Sovereignty under Imperialist Threat: The Case of Poland

• In Event: Eastern European Sovereignty after Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

Abstract

Poland has a complex history of sovereignty: divided between neighboring empires since the end of the 18th century, regaining independence after the First World War, occupied by Nazi Germany during the Second World War, and nominally sovereign but controlled by the Soviet Union during the communist period. These two centuries were marked by numerous, mostly unsuccessful uprisings. The post-1989 period is generally seen as truly independent. At the same time, different political orientations have seen various threats to sovereignty, ranging from the European Union (Eurokolkhoz) to Putin's Russia. The invasion of Ukraine has redefined the content, meaning, and significance of the latter.

Author

• Michal Buchowski, Adam Mickiewicz U (Poland)