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Poland
The movements of the Slavic peoples who became the
Poles is highly uncertain. That they followed the Baltic peoples into the
area seems likely, and that they settled alongside some of them also seems
likely. In the Middle Ages, Slavic peoples came to dominate Poland, and as
the West Slavic Polish tribes emerged, they formed small states which were
unified in the tenth century, when Poland emerged into history as it
accepted Christianity. |
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c.1300 - 500 BC |
The Lusatian Culture emerges and thrives in the Polish territories,
extending west into eastern Germany, and south into Czechia and Slovakia. |
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c.400 BC - AD 400 |
Various peoples pass through the region during this period, leaving their
mark as they go, from Celtic (in southern Poland, the northern limit of
their expansion) to German, to Baltic (who remain mostly in the north-eastern
corner of Poland). |
c.AD 50 - 150 |
The arrival in Poland of the
Gothic people in the first and second centuries AD has a great impact on
the Baltic population, resulting in them moving towards
eastern Lithuania. In all
probability, due to the ethnic affinity of these peoples, peaceful relations
are established. The appearance of various new groups of pottery testifies
to the further merging of these ethnic groupings. |
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5th century |
Slavs first migrate into Poland, filling the void left by the departing
German tribes as they head west into the decaying
Roman
empire. By the eighth century, small states are beginning to emerge, and
these coalesce in the ninth and tenth centuries until a single state is
formed. |
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Duchy & Kingdom of Poland (Piast)
AD 842? - 1370
The rule of the (legendary) Prince Piast in Great Poland began around AD
842, although he and the subsequent three princes
of Poland are of dubious certainty. However, it is possible that they, or
their historical counterparts, began the process of uniting the Polish
tribes. Mieszko Piast became the first documented ruler of Poland, when he
accepted Christianity into the newly created state in 966. At this time, the
Polish state encompassed territory similar to that of modern
Poland. Mieszko's son,
Boleslaw I (born circa 966), temporarily extended the Polish realm over Lusatia,
Bohemia, Moravia, and Slovakia.
Poland was declared a kingdom on at least two occasions by its great
princes, and the throne was occupied for a time by Bohemian kings on a third
occasion, but for the most part, the great princes ruled as dukes of Poland
in between periods of confusion and counter-claims for the ducal throne. To
clearly differentiate between them, kings are shown in green. From 964, there were two capitals, at Gniezno and Poznan.
(Additional information by Krzysiek Popończyk.) |
|
842 - 861 |
Piast Kolodziej (the Wheelwright) |
First known (but not documented) prince of Poland. |
|
c.861 - 900 |
Siemowit |
|
|
c.900 - 930 |
Leszek / Lestko IV |
|
|
c.930 - 960 |
Siemomysl |
Died c.960. |
|
940 |
Gniezno becomes one of the main fortresses of the early
Piasts. |
960 - 992 |
Mjeczislas / Mieszko I Piast |
First documented
prince of Poland.
Dynasty founder. |
|
966 |
Having formed a unified Polish state which includes
Mazovia and
Pomerania, Mieszko I accepts
baptism, followed by the building of churches and the establishment of an
ecclesiastical hierarchy. He sees baptism as a way of strengthening his hold
on power, with the active support he can expect from the bishops, as well as
it being a unifying force for the Polish people.
 |
|
The Baptism of Poland, by Jan Matejko in 1888-1889, portrays a
romanticised version of the acceptance of Christianity by King Mieszko on behalf
of his people in 966
|
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|
992 - 1024 |
Boleslaw I
Chobry (the Brave) |
Son. Succeeded 25 May.
Elevated to king in 1024. |
|
992 |
The period in which Boleslaw succeeds to the ducal throne
is a confused one. Some sources claim that his step-mother and brothers act
as his regents for a short time (no longer than 992-995), while others state
that in traditional Piast fashion the new ruler sees them as potential
rivals and banishes all three of them almost immediately after gaining
power. Either way, he is undisputed ruler of Poland in 992 (Greater Poland,
Galicia,
Mazovia, Kuiavia, and parts of
Pomerania, forming something close to the modern
Polish territory), as the
Holy Roman Emperor,
Otto III, requests his military aid later that year. |
992 |
|
Oda |
Step-mother.
Regent or rival? |
992 |
|
Mieszko |
Half-brother of
Boleslaw. Regent or rival? |
992 |
|
Lambert |
Half-brother of
Boleslaw. Regent or rival? |
992 - 995 |
|
Swietopelk? |
In
Pomerania. |
|
997 |
St Adalbert of Prague, sent by the Pope
into Prussian lands to convert the pagans, is escorted by soldiers granted
to him by Boleslaw. Adalbert is executed for sacrilege, and Boleslaw begins
a series of unsuccessful attempts at conquering the Prussians. |
1000 |
On 7 to 15 March the Congress Of Gniezno (the capital of
Poland) is held. The
German Emperor Otto
III establishes an archbishopric in Gniezno with three new bishoprics in
Krakow (Cracow) for Little Poland, Wroclaw for Silesia, and Kolobrzeg for
Pomerania,
plus the reaffirmation of the old bishopric in Poznan. |
1002 |
Upon Otto III's death,
Boleslaw takes over Lusatia and the march of Meissen, border territory
between Poland and
Thuringia. |
1003 - 1004 |
Boleslaw becomes duke of
Bohemia
(although this conflicts with the Bohemian list of rulers). The title brings
with it Moravia and Slovakia. |
1018 |
A peace treaty is signed in Budziszyn with Emperor Heinrich II (Henry II the
Saint) - ratifying Poland's control over Lusatia and Meissen (as well as
Galicia). In the same year,
Germany and
Hungary
support an expedition against
Kiev, and Boleslaw defeats his son-in-law's enemy
there, taking over 'Grody
Czerwieńskie'. |
1024 - 1025 |
Boleslaw declares the Polish kingdom on 25 December 1024, with
the blessing of Pope
John XIX, and is crowned on 18 April 1025 in Gniezno. The capital remains
divided between Gniezno and Poznan. |
1024 - 1025 |
Boleslaw I the Brave |
King. Died 17 June,
just two months after his coronation. |
1025 - 1031 |
Mieszko II
Lambert |
King.
Son. Crowned on 25 December. |
1031 - 1032 |
Bezprym |
Prince of Poland, probably
in Krakow or Silesia, Oct-Spring. |
1031 - 1032 |
|
Otto |
Sub-prince,
probably in Krakow or Silesia, Oct-Spring. |
1032 |
Mieszko II
Lambert |
Restored, spring
to Jul only. |
1032 |
Poland is partitioned three ways, with Otto
probably gaining Silesia or Krakow, Dytryk (Deitrich) probably in
Pomerania, and Mieszko II
probably in Great Poland, Mazovia,
and Kuiavia.
Kiev
gains
Galicia. |
1033 - 1034 |
Mieszko II
Lambert |
Restored, until
10/11 May 1034. |
1034 - 1038 |
The rule of Poland becomes confusing and may cease entirely between these
dates, leaving no overall authority coordinating the minor duchies. One name
is mentioned as a ruler in this period, that of Boleslaw Zapomniany, but his
existence is doubtful. He could be a later addition simply to plug the gap
and show a continuous monarchy. The mention of Kazimierz may be a sign of
his first attempt to restore a unified Polish crown. |
1034? |
Boleslaw Zapomniany |
Existed? |
1034 |
Kazimierz I / Casimir
I the Restorer |
|
1038 - 1039? |
Boleslaw Zapomniany |
Existed? |
1037/1038 |
The Polish 'state' collapses into anarchy. The Pagan Rebellion involves many
minor princes, none of whose names or territories
are known, except for Mieclaw of Mazovia.
In summer 1039, Kazimierz I Karol Odnowiciel, 'the Restorer', gains control
of Greater Poland and Kuiavia, gaining with it the title of prince of
Poland.
During the period of anarchy, Duke Brestislav I of
Bohemia captures,
plunders and destroys the cities Gniezno and nearby Poznan in 1038. As a
result, Kazimierz I moves the Polish capital to Krakow. |
1039 - 1058 |
Kazimierz I / Casimir
I the Restorer |
Prince of Poland. |
1039 - 1050 |
Kazimierz I gains control of Krakow and
Lesser Poland, and makes Krakow his new capital. In 1040 or 1041 he gains
control of Mazovia, and in 1047, Silesia,
although perhaps only fully here in 1050. |
1058 - 1076 |
Boleslaw
II Smialy / Szczodry (the Bold) |
|
1058 - 1065 |
|
Mieszko |
Possibly sub-prince
in Kuiavia, Sieradz, and Leczyca. |
|
1076 - 1079 |
A renewed Polish kingdom is declared on 25 December 1076. However, just
three years later, it is reduced once more to a duchy upon the expulsion of Boleslaw
II.
The bewildering array of subsequent claimants to be the senior ruler of Poland during
this period makes it very hard to judge just who holds authority in the
country. |
1076 - 1079 |
Boleslaw
II Smialy / Szczodry (the Bold) |
King. Formerly duke of Poland.
Restored Gniezno .Expelled. |
1079 - 1080 |
Archbishop Petrus Leczyc |
Regent from June onwards. |
1079 - 1102 |
Wladyslaw I Herman |
Brother of Boleslaw II. Prince of Poland. Abdicated. |
|
1080 |
The capital is moved to Plock, which is retained until 1138.
 |
|
The bishopric in Płock was founded about 1075, but the present
cathedral was built after 1129, replacing one that existed by
1102
|
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|
1081 |
Vratislav |
Duke of
Bohemia
and pretender to the Polish throne. |
1086 - 1089 |
|
Mieszko |
Wladyslaw's
co-ruler. Died 1089. |
1093 - 1096 |
|
Zbigniew |
Illegitimate son
of Wladyslaw I. Co-ruler. |
1097 - 1102 |
|
Zbigniew |
Co-ruler for the
second time. |
1097 - 1102 |
|
Boleslaw III Krzywousty |
Son of Wladyslaw
I & Judith of
Bohemia.
Co-ruler. |
|
1102 - 1138 |
Boleslaw III Krzywousty |
Senior prince, Greater Poland, Silesia, & Lesser
Poland. |
1107 - 1108 |
|
Zbigniew |
Co-ruler for
third time, in Greater Poland, Kuiavia &
Mazovia. |
|
1122 |
Boleslaw III gains overall control in areas of
Pomerania. |
|
1138 |
On 28 October, Poland is divided into several principalities: Great
Poland, Mazovia, Kujavia, Silesia, and Sandomierz. Little Poland
is reserved for the senior Polish prince in Krakow, who is nominal overlord for all the
principalities until 1180. Further subdivisions occur throughout the next
two centuries. |
1138 - 1146 |
Wladyslaw II
Wygnaniec (the Exile) |
Senior prince of Poland, and duke of Silesia. |
|
1141 - 1146 |
Boleslaw IV, duke of
Mazovia, rebels against Wladyslaw
II between 1141-1143, and again from 1144-1146, securing the position of
senior prince for himself. |
1146 - 1173 |
Boleslaw IV
Kedzierzawy (the Curly) |
Senior prince & duke of
Mazovia. |
|
1147 |
Boleslaw IV
attacks the Prussians with the aid of
Russian troops, but is unable
to conquer them. |
1173 - 1177 |
Mieszko III
Stary (the Old) |
Duke of Greater Poland. |
1173 - 1177 |
|
Henryk
Kietlicz |
Provincial
governor for Mieszko III. |
1177 - 1191 |
Kazimierz II
Sprawiedliwy (the Just) |
|
1191 |
Mieszko III
Stary (the Old) |
Restored. |
1191 |
Boleslaw |
A governor for Mieszko. |
1191 - 1194 |
Kazimierz II
Sprawiedliwy (the Just) |
Restored. |
1194 - 1198 |
Leszek I
Bialy (the White) |
|
1194 - 1198 |
|
Helena |
Regent. |
1194 - 1198 |
|
Mikolaj |
Regent. |
1194 - 1198 |
|
Pelka |
Regent and bishop
of Cracow. |
|
1195 |
Mieszko III
Stary opposes Leszek I as senior prince. It takes a further three years
before he is restored. |
1198 - 1199? |
Mieszko III
Stary (the Old) |
Restored for a
second time. |
1198/1199 |
Leszek I
Bialy (the White) |
Restored in opposition to Mieszko III. |
1198/1199 |
|
Helena |
Restored as
regent. |
1198/1199 |
|
Mikolaj |
Restored as
regent. |
1198/1199 |
|
Pelka |
Bishop of Cracow.
Restored as regent. |
1198/99 - 1202 |
Mieszko III
Stary (the Old) |
Restored for a
third time. Also duke of Greater Poland. |
|
1201 |
Mieszko III
is briefly expelled before being restored (for a fourth time), but again, in
1202, he is replaced by his constant rival. |
1202 |
Leszek I
Bialy (the White) |
Restored for a second time. |
1202 - 1206? |
Wladyslaw III
Laskonogi (Spindleskanks) |
Duke of Greater Poland. |
1206 - 1210 |
Leszek I
Bialy (the White) |
Restored for a third time. |
|
1209 - 1222 |
Under Prince Konrad I of
Mazovia, attempts to conquer the
Prussians are intensified, with large battles and crusades
taking place in 1209, 1219, 1220, and
1222.
 |
|
Prince Konrad of Mazovia challenged continually for control of
Poland, finally achieving his purpose in 1241. He was also
responsible for inviting the Teutonic Knights into Prussia
|
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|
1210 - 1211 |
Mieszko Platonogi |
Duke of Silesia. Died 1211. |
|
1211 - 1227 |
Leszek I
Bialy (the White) |
Restored for a fourth time. The last senior prince. |
|
1227 |
The position of senior prince is abandoned. The prince of Krakow now holds
nominal control of Poland. |
|
1227 - 1228 |
Boleslaw V Wstydliwy (the Chaste) |
Son of Leszek I. |
1227 - 1228 |
|
Grzymislawa |
Mother and
regent. |
1228 - 1231 |
Wladyslaw III
Laskonogi (Spindleskanks) |
Restored. Now prince of Greater
Poland. |
1228 - 1229 |
|
Henryk I
Brodaty (Bearded) of Silesia |
Provincial
governor for Wladyslaw III. |
1228 |
Prince Konrad I of
Mazovia invites the
Teutonic Knights to settle in the Lower Vistula on the border with the
Prussians, who have been ravaging Mazovia,
which straddles the Vistula
between the heartland of Poland and Prussia (and occasionally includes the
Prussian region of
Chelmno). The Order attempts to
Christianise the pagan Prussians and form its own military-religious state
(known as the Ordenstaat) which it governs for the next three hundred years. |
1229 |
Konrad I Mazowiecki |
Prince of
Mazovia. in opposition to Wladyslaw
III. |
1229 - 1230/31 |
|
Marek
Gryfita |
Provincial
governor for Wladyslaw III. |
|
1229 - 1241 |
Prince Konrad of Mazovia opposes Wladyslaw III
in 1229 and 1231, and then his successor, Henryk I, in 1233. Only in 1241 is
he successful in becoming the senior ruler in Poland. |
|
1230/1231 |
|
Teodor (Czader) Gryfita |
Provincial
governor for Wladyslaw III. |
1231 |
Konrad I Mazowiecki |
Prince of
Mazovia. in opposition to Wladyslaw
III. |
1231 - 1238 |
Henryk I
Brodaty (the Bearded) of Silesia |
Previously a
provincial governor (1228). |
1233 |
Konrad I Mazowiecki |
Prince of
Mazovia. in opposition to Henryk I. |
1238 - 1241 |
Henryk II
Pobozny (the Pious) |
Non-dynastic. |
|
1241 |
Boleslaw (II) Rogatka |
Between Apr-Jul only. |
|
1241 |
|
Klemens z Ruszczy Gryfita |
Provincial
governor for Boleslaw (II). |
1241 - 1243 |
Konrad I Mazowiecki |
Prince of
Mazovia. |
1243 - 1279 |
Boleslaw V
Wstydliwy (the Chaste) |
Restored. |
1279 - 1288 |
Leszek II
Czarny (the Black) |
|
|
1282/1285 |
Konrad (II)
Czerski |
Pretender. |
|
1288 - 1288/89 |
Boleslaw (II) Plocki |
From Oct 1288 to the end of 1288 or start of 1289. |
1288 - 1289 |
Henryk IV
Prawy (Probus) |
Non-dynastic. |
1289 |
Wladyslaw restores the fragmented Polish monarchy. As such he is
often numbered as the first Wladyslaw by later historians, ignoring the
first three, while others include them, numbering this Wladyslaw as the
fourth. Both sets of numbering are shown here from this point forwards.
In 1289, Wladyslaw gains power for the first time, albeit briefly. Between
April and 13 October 1292 he is a pretender, and is styled 'Heir of Krakow' from January 1293.
From 10 March 1296, this changes to 'Duke of the Polish Kingdom'. He is pretender to
Krakow until 18 November 1297 and in 1305 gains the throne again, for just
two months. Two further periods of rule follow, in 1306-1311 and 1312-1320,
until finally, in 1320, he is proclaimed king. |
|
1289 |
Wladyslaw I (IV) Lokietek (the Short) |
Feb-Oct only. |
1289 - 1290 |
Henryk IV
Prawy (Probus) |
second time |
|
1290 - 1296 |
The capital is moved briefly back to Plock until 1296, when Poznan takes
over. |
1291 - 1300 |
Waclaw II |
Wenceslas II of
Bohemia (1283-1305). |
|
1292 - 1296 |
Wladyslaw I (IV) Lokietek (the Short) |
Pretender, styled 'Heir of
Krakow'. |
|
1293 - 1294 |
Kazimierz (II) Leczycki |
Pretender, styled 'Heir of
Krakow'. |
|
1296 - 1297 |
Wladyslaw I (IV) Lokietek (the Short) |
Pretender, styled 'Duke of the Polish Kingdom'. |
|
1300 |
Waclaw is crowned king of Poland. |
1300 - 1305 |
Waclaw II |
King. |
|
1301 - 1309 |
Henryk I (III) Glogowczyk |
Pretender, styled 'Heir of the Polish Kingdom'. |
|
1305 |
Wladyslaw I (IV) Lokietek |
Restored, Jun-Jul only. |
1305 - 1306 |
Waclaw III |
Restored.
Assassinated. |
|
1306 - 1311 |
Wladyslaw I (IV) Lokietek |
Restored for a second time. |
|
1312 |
Boleslaw I |
Rebelled, Apr-Jun only. Died 1313. |
|
1312 - 1320 |
Wladyslaw I (IV) Lokietek |
Restored for a third time. |
1320 |
On 20
January, all of Poland (except for Silesia,
Pomerania, and
Mazovia)
is reunited
into the Polish kingdom with the coronation of Wladyslaw. |
1320 - 1333 |
Wladyslaw I Lokietek |
King. |
1333 - 1370 |
Kasimierz / Casimir
III Wielki (the Great) |
King. The last Piast. |
1349 |
Galicia (and all of Red Ruthenia) is finally reclaimed by Kasimierz III when the kingdom is partitioned by him and
Lithuania. The
region remains tied to the Polish crown until 1772. |
1370 |
Kasimierz dies leaving only female issue and a grandson - Louis the Great of
Hungary.
The succession has already been agreed in advance, so Louis is able to claim
the throne. |
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Kingdom of Poland (Anjou-Hungary)
AD 1370 - 1386
On the extinction of the Piast main line, kingship
became elective, but de facto the Diet selected kings in
hereditary order until 1572. In practise, during the fifteen years of
Hungarian
rule, power was held by the mother of Louis the Great, Elizabeth of Poland,
the dowager queen of Hungary until her death in 1380. Elizabeth was the
daughter of Wladyslaw I (IV) of the Piast dynasty, which is how her son was
able to establish his claim to the throne. |
1370 - 1382 |
Louis / Ludwik I
Wegierski (the
Great) |
King of
Hungary (1342-1382). |
1370 - 1377 |
|
Elzbieta /
Elizabeth of
Bosnia |
Wife and regent,
with a break between 1375-1376. |
|
1377 - 1378 |
|
Wladyslaw Opolczyk |
Regent,
winter 1377-28 Mar
1378. |
|
1378 - 1380 |
|
Elzbieta /
Elizabeth of
Bosnia |
Regent, 28 Mar
1378-29 Dec 1380. |
|
1380 - 1382 |
|
Zawisza Kurozweki |
Regent,
29 Dec 1380-12 Jan 1382. Bishop of Krakow. Died 1382. |
|
1380 - 1382 |
|
Dobislaw z Krakow |
Acting regent,
29 Dec 1380-11 Sep 1382. |
|
1380 - 1382 |
|
Sendziwog Szubin z Kalisz |
Acting regent,
29 Dec 1380-11 Sep 1382. |
|
1382 - 1383 |
Zygmunt Luksemburski (of Luxembourg) |
Elector Sigismund of
Brandenburg, pretender,
12 Jan- Oct? |
|
1382 - 1384 |
|
Dobislaw z Krakow |
Regent,
11 Sep 1382-16 Oct 1384. |
|
1382 - 1384 |
|
Sendziwog Szubin z Kalisz |
Joint regent,
11 Sep 1382-16 Oct 1384. |
|
1383 - 1384 |
Siemowit (IV) |
Pretender,
28 Mar 1383 – 6 Oct 1384. |
1383 |
Jadwiga is the daughter of Louis the Great, but she is also the
granddaughter of Wladyslaw I (IV), and thereby a Piast descendant on the
female side. When her father dies, she is crowned 'king of Poland'.
 |
|
Louis I of Hungary was a Piast descendent on his mother's side,
and therefore a rightful claimant to the Polish throne
|
|
|
1383 - 1386 |
Jadwiga of Anjou |
Dau of Louis the
Great. m Wladyslaw V
Jagiello. |
1385 |
The
Union of Kreva is agreed. It later becomes a personal union between
Lithuania and Poland,
when Jogaila has to marry Queen Jadwiga, and accept Catholic Christianity. |
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Kingdom of Poland (Jagiellan)
AD 1386 - 1569
The
Union of Kreva (Krewo) was agreed by Grand Prince Jogaila of Lithuania as
the only certain way to halt the crusading attacks on his country by Poland,
the Teutonic Knights and
Moscow.
The union included the offer of the Polish throne in return for the
Christianisation of the
Lithuanians (and also in part because this would
diminish the power of the Teutonic Knights), and in 1386 Jogaila became king
of Poland under the name Wladyslaw Jagiello. His marriage to Queen Jadwiga
sealed the union between the two countries, beginning four hundred years of
Polish-Lithuanian cooperation.
Wladyslaw I (IV) restored the fragmented Piast
Polish monarchy and as such he is
often numbered as the first Wladyslaw by later historians, ignoring the
first three, while others include them, numbering this Wladyslaw as the
fourth. Both sets of numbering are shown here for all subsequent Wladyslaws. |
1386 - 1434 |
Wladyslaw
II (V) Jagiello
/ Jogaila |
Grand duke of
Lithuania. Founder of Jagiellan
dynasty. |
1386 - 1399 |
|
Jadwiga of Anjou |
Ruled kingdom jointly
with her husband. |
1392 |
Vytautas is successful in gaining Jogaila's concession of power in
Lithuania,
and rules the country as great prince, while Jogaila concentrates on his Polish
domains. |
1410 |
The
Teutonic Knights of
East Prussia are
crushed at
the Battle of Tannenberg by Polish
and
Lithuanian forces under
Jogaila's leadership, halting the eastward expansion of the Knights.
After this defeat, the
Livonian Order begins
to weaken and disintegrate. |
|
1429 - 1430 |
At the assembly of eastern and central European leaders, held in Lutsk,
Ukraine,
Holy
Roman Emperor Sigismund von
Luxembourg offers
Lithuania a crown.
In 1430, protests are made by the Polish Royal Council in their efforts to deny Lithuania
crown status. Poland refuses passage to the emperor's envoys and their
offering of a crown to Lithuania. The coronation of Vytautas in Vilnius
fails and he dies very soon afterwards. |
1434 - 1444 |
Wladyslaw III (VI) / Vlaidslav I Jagiello |
Wladyslav VI of
Hungary (1440-1444). |
1444 - 1446 |
There
is an interregnum in the rule of the country until
Grand Duke Casimir of
Lithuania
gains the throne of Poland as Casimir IV,
as well as retaining command of the grand duchy. The union of two thrones is
renewed on a personal basis (except between 1492-1501). |
1446 - 1492 |
Kazimierz / Casimir
IV |
Grand duke of
Lithuania (1440-1492). |
1454 - 1466 |
As a
Lithuanian, Kazimierz
is well aware of the part that the
Teutonic Knights have played in continued
attacks against his homeland up until the start of the fifteenth century,
and perhaps this now partly motivates him in pursuing the Thirteen Year War
against them. Ostensibly the reason for the war is the domination of
Prussia,
which Poland is determined to control. During the war, Poland takes
Pomerania and Danzig (modern Gdansk), and the Knights end up as their
vassals. |
1462 |
From within the duchy of
Mazovia, Belz,
Gostynin, and Rawa are annexed by Poland. Further Mazovian territories
follow over the course of the next half century or so. |
|
1471 |
The
Lithuanian Jagiello dynasty gains control of
Bohemia in the
form of Ladislas II. His successor is a member of the same dynasty. |
1492 - 1501 |
John
/ Jan I Albert |
Son. |
|
1501 |
Fryderyk Jagiellonczyk |
Jun-Oct. Archbishop of Gniezno, & interrex (senate
chairman). |
1501 - 1506 |
Alexander |
Brother. Also grand duke of
Lithuania. |
|
1505 |
The Constitution of 31 May eliminates royal legislative
powers. |
1507 - 1548 |
Zygmunt I Stary (the Old) / Sigismund I |
Brother. Also grand duke of
Lithuania. |
1525 |
The monastic state of the
Teutonic Knights is secularised during the
Protestant Reformation and replaced with a duchy in
East Prussia.
The last great master of the Teutonic Knights agrees to resign his position,
convert to Lutheran Protestantism, and submit to Polish suzerainty in order
to govern his new state, which becomes the first Protestant state in Europe.
|
1526 |
Following a devastating defeat at the Battle of Mohács and the death of
Louis, the Jagiellos lose
Hungary
and
Bohemia to the
Habsburgs. The defeat effectively destroys the dynasty's dream of
effecting the 'Jaigello dynasty idea' wherein
Lithuania, Poland,
Bohemia, and Hungary are drawn together in union. The dream lives on in a
more modest form for some years but is never realised. |
1548 - 1569 |
Zygmunt II / Sigismund II Augustus |
Son. Also grand duke of
Lithuania. |
1561 |
The Livonian Knights are dissolved and the Polish-Lithuanian
king gains all of their lands: the southern regions of
Estonia and the rest of Old
Livonia.
North
Estonia surrenders voluntarily
to the Swedish. |
1569 |
The union of Poland and
Lithuania,
the Lublin Union, already existing in fact if not name for over a century, is formalised. Sigismund becomes king of Poland-Lithuania. |
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Kingdom of Poland & Lithuania / The Commonwealth
AD 1569 - 1795
The Union of Lublin (or the Accord of Lublin), a formal joining together of
Poland and
Lithuania,
Ruthenia,
Livonia,
Polotsk, and
Samogitia, was ratified on 4 July 1569 by Sigismund II Augustus, establishing the
Commonwealth of Poland (or more technically, the United Commonwealth of the
Two Nations, Rzeczpospolita). Sigismund became
ruler of a united Poland and
Lithuania, although the form of the union was more that of a federal state,
with a jointly elected leader who would be crowned in Krakow. The state
would have a joint senate and unified international politics. Lithuanian
landowners received the right to own land in Poland, and vice versa. Both
states preserved their own treasuries, state officials, separate armies, and
military hierarchy. |
1569 - 1572 |
Sigismund II Augustus |
King of Poland and grand duke of
Lithuania. |
1572 |
With the death of Sigismund II, the power to elect the
king moves from the Diet to the nobility in its entirety. The election of a
king of Poland and grand duke of
Lithuania is carried out jointly, but the
management of any interregnum is still a separate matter.
 |
|
The death of Sigismund II, the last hereditary Lithuanian ruler of Poland, by Jan Matejko
|
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|
1572 - 1576 |
The kingdom occupies the principality of
Transylvania. |
1573 - 1574 |
Henry of Valois |
Non-dynastic.
King of France (1574-1589).
Left Poland 1574. |
1575 - 1586 |
Stefan / Stephen Bathory |
Non-dynastic. |
1582 - 1583 |
An armistice agreement is concluded between
Russian czar Ivan the
Terrible and the Polish-Lithuanian kingdom proclaiming
Livonia a possession of
the latter. In 1583, Russia concludes a similar agreement with
Sweden,
acknowledging its supreme power in North
Estonia,
ending the Livonian Wars. |
1585 |
The duchy of
Courland has officially remained a possession of the Danes
until now, when it is sold to Poland-Lithuania. |
1587 - 1632 |
Zygmunt III / Sigismund III Vasa |
Also king of
Sweden (1592-1604). |
|
1592 |
Sigismund III inherits the
Swedish throne, but his
inflexible politics and passionate Catholicism causes opposition from the
Swedish Protestant population, forcing the king to return to Poland. |
|
1599 - 1604 |
In the absence of Sigismund III, the
Swedish Diet elects Sigismund's uncle,
Karl, duke of Södermanland, to be the new ruler. In 1604 he is crowned, but
by then, hostilities are already underway between Sweden and Poland-Lithuania.
The First Polish-Swedish War (1600-1629) sees Swedish troops assembled in
Tallinn in
order to attack
Livonia,
but instead the army suffers significant losses at Cesis and Koknes, in
spite of the fact that Poland-Lithuania's main forces are fighting the
Ottomans.
The Swedes are driven out of Livonia in 1601. Further attacks on Riga in
1604 and
Courland in 1605 also fail. |
|
1609 - 1618 |
Sweden allies itself with
Russia, and taking
advantage of restless times there, Sigismund launches a pre-emptive war,
capturing Moscow and Smolensk. Resistance by the population of Moscow
eventually forces the invading army out, but the war rumbles on until 1618,
when an armistice is agreed in the village of Deulino. |
|
1621 |
Poland-Lithuania defeats a major attempt by the
Ottoman
empire to enter and conquer its territory when former elder of
Samogitia, Jonas Karolis Kotkevicius,
holds the fortress of Chocim in the path of the advancing 200,000-strong
Turkish army. The first snows of winter force the Ottomans to withdraw in
defeat. |
|
1629 |
The First Polish-Swedish War ends with the Treaty of Altmark. The kingdom
tacitly accepts the loss of most of its
Livonian territories to
Sweden. The remainder, the
eastern part of Livonia, named
Latgallia, remains
in Polish hands as Inflantia or the Inflanty Voivodeship (the principality
of Livonia).
Poland is also forced to temporarily cede the port cities of Braunsberg (Braniewo in
Ermland), Elbing (Elblag),
Memel (Klaipeda), and Pillau (Baltiysk). The territory is termed
Swedish Prussia, but it is regained in 1635. |
1632 - 1648 |
Wladyslaw
IV
(VII) |
Czar of
Russia (1610-1612). |
1648 - 1668 |
John
Kazimierz / Jan II Casimir |
Lost partial control of the kingdom to
Sweden. |
1654 |
Poland is dragged into the Russo-Polish War over the control of Ukraine, in
the Polish Commonwealth's far eastern territories.
Russian troops seize
the most important centres of the
Lithuanian grand duchy - Smolensk, Vitebsk, Mogilev, and Minsk - and for
the first time in Lithuanian history Vilnius is occupied, followed shortly
afterwards by Kaunas and Grodno. The king is exiled between September and
November in 1655. |
1655 - 1660 |
Seeing a golden opportunity following the
Russian capture of
large areas of
Lithuania in 1654,
Swedish
troops enter the duchy of
Courland, triggering the Second Polish-Swedish War.
Karl X of Sweden declares himself 'Protector of the Polish-Lithuanian
Commonwealth'. The occupation period ends when
Livonia is
officially ceded to Sweden following Poland-Lithuania's signing of the Treaty of Oliva. |
|
1655 - 1660 |
Karol X Gustaw / Karl X Gustaf |
King of
Sweden. Opposed John Kazimierz. |
1669 - 1673 |
Michal Korybut / Michael Wisniowiecki |
|
1672 - 1699 |
Podolia is occupied by the
Ottoman
empire. During this period, regional Ottoman governors are appointed to
administer the territory, although the life expectancy of each holder of the post is
relatively short. |
1674 - 1696 |
John
/ Jan III Sobieski |
|
1677 |
Latgallia is formally made a province of the commonwealth, and is
administered as part of Lithuania
while remaining a common possession of both nations. |
|
1683 |
John III and Charles V of
Lorraine lift the siege of
Austrian
Vienna on 12 September, ending
Ottoman
expansion in Europe. |
|
1697 - 1704 |
Poland is joined with
Saxony
in personal union under Augustus II. It is a union that establishes a
precedent that is followed when the grand duchy of
Warsaw is established in 1806. |
1697 - 1706 |
Augustus II the Strong |
Frederick Augustus I of
Saxony. |
|
1702 - 1710 |
Sweden
moves fast to try and knock
Saxony
and Poland out of the Great Northern War by occupying large areas of Poland.
However, victory falls to
Russia, Poland and
Denmark
in 1721, when the Treaty of Nystad ends the Swedish Scandinavian empire. |
1704 - 1709 |
Stanislas Lesczynski |
|
|
1709 - 1733 |
The personal union between
Saxony
and Poland is renewed on 8 August 1709 when Augustus II regains the throne. |
1709 - 1733 |
August II Mocny / Augustus II the Strong |
|
1733 |
Stanislas Lesczynski |
Became duke of
Lorraine (1737-1763). |
1733 - 1735 |
The Polish War of
Succession erupts in which Stanislas Lesczynski is supported by his
son-in-law, Louis XV of
France and the Bourbon Philip V of
Spain, increasing the
Bourbon hold on Europe. |
1733 - 1763 |
Augustus III |
Frederick Augustus II of
Saxony. Son of Augustus II. |
1764 - 1795 |
Stanislas August Poniatowski |
Last king of Poland. |
1769 - 1770 |
Austria
occupies the county of Zips (or Spisz in Polish) which is an area which has
been settled by
Germans. In the following year, Austria annexes the county. |
1772 |
The First Partition of
Poland-Lithuania
takes place on 5 August, removing large swathes of the commonwealth from
Polish control. Royal Prussia together with
Warmia
and parts of Great Poland (Wielkopolska) are taken by
Prussia
(as West Prussia). Parts of Little Poland (Malopolska) and Red Ruthenia (Rus
Czerwona) are taken by
Austria,
which forms the kingdom of
Galicia &
Lodomeria. Polish Livonia (Latgallia)
and
Lithuania are taken by
Russia.
 |
|
The city of Olsztyn (or Allenstein in German) was seized by
Prussia in the 1772 partition
|
|
|
1791 |
On 3
May, the constitution gives formal sanction to the union with
Lithuania,
removing the process of electing kings and making the crown hereditary again
under the
Saxon dynasty. |
1793 |
The
Second Partition of Poland-Lithuania
is carried out on 23 January. Great Poland and parts of
Mazovia go to
Prussia
while
Russia
gains
Podolia (which is attached to Ukraine), Volhynia, and more of
Lithuania. |
1794 |
Between March and September, the Polish fight a rebellion termed the 'war of
independence' against
Russian
hegemony, led by Tadeusz Kosciusko. |
1795 |
The Third Partition of
Poland-Lithuania
is enacted on 7 January. It removes both states entirely from the map.
Russia grabs
the rest of
Lithuania
and almost
all of
Belarus as well as replacing the duchy of
Courland
with a governorship.
Prussia
takes the rest of Mazovia (as New East Prussia) and Warsaw, while
Austria
gains Krakow and Little Poland, which are added to
Galicia &
Lodomeria. |
1795 - 1806 |
Neither Poland nor
Lithuania
exist as identifiable states until 1806, when Napoleon I of
France
liberates
Prussia's Polish territory and forms an Imperial satellite state.
It is directly administered as part of the kingdom of
Saxony. |
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Grand Duchy of Warsaw
AD 1806 - 1814
The success of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte of
France
in several battles against
Austria,
Russia,
and
Prussia
greatly encouraged the Poles to hope that he would be their saviour in
throwing off occupation and recreating an independent Polish state, or at
least an autonomous state that was a vassal of France. What they actually
got was a lot less than this, as Napoleon was reluctant to create a
fully-fledged state. Instead, he opted for the compromise duchy of Warsaw
which was formed from territory formerly occupied by Prussia. The duchy was
created in personal union with
Saxony,
reviving the eighteenth century relationship between the two countries,
meaning that the king of Saxony was also grand duke of Warsaw.
The captured territory of
Galicia &
Lodomeria continued to exist as an
Austrian possession. |
1806 - 1813 |
Frederick Augustus
(III) |
King of
Saxony (1763-1827). |
1809 |
Western Galicia is ceded from
Galicia &
Lodomeria to the grand duchy, but previous annexations remain part of
Austria. |
1813 - 1814 |
In March 1813, the grand duchy is occupied by
Russia. The congress of Poland is formed by the victorious powers at the
end of the Napoleonic Wars, and Polish territory is effectively
re-partitioned. |
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Polish Kingdom / Congress Poland
AD 1815 - 1918
The Polish lands under
Russian control between 1815-1916 were collected into the so-called Polish Kingdom.
Nominally it was in personal union with Russia, but in reality it occupied a
subordinate position, as established by the Congress of Vienna. Due to this
it is often referred to by scholars as 'Congress Poland', with the Russian
czar as head of state. Warsaw and western
Galicia also fell under
Russian control.
The 'Free, Independent, and Strictly Neutral City of Krakow with its Territory',
often styled the Krakow Republic, fell under the 'protection' of
Austria,
Prussia,
and Russia. It was administered by a government senate and absorbed by Austria in
1846, after which it was termed a grand duchy, with the Austrian emperor himself
holding the title.
|
1815 - 1831 |
Congress Poland remains a subordinate territory of the
Russian czar until
the period between 25 January to 26 September 1831, when the First
(November) Insurrection is sparked. |
|
1830 |
Józef Grzegorz Chlopicki
|
Dictator in rebellion against Russia, Dec. |
|
1830 |
Józef Gabriel Lubowski
|
Marshal of the Diet of the rebellion, Dec. |
|
1830 - 1831 |
Józef Grzegorz Chlopicki
|
Restored dictator in rebellion against Russia, Dec-Jan. |
|
1831 |
Count Wladyslaw Tomasz Ostrowski |
President of the national government of the rebellion,
Jan. |
|
1831 |
Count Wladyslaw Tomasz Ostrowski |
Marshal of the Diet of the rebellion, Jan. |
|
1831 |
Prince Adam Jerzy Czartoryski |
President of the Senate of the rebellion, Jan-Aug. |
|
1831 |
Jan Stefan Krukowiecki |
President of the Senate of the rebellion, Aug-Sep. |
|
1831 |
Bonawentura Niemojowski |
President of the Senate of the rebellion, Sep. |
1831 |
Russian control is restored on 26 September 1831. On 22 February 1832, the New
Statute (the constitution of the insurrection) abolishes the last remnants of autonomy,
and the area becomes
known simply as Vistula Country (Privislyansky kray). The czar remains the
head of the Polish state, but general control is exercised through the
representatives, or viceroys. |
|
1831 - 1856 |
Ivan Fyodorovich Paskevich
|
First representative (namestnik) or viceroy. Prince of
Warsaw. |
|
1856 - 1861 |
Mikhail Dmitriyevich Gorchakov
|
Died 1861. |
|
1861 |
Nikolay Onufrievich Sukhozanet
|
Acting viceroy. |
|
1861 - 1862 |
Count Karl Karlovich Lambert
|
|
|
1861 |
Nikolay
Onufrievich Sukhozanet
|
Acting viceroy for the second time, for Lambert. |
|
1861 - 1862 |
Count Aleksey Nikolayevich Lüders
|
|
|
1862 - 1863 |
Grand Duke Konstatin N Romanov
|
|
1863 |
The period between
22 January 1863 to April 1865 witnesses the 'Second (January) Insurrection'. Following
this, Congress Poland is
administered as an integral part of
Russia. |
|
1863 - 1874 |
Friedrich Wilhelm Rembert Graf von Berg |
Acting viceroy until Oct 1863, then viceroy thereafter. |
1874 |
The position of viceroy is terminated. Governors-general are appointed to
control the newly-established Warsaw Military District.
 |
|
Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph enters his possession, the Grand
Duchy of Krakow, in 1880 |
|
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|
1874 - 1880 |
Paul Demetrius Graf von Kotzebue |
First governor-general of the Warsaw Military District. |
|
1880 - 1883 |
Pytor Pavlovich Albedinsky |
|
|
1883 - 1894 |
Iosif Vladimirovich Romeyko-Gourko |
|
|
1894 - 1896 |
Count Pavel Andreyevich Shuvalov |
|
|
1897 - 1900 |
Prince Aleksandr K
Bagration-Imeretinsky |
|
|
1900 - 1905 |
Mikhail Ivanovich Chertkov |
|
|
1905 |
Konstantin Klavdievich Maksimovich |
Mar-Aug. |
|
1905 - 1914 |
Georgy Antonovich Skalon |
|
|
1914 |
Yakov Grigoryevich Zhilinskiy |
Acting governor-general. |
|
1914 - 1915 |
Prince Pavel Nikolayevich
Yengalychev |
In exile from Aug 1915. |
1914 - 1915 |
Russia supports its allies by joining the First World War against
Imperial
Germany and
Austria-Hungary. However, the
Russian army advancing into Eastern Europe is routed by the Germans at the
Battle of Tannenberg, and loses Russian Poland. German and Austrian
governors are appointed to the region (shown here in green and red
respectively). |
|
1915 - 1918 |
Hans Hartwig von Beseler |
German governor-general in Warsaw. |
|
1915 - 1916 |
Erich Freiherr von Diller |
Austria-Hungarian governor-general in Lublin. |
|
1916 - 1917 |
Karl von Kuk |
|
1916 - 1917 |
Poland is granted autonomy
by the occupying powers on 5 November 1916, and the situation is confirmed by
the 1917 Brest-Litovsk treaty, which gives much of Eastern Europe to
Germany. On
14 January 1917 a Polish kingdom is declared which includes
Galicia. |
|
1917 - 1918 |
Stanislaw Maria Graf Szeptycki |
|
|
1918 |
Anton Liposcak |
Feb-Nov. |
1918 |
On
6 November 1918 a Polish state is declared.
With
Germany close to
collapse and
Austria-Hungary
dismantling itself, on 7 November, the Habsburg Poles unite with the former
Russian and German-ruled Poles to
declare a free and independent Poland. |
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Modern Poland
AD 1918 - Present Day
Modern Poland
emerged from the collapse of the former
Austrian,
German, and
Russian
empires at the end of the First World War. Its people united to declare
a free and independent Poland on 7 November, incorporating
Galicia &
Lodomeria and
Pomerania, but it was not a stable and secure
Poland, however. It had to fight off German irregular troops in the west,
and had to fight for its life against Bolshevik Russian troops in the east
in the Russo-Polish
War, as it tried to push its borders as far east as historical claims would
allow. In the end, those borders went too far. Under the terms of the 1921
settlement, White Russia, or Belarus, was partitioned between the
Belarussian Soviet Socialist Republic and Poland, and the latter was
burdened with a collection of minorities, mostly Ukrainian, that reduced the
Polish majority to just sixty per cent. It also now enveloped East Prussia,
still in German hands but cut off from direct land access. |
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1920 |
During the Russo-Polish
War, the Galitzian Socialist Soviet Republic is declared at Ternopol. |
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1939 |
The Nazi
German invasion of
Poland on 1 September is the trigger for the Second World War. With both
France and
Britain pledged to support Poland, both countries have no option but to
declare war on 3 September. On
17 September, the
Soviets invade from the east
and annexe western Ukraine and
west Byelorussia on 28 September.
On
6 October the last Polish troops surrender. The German-occupied zone, which
includes Danzig,
Pozen, Silesia, and West Prussia, is partly annexed to Germany. Six days
later, the remaining sections of Poland are formed into the 'General Government for the Occupied Polish
Territories' which, on 31 July 1940, is re-titled the General Government. |
|
1941 |
Germany takes over the
Soviet-occupied areas
on 21 June 1941. These are divided between the General Government and the Reichskommissariat
Ostland and Ukraine. On 1 August, Eastern
Galicia is added to the General
Government. |
|
1943 |
The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising ignites after
German soldiers
begin the 'liquidation' of the Jewish ghetto. |
|
1945 |
On
1 January 1944 a Polish republic is declared. On 17 January the last
German troops surrender.
The conclusion of the Second World War sees Poland benefit from the
additional of the southern half of the former East Prussia to its territory,
including the regions of
Pomesania,
Culm, and
Warmia, once the seats of Medieval
bishops. The northern half of East Prussia is annexed to
Russia
as the district of Kaliningrad.
Poland itself remains an occupied satellite state of the
Soviet
Russian empire.
 |
|
The ruins of Warsaw at the end of the Second World War took
decades to replace, mostly with Soviet-era concrete which is
still visible today
|
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1989 |
Elections in the summer usher in Eastern Europe's first post-Communist
government. |
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1991 |
Poland,
Lithuania and Belarus
finally regain independence with the fall of the
Soviet Union. Former
East Prussia, or Kaliningrad as it now is, remains directly part of Russia,
and is now an isolated enclave on Poland's north-eastern border. |
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1999 |
Poland joins NATO. |
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2004 |
Poland becomes a member state of the European Union. |
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