Partition of Poland
Topic: The Rise of Nationalism in Europe · NCERT: Class 10, Ch 1 "The Rise of Nationalism in Europe"
Meaning
The Partition of Poland was the division of Poland's land among Russia, Prussia and Austria. It happened in three stages, in 1772, 1793 and 1795. After this, Poland did not exist as an independent state. Even so, Polish national feeling stayed alive. Language, music and the Church kept it going. It is a good example of culture keeping a nation alive when it has no state of its own.
Example
Karol Kurpinski wrote operas and music about the national struggle. Through his work, folk dances such as the polonaise and the mazurka became symbols of the Polish nation. After Russia crushed a rebellion in 1831, the Catholic clergy used the Polish language as a weapon against Russian rule. Many priests and bishops refused to preach in Russian. For this they were jailed or sent to Siberia.
Don't confuse with
- Russia's share of Poland after the Treaty of Vienna (1815): in 1815 Russia was given a part of Poland. That was a later redrawing of the map, not one of the three original partitions.
Related concepts
- July Revolution
- Greek War of Independence
- Romanticism
- Johann Gottfried Herder
- Volksgeist
- Ethnic nationalism
- Grimm brothers