History of Poland on Dipity.
SUMMARY OF POLAND'S HISTORY
Poland has a very unique history. Beginning about 100,000 years ago, humans began taking their first steps on Polish land. Nomadic tribes came here because of the resources offered by the Oder and Vistula rivers. It wouldn't be until around 8,000 BC that permanent settlement would take place, from travelers from the Danubian River Basin culture. Invading peoples would continually enter Poland from all sides. For example, in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, Germanic and Celtic tribes invaded from the west, while Samartian and Scythian peoples invaded from the east.
The first Slavonic tribes arrived in Poland in the 6th century, from the east. Various tribes entered the region, including the Goplanians, the Dziadoszanians, the Silesians, the Bobrzanians, the Opolanians, the Vislanians, and the Ledzianians. This Slavonic migration would begin the dominance of Poland by Slavic ethnic groups, which has continued to this day.
Around the 10th century, the Polanian Slavonic tribe would rise to great prominence. They would unite the various fragmented Slavonic tribes in the Polish region and establish and effective administration system. The Piast dynasty, the rulers of the Polian tribe, was then established. They would help lead to the beginning of Polish statehood, which is typically officially recognized in the 900s when Polanian Prince Mieszko converted the fledgling Polish state to Christianity and was baptized, legitimizing the nation to the rest of Europe.
Poland, in the city of Cracow, became home to the second university in Central Europe (outside of Prague) in 1364. Poland would spend the next few hundred years in both quarrels and alliances, even operating with Lithuania as the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth for some time. However, in the late 1700's, Poland would disappear from the map altogether. Both the First and Second Partitions of Poland took place in the late 1700's. Poland's territory was divided between Russia, Prussia, and Austria. It would not be until the 'Napoleonic times' that Poland would regain its name, only to serve as a puppet nation to Tsar of Russia.
Poland would remain under control of the Tsar until the Russian revolution during WWI and the war's culmination with the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. This treaty re-established Poland as an independent nation. However, this independence would be short-lived, as Germany would invade this Second Republic of Poland in 1939 to begin World War II. After the end of the Second Great War, Poland would fall under the 'Communist sphere of influence', and begin being dominated by the Soviet Union.
It would not be until 1989 that Poland once again regained autonomous freedom with the fall of the Soviet Union.
Sources:
-http://en.poland.gov.pl/History,319.html
-http://www.lonelyplanet.com/poland/history
Poland has a very unique history. Beginning about 100,000 years ago, humans began taking their first steps on Polish land. Nomadic tribes came here because of the resources offered by the Oder and Vistula rivers. It wouldn't be until around 8,000 BC that permanent settlement would take place, from travelers from the Danubian River Basin culture. Invading peoples would continually enter Poland from all sides. For example, in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, Germanic and Celtic tribes invaded from the west, while Samartian and Scythian peoples invaded from the east.
The first Slavonic tribes arrived in Poland in the 6th century, from the east. Various tribes entered the region, including the Goplanians, the Dziadoszanians, the Silesians, the Bobrzanians, the Opolanians, the Vislanians, and the Ledzianians. This Slavonic migration would begin the dominance of Poland by Slavic ethnic groups, which has continued to this day.
Around the 10th century, the Polanian Slavonic tribe would rise to great prominence. They would unite the various fragmented Slavonic tribes in the Polish region and establish and effective administration system. The Piast dynasty, the rulers of the Polian tribe, was then established. They would help lead to the beginning of Polish statehood, which is typically officially recognized in the 900s when Polanian Prince Mieszko converted the fledgling Polish state to Christianity and was baptized, legitimizing the nation to the rest of Europe.
Poland, in the city of Cracow, became home to the second university in Central Europe (outside of Prague) in 1364. Poland would spend the next few hundred years in both quarrels and alliances, even operating with Lithuania as the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth for some time. However, in the late 1700's, Poland would disappear from the map altogether. Both the First and Second Partitions of Poland took place in the late 1700's. Poland's territory was divided between Russia, Prussia, and Austria. It would not be until the 'Napoleonic times' that Poland would regain its name, only to serve as a puppet nation to Tsar of Russia.
Poland would remain under control of the Tsar until the Russian revolution during WWI and the war's culmination with the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. This treaty re-established Poland as an independent nation. However, this independence would be short-lived, as Germany would invade this Second Republic of Poland in 1939 to begin World War II. After the end of the Second Great War, Poland would fall under the 'Communist sphere of influence', and begin being dominated by the Soviet Union.
It would not be until 1989 that Poland once again regained autonomous freedom with the fall of the Soviet Union.
Sources:
-http://en.poland.gov.pl/History,319.html
-http://www.lonelyplanet.com/poland/history