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Poland History dates back to 966 when Mieszko I, founder of the Piast dynasty was baptized. This conversion of Mieszko to Christianity is the earliest recorded event of Poland History. By the time Mieszko came completely under the authority of the Holy See, his country Poland had already become one of the most powerful in Eastern Europe. Poland History from its early days witnessed a number of change of hands. In the 13th Century a number of foreign invasions, civil strife weakened the small Polish Principalities with significant depopulation and the German settlers migrated to Poland in large number. The Germans who remained a significant minority in Poland until the 20th Century influenced Poland history and culture to a large extent.
The 16th Century saw the prevalence of the Polish- Lithuanian Commonwealth. It was during this period that Poland History witnessed the development of an Elective Monarchy. In this Monarchy, the king was elected by the hereditary Nobility and the king would continue to serve till he died. The Polish- Lithuanian Commonwealth was an alternative to all the Absolute Monarchies that prevailed in most of the parts of Europe. However, the occurrence of a number of wars in the 17th Century the Polish- Lithuanian Commonwealth started loosing its influential position in the Politics of Europe.
The second half of the18th Century heralded the Polish Enlightenment which led to the framing of the Constitution of May 3rd. This was the first moder and codified Constitution of Europe. This transformation of Poland from a Commonwealth toe Constitutional Monarchy was considered dangerous by its neighbors and they started invading it.
The independence of Poland followed a number of partitions which was undertaken by Prussia, Russia and Austria. When Prussia came to be defeated by Napoleon the Duchy of Warsaw was set up which was a Polish State under French tutelage. With the defeat of Austria Lodomeria was added and this Polish population were the most adherent French supporters when the war was not in the favor of France. This relation carried on till the 20th Century.
After the defeat of Napoleon the Congress of Vienna of 1815 declared most of the Grand Duchy to be the Kingdom of Poland. With the occurrence of the January uprising the Kingdom of Poland came to be absorbed in the Russian empire. It was only after the First World War that there were hopes of Polish freedom.
Finally in the year 1918, Poland acquired independence which came to be confirmed by the treaty of Versailles in 1919. In 1945 the Polish Provisional Government of National Unity was formed following the Yalta Conference.
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