Brief History of Poland
Poland's golden age occurred in the 16th century. During the following century, the unstable internal situation weakened the national institutions. Prussia, Russia and Austria partitioned Poland at the end of the 18th century. Poland regained its independence in 1918 only to be overrun by Germany in World War II. After the war Poland became a satellite country of the Soviet Union. This situation lasted until 1989. Since May 2004 Poland has been a member of the European Union.
