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Poland–BetweenGermanyandRussia
TheReversalofEuropeanVectors
19
PlacementbetweenRussiaandGermanyhasconstitutedthebasicexperi-
enceforPolesofthepasttwocenturies,butinnowaysufficesinunderstanding
thephenomenonofPolishness.WhilemodernPolishnationalismwasformed
inthe19thcenturyinobviousoppositiontobothenemypowers(inabnormal
conditionsofoccupationbythosepowers,itmustbeemphasized,withoutthe
prospectofself-actualizationwithinitsownnationallegal-governmentalframe-
work),Polishnessasacultureandasapoliticalcommunityhademergedfrom
anentirelydifferentsource.Polishnessasapriorphenomenonwasnotborn
ofthefatalismofgeopoliticallocationbetweenRussiaandGermany.Itisfreeof
that.PolishnessoriginatedinthemeetingofbarbarianPoleswiththeLatinized,
ChristianSouthofEurope,thuswitheventsthatconstitutethefoundationsfor
theentiretyofWesternEuropeanculture.Thankstothis,Polishnesswasthe
effectofageneralpan-Europeanphenomenon,notofsomespecificregional,
geopoliticalsituationthataroseastheresultoftheexpansionoftwohostile
powers.
The18thcenturywasakeyperiodfortheemergenceofanewpolitical
constellationinEurope,inwhichthePolesfoundthemselvesbetweenGermans
andRussiansand,later,hadthesenseoffatalismofthatlocationgroundinto
them.Despiteattemptsatrevitalization,thisperiodsawthefinaldownfallof
thepoliticalandculturalideaoftheFirstRepublic(theeraofthePolish-Lithu-
anianCommonwealth).Atthelevelofinternationalpolitics,theendplayedout
inthenorth,intheBalticSeabasin.Theso-calledGreatNorthernWarensured
thesurvivalofadisadvantageousarrangementforPolandbetweenthemost
importantactorsinthatpartofEurope.ThereturnofAugustustheStrongto
thePolishthronein1709waspossibleduetotheconclusionoftheTreatyof
ThornwithPeterI,whichmadeRussiadefactotheprotectoroftheRepub-
lic’sinternalorder.1TheseeventscoincidedwiththeemancipationofPrussia.
FrederickWilliam,theGreatElector,renderedhomagetoWładysławIVVasa
attheRoyalCastleinWarsawin1641,butitwasthelasttimehedidso.The
Prussianleadersetaboutbuildingaconsistentlyseparate,modernstatehood.
Hissuccessor,FrederickI,whoreportedlyspokefluentPolish,wascrownedin
1701inKrólewiecasuKingofthePrussias,”culminatingthebirthingprocessof
foundinganew,independentPrussianpower.Polanddidnotemergeunscathed
fromthissituation.Notonlywasitsdeclinepainful,involvingthelossofstate-
hood,butthiswasalsoshamefulandevenoutrightdishonorable,asutheSaxon
period”sawadeepspiritualcrisisofPolishness.Thecrisiswassodeepthatthe
writerWitoldGombrowiczwouldlatercallittheuPolishhell.”InGombrowicz’s
opinion,themoldofPolishnesswasbrokenthen(andneverfullyresurrected,
wemightadd):uThisisthesourceofourincredible,adventurous18thcentury,
thealmostbrilliantcrisisofPolishbeauty,whichputusface-to-facewithour
Ugliness,ourProfligacyłacenturyofsclerotic,senileoldstiffeningandatthe
