If you were educated in the US in our government schools, you may think you know something about this history of Poland. And you’d be wrong–very wrong. All the so-called “world history” books I’ve ever read or studied in schools give a very lopsided view of history, a view favoring England, France, Italy, and Span. But rarely is much made of Poland, except that World War II “started” there. Oh, how sad, you really do not know the “rest of the story.”
First off, for a brief animated history of Poland, I suggest you check out this video from You Tube. It’s short, entertaining, and tells the story of a country that is well over a thousand years old. But there is so much more to Polish history that you cannot get from You Tube, and that you will not read in any American “world history” book, unfortunately. So here are a few tidbits of information for you, just a few, and after these, I’ll tell you of some great resources where you can discover the truth of the glorious history of Poland for yourself, the truth you will not find in schools in America today.
Did you know…..
- In 966, Miszko I of the Piast dynasty chose to be baptized. His conversion to Christianity is often referred to as the beginning of recorded Polish History
- Even though Poland is considered a “Catholic” country, Poland has throughout it’s history been very welcoming to all religions. That is one of the reasons that Poland had (prior to Hitler and the Nazi Holocaust) such a large Jewish population.
- During the reformation, while France and Spain and the like were carrying out the “Inquisition” and torturing and burning so-called heretics, protestants were welcomed in Poland and lived peacefully alongside Catholics and Jews.
- From the 1500s on, Poland had an elected king! Yep, you heard it right. The sejm (governing body) would elect the king. The sejm was composed of nobles and the like.
- At one time, Krakow was the center of trade for all of Europe.
- Poland had the first constitution in Europe (1788) and the second in the western world, only a few years after the US Constitution.
- Poland was called on time and again by other countries in Europe and by the Pope to come to their aid. Poland helped stop the advance of the Turks in a decisive battle.
- Poland gave the American revolution Pulaski, father of the American Cavalry, and Kosciuszko, a master engineer and general. Both were instrumental in helping the US win its independence.
- Poland gave the world Copernicus (the earth moves around the sun), Curie (named one of the elements she discovered “polonium”) and Chopin (and Joseph Conrad, the “american” author–he was from Poland!).
- Poland gave the world Pope John Paul II who was instrumental in the fall of Communism and the end of the cold war.
- My Polish ancestors came to the US, not to escape Poland (because there was no Poland as a country at that time), but to escape the anti-Polish persecution of the Germans, Austro-Hungarians, and Russians. Those countries divided Poland and tried to wipe it off the face of the earth.
I could go on and on, but what’s the point? You really owe it to yourself to learn a bit about Polish history. But how? Well, if you’re into reading, I suggest you start in this order:
- Read Michener’s Poland. Yes, it’s historical fiction, and yes, it takes liberties with history. But it at least can whet your appetite to know more about Poland, and it’s entertaining.
- Now that you’re serious about Polish history, I suggest you next read Adam Zamoyski’s The Polish Way: A Thousand-Year History of the Poles and Their Culture. Now I’ll admit that the translation is a bit “Brittish” at times, but it’s a real eye-opener of a book and will give you the basics of Polish History.
- Next I suggest Poland: An Illustrated History by Iwor Pogonowski. It really is a good book, is written in short sections so easy to pick up and put down, and does have some illustrations. I am just now finishing the last few pages of this book.
- Finally, if you really want to get serious, I suggest you read and study the two volume set (more like a tome) by Norman Davies aptly titled God’s Playground: A History of Poland, Volumes 1 and 2. I am just about to start out on this set, but it has been highly recommended by a number of people.
So you see, there are some very good resources for us English-speaking people to learn about Polish history. Of course, if you spoke good Polish, you could talk to a Pole about it. Or maybe you’ll be lucky and find a Pole who speak English and is conversant in Polish history. Good luck!
