The history of Poland spans over 1000 years — from baptism in 966 by Mieszko I, the Golden Age of the First Republic, the partitions, regaining independence in 1918, World War II, communism, to free Poland after 1989.
Piasts and the Baptism of Poland (10th–14th c.)
In 966 Mieszko I accepted baptism — beginning of the Polish state in the Western Christian sphere. Bolesław the Brave crowned in 1025 — first King of Poland. Casimir the Great (1333–1370): "found Poland wooden, left it brick" — founded the Kraków University (1364, second in Central Europe).
Jagiellons and the Golden Age (1386–1572)
Union with Lithuania 1385 (Krewo) — beginning of 400-year Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Battle of Grunwald 1410 — victory over the Teutonic Knights. Golden Age under Sigismund the Old and Sigismund Augustus (16th c.): Copernicus, Jan Kochanowski, Mikołaj Rej. Religious tolerance ("Poland without stakes" — Warsaw Confederation 1573).
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (1569–1795)
Union of Lublin 1569 — formal union of Poland and Lithuania. Election of king by nobility ("free election"). Liberum veto. 17th c.: Swedish Deluge, wars with Turkey. John III Sobieski — relief of Vienna 1683 (saved Christianity from Ottoman invasion).
Partitions (1772–1795)
Three partitions (1772, 1793, 1795) — Russia, Prussia, Austria divided Poland. 123 years without a state. Constitution of May 3, 1791 — second in the world after the American, first in Europe. Kościuszko Uprising 1794. November (1830) and January (1863) uprisings brutally suppressed.
Second Republic (1918–1939)
November 11, 1918 — Józef Piłsudski took power. Poland regained independence after WWI. Polish-Bolshevik War 1920 (Miracle on the Vistula — saved Europe from Bolshevism). 20 years of state-building.
World War II (1939–1945)
September 1, 1939 — German attack. September 17 — Soviet invasion. Poland divided. Holocaust: 3 million Polish Jews murdered (Auschwitz, Treblinka). Plus 3 million Poles of other nationalities. Warsaw Uprising 1944. Yalta Conference 1945 — Poland handed to Soviet sphere.
Communist Poland and Solidarity (1945–1989)
Communism 1945–1989. Poznań Uprising 1956, March 1968, December 1970, Solidarity 1980 (Lech Wałęsa). Martial law 1981–1983. Karol Wojtyła elected Pope 1978 (John Paul II) — symbolic breakthrough. Elections June 4, 1989 — first partially free.
Third Republic (1989–today)
NATO 1999, EU 2004. 38 million inhabitants, 312,696 km². Warsaw capital. Democracy, market economy, one of the fastest-growing EU economies.