Abstract
Poland became a state by the union of a number of Slavonio tribes settled in the basins of the Vistula, the Warta and the Oder. The nation was converted to Christianity in 966. Under the Piast dynasty (10th–14th centuries) German ‘eastward expansion’ (Drang nach Osten) deprived Poland of her north-western and western borderlands. After the defeat of the Teutonic Order at Tannenberg (1410) and the partial recovery of Prussia, Poland’s political interests turned eastward. Temporary successes in White Russia and the Ukraine were bought by a permanent weakness on her western front. Poland reached the height of her power in the period between the 14th and 16th centuries under the rule of the Jagiellon dynasty. On its extinction the crown became elective and this, leading to an overgrowth of special rights granted to the nobility and gentry, resulted in the permanent weakness of the central authority. During the 17th and 18th centuries the position of Poland rapidly declined, and eventually, by the three partitions of 1772, 1793 and 1795, the Polish Commonwealth, as it was then called, was divided between Prussia, Russia and Austria.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Books of Reference
Anders (W.), An Army In Exile. London, 1948.
Destiny can Wait: The Polish Air Force in the Second World War. London, 1949.
Books of Reference
Alton (T. P.), Polish Post-war Economy. Columbia Univ. Press, 1955.
Gross (F.), The Polish Worker: A Study of a Social Stratum. New York, 1945.
Taylor (J.), The Economic Development of Poland. Cornell Unir. Press, 1952.
Books of Reference
STATISTICAL INFORMATION.—The Central Statistical Office, Warsaw (Wawelska St. 1–3) publishes’ statistical News’ (from Aug., 1945), with special issues;’ statistical Studies and Works’ (from 1950);’ statistics of Poland’ (from 1946; 20 vols. to end of 1951);’ statistical Tear Book’ (latest Eng. ed., 1948).
Beck (J.), Dernier rapport: Politique polonaise, 1926–1939. Neuchåtel, 1961.
Lednicki (W.), Life and Culture of Poland. New York, 1944.—Russia, Poland and the West. London, 1954.
Mikolajczyk (S.), The Rape of Poland. New York, 1948.
Mitosz (C.), The Captive Mind. London, 1953.
Modzelewski (J.) (editor). Pologne, 1919–39. 3 vols. Neuchåtel. 1945–48.
Reidaway (W. F.), Penson (J. H.), Halecki (O.) and Dyboski (R.) (editors), The Cambridge History of Poland. 2 vols. London, 1940–50.
Schmitt (B. E.) (editor), Poland. 2nd ed. Berkeley, Cal., 1951.
Sharp (S. L.), Poland: White Eagle on a Red Field. Harvard Univ. Press, 1953.
Stanislawski (J.), English-Polish and Polish-English Dictionary. 2 vols. London, 1940.
Stern (H. P.), Struggle for Poland. Washington, 1953.
Super (P.), 25 Years with the Poles. Trenton, N.T., 1951.
NATIONAL LIBRARY.—Biblioteka Narodowa, ul. Rakowiecka 6, Warsaw. Director: Wladyslaw Bienkowski.
Editor information
Copyright information
© 1956 Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Steinberg, S.H. (1956). Poland. In: Steinberg, S.H. (eds) The Statesman’s Year-Book. The Statesman’s Yearbook. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230270855_65
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230270855_65
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-54908-5
Online ISBN: 978-0-230-27085-5
eBook Packages: Palgrave Political & Intern. Studies CollectionPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)