Although Sweden was defeated, Poland became dependent on Russia.

Catherine the Great extended Russian political control over the PolishLithuanian Commonwealth with actions including the support of theTargowica Confederation.

PolishLithuanian CommonwealthThe May 3rd CONSTITUTION - 1791

The Age of Partitions1795-1918Polish independence ended in a series of partitions occurred in:February 17, 1772 January 21, 1793 October 1795, undertaken by Russia, Prussia and AustriaThe city of Olsztyn (or Allenstein in German) was seized by Prussia in the 1772 partition

The Age of PartitionsKosciuszko insurrection - 1794

The Kosciuszko Uprising was Poland's final attempt to maintain independence. Andrzej Tadeusz Bonawentura Kociuszko, a Polish hero of the American Revolution ledpeasantand some Polish regulars into battle against numerically superior Russian forces.

MThe Age of Partitions Mazurek Dbrowskiego AZUREK DBROWSKIEGOMazurek Dbrowskiego (Dbrowski's Mazurka) is the Polish national anthem, written by Jzef Wybicki in 1797. Originally called the "Anthem of the Polish Legions in Italy", it is also informally known in English as "Poland Is Not Yet Lost" or "Poland Has Not Yet Perished" from its initial verse, "Jeszcze Polska nie zgina," which is sometimes erroneously taken to be the Polish state motto.

The Age of PartitionsThus, the Polish state, as an entity, disappeared off the map of Europe. It would take 123 years, until November 11, 1918, before Poland fully regained its independence. Though dreams of independence died, Poland's populace had been liberated from the bonds of serfdom. Poles outside the nobility were now considered part of the national fabric and the concept of Polish nationalism became an enduring 19th century concept; ensuring the nation's survival and eventual rebirth.

The Age of PartitionsPolish Legions in Italy is the name applied to the several different Polish units serving in the French army from the 1790s to 1810s. After the third partition of Poland in 1795 many Poles believed that the revolutionary France and its allies would come to aid of Poland, as France enemies included the partitioners of Poland.Polish Legions in Italy Those units were commanded, among others, by Jan Henryk Dbrowski, Karol Kniaziewicz and Jzef Wybicki. Polish Legions serving alongside the French army during the Napoleonic Wars saw combat in most of Napoleon's campaigns, from West Indies, through Italy and Egypt, to Russia.

Grand Duchy of WarsawAD 1806 - 1814The success of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte ofFrancein several battles againstAustria,Russia, andPrussiagreatly encouraged the Poles to hope that he would be their saviour in throwing off occupation and recreating an independent Polish state.

What they actually got was a lot less than this, as Napoleon was reluctant to create a fully-fledged state. Instead, he opted for the compromise duchy of Warsaw which was formed from territory formerly occupied by Prussia.

Polish Kingdom / Congress PolandAD 1815 - 1918The Polish lands underRussiancontrol between 1815-1916 were collected into the so-called Polish Kingdom. Nominally it was in personal union with Russia, but in reality it occupied a subordinate position, as established by the Congress of Vienna. Due to this it is often referred to by scholars as 'Congress Poland', with the Russian czar as head of state. Warsaw and westernGaliciaalso fell under Russian control.

The 'Free, Independent, and Strictly Neutral City of Krakow with its Territory', often styled the Krakow Republic, fell under the 'protection' ofAustria,Prussia, and Russia. It was administered by a government senate and absorbed by Austria in 1846, after which it was termed a grand duchy, with the Austrian emperor himself holding the title.Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph enters his possession, the Grand Duchy of Krakow, in 1880

NOVEMBER UPRISING - 1830 JANUARY UPRISING - 1863 The January Uprising was the longest Polish uprising against Tsarist Russia: it began January 22, 1863, and the last insurgents were not captured until 1865. It started as a spontaneous protest by young Poles against conscription into the Russian Army. The November Uprising (18301831)also known as the Cadet Revolutionwas an armed rebellion against Russia's rule in Poland. It was started on November 29, 1830 in Warsaw by a group of young conspirators from the army's officer school in Warsaw and was soon joined by large part of the Polish society. Polish Kingdom / Congress Poland AD 1815 - 1918

Jan Matejko he was born in Free City of Krakw, June 24, 1838 November 1, 1893, Krakw, was a Polish artist famous for paintings of notable Polish political and military events. These include a Battle of Grunwald, numerous court scenes, and a gallery of Polish kings. He is also known for his portrayals of the famous Polish court jester Staczyk.Jan Matejko June 24, 1838 November 1, 1893

Jan MatejkoStefan Batory pod Pskowem

Jan MatejkoBitwa pod Racawicami

Jan MatejkoKazanie Skargi

Jan MatejkoRussian Tsar Vasili IV compelled to kneel before Polish King Sigismund III Vasa at Sejm in Warsaw

Jan MatejkoPolonia - Rok 1863

is one of the most famous, influential and admired composers for the piano, and Poland's most significant composer. He was born, of French and Polish parentage in the village of elazowa Wola, Poland. Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin1March 1810 17October 1849

Bolesaw Prus20 August 1847 19 May 1912A leading figure in the history of Polish literatureand a distinctive voice inworld literature.As a 15-year-old he joined the Polish1863 uprisingagainstImperial Russia. In 1872 at age 25, inWarsaw, he settled into a 40-year journalistic career that highlighted science, technology, education, and economic and cultural development. Between 1884 and 1895, he completed four majornovels:The Outpost,The Doll,The New Woman,Pharaoh etc. Also he wrote more than 50 stories.Prus'Hrubieszw birthplace

Henryk Adam Aleksander Pius Sienkiewicz5 May 1846 15 November 1916was aPolishjournalist,Nobel Prize-winning novelist, and philanthropist. He is best remembered for hishistorical novels.Born into an impoverishedPolish noble familyin Russian-ruledCongress Poland, in the late 1860s he began publishing journalistic and literary pieces. He became one of the most popular Polish writers of the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, and numerous translations gained him international renown, culminating in his receipt of the 1905Nobel Prize in Literaturefor his "outstanding merits as an epic writer."Many of his novels remain in print. In Poland he is best known for his "Trilogy" of historical novels With Fire and Sword,The Deluge, andSir Michael set in the 17th-centuryPolish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. internationally he is best known forQuo Vadis, set inNero'sRome.Sienkiewicz's residence at Oblgorek

The TrilogyandQuo Vadishave been filmed, the latter several times, byHollywood and other studios receiving an outstanding international recognition.Henryk Adam Aleksander Pius Sienkiewicz

Marie Skodowska-Curie7 November 1867 4 July 1934 Her achievements included a theory ofradioactivity, techniques for isolating radioactiveisotopes, and the discovery of two elements,poloniumandradium. Under her direction, the world's first studies were conducted into the treatment ofneoplasms, using radioactive isotopes. She founded theCurie Institutes in Parisandin Warsaw, which remain major centres of medical research today. BorninWarsaw, then theKingdom of Poland, part of theRussian Empire, she was a Polishphysicistandchemist, famous for her pioneering research onradioactivity. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, the only woman to win in two fields, and the only person to win inmultiple sciences. She was also the first female professor at theUniversity of Paris, and in 1995 became the first woman to be entombed on her own merits in thePanthonin Paris.She shared the 1903Nobel Prize in Physics with her husbandPierre Curieand with physicistHenri Becquerel. She won the 1911Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

When World War I started, Polish territory, split duringpartitionsbetweenAustro-Hungary,German EmpireandRussian Empire, became the scene of much of the operations of theEastern Front of World War I.Poland in the World War IWhilePolanddid not exist as an independent state duringWorld War I, its geographical position between the fighting powers had meant that much fighting and terrific human and material losses occurred on the Polish lands between 1914 and 1918.1914

Russiasupports its allies by joining the First World War against ImperialGermanyandAustria-Hungary.However, the Russian army advancing into Eastern Europe is routed by the Germans at the Battle of Tannenberg, and loses Russian Poland. German and Austrian governors are appointed to the region.Poland in the World War I1915In 1915 Polish territories were looted and abandoned by the retreatingImperial Russian army.The Russians also evicted and deported hundreds of thousands of its inhabitants suspected of collaborating with the enemy.By the end of 1915, the Germans had occupied the entire Russian sector, includingWarsaw.

Poland is granted autonomy by the occupying powers on 5 November 1916, and the situation is confirmed by the 1917 Brest-Litovsk treaty, which gives much of Eastern Europe toGermany. On 14 January 1917 a Polish kingdom is declared which includesGalicia. Also known as the Regency Kingdom of Poland, it exists only on paper and is superseded by the republic of Poland in 1918.On 11 November 1918 a Polish state is declared. WithGermany close to collapse andAustria - Hungary dismantling itself, on November, the Habsburg Poles unite with the formerRussianand German-ruled Poles to declare a free and independent Poland. Poland gains Western Prussia in Treaty of Versailles, signed on June 28, 1919 to officially end World War I.

11 November 1918 Independence RegainedPoland in the World War I

The Battle of Warsaw was fought from August 13 to August 25, 1920 as Red Army forces approached the Polish capital of Warsaw and nearby Modlin Fortress. On August 16, Polish forces commanded by Jzef Pilsudski counterattacked from the south, forcing the Russian forces into a disorganised withdrawal eastward and behind the Neman River.The Peace of Riga is signed on 18 March 1921, which formally divides disputed territory between the Soviets and Poles, with the area that forms modern Belarus effectively split in half. Galicia remains within the new Poland (modern western Ukraine), and the eastern parts of Lithuania also remain part of Poland.The Battle of Warsaw Polish-Soviet War (1919-1921)

Independent Poland 1918 - 1939 Jzef Pisudski was a Polish revolutionary and statesman, field marshal, first chief of state (1918-1922) and dictator (1926-1935) of renascent Poland, and founder of her armed forces. Despite being a dictator, Pilsudski stabilized the economy and is generally regarded by much of modern Poland as a national hero. Ignacy Jan Paderewski (November 6, 1860 June 29, 1941) was a Polish activist, pianist, composer, diplomat and politician, the third Prime Minister of Poland.

Independent Poland Pacts in 1930sIn 1932, a non-aggression pact was signed by Poland and the Soviet Union. In 1934, a similar pact was signed by Poland and Germany.In 1939, Germany and The Soviet Union signed the Molotov -Ribbentrop Pact. Hitler and Stalin were secretly planning to divide Poland between them.

Invasion of Poland and beginning of World War II Under the leadership of Adolph Hitler, Nazi Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. Hitler's excuse for the invasion was the need to secure "that intolerable Polish corridor."In this sense was broken Polands and Germanys pact of non-aggression.On September 17, the Soviets invade from the east, also breaking their pact, but staying true to the MolotovRibbentrop Pact.In response to the invasion of Poland, France and Britain declared war on Germany. With a campaign Fall Weiss World War II had begun.

Belligerents Germany Slovakia Soviet Union(After 17 September) Poland

Invasion of Poland and beginning of World War II

Poland in the World War II 1939-1945The Polish forces in the theatre of war with Germanywere commanded byLieutenant General Wadysaw Anderswho had received his command fromPrime Ministerof the exiled government Wadysaw Sikorski. On the east of Germany, the Soviet-backedPolish 1st Armydistinguished itself in the battles forBerlinandWarsaw, although its actions in support of the latter have often been criticised.

Poland in the World War II Holocaust

The Holocaust is the name applied to the systematic state-sponsored persecution and genocide of the Jews of Europe and North Africa along with other groups during World War II by Nazi Germany and collaborators. Hitler forced Polish Jews to live in the Ghettos until he came up with a solution: extermination camps. During the war, German forces, under direct order fromAdolf Hitler, set up six majorextermination camps, all of which were established on Polish territory: Auschwitz, Treblinka, Majdanek, Belzec, Sobibr and Chelmno.

Auschwitz concentration camp Auschwitz is the name loosely used to identify the largest Nazi extermination camp along with two main German concentration camps and 45-50 sub-camps. The name is derived from the German name for the nearby Polish town of Owicim Poland in the World War II

Poland in the World War IIKatyn MassacreSince the Poles were not ready for the Soviet invasion, the Soviets easily took countless Poles prisoner. Most of which were military and police, but also of intelligentsia.The Poles were thoroughly interrogated by the Soviet Secret Police (NKVD) in 3 camps: Kozelsk, Starobelsk and Ostashkov. Poles expressed their nationalist feelings and because if this, Stalin signed the order to execute any nationalists. Poles from the Kozelsk camp were executed at the Katyn forest while prisoners from the other were executed at prisons. Almost 22,000 Poles were killed.

Poland in the World War IIIn addition to the organised units of the 1st Army and the Forces in the Nazi-occupied Europe, the domestic underground resistance movement, theArmia Krajowa, orHome Army, fought to free Poland from German occupation and establish an independent Polish state. Thewartime resistance movementin Poland was one of the three largest resistance movements of the entire warand encompassed an unusually broad range of clandestine activities, which essentially functioned as anunderground statecomplete withdegree-awarding universitiesanda court system.The resistance was largely loyal to the exiled government; for this reason, on 1 August 1944 they initiated Operation Tempestand thus began theWarsaw Uprising.Warsaw Uprising

Poland in the World War IIThe lastGermantroops surrender on 17 January in the face of the relentlessSovietadvance. At the war's conclusion, Poland's territorywas shifted westwards, pushing theKresyin accordance with theCurzon Line. Meanwhile, the western border moved to theOder-Neisse line. As a result, Poland's territory was reduced by 20%. Polandlost in the war over 6 million people nearly one-fifth of Poland's population half of themPolish Jews. Poland itself remains an occupied satellite state of the Soviet Russian empire, known as the 'People's Republic of Poland'.The end of the war 1945

Postwar communist Poland

The Soviet Union instituted a newcommunistgovernment in Poland. As elsewhere in Communist Europethe Soviet occupation of Poland met witharmed resistancefrom the outset which continued into the fifties.Despite widespread objections, the new Polish government accepted the Soviet annexation of the pre-war eastern regions of Poland and agreed to the permanent garrisoning ofRed Armyunits on Poland's territory. ThePeople's Republic of Polandwas officially proclaimed in 1952. In 1956 the rgime ofWadysaw Gomukabecame temporarily more liberal, freeing many people from prison and expanding some personal freedoms. A similar situation repeated itself in the 1970s underEdward Gierek.

Solidarity - 1980

The disillusioned Polish people demanded full political and cultural freedom. Polish workers understood how their economic relations with the Soviet Union had been rigged to the detriment of the Polish economy and in 1980 the Solidarity Movement, formed by Lech Wasa exploded with a series of strikes on the Baltic Coast and in the industrial region of Upper Silesia. In August 1980, the Polish government recognized Solidarity and made significant concessions to the workers' demands. The Soviet Union didnt like this so they imposed Martial Law and arrested many Solidarity leaders, including Walesa.Although Martial Law ended in 1983, many prisoners remained in jail.

Postwar communist Poland

Lech Walesa (born 29 September 1943) is a Polish politician trade-union organizer, and human-rights activist. A charismatic leader, he co-founded Solidarity (Solidarno), the Soviet bloc's first independent trade union won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983, and served as President of Poland 199095. He became a trade-union activist. For this he was persecuted by the Polish communist government placed under surveillance, fired in 1976, and arrested several times.

In August 1980 he was instrumental in negotiations that led to the ground-breaking Gdask Agreement between striking workers and the government, and he became a co-founder of the Solidarity trade-union movement.

Round Table Agreements - 1989

Finally, as the spirit of "glasnost" engulfed the entire Soviet Bloc, the government recognized Solidarity again and, in the "Roundtable Agreements" of 1989, agreed to the sharing of power. That led to semi-free parliamentary elections in June 1989 and to a Solidarity-led government.

The Solidarity movement heralded thecollapse of communist regimes and parties across Europe.Republic of Poland was proclamed on 13 September 1989.Walesa in 1990 he successfully ran for the newly re-established office of President of Poland. He presided over Poland's transformation from a communist to a post-communist state but his popularity waned.

Poland in Post Communism - New EraAshock therapyprogramme, initiated byLeszek Balcerowiczin the early 1990s enabled the country to transform its socialist-style planned economy into amarket economy.In 1991, Poland became a member of theVisegrd Groupand joined theNorth Atlantic Treaty Organization(NATO) alliance in 1999.

Poles then voted to join theEuropean Unionina referendumin June 2003, with Poland becoming a full member on 1 May 2004.Subsequently Poland joined theSchengen Areain 2007.

Great Pole Jan Pawe II Blessed Pope John Paul II (born Karol Jzef Wojtya 18May1920 2April2005), known as Blessed John Paul II since his beatification on May 1, 2011, reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 16October1978 until his death on 2April2005, at 84years and 319days of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate which lasted 26years and 168days. Pope John Paul II is the only Slavic or Polish pope to date, and was the first non-Italian Pope since Dutch Pope AdrianVI(15221523).John Paul II has been acclaimed as one of the most influential leaders of the 20th century. It is widely held that he was instrumental in ending communism in his native Poland and eventually all of Europe. Conversely, he denounced the excesses of capitalism.

Great Pole Jan Pawe II John Paul II is widely said to have significantly improved the Catholic Church's relations with Judaism, Islam the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Anglican Communion. He was one of the most-travelled world leaders in history, visiting 129countries during his pontificate. He spoke Italian, French, German, English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Croatian and Latin as well as his native Polish. On 19December2009, John PaulII was proclaimed venerable by his successor Pope BenedictXVI and was beatified on 1May2011.

Great Pole Jan Pawe II John Paul II apologised to almost every group who had suffered at the hands of the Catholic Church through the years. As pope, he officially made public apologies for over 100 wrongdoings, including:The legal process on the Italian scientist and philosopherGalileo Galilei, himself a devout Catholic, around 1633;Catholics' involvement with theAfrican slave trade;Wrongdoing agains Orthodox Church "For the occasions past and present, when sons and daughters of the Catholic Church have sinned by action or omission against their Orthodox brothers and sisters, may the Lord grant us forgiveness;

The Church Hierarchy's role inreligious warsthat followed theProtestant Reformation; The injustices committed against women, the violation ofwomen's rightsand the historical denigration of women; The inactivity and silence of many Catholics during theHolocaust.

Poland in Post Communism - New EraLech Aleksander Kaczyski(18 June 1949 10 April 2010) was aPolishlawyer and politician who served as thePresident of Polandfrom 2005 until 2010 and asMayor of Warsawfrom 2002 until 22 December 2005. Before he became a president, he was also a member of theLaw and Justiceparty.Kaczyski memorialized many of Poland's national heroes known as cursed soldiers who perished at the hands of the Polish secret police, the SovietNKVD, the SMERSH, and other repressive organs of communist rule. Strengthening ties with the United States while continuing to develop relations within the European Union are two main goals ofPolish foreign affairs. Aside from those issues, his immediate goals were to develop tangible strategic partnership withUkraine, Moldovaand greater co-operation with theBaltic states,AzerbaijanandGeorgia. He was greatly admired inIsrael, because he promoted educating Polish youth about theHolocaust.

Poland in Post Communism - New EraOn April 20, 2010, Lech Kaczyski, his wife and other government official died in a plane crash in Russia on the way to a Katyn anniversary.Poles united in their grief in a way that recalled the death of the Polish pope, John Paul II, five years ago. Thousands massed outside the Presidential Palace, laying flowers and lighting candles.A plane carrying the Polish president and dozens of the countrys top political and military leaders to the site of a Soviet massacre of Polish officers in World War II crashed in westernRussia.

Warsaw

Krakw

Wrocaw

PoznaGdask

A traditional folk art is the wycinanki which are a very detailed paper cutout

Polish TraditionsAt Easter they decorate eggs with very elaborate painting called pisankiThe szopka depict the Wawel Cathedral, which is a part of Krakows Wawel Castle with a Nativity scene set inside its doors.

The Polish love to dance in their traditional costume. Their well known dance is the polka and they enjoy polka bands.Polish Traditions

Specific Polish FoodsPolish pierogi, stuffed with cabbage and meat, sprinkled with fried, chopped onion and Polish sausage (kielbasa).You can also have Polish pierogi with sweet cottage cheese filling or stuffed with a variety of fruits: strawberries, bilberries, cherries.Zur (Zurek) traditional Polish sour soup with boiled eggs, Polish sausage and potatoes, served in a plate made from traditional polish bread. You can eat the plate too! :-) Bigos ingredients include white cabbage,sauerkraut(kapusta kiszonain Polish), various cuts of meat and sausages, often whole or puredtomatoes,honeyandmushrooms

Thank you for your patience and attention!!!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stEuQamTLXw

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