The Cradle

Historical Background:

Piast dynasty (966-1385)

966  --  birth of the Polish state; baptism of Mieszko I, duke of the Slavic tribe of Polans.  He founded the Piast dynasty.  He converted to Christianity.

By 990  --  Mieszko I had transformed Poland into one of the strongest powers in Eastern Europe. 

Mieszko's son Boleslaw the Brave united all the provinces that became Poland.

1025 --  Boleslaw was the first king of Poland.

Period of instability.

Poland unified under the reign of Boleslaw the Wrymouth.

1138  --  death of Boleslaw the Wrymouth. 

Period of Fragmentation that lasts two centuries.  Poland was divided among four of his sons.

1241  --  invasion of the Mongols; weakened and depopulated much of Poland. 

1226  --  Konrad I of Masovia invited the Teutonic Knights to Poland to help fight the Prussians; a big mistake.

14th and 15th centuries:  the Teutonic Knights waged war on Poland and Lithuania. 

In the middle of 14th century Poland started to expand to the East and annexed Galich Rus'.

Wladyslaw I the Elbow-high united the Polish principalities.

His son Kazimierz the Great was the last of the Piast dynasty.  He strengthened Poland in both foreign and domestic affairs.

1370  --  Kazimierz died.

His nephew, the Andegawen Louis of Hungary inherited the throne.

1385  --  the Union of Krewo began the Polish-Lithuanian Union.  It was signed by Louis' daughter Jadwiga and the Lithuanian Grand Duke Jogaila (later known as Władysław II Jagiełło).  This union strengthened both Poland and Lithuania in their opposition to the Teutonic Knights and the growing threat of Muscovy.

The Jagiellon Era (1385-1572)