Woodrow Wilson and Poland’s Independence
Chapter 1: Poland as an Independent Nation
Photo: Job Mayer, Map of the Kingdom of Poland: and the Grand Dutchy of Lithuania. [London: S.N., 177] Map. Library of Congress Geography and Map Division Washington, D.C. https://www.loc.gov/item/2009579473/.
Poland began as an independent state around 966. In 1385, Poland and Lithuania
united, forming a Commonwealth of Two Nations.
During the eighteenth century,
Poland became victimized by three dominating bordering powers: Prussia, Austria, and
Russia. These three powers took advantage of internal divisions within the Polish-
Lithuanian state. As a result, they decided to divide up Poland amongst themselves.
Between 1764 through 1795, the state went through three partitions. The third partition
completely eliminated Poland-Lithuania as a sovereign commonwealth. Other European
powers decried this action but did nothing to persuade these three hungry powers from
carving up Poland. Although Poland-Lithuania ceased to exist as a nation, the desire for
Poland’s independence carried on through the nineteenth century and into the twentieth
century.