The history of Poland and famous Poles

Poland: Past and Present

Poland is located in Europe’s Center

Note: in the east Europe stretches to the Ural mountains, which are off the map

The Beginning of Poland

Biskupin

Polish state begins with the rule of Mieszko I of the Piast dynasty in the second half of the 10th century.

The Constitution of May 3, 1791

The first democratic constitution in Europe, the second in the world

In 1791 the Great or Four-Year Sejm adopted the May 3 Constitution at Warsaw's Royal Castle

The Constitution of May 3, 1791

Polish–Soviet War, defenses near Warsaw, August 1920

Second Polish Republic (1918–1939)

World War II: invasion and partition

German battleship Schleswig-Holstein shelling Westerplatte on September 1, 1939

Warsaw destroyed, January 1945. There were one million war orphans and over 500,000 war disabled. The country lost 38% of its national assets (Britain lost 0.8%, France 1.5%).

After WW II

SOLIDARITY - 1980 ROUND-TABLE - 1989

Lech Wałęsa

1989

The "round-table" talks with the opposition began in February 1989.

Poland Regained Independence

For the first time in more than 40 years, Poland had a government led by noncommunists.

In December 1989, the Sejm approved the

government's reform program to transform the Polish economy rapidly from centrally planned to free-market, amended the constitution to eliminate references to the "leading role" of the Communist Party, and renamed the country the "Republic of Poland."

December 22, 1990

Lech Walesa having won a

landslide election is sworn is as

Poland’s first post WWII non

communist President

Poland in NATO - 1999

Poland in European Union

Poland entered the European Union on

1st May 2004