An Excourse Into Polish History

Day 651, 14:30 • Published in Germany Switzerland • by HuCard

Now that the Polish takeover is nearing its end, it might be a good time to analyse how it has come to these hostilities between eGermany and ePoland instead of continuing to throw endless insults and accusations at each other.
While the countries in this eWorld may often be very different from their real counterparts (eNorth Korea would be a good example for this), it's undeniable that they and their citizens are still somewhat tied to their real histories. Nationalistic and patriotic mentalities are carried over from the real world into this one, old feuds between nations are continued within eRepublik, or solved in a most peaceful way.
Sadly, the relations between ePoland and eGermany fall into the former category. While the Poles officially claim the German invasion following the first Swedish one in 2008 to be the reason for their recent actions against this country, their motivation for their participation in the last war against the Germans and the recent political takeovers most likely roots not in this shallow conflict but rather in the Polish history and spirit.

For centuries, the relationship between Germans and Poland has been a rather hostile one. The first conflicts trace back to as early as the middle ages, with the German Teutonic Order in its expansion along the Baltic sea clashing many times with the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. During the latter's civil wars in the 14th century, Jogaila, leader of one of the two warring factions and the rival of Vytautas, ascended to the Polish throne and secured Lithuania as a Polish vassal (albeit with great autonomy), eventually defeating the Teutonic Order in a united effort at the battle of Grünwald and putting and end to its aggressive stance.

For two hundred years, the two countries coexisted that way until their bonds were deepened by the signing of the treaty of Lublin in 1569 to form the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, which thus became the largest state in Europe at the time. Poland got a large part of lands formerly subject to the Grand Duke of Lithuania, and Polish culture and language spread all over the multinational realm (primarily as the standard for the nobility). The country was at the height of its glory, ruling many different regions, branding its mark onto vast territories, steadily prevailing against the constant threat of the Ottoman Empire in the south, even defeating Muscovy at one point and marching into Moscow after a successful war against the duchy. It was also marked by an early democracy, as it was basically a republic of the nobles being free to vote their king as they pleased, and its people were having a considerable amount of personal and religious freedom.

However, this golden age was not to last forever. Ignited by uprisings of Cossacks in what is today parts of Ukraine, the commonwealth entered a steady decline, becoming the victim of devastating wars with Sweden and Russia, having to yield the sovereignty over Prussia (which up to that point used to be a fiefdom of the Polish crown), and being increasingly subjected to foreign (primarily Russian) influence exploiting its democratic structure by bribing the high nobility, blocking reforms, and installing favourable rulers.
Eventually, this lead to the most humiliating "Partitions of Poland". Over the course of a few decades and in three steps, Prussia, Austria, and Russia systematically plucked apart the once so strong republic and absorbed it into themselves until at the dawn of the 19th century, no single speck land was left of it.

What followed was more than a century of constant oppression. With the exception from the somewhat lenient Austria, the Poles now subjects to Prussia and Russia had to endure uncountable attempts to destroy their identity and to assimilate them into their new, unwelcome homes. But even decade after decade the Polish people never gave up; they rose many times against their oppressors and facing the severe difficulties nonetheless upheld their culture and language.

And finally, after World War I their time had come again. Regaining their former core territories, a new Polish state was finally reinstated after the German and Russian empires fell. But far from peace, this young second republic had yet again to face the constant threats from either side.
In the short inter-war period, Poland had to fight a total of three wars, against Lithuania, Ukraine, and the Soviet Union, emerging successfully or at least favourably out of them all. The latter enemy once even almost pierced the heart of Warsaw, but was soon repelled all the way back to and past the borders. There were also still conflicts with the Weimar Republic, involving uprisings in Polish-dominated parts of Silesia which led to some of these regions eventually being given to Poland after some bloodshed. All while the entente never actually cared about this state they helped bring back, which after the rise of the Nazi regime in Germany now once again facing danger from both sides, lacking reliable allies and having nothing to depend on but its own strength.

However, this strength was not enough to face the twin attack of the Third Reich and the USSR. Breaching contracts with it, the Nazis attacked country on this very day 70 years ago and were soon joined by their Bolshevik allies as they had previously planned, to again destroy the Polish state and like a cake cut it in half to then devour it. Left alone by England and France, both unwilling to lift a mere finger, Poland bravely battled against the overwhelming forces rampaging through and violating its land from two sides at once, and after a month of holding out and fiercely resisting the cruel enemies, it fell and had to endure the crimes of both regimes massacring many of its people.
Yet still, the Poles did not give up any many times arose against their occupants, in one notable case in the ultimately futile uprising against the Nazis in Warsaw, where a small force held out for days against an overwhelming German enemy, left all alone by the Soviets camping but a few kilometres away from the city and, as their only intervention in the events, blocking aerial support from the other Allies.

After the Nazis had finally been defeated, and it should be noted that Polish forces, despite their understandable hatred for the communists, joined with the Red Army to defeat this villain, Poland was restored. At least superficially; de facto, the state that had been formed was but a satellite of the USSR, with a communist regime implanted against the will of its people, robbed of a sizeable part of its territory that got annexed by the Soviet Union (which it made up for by giving it West Prussian territories and expelling all the Germans there), and once again left to its fate by the other Allies. While it enjoyed a tiny bit of autonomy and possessed compared to other Soviet states a small degree of economic and social freedom, it still was sovereign in nothing but the name. Various puppet rulers assured Moscow's control, and ever so often uprisings by the Poles against the regime were bloodily suppressed, until finally a truly free Poland emerged in 1989.

The patterns visible here are ones of repeated oppression, incessant threats from every side, cruel violence committed by foreign powers, betrayal by allies, and a century-long struggle for Poland's bare survival. All these has definitely left an impression on Polish mentality, making them cautious and suspicious of other nations and understandably hostile towards Germany and Russia. The Poles were forced to develop a strong sense of nationality, one that we Germans these days could not even imagine.
Now, all this of course is carried over to a highly political game like this, and I'm sure there are quite a lot of ePolish citizens still bearing the century-old grudges against just as ancient former enemies. Their pride was once again attacked when eGermany conquered the country and even in this virtual world forced it into a time of foreign occupation, a move that most likely demonstrated the Poles that not even here they could live peacefully and without worry.

My point, which I will finally explain, is that this circle of aggression and spite must not continue for the greater good of both our countries. Why must we keep the wheels of hatred turning when this game gives us all a chance to start anew, to live in peaceful coexistence and not a meaningless permanent state of war?
Of course, ePoland siding with eSweden and then taking control of our congress was an unjust deed and should be condemned. But this should not be fuel to again enrage the flames of dislike, to paint our neighbours as mortal enemies till the end of time, not learning from history but allowing it to repeat itself forever.
We should start to forgive, to break out of this destructive circle and try to live in harmony, respect, and understanding.


(Should I have made any mistakes in this text or should I have misunderstood our eastern neighbours at some points, then I would be grateful if someone might point them out.)
(Keine deutsche Version dieses Mal; als ob ich jetzt noch einmal so einen riesigen Berg an Text schreibe.)