What makes Poland particularly interesting is its fate in the 20th century. The euphoria of regaining independence in 1918 was soon followed by the tragedy of the Second World War. From day one, Poland engaged in a determined but uneven fight against Nazi Germany while also resisting the Soviet invasion.

 

After losing the defensive war, the Poles continued to fight alongside the Allies in Europe, Asia, and Africa. They formed the Polish Underground State, the largest secret resistance organization in German-occupied Europe. Poles endured terror, hunger, forced labor, mass killings, and suffering in Nazi concentration camps and Soviet gulags. Polish Jews experienced the tragedy of the Shoah. The capital city of Poland has seen two revolts against the Germans. In 1943, during the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, the Jewish resistance took up arms in the face of inevitable death. The following year, the Home Army led the Polish resistance fighters against the German oppressors.

 

The Warsaw Uprising of 1944 was a three-month-long urban battle that ended with the destruction of the city. Polish soldiers played an active role in D-Day. The post-war period brought communist enslavement in the Soviet zone of influence, which was finally overcome in 1989 by the Solidarity movement, a unique joint initiative of workers and intellectuals. Having regained freedom, the entire society worked to rebuild state institutions and finances. This effort led to economic success, making Poland one of the fastest-growing economies in the European Union and a regional leader within one generation. Poland’s resilience is founded on its most sacred values: love of liberty, commitment to democracy, and entrepreneurship. The Poles have skillfully combined respect for tradition with intellectual courage and openness to innovation, and they now seek to share their experiences with others.