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Poland Chronology of Important Events
Period
Description
MEDIEVAL PERIOD
966
Prince Mieszko adopts Christianity; traditional date of
origin of Polish state.
1025
Boleslaw I (the Brave) recognized as first king of Poland.
1079
Bishop Stanislaw of Kraków martyred.
1226
Teutonic Knights introduced into Polish regions.
1241
Asiatic Tatars invade Poland and Central Europe.
1320
Following a period of disunity, W adyWladyslaw Lokietek
(the
Short) recognized in Europe as king of Poland.
1333-70
Kaziemierz III (the Great), reigns as one of Poland's most
noted rulers.
1364
University of Kraków founded.
1385
Union of Krewo begins Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth under
Jagiellon Dynasty.
1410
Forces of Poland-Lithuania defeat Teutonic Knights at
Battle
of Grunwald (Tannenberg).
SIXTEENTH CENTURY
1500-1600
Traditional "Golden Age" of Poland- Lithuania; period when
political stability, prosperity, and cultural achievement
reach their peak.
1526
Defeat by Ottoman Turks at Battle of Mohács leads to
collapse of Jagiellon rule over Bohemia and Hungary.
1543
Copernicus publishes treatise defining heliocentric
universe.
1569
Union of Lublin strengthens Polish- Lithuanian
Commonwealth.
1572
Jagiellon Dynasty ends, and era of truly elective monarchy
begins.
SEVENTEENTH CENTURY
1648-67
"Deluge" period includes internal rebellion and foreign
invasion. 1683
King Jan Sobieski breaks siege of Vienna.
EIGHTEENTH CENTURY
ca. 1700-25
Poland becomes virtual puppet of Russia during reign of
Tsar
Peter the Great.
1764
Stanislaw August Poniatowski elected as last king of
PolandLithuania .
1768-72
Confederation of Bar rebels.
1772-73
Austria, Prussia, and Russia impose first partition of
Poland.
1791
Constitution of May 3 restores hereditary monarchy and
reforms political system.
1792-93
Confederation of Targowica invites foreign intervention;
Prussia and Russia carry out second partition of Poland.
1794
Tadeusz Kosciuszko leads rebellion against foreign rule.
1795
Austria, Prussia, and Russia impose third partition of
Poland, ending Polish independence for more than a
century.
NINETEENTH CENTURY
1807-15
Semi-independent Duchy of Warsaw established by Napoleon;
abolished by Russian occupation, 1813; repartitioned by
Congress of Vienna after Napoleon's final defeat.
ca. 1820-55
Era of Romanticism in Polish culture produces such figures
as Mickiewicz and Chopin.
1830-31
"November Revolt" against Russian rule in Congress Kingdom
of Poland proves unsuccessful.
1846
Polish uprising in Austrian zone of partition fails.
1863-64
"January Insurrection" in Russian sector culminates in
failure, ending phase of nineteenth-century insurrections
against foreign domination. ca. 1864-1900 Period of
"Organic
Work" marks important transition in Polish politics and
society.
TWENTIETH CENTURY
1914-18
World War I results in collapse of all partition powers
and
rise of independent Second Polish Republic at war's end.
ca. 1919-21
War with Soviet Russia; Poland avoids Soviet conquest and
gains narrow victory.
1926
Jozef Pilsudski gains power by coup and establishes
sanacja government that rules until 1939.
1939
World War II begins with September invasions of Poland by
Nazi Germany and Soviet Union; Polish forces defeated.
After
defeat, Polish government-in-exile forms in London under
General Sikorski. 1940-41 Soviet Union incarcerates 1.5
million Poles in labor camps and executes thousands of
prisoners of war before ceding Polish lands to Germans.
1941-44
All Polish territory comes under Nazi occupation, taking
savage toll of Polish lives; Poland becomes main killing
ground of the Holocaust; Polish resistance movements
active
at home and abroad. 1943 Discovery of Katyn Massacre
causes
breach between Soviet Union and Polish
government-in-exile.
1944
Warsaw uprising by resistance Polish Home Army receives no
Soviet assistance, is crushed by Nazis.
1945
Red Army liberates Polish territories and establishes
communist-dominated coalition government.
1947
Communists consolidate political monopoly after rigged
elections. 1947-49
Sovietization occurs, including nationalization of
industry
and business, attacks on organized religion, and
imprisonment of opposition leaders.
1948-56
Stalinist period brings most severe communist rule;
adoption
of Soviet-style constitution; attempted collectivization
of
agriculture.
1956
Worker riots in Poznan result in numerous deaths; in
defiance of Soviet Union, Wladyslaw Gomulka chosen as
Polish
Communist Party leader; he announces commitment to reform
and liberalization of system.
1968
Popular disenchantment with Gomulka begins to crystallize
opposition that will mature in next two decades.
1970
Government price increase policy brings strikes and
demonstrations on Baltic coast; met by lethal force,
hundreds die; Gomulka deposed.
1970-80
Edward Gierek heads communist party; his policies result
in
severe economic crisis and intensified opposition
sentiment;
strikes and riots result from price rises, 1976.
1978
Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, elected pope, takes name John Paul
II. 1980
Nationwide worker strikes culminate in occupation of Lenin
Shipyard in Gdansk; state authorities sign Gdansk Accords,
acceding to striker demands and autonomy for the
Solidarity
trade union. 1980-81
Solidarity, spearhead of political and social reform
movement, exists legally; constant friction between
Solidarity and government; Warsaw Pact threatens
intervention.
1981
General Wojciech Jaruzelski becomes party head, declares
martial law, and carries out military takeover in name of
communist party; Solidarity banned, its leadership
imprisoned, other union activists driven underground.
1983
Solidarity leader Lech Walesa receives Nobel Prize for
Peace.
1984
Father Jerzy Popieluszko murdered by Polish secret police.
1985-1988
Period of gradual liberalization corresponding to advent
of
Mikhail Gorbachev in Soviet Union; economic crisis and
popular frustration deepen. 1988 Renewed labor strikes
convince Jaruzelski to initiate talks with opposition.
1989
Round Table talks produce formula for power sharing
between
communists and Solidarity; partly free elections result in
sweeping Solidarity victories; communist regime crumbles.
1989
August First postcommunist prime minister, Tadeusz
Mazowiecki, forms coalition government. 1990 January
"Shock
therapy" economic reform program of Finance Minister
Leszek
Balcerowicz goes into effect; PZPR formally dissolved and
renamed Social Democracy of Republic of Poland (SdRP).
December Walesa becomes first popularly elected
postcommunist president.
1991
July Warsaw Pact alliance dissolved. Summer Comecon
economic
grouping dissolved. August Coup fails to take over
government of Soviet Union. October Parliamentary
elections
seat fragmented Sejm; Jan Olszewski chosen compromise
prime
minister. December Soviet Union officially breaks up.
1992
February Parliament passes strict antiabortion law after
bitter social and political struggle. May Sejm rejection
of
Olszewski economic program leads to Olszewski's ouster;
final accord signed on withdrawal of Russian troops from
Poland.
1992
August- September Coalition government of Hanna Suchocka
oversees economic growth period and continued political
fragmentation.
1993
October Prime Minister Waldemar Pawlak forms new
government
dominated by SdPR.
Data as of October 1992
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