Poland History

Pre 20th Century

There's obviously something about Poland's borders that say 'Hey, come and get it'. All of the great (and many of the lesser) European empire builders have been bingeing and purging here since the Polanie ('people of the fields') parked themselves in the 10th century. The unrelenting incursions have ceased only recently with the waning of Soviet influence.

But war and subjugation is not Poland's only story. One of Europe's cultural powerhouses, as well as its erstwhile granary, Poland has flourished under some enlightened and energetic rulers. Casimir III the Great (1333-70) bestowed one of Europe's first universities on Kraków, and an extensive network of castles and fortifications on the country at large. Through the ensuing centuries of territorial expansion and contraction, and of wealth and poverty, the infrastructures bequeathed by the monarch held firm - most of Poland's troubles blew in from outside.

Internal stability faltered in the 17th century. With the parliament crippled by a stipulation that any legislation could be vetoed by any one member, decades stumbled by without one law being passed and Poland was frustrated into dissent. While the nobles took things into their own hands, usurping political rights and ruling their vast estates as virtual suzerainties, foreign invaders systematically carved up Poland. Russia exerted the most influence but telling battles were also conducted with Tatars, Ukrainians, Cossacks, Ottomans and Swedes.

By the late 19th century, Poland was in disarray. Four million people had succumbed to war, famine and bubonic plague, and Russia, Prussia and Austria were experimenting with various ways of splitting the Polish booty. Despite steady economic recovery on paper, poverty was still very much the go in rural areas and about one fifth of Poland's 20 million people emigrated, mostly to the USA.

Modern

Just when it seemed like Poland had put together a pretty fine working definition of 'worst ever', WWI kicked in. With Poland's three occupying powers at war, most fighting took place on territories inhabited by Poles, who were often conscripted into opposing occupying armies and forced to fight one another. The loss of life and livelihood was staggering. In the confusion following the war, particularly Russia's preoccupation with the October Revolution, Poland was able to consolidate its bedraggled self into a sovereign identity and attempted to build up its nation and nationhood practically from scratch. This monumental project was going along pretty well until WWII, when first Germany and then the Soviet Union gobbled Poland up, viciously subduing the population at large - the Nazis paying particular attention to the Jews.

The Polish government in exile slipped into a de facto relationship with Stalin, a sordid alliance with little to offer Poles still in Poland. Particularly unsavoury was the Soviet trick of sending underequipped Polish bodies to soak up Nazi ammunition, then sending in the Red Army to clean up, grabbing the glory and a bit more Polish territory in the process. By 1945, Poland was ruined (again), having lost over six million of its population, half of whom were Jews. At the Yalta Conference in February 1945, Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin decided to leave Poland under Soviet control (thanks guys) and Poland became a site of Stalin-style repression and victimisation. Unsurprisingly, Poles never embraced Stalinism and the communist period featured waves of strikes.

As hopes for prosperity dwindled, labour organisation increased, backed by a committed intelligentsia. The triumphal visit of Pope John Paul II to his homeland in 1978 dramatically increased political ferment. The organisation and articulation of the labour movement became superior to that of the demoralised Communist government and, by 1980, the government was no longer in a position to use force against its opponents. Initial demands for wage rises soon took on more general political and economic overtones. Poland's workers' delegations convened under the Solidarity trade union banner, led by Lech Wasa. Solidarity had a dramatic effect on the whole of Polish society, garnering a membership of 10 million in its first month, a million of these coming from Communist Party ranks. After more than a generation of restraint, the Poles launched themselves into a spontaneous and chaotic sort of democracy. Although the government had ceded to the workers the right to organise and the right to strike, this was all proving a bit much to take: martial law was introduced in 1981, Solidarity was suspended and its leaders, including Wasa, interned. The brutalities of martial law were gradually relaxed but Solidarity was forced to operate as an underground organisation until the Gorbachev-instigated perestroika filtered through to Poland.

Semifree elections were held in 1989 and Solidarity succeeded in getting an overwhelming majority of its supporters elected to the upper house of parliament. Wasa became president in 1990 but his rule was a gradual decline from euphoria to disillusionment. There were no economic miracles, no political stability and Wasa's presidential style and his accomplishments were repeatedly questioned by practically all political parties and the majority of the electorate.

Former communists Aleksander Kwaniewski and Wodzimierz Cimoszewicz tipped Wasa from the presidency in late 1995, holding office until late 1997, when Jerzy Buzek's Solidarity-led coalition took the reins. But it wasn't long before Aleksander Kwaniewski, running for the Democratic Left Alliance, recaptured political control and, to top it off, was then re-elected for a second presidential term in October 2000 - in the same elections, the once-revered Wasa won less than 1% of the vote.

Recent

In recent years, Poland's political system has been marked by stability and a willingness to confront its past - in 2001 Polish citizens were allowed to view the files kept on them by the Communist secret police.

However, the new Poland is garnering international credibility as it capitalises on its material strengths - it became a full NATO member in 1999 and joined the EU in 2004. As predicted, however, there has been an exodus of young Poles in search of employment abroad since then. The country's international standing has also been boosted by its role in the US-led coalition that invaded Iraq in 2003.

Lech Kaczyski was elected president in October 2005, marking a shift to the political right. His twin brother Jarosaw held the prime minister's position briefly, but alienated many with his nationalistic rhetoric and, in October 2007, lost out to the more liberal and EU-friendly Donald Tusk and his Civic Platform party.

Despite myriad reforms and coalitions, Poland is still floundering in the political and economic stakes, and looks as though it will for some years to come. But considering its tumultuous past, the country has found some stability, and is relishing its self-governance and peace.