On November 11,
1918, Poland regained its independence. This event occurred 123 years after the
First Polish Republic had ceased to exist, the result of an arrangement among
three powers: Russia, Prussia, and Austria. During that time, although Poland
disappeared from the map of Europe, it never ceased to exist in the hearts of
Poles. During those 123 years of subjugation, the Poles tried various ways to
assert their autonomy. They fought for freedom in numerous uprisings, but it
was only during World War I that the geopolitical environment provided the
right conditions for rebuilding an independent and sovereign state.
اضافة اعلان
The history of Poland’s fall and resurrection during
123 years is basic knowledge for every Pole. Sadly, it is little known in the
West. And yet, it is a story that involved the destruction of a major European
state. Known as the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, it was attacked and
suppressed by its neighbors. But it was not only the Polish people who were
deprived of their freedom; so, too, were Lithuanians and Ukrainians.
The First Polish Republic was also the first
advanced republican project in Europe. While the Western experience of
modernity was based on a strong and centralized state, Poland sought to become
a more decentralized entity that offered its citizens greater liberty.
It was not a flawless project and ultimately it was
crushed by the brutal force of its invaders. But its ambition of creating a
space in which many nations and cultures could co-exist is still valid today.
This alternative path to modernity could be an inspiration for the contemporary
EU.
Poland celebrates its Independence Day on November
11. On November 10, 1918, Józef Piłsudski, the man who contributed most to
Poland’s liberation, arrived in Warsaw. The following day saw the end of World
War I. And yet, for Poland this was just the beginning of its struggle.
The experiences of Poland and Ukraine demonstrate that history is not a trap from which one cannot escape, and that even the power of a mighty state must take seriously the power of a nation that desires freedom.
Over the next two
years this young nation had to deal with threats from both the east and the
west. Neither revolutionary Russia nor Germany recognized Poland’s
independence. In 1920, the Red Amy arrived at the gates of Warsaw. At the same
time, German propaganda referred to Poland a temporary state. The Second Polish
Republic appeared doomed, but this did not prove to be the case. Piłsudski’s
army fended off the Bolshevik onslaught and saved not just Poland, but all of
Europe.
There is a striking resemblance between Poland’s
fight for its independence in the past and Ukraine’s current struggle against
Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s propaganda machine is also trying to
prove that Ukraine does not exist as an independent state and that, de facto,
there is no such thing as a Ukrainian nation. In February, when Russia invaded
Ukraine, nobody believed that the latter could win. Its fate, like Poland’s a
century ago, appeared to be sealed. And yet this, too, proved not to be the
case.
The experiences of Poland and Ukraine demonstrate
that history is not a trap from which one cannot escape, and that even the
power of a mighty state must take seriously the power of a nation that desires
freedom. Many a time history has proved the advocates of historical Darwinism
wrong.
Some regard Poland’ location on the world map as a
curse. I would rather see it as a blessing. Conscious of the dangers they face,
the Poles have developed a specific geopolitical sense, i.e., prudence, which
gives them greater clarity in seeing the challenges and threats they face.
It comes as no surprise that Poland was the first
country to warn others of the revival of Russian imperialism. Over the
centuries, we have learned to be vigilant.
This vigilance makes us see independence as a work
in progress. That is why we will soon be spending 3 percent of our GDP on
security. That is why we built the Baltic Pipeline as a check on Nord Stream
and Russian interests. That is why we are investing in building nuclear plants.
Independence is decided on many fronts nowadays,
with border protection being just one of them. We care about Poland’s
independence as we feel responsible for future generations of Poles. As the
leader on NATO’s eastern flank, Poland protects the entire organization.
Western countries can count on Poland today, just as they could 100 years ago.
Mateusz Morawiecki is prime minister of the Republic of Poland. The text is published in
the Polish monthly Wszystko Co Najważniejsze as part of a project carried out
with the Institute of National Remembrance and the Polish National Foundation.
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