Poland

Polish independence following the end of World War I marked a new era for a nation which had endured centuries of foreign partition. But the spirit of Polish nationalism - forged during this long period of external domination - has been frequently at odds with the modernising drives of democracy and communism. How can the ideals of nationalism survive in a modern nation-state? Anita Prazmowska traces this conflict from the emergence of an independent Poland in 1918; through World War II, communism and the democratic victories of Solidarity; to the present day, when Polish membership of the EU is changing perceptions both within Poland and in the wider world.

ANITA PRAZMOWSKA is Professor of International History at the London School of Economics, UK.

Contents
Abbreviations
Foreword
Introduction
Chapter 1: Poland on the Eve of the First World War
Chapter 2: The First World War and the Emergence of Independent Poland
Chapter 3: Independent Poland in Inter-War Europe
Chapter 4: The Outbreak and the Course of the Second World War
Chapter 5: Post-War Poland
Chapter 6: From Gierek to Solidarity
Chapter 7: Post-Communist Poland
Conclusion