Question #136c5
1 Answer
Poland -- as an independent political entity - was not in existence at the start of WW-1; there had been an earlier Polish kingdom from 966 AD to 1792.
Explanation:
Since the foundation of Poland, by Mieszko I in the 960s. the country has long been sandwiched between the Germans and the Germans, and also had to contend with various entities to the south (particularly the Austro-Hungarians), the Swedes, and occasionally with other invaders such as the Mongols and the Turks.
Without diving into complexities of Medieval rulership, borders and land ownership (let alone how these still relate to recent territorial issues), Poland survived, despite many engagements with the Russians, the Prussian Kingdom, and the Swedes. However, Poland implimented an experiment with a Parliament based on noble status in the 1650s with a fatal flaw... the Liberum Veto, which allowed a single vote to halt the enactment of any legislation. This seriously weakened the kingdom for decades.
By 1772, Russian and Prussian influence resulted in the First Partition of Poland as Moscow, Berlin and Vienna appropriated portions of Poland to themselves, leaving a rump Polish kingdom. Following the liberal constitution enacted by King Stanislaus Poniatowski in 1791, the Russian, Prussians and Austrians tightened their grip. The last partition of Poland took place in 1794.
Until the end of the First World War in 1918, the seperate existence of Poland largely remained a dream of Polish nationalists and patriots -- most often openly expressed while in exile,
