Poland: A Brief Outline of its History

Introduction

The Polish cause has been the object

of much misrepresentation by partisans of the three great empires which were

interested in suppressing inconvenient truths. In consequence, the generous

sympathy which has been so long extended to the Poles is often based rather on

sentiment than on a knowledge of the facts. It is not possible to form a just

idea of the territorial and other rights of nationalities, without having a

clear, if general, notion of their history and development. Those who have not

hitherto had time or opportunity to study the story of the Polish nation will

find in this little volume a succinct exposition of the principal data, from

which they may draw their own conclusions.

The brief sketch of Polish history

which we here submit to the attention of the public forms part of a

considerable work of reference, the Polish Encyclopaedia, which we publish in

French, and which is being translated into English. This survey has been

written specially for us by Dr. Ladislas Konopczynski, professor at the

University of Cracow. We owe the translation to the kindness of Professor

Francis Benett, of Fribourg, to whom we tender our grateful thanks.

Fribourg, (Switzerland)

The Committee for the Polish Encyclopaedic

Publications.