Polish Flag

Polish Flag

Polish Flag

The Polish tribes were first united under a Christian ruler, Mieczyslaw, during the 10th century. By the end of the 14th century, Poland was both a great power and, having united with Lithuania, the largest country in Europe. Wars with Russia, Sweden and Brandenburg during the mid-17th century, as well as the Ottoman Empire during the 18th, laid the country open to interference from Austria, Prussia and Russia, however, culminating in their occupation of Poland in 1795. Although uprisings in 1830, 1848 and 1863 led to greater repression by Russia, taking advantage of the internal crisis in Russia following the Bolshevik Revolution, in 1919 Poland declared itself an independent republic. Its strategic position in Northern Europe has meant that Poland has suffered occupation and annexation throughout the 20th century, its shifting borders not being permanently fixed until 1945.

The colors of the Polish flag have their origin in medieval pennants, a red flag with a white eagle being used by King Wladyslaw Jagiello at the Battle of Grunwald in 1410. The colors were again used during the 1830 uprising in the form of red-and-white ribbons worn by patriots and they were officially recognized as the national colors for the Polish flag in 1919.