By the 9th century, the territory of modern Poland was inhabited by numerous Slavic tribes, who were united by common beliefs, customs and language. In the south of modern Poland, there were the Vistula lands with the center in Krakow. In the basin of the Warta River, the tribes of the Polyans lived. Their center was the city of Gniezno.
The first prince of Polyans mentioned in the chronicle was Meshko I. In an effort to strengthen his power, he adopted the Christianity of the Latin rite: in 966, the solemn baptism of Meshko took place in Gniezno. As a result of the wars, he managed to expand his state by annexing Silesia and Krakow. Until the end of the 14th century, Poland was ruled by the Piast dynasty he founded.
Gniezno
The policy of strengthening and territorial expansion of the state was continued by Meshko's eldest son Boleslav, nicknamed the Brave. Under him, an archbishopric was created in Gniezno, and in 1025 in Boleslav I the Brave he took the title of king.
After the death of Boleslav the Brave, the state fell into decay for some time. Casimir the Restorer managed to restore the country. His successor Boleslav the Bold was re-crowned with the royal crown in 1076 and restored the Archbishopric of Gniezno.
1138 to 1320 Poland was going through a period of feudal fragmentation. Prince Vladislav Lokotk managed to reunite the state. His son Casimir, nicknamed the Great, significantly expanded the boundaries of his possessions and carried out internal reforms that strengthened the state.
Casimir the Great left no heirs, and the Piast dynasty died out after his death in 1370. The throne passed to the Hungarian dynasty - Louis of Anjou and his daughter Jadwiga.
Malbork Castle
The threat from the Teutonic Order, which seized Pomerania, pushed Poland and Lithuania to create an alliance. In 1385, the Kreva Union was concluded - a personal union between Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Grand Duke Jagiello married Queen Jadwiga and was proclaimed king of Poland. In 1410, the combined Polish-Lithuanian army defeated the forces of the Teutonic Order in the Battle of Grunwald.
For almost two centuries, Poland and Lithuania were linked by a dynastic alliance. In 1569, as a result of the Union of Lublin, a single Polish-Lithuanian state was created - the Rzeczpospolita.
The period of the reign of the last kings from the Jagiellonian dynasty - a time of economic and cultural flourishing - was called the Golden Age. After the extinction of the Jagiellonian dynasty in 1573, the country was ruled by elective kings, in whose choice the entire gentry (nobility) could participate. The political regime that has developed in the country is often called the gentry democracy. Its characteristic features were the dominance of more numerous than in other European countries, the nobility and parliamentary structure. All the most important state issues were resolved at the congresses of the gentry - the Seimas.
At the beginning of the 17th century, the period of prosperity of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth continued, but the "Swedish flood" (the invasion of the Swedes in 1655-1660) and the Cossack uprisings undermined its well-being.
Krakow
Numerous wars and internal conflicts between the gentry have destabilized the situation inside the country. For this reason, as well as as a result of the policies of the neighboring powers, the existence of an independent Poland was threatened.
The last Polish king was Stanislaw August Poniatowski. Under him, there were attempts in the country to carry out internal reforms aimed at strengthening the state. In 1791, the Constitution was adopted. However, the conspiracies of the magnates, the inconsistency of the king and the superiority of the forces of external opponents did not allow the state to be preserved. Neighboring powers - the Russian Empire, Prussia and Austria - divided the territory of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The independent Polish state ceased to exist in 1795.
In the 19th century, Polish secret organizations raised two major uprisings, but failed.
Gdansk
The rebirth of Poland took place after the First World War in 1918. Despite the difficulties, the interwar period was marked by significant successes in the economy and public life. However, over twenty years of independence it has not been possible to overcome all the problems.
In 1939, Poland was not ready to resist Nazi Germany. As a result of the attack by Hitler, and then by Soviet troops from the east, Poland again lost its independence. During the Second World War, an underground army operated in the country, subordinate to the Polish government in London. The Poles also fought outside the country on many fronts.
After the war, Poland became part of the Soviet bloc. Power in the country was in the hands of the communists, reforms were carried out on the Soviet model. The decline of the NDP was marked by a worsening economic situation and the emergence of independent trade unions.
In 1989, revolutions took place in the socialist countries that led to the collapse of communism. Reforms began in the country. In 1999, Poland joined NATO, and in 2004, the European Union.
