Pocket History of Poland - ebook

Introduction by the author

THERE ARE ALREADY many accounts of Polish history available in print. This pocket book aims to present information to the reader informally, as if we were having a friendly chat over a pint of beer. I consider this approach to the subject to be the best way to keep up with the reader's imagination, and for our history to be clearly understood. I also want to draw the reader's attention to the fact that the book is intentionally designed to provide intriguing information about Poland, rather than to present simple dates and wrote formulas as if it were standard textbook. I believe that the latter is crucial at a time when Poland is represented by international media as a nation of fascists and radical patriots, with the politics of a soviet-style regime. It's important to give people a broader comprehension of who Poles are and what they, as a distinct nation, have been standing for throughout centuries of existence.

Polish history indisputably belongs to these exceedingly long and rather convoluted narratives. I believe it is as complicated as the most complex thing in the universe — the human brain. In pushing this idea further, we find that Poland, from the very beginning of its existence, underwent a series of traumas, swinging from intense states of euphoria in victory, to the grey and deeply bitter heartbreaks of loss and defeat. Letting my imagination run free, if Poland were a woman she would be an enigmatic beauty, prone to violent mood swings, vulnerable and in need of a shoulder to cry on. This personification would be of no surprise to anyone familiar with Polish history. If you knew her as a neighbour, you would be aware of the hardships this woman has experienced. While she holds on to her bitter grief, she still has her pride and finds the strength to stand tall with her European friends, albeit with a slight stress hump on the back of her neck. I will stop with this analogy now before my writing transforms into an episode of Sex and the City! Polish history is far more than a romantic comedy, although we are not above romance and passion.

Pocket History of Poland covers the legendary origins of the country and its people before taking the reader through the times of the Slavic settlements of the Middle Ages, to the periods of foreign occupations, and up to current events. This is a story of the nation that continually fights in self-defence; a nation which to this day displays the visible signs of awkward internal discords. As you read, you'll learn that this lack of harmony and exhaustive propensity for domestic disagreement has its origin in Poland's convoluted past. It appears to me that this might be an incurable, unconsciously automatic compulsion of the Polish people; a self-destruction virus that infected the layers of Polish society and activates in certain situations, causing uncompromising disunity between Polish citizens. Unfortunately, this uncontrollable inclination to split socio-politically presents the opportunity for foreign hands to meddle in the domestic affairs of Poland, as they have done time and time again. Who is to blame? Hopefully we can find some answers.The origin story of Poland can be traced to the 13th century, and in adherence to the stereotype it is believed that the creation of the country was the result of an argument. As we travel through Polish history, the phenomenon of disagreement reoccurs at various important moments. Allow me to set this aside for further evaluation at the end of this book, and I will continue on to the origin of Polish people here.

The legend of Poland's birth tells a story of three brothers; Czech, Lech and Russ, who went on a hunting excursion. The siblings began to argue. They could not agree on which animal to hunt. Since none of them were inclined to compromise, they decided to pursue different prey. As a consequence, each of the three moved in different directions.

Czech, the youngest of the three, departed to the West and founded Czech nation. Russ, the middle brother, travelled East and became the founder of Russia. Lech, the elder brother, went north and founded a nation that was first referred to as Lechia, but today is called Poland.

What motivated Lech to settle in what is now known as Central-Western Poland was an encounter with a fierce white eagle that was protecting its nest from trespassers. Lech spotted the bird against the red hue of the setting sun, which he took as a good portent. Not allowing for time to cloud his mind with uncertainties, he chose this very place for his homeland. He named the fledgling settlement Gniezno (pronounced /ˈɡɲeznɔ/), which can be translated into nest. Gniezno became the seat of the Piast house, the first ruling dynasty of Poland, for four generations, between 930 until 1370. The White Eagle became the national symbol of the country, and today is depicted over a sunset red background as the Polish coat of arms.

Poland's historical origins can be traced to Medieval Slavic settlements in central Europe. The Slavic people are descended from early Indo-Europeans who had migrated from the Caucasus, a mountainous region in the southeast of Europe. From their home in Central Europe the Slavs began the expansion of their tribal territories, primarily as a response to the diminishing influence of the Roman Empire. The Polanie, the Polish Slavs, were organised into smaller communities who inhabited the territories near the Baltic Sea and the Vistula River Delta. These groups were agrarian, hence why they were referred to as Polanie, which is derived from the word pole meaning field. The Polanie shared their lands with Germanic tribes of the Southeastern regions of Scandinavia, and on occasion with nomadic invaders from Asia, the descendants of Genghis Khan.

The Polish Slavs first united under an officially recorded leader in 960 — Mieszko I (930-992). Mieszko was a member of the noble house of Piast, whose dynasty would rule Poland until the beginning of the 14th Century. The name of the dynasty comes after Piast the Wheelwright, a semi-legendary figure believed to be the founder of the family. In 966, Poland received a so-called ceremonial washing in which the common Slavic pagan faith was forsaken for Christianity, moving Poland closer towards the monarchic hegemony of Medieval Europe. Mieszko was succeeded by his son, Boleslaw I the Brave, in 992. Boleslaw greatly expanded Poland's borders and ruled as the first King of Poland. Although Boleslaw's reign as king only lasted for two months, his coronation became symbolic of Poland's new position as an independent kingdom of international renown, with Boleslaw himself becoming a role model for his successors.

Following Boleslaw's death in 1025, the Piast dynasty went through numerous ups and downs on the international scene. This period was defined by numerous problems in the royal court. One of the most significant of these problems were royal household trappings of Christianity to firm up its authority while many of the medieval lords were still pagan or both. The result was the Church started speaking of ‘legitimate heirs’ and ‘legal marriages’ at a time when old customs still lingered. Typical Western feudalism was not well established in Poland at that time so the right of primogeniture, the feudal rule wherein the succession to the crown went to the firstborn son, could not be easily obeyed. The practice was often disputed as was that of legitimate heirs which fanned intrigues and conflicts among Boleslaw's children. The dead king left three sons: Bezprym, Mieszko and Otto. Bezprym was the oldest, but it was Mieszko who actively participated in the father's politics and was foreseen to step into his kingly shoes. Shortly after Boleslaw's death Mieszko crowned himself as Mieszko II Lambert (December 25, 1025) and banished his brothers from the country. The two couldn't let him get away with it and sought revenge. They found protection in Kievan Rus’ and Germany which accused Mieszko of a usurpation and abuse of power. In 1031, Mieszko II was driven out of Poland and the chunks of Piasts’ lands were annexed by invading neighbours. This event, almost forgotten today, could be considered the first partition of the Polish state in history. In spite of many difficulties, Mieszko II managed to earn his keep of the throne. However, this did cost him a great humiliation, not only reflected in the loss of territory, but also in being subjugated to a political arbitration of the Holy Roman Emperor. Unfortunately, sibling rivalry over succession was typical in the Piast's times. Take, for instance, Bolesław III Wrymouth (20 August 1086-28 October 1138). To avoid eventual conflicts over succession, the king divided Polish lands into several duchies for his sons. In his designs the oldest of brothers would be the supreme prince, the one which rules a so-called senioral district — the core region of Poland based in Cracow. In addition, he would maintain military garrisons in the capital cities of duchies transferred to younger brothers. This system of inheritance is known as agnatic seniority and was employed by Piast monarchs for nearly two centuries. However, in spite of good intentions, this order of succession proved highly inadequate and in 13th century Władysław I the Elbow-high (c. 1260 — 2 March 1333) succeeded in re-uniting most of the fragmented parts back into the kingdom of Poland.

It was not until Casimir I the Restorer, the only son of Mieszko II, came to power in 1040 that Poland caught up with its European contemporaries and became a fully-fledged feudal society. Although Casimir didn't get off to the best of starts, he managed to re-establish his monarchic control and helped to consolidate the territory Boleslaw I the Brave, his grandfather, had gained. The first historian to write about Poland, Gallus Anonymus, hailed Casimir as ‘homo literatus', referring to his good judgement and rigorous education. While Poland was marginally weaker than its neighbours under his leadership, it was relatively secure. The Polish kingdom was modest, but at the same time powerful enough to repel the Mongol invasion of Europe. The Mongols retreated following the death of the leader Ögedei, the son of Genghis Khan, leaving Poland's borders safe.

The most challenging situation for Poland during the medieval period was its turbulent relations with German kingdoms. This, as many of you may have suspected from the very beginning, was ambiguous to say the least. If one believes the medieval legend of Princess Wanda, the relationship between two people is the result of a fatal attraction. While love can be a doorway to peace and prosperity, when one's love is rejected it leads to great disappointments and anguish. In extreme cases this may lead to a shared hatred and vicious acts. As you may have already guessed, this is what happened in Wanda's story. According to the Wielkopolska Chronicle's version of this legend, the German leader Rytygier desired to marry Wanda and threatened to invade her country if she rejected his proposal. To his misfortune, she refused. Thankfully for the Polish kingdom, Rytygier perished during the ensuing battle. Following this fortunate outcome, Wanda committed sacrificial suicide to express gratitude to her pagan gods, drowning herself in the Vistula River. This dramatic story typifies the ongoing enmity that has defined relations between Poland and Germany.

Although this legend is not a true story, it has a grain of truth to it. Put simply, Poles and Germans were never the best neighbours. The historical reasons for this include the various wars that characterised their early years. As you will learn in the following chapters, Poles came into conflict with Teutonic Knights and Baltic Prussian pagans, which caused centuries of hostilities with the Knights and later on with the German Prussian state. While the German people have formed many states throughout history, none of them have approached Poland with anything other than daggers drawn, and vice versa. The American actress Bette Midler once joked on a television interview that she married a German, and every night she would dress up as Poland so he would invade her. While the intrusion she was alluding to would no doubt have brought her pleasure, the tensions that existed between Poland and Germany throughout the second millennium did not result in anything of pleasure.

By the time of the last Piast ruler, Casimir the Great (1310-1370), some of the territories on Poland's western border, such as Silesia and Pomerania, had been lost. However, Poland had arrived as a peaceful and prosperous location on the evolving European map. Casimir delivered this expansion as a result of both his diplomatic skills and strategic acumen. By turning his expansionist attention from the west to the east he negotiated the tensions with Germany and transformed Poland for the better. All of this would change with his death.