Kristyn’s Reviews > A History of Poland. > Status Update

I have reached the 1800s, and this chapter focuses on the part that Polish poets, musicians, and artists played in inspiring the insurrections that tried to reunite and gain independence for partitioned Poland.

It's the mid 1700s, and things are not going so well for Poland, "the Republic could no longer even make her neutrality respected, and became accustomed to see foreign armies violate her territory" (187)

Polish history continues to be fascinating--and the writing style emphatic and intriguing with lines like
"... in the beginning of this new epoch of Polish history two events...deflected the normal evolution of the Republic, creating evil precedents and grave menaces..."
or
"...the whole country in a unanimous outburst of reviving patriotism rose against the foreigner."

An interesting end to the chapter that portends the next chapter, "[John Zamoyski] departed not only a eminent statesmen, but also a great humanist, the founder of a university...a protector of arts and letters; in a word, the most worthy representative of the last generation to know a wholly sound and prosperous Poland" (p. 141).