Poland declares independence

Imagine the state of New Mexico with the population of California, and you have an idea of what Poland of today looks like. The country that in WW II was torn apart by Russia and Germany, and remained torn and under Soviet influence for close to four decades, was once in the middle ages a dominant country in Central Europe, but as times changed, Poland’s power was eclipsed by its neighbors. Russia had control of Poland in the 19th century, putting down insurrections and revolts, until it also plunged into chaos following WW I. Taking advantage of the distraction, Poland declared independence.

On this day, November 3, in 1918, after Russian bolsheviks led by Vladimir Lenin captured power in Russia, and with its kind now returned from captivity in Germany, Poland declared its independence.

Poland’s interwar “Second Republic” fell short of lofty democratic expectations. Its government resembled more of a totalitarian regime, like much of Europe at the time, intent only on preserving itself, by means of (soon to be abrogated) non-aggression treaties with Germany and Russia. After WW II Poland again found itself under virtual occupation, its government was dominated by the Soviet Union in WW II, but the Polish people as early as the 1970s led the call for independence.