history of Poland

Introduction
The Piast monarchy
- The early state
- Collapse and restoration
- The period of divisions
  - Collapse of Bolesław’s governing system
  - Cultural developments in Poland, 11th–13th century
  - Social and economic developments
  - Feudalism
  - The arrival of the Teutonic Knights
- Revival of the kingdom
  - The Czech dynasty
  - Władysław I
  - Casimir the Great
  - Louis I
  - The marriage of Jadwiga
The states of the Jagiellonians
- The waning of the Middle Ages
  - The rule of Jagiełło
  - Casimir IV
- The golden age of the Sigismunds
  - Political developments
  - Foreign affairs
  - Social and cultural developments
The Commonwealth
- Báthory and the Vasas
  - Social and political structure
  - Stephen Báthory
  - Sigismund III Vasa
  - Władysław IV
  - The Cossacks
  - Bohdan Khmelnytsky
  - John II Casimir Vasa
- The 17th-century crisis
  - Social and economic changes
  - Political stagnation
  - Cultural changes
- Decline and attempts at reform
- The Saxons
  - Augustus II
  - Augustus III
- Reforms, agony, and partitions
  - Reform under Stanisław II
  - The First Partition
  - Social and economic changes
  - The constitution of 1791
  - The Second and Third Partitions
Partitioned Poland
- The legions and the Duchy of Warsaw
- From the Congress of Vienna to 1848
  - Early Russian rule
  - Emigration and revolt
- The January 1863 uprising and its aftermath
- Accommodation with the ruling governments
Poland in the 20th century
- The rebirth of Poland
- From the Treaty of Versailles to the Treaty of Riga
- The Second Republic
- World War II
- Communist Poland
- Transitioning from communism
- The constitution of 1997
Poland in the 21st century

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images & Videos

Political map of Poland showing international and provincial boundaries, major cities, and provincial capitals. The national capital, Warsaw, is centrally located. Neighboring countries-Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, and Russia-are labeled, and the Baltic Sea borders Poland to the north. An inset locator map highlights Poland's position in Europe.

Map showing Poland's territory in 1031, shaded in pink, during the reign of Mieszko II Lambert. The territory covers central and southern regions including present-day cities such as Gdansk, Warsaw, Lublin, Krakow, and Lwow (Lviv), with surrounding major cities like Vienna, Budapest, Vilnius, Minsk, and Kyiv marked for reference. The Baltic Sea, Vistula, Bug, and Dnieper rivers are also labeled.

Color illustration of Jan Hus in a green robe and a tall hat with two black lions, chained to a stake with flames rising behind him.

Władysław II Jagiełło, sarcophagus figure, Wawel Cathedral, Kraków, Poland

history of Poland: Media

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Partitions of Poland explained

An overview of the Partitions of Poland.

Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

German invasion of Poland: Start of World War II

Overview of the German invasion of Poland (1939), which marked the beginning of World...

Video: Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz; Thumbnail Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Learn about Poland's transformative history from King Bolesław I to World War II and the Potsdam Conference

The history of Poland's changing borders.

Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Willy Brandt's historic request for forgiveness in Warsaw

In 1970 West German Chancellor Willy Brandt traveled to Poland, where he signed the...

Bombings in World War II: The first war decided from the air

Overview of aerial bombardment in Europe during World War II, with a detailed discussion...

Video: Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz; Thumbnail © Maximn/Dreamstime.com

View archival footage of German troops invading Poland and forcing Europe into war

In September 1939 the Germans overrun Poland, forcing all of Europe into a state...

Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Images

Poland

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Poland

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

St. Adalbert

Statue of St. Adalbert in Wenceslas Square, Prague.

Arkadiy Etumyan

Poland, 1031

Poland's territory in 1031, during the reign of Mieszko II Lambert.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

St. Stanislaus of Kraków

Image of St. Stanislaus of Kraków (center) being venerated by King Sigismund I and...

The National Library of Poland/The National Digital Library POLONA

Wenceslas II

Wenceslas II, 14th-century manuscript illumination; in the Heidelberg University...

Archivo Iconografico, S.A./Corbis

Louis I

Louis I, bust in the National Historical Memorial Park, Ópusztaszer, Hungary.

Váradi Zsolt

Jadwiga

Jadwiga with her husband, Jogaila; statue in Kraków, Poland.

Rj1979

Jan Hus

Jan Hus.

Władysław II Jagiełło, sarcophagus figure, Wawel Cathedral, Kraków, Poland

Władysław II Jagiełło, sarcophagus figure, second quarter of the 15th century; in...

Courtesy of Państwowe Zbiory Sztuki na Wawelu, Kraków, Poland

Zbigniew Oleśnicki

Zbigniew Oleśnicki.

The National Library of Poland/The National Digital Library POLONA

Casimir IV

Statue of Casimir IV in Malbork, Poland.

Jan Długosz

Jan Długosz, lithograph by Antoni Gramatyka, c. 1878–79.

The National Library of Poland/The National Digital Library POLONA (G.64663)

Andrzej: Sigismund I

Sigismund I, detail of a painting by Andrzej, 1546; in the State Collections of Art...

Courtesy of the Państwowe Zbiory Sztuki na Wawelu, Kraków, Poland

Albert

Albert, statue by Rudolf Siemering in Malbork, Poland.

Jan Jerszyñski

Sigismund II Augustus

Sigismund II Augustus, painting in the National Museum, Kraków, Poland.

Photos.com/Jupiterimages

Nicolaus Copernicus

Portrait of Nicolaus Copernicus, 1580, from the Town Hall in Toruń, Poland; in the...

Henry III

Henry III, drawing by F. Quesnel, c. 1588; in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris.

Giraudon/Art Resource, New York

Marcin Kober: Stephen Báthory

Stephen Báthory, detail of a painting by Marcin Kober, 1585; in the collection of...

Courtesy of the Missionary Fathers, Krakow, Pol.

Sigismund III Vasa

Sigismund III Vasa, detail of a painting, school of Rubens; in the Bavarian State...

Courtesy of the Bayerische Staatsgemaldesammlungen, Munich

Historical map of Central Europe showing territorial changes resulting from the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 at the end of the Thirty Years' War. Areas transferred to Sweden, Brandenburg, Transylvania, Saxony, France, the United Provinces, Bavaria, and Poland are color-coded. The map also marks the boundary of the Holy Roman Empire, key battle sites, and the route of Gustavus Adolphus's campaign from 1631 to 1632. Major cities, rivers, and neighboring countries such as France, Poland, Sweden, and

Europe after the Thirty Years' War, 1648

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Tommaso Dolabella: Władysław IV Vasa

Władysław IV Vasa, engraving by Willem Hondiuselier; in the National Museum in Warsaw,...

Muzeum Narodowe w Warszawie (National Museum in Warsaw), Polish Prints Collection, (Gr.Pol.5092 MNW), cyfrowe.mnw.art.pl.

Map showing Poland's territory in 1634 under the reign of Wladyslaw IV Vasa, shaded in pink and spanning from the Baltic Sea in the north to near Kyiv in the southeast. Major present-day cities such as Warsaw, Krakow, Gdansk, Vilnius, Minsk, Lwow (Lviv), Pinsk, and Kyiv are marked within the territory, with surrounding cities like Moscow, Riga, Vienna, and Budapest shown for reference.

Poland, 1634

Poland's territory in 1634, during the reign of Władysław IV Vasa.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Bohdan Khmelnytsky

Bohdan Khmelnytsky, statue in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Alexis

Tsar Alexis, detail of a portrait by an unknown artist, c. 1670; in the State Historical...

Courtesy of the State Historical Museum, Moscow

John II Casimir Vasa

John II Casimir Vasa, detail of an oil painting by Daniel Schultz; in the State Collection...

Courtesy of the Państwowe Zbiory Sztuki na Wawelu, Kraków, Poland

Frederick William

Frederick William, undated engraving.

Photos.com/Jupiterimages

Carel Allardt: engraving of Jan (John III) Sobieski

Jan (John III) Sobieski, engraving by Carel Allardt.

Courtesy of the trustees of the British Museum; photograph, J.R. Freeman & Co. Ltd.

Louis de Silvestre: Augustus II

Augustus II, oil painting by Louis de Silvestre; in the State Collections of Art...

Courtesy of the Państwowe Zbiory Sztuki na Wawelu, Kraków, Pol.

Jean de la Tour: pastel of Marie Leszczyńska

Marie Leszczyńska, painting by an unknown artist, copy of a painting by Jean Baptiste...

Nationalmuseum, Stockholm (NMGrh 1190), collection.nationalmuseum.se.

Louis de Silvestre: Augustus III

Augustus III, detail of an oil painting by Louis de Silvestre; in the State Collections...

Muzeum Narodowe w Warszawie (National Museum in Warsaw), Old Masters Collection, (M.Ob.1312 MNW), cyfrowe.mnw.art.pl.

Stanisław Konarski

Stanisław Konarski, miniature by Wincenty Lesseur, 1801; in the National Museum,...

Courtesy of the Muzeum Narodowe, Kraków, Poland

M. Bacciarelli: Stanisław II August Poniatowski

Stanisław II August Poniatowski, painting by the workshop of M. Bacciarelli, c. 1785.

Muzeum Narodowe w Warszawie (National Museum in Warsaw), Collection of Polish Painting until 1914, (MP 1099 MNW), cyfrowe.mnw.art.pl.

Tadeusz Kościuszko

Tadeusz Kościuszko.

©Georgios Kollidas/Fotolia

Historic map showing the partitions of Poland from 1772 to 1795, with color-coded regions indicating territories annexed by Prussia, Austria, and Russia during the first, second, and third partitions. The map labels key cities and regions, and outlines the shifting borders that led to the disappearance of Poland as an independent state during this period.

Partitions of Poland, 1772–95

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Ary Scheffer: Prince Adam Jerzy Czartoryski

Prince Adam Jerzy Czartoryski, detail of a painting by Ary Scheffer, 1850; in the...

Courtesy of Prince Adam Karol Czartoryski; photograph, Bibliotheque Polonaise, Paris

Map showing the territory of the Duchy of Warsaw in 1812, highlighted in pink in central Europe. The area includes present-day cities such as Warsaw, Lublin, and Krakow, with surrounding major cities like Gdansk, Vienna, Budapest, Vilnius, Minsk, and Kyiv also marked for reference. Major rivers such as the Vistula, Bug, and Dnieper are labeled.

Poland: Duchy of Warsaw

Territory of the Polish state known as the Duchy of Warsaw, 1812.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

M. Bacciarelli: portrait of Józef Poniatowski

Józef Poniatowski, portrait by Michal Chylewski, after a painting by Marcello Bacciarelli;...

Muzeum Narodowe w Warszawie (National Museum in Warsaw), Polish Painting Collection, (MP 4721 MNW), cyfrowe.mnw.art.pl.

Congress Kingdom of Poland

Territory of the Russian-ruled Polish state known as the Congress Kingdom of Poland,...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Adam Mickiewicz

Adam Mickiewicz, detail of an oil painting by Aleksander Kamiński, 1850.

Muzeum Narodowe w Warszawie (National Museum in Warsaw), Polish Painting Collection (MP 4952 MNW), cyfrowe.mnw.art.pl.

Joachim Lelewel

Joachim Lelewel, c. 1831.

The National Library of Poland/The National Digital Library POLONA

Ary Scheffer: Zygmunt Krasiński

Zygmunt Krasiński, detail of an oil painting by Ary Scheffer, 1850; in the National...

Courtesy of the Muzeum Narodowe, Warsaw

Józef Zachariasz Bem

Józef Zachariasz Bem, detail from a portrait by an unknown Polish artist, 19th century;...

Courtesy of the National Museum, Warsaw

Alexander II

Alexander II, color-printed wood engraving.

Ignacy Daszyński,

Ignacy Daszyński, c. 1929.

Courtesy of the Adam Ciolkosz Archives, London

Józef Piłsudski

Józef Piłsudski.

Culver Pictures

Józef Piłsudski

Józef Piłsudski (center) with Polish soldiers.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (digital file no. 31084)

Ignacy Paderewski

Ignacy Paderewski.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Map highlighting Poland's territory from 1921 to 1939, shaded in pink, with present-day cities such as Warsaw, Krakow, Lwow (Lviv), Vilnius, Gdansk, and Lublin marked. Surrounding cities like Riga, Minsk, Moscow, Kyiv, Vienna, and Budapest are also shown for geographic context. Major rivers such as the Vistula, Bug, and Dnieper are labeled.

Poland, 1921–39

Poland's territory between the two World Wars.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

, Józef Piłsudski

Józef Piłsudski, statue in Kraków, Poland.

Mariusz Paździora

World War II: Germany invading Poland

Germany invading Poland, September 1, 1939.

Warsaw Ghetto Uprising

A family marching at the head of a column of Jews on their way to be deported during...

National Archives and Records Administration/United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, www.ushmm.org

Władysław Sikorski

Władysław Sikorski, 1942.

Courtesy of the Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum, London

Joseph Stalin, Franklin Roosevelt, and Winston Churchill seated side by side on chairs at the Tehran Conference in 1943.

Tehrān Conference: Joseph Stalin, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Winston Churchill

(From left) Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, U.S. Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt, and British...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Warsaw Uprising

Warsaw Uprising monument, Warsaw.

Map highlighting Poland's territory in 1945 after World War II, shaded in pink, with major present-day cities labeled including Warsaw, Krakow, Gdansk, Lublin, and surrounding cities such as Vienna, Budapest, Vilnius, Minsk, Kyiv, and Moscow for geographic context. The Baltic Sea and major rivers like the Vistula and Bug are also shown.

Poland, 1945

Poland's territory following World War II.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Stefan Wyszyński

Stefan Wyszyński.

UPI—Bettmann/Corbis

Pallium

Pope John Paul II wearing a pallium over a green chasuble. He holds a papal ferula...

José Cruz/Agência Brasil

Lech Wałęsa speaking to workers on strike

Lech Wałęsa speaking to striking shipyard workers in Gdańsk, Poland, 1988.

Wojciech Witold Jaruzelski

Wojciech Witold Jaruzelski, 2006.

Andrzej Barabasz (Chepry)

Aleksander Kwaśniewski

Aleksander Kwaśniewski, 2011.

Lech Kaczyński

Lech Kaczyński after being elected president of Poland, 2005.

Sergei Supinsky—AFP/Getty Images

, Bronisław Komorowski

Bronisław Komorowski.

Wojciech Grzedzinski

Beata Szydło

Beata Szydło, 2015.

Mateusz Morawiecki

Mateusz Morawiecki.

Ministry of Economic Development, Warsaw

Jaroslaw Kaczynski, former prime minister of Poland, speaking at a microphone while wearing a black coat and tie, 2014.

Jarosław Kaczyński

Jarosław Kaczyński, 2014.

Donald Tusk

Donald Tusk, 2009.

A French tank and soldiers in helmets move through a cobblestone street lined with buildings, dispersing crowds during the Silesian uprisings in Kattowitz, Poland, circa 1919-1921.

Katowice; Silesian uprisings

French tanks and soldiers in the streets of Katowice (Kattowitz), Upper Silesia,...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

World map highlighting NATO member countries in dark blue, Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council countries in light blue, NATO's Mediterranean Dialogue partners in purple, Istanbul Cooperation Initiative partners in pink, and global partners in teal. Brussels, Belgium, is marked as NATO headquarters. A timeline below the map shows the years each member joined NATO from 1949 to 2024.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization: members and partners

Map and timeline of the member countries and partner countries of the North Atlantic...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc./Kenny Chmielewski

history of Poland: Media

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