Poland: Past and Present http:infopoland'buffalo'edu http:infopoland'icm'edu'pl

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Poland Past and Present http//info-poland.buffa
lo.eduhttp//info-poland.icm.edu.pl
Poland is located in Europes Center
Note in the east Europe stretches to the Ural
mountains, which are off the map
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Poland Past and Present
Notes located in Europes Center is literally
true. If one draws one straight line from the
Norways North Shore (Europe furthest northern
point) to Cyprus, (its farthest point south)
and a second straight line from Portugals to
the Ural Mountains that separate Europe from Asia
(not shown on this map) the two lines cross in
Poland.
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Poland Past and Present
The country is bordered by the Baltic Sea to the
North and the Carpathian Mountains to the South
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Poland Past and Present
The highest Carpathian Mountains, the Tatras,
rise above the resort town of Zakopane and are
belowed by the Poles.
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Poland Past and Present
Warsaw, the countrys capital for the last 500
years, is a bustling modern metoropolis studded
with skyscrapers but also possessing many palaces
and an Old Town.
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Poland Past and Present
During WWII Warsaw was 98 destroyed, but it has
since been completely rebuilt An exception is the
monument to the unknown soldier which is located
in a piece of a collonade that had formed part of
a royal palace.
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Poland Past and Present
Poland is a fertile land and agriculture
dominates much of the countryside
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Poland Past and PresentHistorical timelines
966 Mieszko I accepts Christianity on behalf of
the Nation History begins 1374, September 17
In Kosice, King Louis I pledges to the Polish
Nobility no Royal imposition of taxes without
consent integrity of the Nations territory
... 1505, May 3 In Radom, the Nihil Novi
Constitution adopted by Sejm and Senate. No
introduction of new laws without consent of both
Seim and Senate
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Poland Past and Present
Jagiellonian Poland-Lithuania In 1466
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Poland Past and Present
1573, 28 February The Seym (parliament) meeting
as the Confederation of Warsaw assures the
practice of any religion without discrimination
or penalty 1573, 4 April to 20 May Election of
King and his signing the Pacta Conventa promising
not to declare war, raise an army, levy taxes
without consent of Seym 1791, 3 May Enactment
of Europes first written Constitution
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Poland Past and Present
Poland in 1772
Poland 1918 - 1939
Poland since 1945
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Poland Past and Present
Confederation of Bar 29 February 1768 aimed
at Russian garrisons (Pulaski) Kosciuszko
Uprising March 24, 1794 Krakow - For
liberty, integrity, and sovereignty November
Uprising November 30, 1930 Warsaw - For
independence January Uprising January 22, 1863
Warsaw -For independence Wielkopolskie Uprising
December 27, 1918 Poznan to free
Wielkoposka Warsaw Ghetto Uprising April 1943
To perish with dignity Warsaw Uprising August
1, 1944 To liberate city in advance of Red
Army Poznan Demonstration June 28, 1956 For
truth, freedom and bread Gdansk Events
December 12-22, 1970 For bread
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Poland Past and Present
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising April 1943 To perish
with dignity Warsaw Uprising August 1, 1944
To liberate city in advance of Red Army Poznan
Demonstration June 28, 1956 For truth,
freedom and bread Gdansk Events December
12-22, 1970 For bread
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Poland Past and Present
Religious faiths of the Polish Commonwealth in
1772
Today 95 of Poles are Roman Catholics
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Poland Past and Present
A map of the 2nd Polish Republic as
re-established in 1918 Showing the of the
population who was Jewish in towns (bold) and
provinces. The Nazis murdered most of that
population during WWII
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Poland Past and Present
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising April 1943 To perish
with dignity Warsaw Uprising August 1, 1944
To liberate city in advance of Red Army Poznan
Demonstration June 28, 1956 For truth,
freedom and bread Gdansk Events December
12-22, 1970 For bread
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Poland Past and Present
At the end of WWII Poland found itself consigned
to the Soviet zone of influence and a was imposed
a communist government. The elevation of
Cardinal Wojtyla of Krakow in 1978 to the Papacy
as John Paul II and his pastoral visits to Poland
gave the nation courage
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Poland Past and Present
In 1980, the workers at the shipyards in Gdansk,
led by an electrician by name Lech Walesa, went
on strike and won the right to form a independent
(non-communist) union Solidarity
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Poland Past and PresentProf. Peter K.
Gessnerhttp//info-poland.buffalo.edu
Soon the Soldarnosc had over 10 million members
and the communist government felt threatened. On
December 13, 1981, Gen. Jaruzelski, the head of
the government declared matrial law and interned
Lech Walesa and thousands of other Solidarity
members.
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Poland Past and Present
The Tables are turned December 22, 1990 Lech
Walesa having won a landslide election is sworn
is as Polands first post WWII non communist
President
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Poland Past and Present
March 12, 1999 Poland accedes to NATO May 1,
2004 Poland accedes to the European Union
Aleksander Kwasniewski Polands President 1995 -
2005
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Poland Past and Present
Jaroslaw and Lech Kaczynski, respectively Polands
current Primeminister and President
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Poland Past and PresentProf. Peter K.
Gessnerhttp//info-poland.buffalo.edu
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Poland Past and Present
As of 6/22/05 info-poland is also available on
the website of Warsaw Universitys Mathematical
and Computer Modeling Center