Prussia had been an independent state, divided into West Prussia and East Prussia

1226: German crusaders of the Teutonic Order invade Prussia. The inhabitants defended themselves tenaciously, but by 1283 they had been crushed

1386: A personal union between Poland and Lithuania began under the Jagiellon dynasty, for the purpose of defense against the Teutonic knights.

1410-1640: The Reformation

1410: Poland and Lithuania joined forces and defeated the Teutonic Order at Tannenberg

1411: First Peace of Torun left the knight's territory virtually intact. The abuses of their rule led to the formation by the gentry and townspeople of a so-called "Prussian League", which placed itself under the protection of Casimir IV of Poland.

1454: Casimir IV issued a manifesto incorporating the Prussian Provinces with Poland. This led to a long war with the Teutonic Order.

1466: Second Peace of Torun ends the war with Teutonic Order and makes Prussia dependent on the Polish Crown. WP ceded to Poland, EP becomes a Polish fief. The defeat of the Knights raised up a new enemy on the eastern frontiers of Poland - the Russians.

1500's: Poland in the 16th century was a very different country than Poland of today. It comprised 4-5 times as much territory as it does presently.

1525: EP becomes Duchy of Prussia, under Hohenzollern rule (German). A Duchy is territory ruled by a Duke or Duchess.

mid-1500's: The Polish Constitution assumed the form that would last until the First Partition in 1772. The chief power in the state had formerly been in the hands of the magnates and princes, but was now extended to the large body of nobles and petty landowners, called the szlachta. The King was elective, and was Commander-in-Chief of the Army, but he could not touch the life, liberty, or property of the nobles. The Kinf was helped to govern by a Senate and by a Diet of elected deputies. The Diet met irregularly and decisions had to be unanimous. The Roman Catholic Church wielded considerable power, and supported the King against the disruptive tendencies of the szlachta. Non-Roman Catholics were called Dissidents. Polish intolerance towards the Dissidents continued to increase and played into the hands of the Prussians and Russians, which helped contribute to the Partitions. The peasants, comprising the mass of the population, were completely under the jurisdiction of the lords of the manor; but unlike Russian peasants, they could hold land and could not be sold.

1569: The personal union between Poland and Lithuania officially became a political union by the Union of Lublin. The single state was known as the Polish-Lithuanian Commonweath, and was ruled by a single elected monarch. This effectively doubled the size of Poland. Royal Prussia lost its autonomy and was united with the Polish Crown. By joining forces, Poland and Lithuania were able to check Russian aggression and a recurrence of German hostility in the Baltic.

1573: Henry of Anjou elected king. The choice of Henry was the first instance of the danger to the country involved by a system of election which was not confined to Poles. The Poles realized the danger, and in countering it with legal reforms, practically stripped the central authority of most of its power. Henry's reign would only last 2 years.

1575: Stephen Batory elected king. Under his reign was a fairly successful attempt to form a stronger monarchy, supported by the Roman Catholic Church. He would reign until 1586

1587: Zygmunt III becomes king. He would rule for 45 years. Like his predecessor, Zygmunt supported the Roman Catholic Church as the one power left which was capable of checking the disruptive tendencies of the Reformation and the disorderliness of the nobles. Zygmunt tried to reform the Polish Constitution by substituting the decision of all matters by a plurality of votes instead of by a unanimity impossible to obtain. But the opposition of the magnates, backed by the szlachta, was too strong.


Zygmunt III
1592: After creating a personal union between the Commonwealth and Sweden, Zygmunt III was crowned king of Sweden, in addition to being King of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonweath.

1599: Zygmunt III was deposed as King of Sweden during the Swedish civil war by his uncle Charles IX. Zygmunt would spend most of the rest of his life trying to regain the Swedish throne.

1600: Polish-Swedish War of Succession began; also known as the 2nd Polish-Swedish War. It would last for 29 years with short periods of truce in between.

1618: Duchy of Prussia (EP) inherited by Elector of Brandenburg after Albert Frederick passes with no heirs, forming Brandenburg-Prussia

1618: Thirty Years War begins, a series of wars in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648. It was one of the longest, most destructive conflicts in European history. Initially a war between Protestant and Catholic states in the fragmenting Holy Roman Empire, it gradually developed into a more general conflict involving most of the great powers of Europe, becoming less about religion and more a continuation of the France–Habsburg rivalry for European political pre-eminence.

1629: The Truce of Altmark was signed on October 26, 1629, ending the 2nd Polish-Swedish War. Though the Poles were far from defeated, Sweden generally got the better of Poland in the truce. Poland ceded Livonia (today's Latvia and Estonia) to Sweden, along with many of the cities in Royal and Ducal Prussia. Sweden was also given the right to tax Poland's trade on the Baltic. This was a shortcoming of Poland's diplomatic efforts, not its army.

1632: Zygmunt III died of a stroke on April 30th. He was succeeded by his son, King Wladyslaw IV. During his reign, Wladyslaw attempted to strengthen the Polish throne. However, the szlachta became jealous of his efforts and devoted themselves to thwarting every scheme of the King.

1635: After the death of Sweden's King Adolphus, and after being weakened in the Thirty Years War, the Truce of Altmark was revised in Poland's favor. The Swedish tax was removed, and Sweden withdrew from many of its Baltic ports.

1640: rule over Duchy of Prussia passed by inheritance to Frederick William, the "Great Elector". Prussia was secured and organized by Germans under the control of the Order.

1648: King Wladyslaw IV died of an infection related to kidney stones on May 20, 1648. Having no legitimate male heirs, he was succeeded by his half-brother John Kasimir II. Wladyslaw's death marked the end of relative stability in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, as conflicts and tensions that had been growing over several decades came to a head with devastating consequences.

1648: Cossack Rebellion began when Cossacks, Tatars, and local peasants started an uprising against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonweath in the areas of present-day Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, and parts of Russia. The insurgency was accompanied by mass atrocities committed by Cossacks against the civilian population, especially against the Roman Catholic clergy and the Jews. The success of anti-Polish rebellion, along with internal conflicts in Poland as well as concurrent wars waged by Poland with Russia and Sweden (Russo-Polish War 1654–67) and Second Northern War (1655–1660) respectively), ended the Polish Golden Age and caused a secular decline of Polish power during the period known in Polish history as the Deluge.

1654: The Russian army invades Poland, igniting the Thirteen Years War. Russia had been a supporter and supplier to the Cossacks in their rebellion against the Polish monarchy. Seeing an opportunity with the weakened Polish state, Russia took advantage and the Commonwealth initially suffered several defeats.

1655: Charles X of Sweden invaded and occupied western Poland–Lithuania, the eastern half of which was already occupied by Russia. This was known as the Second Northern War. Poland-Lithuania was now fighting wars on two fronts, as well as internal rebellion.

1657 Treaty of Wehlau: Frederick William, Duke of Prussia, promised to provide 6,000 troops to Kasimir II for use in the war against Sweden. In return, Kasimir recognized Frederick William and his heirs as sovereign rulers of Duchy of Prussia (EP).

1660 Treaty of Oliva: ended the Polish-Sweden War and confirmed the provisions of the 1657 Treaty of Wehlau. With the end of the Polish-Sweden War, John Kasimir II was able to turn his full attention to the war with Russia. He was able to regain most of the land he had previously lost to the Russians.

1667: The Truce of Andruszowo was signed, ending the Thirteen Years War between Russia and Poland. Despite military victories, the plundered Polish economy was not able to fund the long conflict. Facing internal crisis and civil war, Poland was forced to sign a truce. The war ended with significant Russian territorial gains and marked the beginning of the rise of Russia as a great power in Eastern Europe.

1668: John Kasimir II, grief-stricken over his wife's death, abdicated the throne of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. His reign was one of the most disastrous in the history of Poland. He was succeeded by Michael Wisniowiecki, who became known as Michael I.

1672: The Ottoman Empire (Turkey) declared war on the Commonwealth and invaded from the south in June, beginning the Polish-Ottoman War. In October, Michael I was pressured to sign the Treaty of Buchach, by which Podolia (present-day southern Ukraine) was ceded to the Ottomans. However, the Polish sjem (lower house of parliament) never ratified the treaty, and hostilities were resumed less than a year later.

1673: King Michael I died on November 10, 1673 of severe food poisoning, although it is also believed that he was poisoned by his closest supporters and generals due to the declining power of the Commonwealth. Michael's reign was considered to be less than successful as his ability to be a capable monarch were greatly hurt by Poland's quarrelling factions.

1674: John III Sobieski is elected King of the Poland-Lithuanian Commonwealth replacing the deceased Michael I. He had not wanted to be king, but was elected as a protest vote. Some influential Lithuanian magnates had tried to introduce a bill earlier in the year which would have prohibited native Poles from running in the election. Sobieski was a Polish military hero, and thus the Poles rallied behind him and elected him King. Sobieski became a king of a country devastated by almost half a century of constant war. The treasury was almost empty and the court had little to offer the powerful magnates, who often allied themselves with foreign courts rather than the state.

1676: Treaty of Zurawno was signed between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Ottoman Empire ending the Polish-Ottoman War. While this treaty was somewhat more favorable to Poland than the 1672 Treaty of Buchach, the Ottomans still retained the region of Podolia. Once again, the Polish sjem refused to ratify the document. Soon afterwards, the Great Turkish War broke out between Turkey and several European powers. Not until 1699 was the fate of Podolia settled, when the Ottoman Empire was forced to return it to Poland after losing the Austro-Ottoman War.

1683: Conscious that Poland lacked allies and risked war against most of its neighbors (similar to the Deluge), Sobieski allied himself with Leopold I, of the Holy Roman Empire. The alliance was signed by royal representatives on 31 March 1683, and ratified by the Emperor and Polish parliament within weeks. Although aimed directly against the Ottomans and indirectly against France, it had the advantage of gaining internal support for the defense of Poland's southern borders. Meantime, in the spring of 1683, royal spies uncovered Turkish preparations for a military campaign. Sobieski feared that the target might be the Polish cities of Lwów and Kraków. Sobieski's greatest success came later in 1683, with his victory at the Battle of Vienna, in joint command of Polish, Austrian and German troops, against the invading Ottoman Turks.

1696: King John III Sobieski died of a sudden heart attack. He is considered one of the most notable monarchs of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Sobieski's military skill, demonstrated in wars against the Ottoman Empire, contributed to his prowess as King of Poland. Sobieski's 22-year reign marked a period of the Commonwealth's stabilization, much needed after the turmoil of the Deluge and the Cossack Uprising. Popular among his subjects, he was an able military commander, most famous for his victory over the Turks at the 1683 Battle of Vienna. After his victories over them, the Pope called him the savior of Christendom.

1697: Augustus II was elected King of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in a controversial election. Another candidate had actually received more votes! However, Augustus II was able to physically take charge earlier than the other candidate and became King. Augustus had been backed financially by Russia and Austria. This would be the last "free" election in Poland for almost 300 years. Subsequent elections would be held under the control of foreign governments.

1700: The Great Northern War began when a coalition made up of Poland, Russia, Saxony (present-day Germany), Denmark, and Norway declared war on the Swedish Empire and launched a three-fold attack.

1701: Duchy of Prussia (EP) elevated to Kingdom of Prussia under King Frederick, Elector of Brandenburg

1704: A series of Swedish victories over Poland resulted in Sweden dethroning Augustus II and installing Stanislaw Leszczynski as King of Poland, thereby tieing the Commonwealth to Sweden. Augustus II then teamed up with Russia and initiated military operations in Poland against Sweden.  

1706: King Charles XII of Sweden continued to gain ground in Poland, eventually forcing Augustus II to renounce his claims to the Polish throne. Stanislaw Leszczynski was now the undisputed King of Poland, known as Stanislaus I.

1709: After Russia drives Sweden out of Poland, Augustus II is returned to the throne. By this time, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was so weakened militarily and economically that it had become virtually a protectorate of Russia.

1713-40: rule of Frederick William I as King of Prussia

1733: King Augustus II died in Warsaw. As King of Poland, his reign was successful. He led the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the Great Northern War, which led to the Russian Empire strengthening its influence with the Commonwealth. He achieved internal reforms with his admired wit that led to an enlightenment among Poland at the time, and he bolstered royal power in the Commonwealth.

1734: Augustus II's eldest son, Frederick Augustus of Saxony, is installed as the new King of Poland by the Russian Army. This led to the Polish War of Succession, a military campaign outside of Poland's borders between various European powers over who would be King of Poland. The war would last 5 years, and at the end, Frederick Augustus was confirmed as Poland's king, becoming Augustus III.

1740-86: rule of Frederick the Great as King of Prussia

1758: EP occupied by Russia during Seven Years War

1762: Russia voluntarily evacuates from EP by Tsar Peter II. 1772: First Partition of Poland: the bulk of Royal Prussia was annexed by Frederick the Great and the Kingdom of Prussia apart from the areas around the cities of Danzig and Toruń. Attempts at Germanization follow.

1773 Treaty of Warsaw: WP ceded to Hohenzollerns and Province of West Prussia created

1786-97: rule of Frederick William II

1793: Second Partition of Poland: Frederick William II and the Kingdom of Prussia annexed the remaining parts of Royal Prussia controlled by the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

1795: Third Partition of Poland: Frederick William II and the Kingdom of Prussia annexed New East Prussia. Independent Poland becomes extinct. The Polish language was abolished as an official language and German introduced. Poles were portrayed as "backward Slavs" by Prussian officials who spread German language and culture. The lands of Polish nobility were confiscated and given to German nobles.

1806: France, behind Napoleon, invaded Prussia and destroyed its army in a mere 19 days.

1807: Napoleon continued his trek westward defeating the Russians and driving them out of Poland altogether. With the Treaty of Tilsit, the Duchy of Warsaw was established, which was totally dependent on France. The duchy consisted of lands previously seized by Austria and Prussia; its Grand Duke was Napoleon's ally, the King Frederick Augustus I of Saxony. Its creation met the support of both local republicans in partitioned Poland, and the large Polish diaspora in France, who openly supported Napoleon as the only man capable of restoring Polish sovereignty after the Partitions of Poland of late 18th century. Although it was created as a satellite state (and was only a duchy, rather than a kingdom), it was commonly hoped and believed that with time the nation would be able to regain its former status, not to mention its former borders.

1811: Under Napoleon's rule, serfs in WP were emancipated. Every Prussian subject gained freedom to choose his dwelling-place and his career.

1812: The Russians strongly opposed any move toward an independent Poland and one reason Napoleon invaded Russia in 1812 was to punish them. He made it as far as Moscow before the Russian winter, a lack of supplies, and Russian guerilla warfare dealt his army a catastrophic blow. Following his loss, the Grand Duchy of Warsaw was occupied by Prussian and Russian troops until 1815.

1815 Congress of Vienna: Prussia recovers WP lands when the Grand Duchy of Warsaw was partitioned between Prussia and Russia, also known as the fourth partition of Poland. The Grand Duchy of Warsaw was dissolved and Poland would not be a state again until 1918. However Napoleon's impact on Poland was dramatic, including the Napoleonic legal code, the abolition of serfdom, and the introduction of modern middle class bureaucracies.

1824: WP and EP combined to form the Province of Prussia

1840: King Frederick William IV of Prussia sought to reconcile the state with the Catholic Church and the kingdom’s Polish subjects by granting amnesty to imprisoned Polish bishops and re-establishing Polish instruction in schools in districts having Polish majorities.

1862: King Wilhelm I became King of Prussia and he appointed Otto von Bismarck to be Minister President and Foreign Minister. Bismarck favored a 'blood-and-iron' policy to create a united Germany under the leadership of Prussia.

1866: Bismarck invaded and defeated Austria in the "Seven Weeks War", and created the North German Confederation, which included all of East and West Prussia.

1871: After the French were defeated in the Franco-Prussian War, the German Empire was created with Prussia being the leading and dominating state. Bismarck then proclaimed King Wilhelm I, now Kaiser Wilhelm I, as leader of the new, united Germany (German Reich). Once again, the region was subjected to measures aimed at Germanization of Polish-speaking areas.

1873: conflict between Roman Catholic Church and Prussia stimulates Polonism

1878: separation of EP and WP and established as separate provinces

1886 colonization law for Posen and West Prussia: The Prussian Settlement Commission was a Prussian government commission that operated between 1886 and 1924 set up by Otto von Bismarck to increase land ownership by Germans at the expense of Poles, by economic and political means, as part of his larger efforts aimed at the eradication of the Polish nation. The Commission was motivated by anti-Polish sentiment and racism. The Commission's activities had a counter effect, unifying Polish nationalism, Catholicism and cultural resistance and triggered Polish countermeasures, climaxing after World War I, when the Second Polish Republic was established and began reversing Germanization. Some of the German colonists still remaining in Poland in 1939 were active in a Nazi campaign of genocide against Poles during World War II.

1886-90: The average annual number of emigrants going overseas from West Prussia was 11,283. The great majority of these emigrants went to the USA.

1893: Polish support for Army bill gained by economic help to Polish landowners

1894: William II upholds Germanism at Marienburg. German Association of the Eastern Marches formed to combat Polonism

1906: Prussian Minister of Finance complains that since 1891 Germans in EP have been reduced by 630,000. Strike of Polish school children.

1908: Prussian Bills for compulsory expropriation of Polish landowners in Posen and WP and for limiting use of Polish language at meetings.

1919: After Germany was defeated in World War I, the Treaty of Versailles granted most of West Prussia to the Second Polish Republic. The Second Republic was significantly different in territory to the current Polish state. It included substantially more territory in the east and less in the west.

1939: The Second Polish Republic came to an end when Poland was invaded by Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union and the Slovak Republic, marking the beginning of World War II in Europe.

1939-45: between 120,000-170,000 Poles and Jews were ethnically cleansed by the Germans. As in all other areas, Poles and Jews were classified as "Untermenschen" by the German state, with their fate being slavery and extermination.

1945: Upon defeat of Nazi Germany, all of the areas occupied by Nazis were restored to Poland according to the post-war Potsdam Agreement, along with further neighboring areas of former Nazi Germany. The vast majority of the remaining German population of the region which had not fled before was subsequently expelled westward.