Jerzy Lukowski

Poland has had a chequered history, continually expanding and contracting, sometimes disappearing and once being the largest state in Europe. This latest retelling of Poland’s history – a concise history – does not give the reader a balanced view of the shifts in its history.

In the first part of the book, to 1795, Poland’s story is told from the viewpoint of the factors that could have worked against its formation and development. Shortcomings are highlighted and little is said about positive attributes that lead to the development of a normal state. A reader new to Polish history could be forgiven for thinking Poland was some sort of a joke country. Why Poland could form and develop, despite all the obstacles, into the powerful and dominating state it was in the 16th century, is not adequately discussed.

Personally I am well-read on Polish history, and my historical and sociological interests are in the concepts of state formation and the development of cultural identities. Surprisingly the approach taken by the authors provides valuable insights into these processes. Polish history provides an excellent canvas to see these forces at work. There may have been many factors that could have stopped a Polish state from forming – but one nevertheless did. The Polish state may not have been as vigorously organized as some of its neighbours – but those neighbours could not prevent a Polish state from emerging, re-emerging and developing into a powerful and sophisticated society that carried out one of the few experiments in (aristocratic) democracy. States are fragile institutions that are developed by force, and in the medieval world maintained by force, and sustained by maintaining a delicate balance of power with neighbouring countries.

The authors do a much better job with the second part of the book – from 1795 to the present, covering the time of its partition through to its re-emergence after World War I and to the present post-Communist times. The 19th century was a confusing time for Poland as the former ruling class, the szlachta, attempted to regain political control in a new environment where the common man, nationalism and rational economic processes were gaining the ascendency. The authors have isolated the various inter-twined strands, described their dynamics and provide a better understanding than many other writers of the processes that transformed Poland from a multi-ethnic state ruled for the benefit of one class to that of a modern nation-state.

I would encourage anyone new to Polish history to look to other books first. For the advanced reader this book offers many insights. The coverage of the 19th century is excellent.… (meer)