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People's Republic of Poland
Polska Republika Ludowa
Timeline: Principia Moderni III (Map Game)

OTL equivalent: Poland
Flag Coat of Arms
Flag Coat of Arms
Location of People's Republic of Poland
Various Shades of Red - Poland and it's Districts; #1 on the map of is Ludzigród District.
Motto
Pracownicy, łączcie się!
("Workers, Unite!")
Capital
(and largest city)
Ludzigród
Other cities Krakow
Language
  official
 
Polish
  others German

Ruthenian

Religion Roman Catholic

Greek Catholic
Eastern Orthodox

Ethnic Groups
  main
 
Polish
  others German
Demonym Polish
Government Proletarian Dictatorship
  Legislature Polish Communist Party
General Secretary Rajmund Sokoloff
Area Est - 600,000 km²
Population 1907 Census - 37,632,017 
Established 1550
Independence from the Monarchy
  declared 1886
  recognized 1886
Currency złoty

grosz

The People's Republic of Poland (Polish: Polska Republika Ludowa ; Latin: Res Publica Polona) is a communist state ruled by the General Secretary of Poland. At its peak it was the largest nation within the confines of the European continent. With a substantial population of about 37 million, it is one of the most densest sovereignty's of Europe and also contains a large multi-ethnic population. The Republic was established in 1886 after the revolution.

History[]

Pre-1400[]

The Kingdom of Poland was founded by the coronation of King Bolesław I the Brave in 1025. Bolesław was a member of the Piast dynasty, and was the son of Mieszko I, who was the first Duke of Poland to convert to Christianity. Bolesław was the fifth Piast ruler of Poland, and his dynasty ruled the Kingdom until Casimir the Great died without a son.

The Kingdom passed to Casimir's nephew, the Angevin King of Hungary Louis I. Louis' daughter, Jadwiga, became the Queen of Poland at a young age, and then was to be married to Jogaila, Grand Duke of Lithuania, under the terms of the Union of Krewo.


After the negotiations that took place in 1385, Jogaila converted to Christianity, married Jadwiga, and was crowned King of Poland in 1386. Jadwiga died in 1399, after bearing a daughter who would also die within a month of her birth.

1400-1500[]

After Jadwiga's death in 1399, Wladyslaw II decided to remarry. He turned Anastasia of Pomerania-Stettin, heiress of the Duchy and daughter of Bogislaw VII, and they were married in 1400. Wladyslaw II and Vytautas met later that year in Kiev to establish the conditions of Vytautas' rule over Lithuania, which was decided to be only that of a viceroy, which ended up setting a strong precedent for representative and localized government in Lithuania.

In 1401, Poland led a war to conquer Muscovy, which ended successfully in 1402 with the capture of Moskva with the help of the Golden Horde and the United Norse Crown. Following the incorporation of Muscovy to the realms of Poland and Lithuania, Wladyslaw II declared the Gediminid Crown of Eastern Europe.

During the mid to late 15th century Poland was in a constant state of awareness of invasion from the Rus' states and the Holy Roman Empire to the west. However, those alliances soon broke down and the nation has been able to reset relations with other sovereignty's across Europe. In the late 15th century Austria has brought Poland into it's sphere of influence.

1500-1885[]

After several wars Austria was forced to surrender Poland and declare it independent from it's influence, soon Poland reunified with Lithuania and declared the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. However, King Magnus von Hapsburg-Wittelsbach still ruled the nation and was soon overthrown by the nobles and peasantry of the nation. Magnus von Hapsburg-Wittelsbach was then exiled back to Bavaria. The son of the former king Józef Szczuka was soon placed on the throne by the populace of the nation.

In 1555 King Józef Szczuka proposed to the General Sejm the Reforms of Golden Liberty to centralize the government as well as give the general populace certain liberties. As a result of this the capital was moved to Warsaw for the government to hold a more centralized political location within the Commonwealth as well as provide a new location to prevent enemy capture of the capital during a foreign invasion.

Due to unknown reasons, King Józef died during a meeting with the his Privy Council. His cause of death is believed to be by a heart attack. Józef's brother-in-law soon took power of the Polish crown as Interrex until Prince Casimir III's coronation which took place the next day. King Casimir III was then married to the daughter of the Grand Duke of Moscow, Irina. Following the Grand Duke's death, Casimir and Irina have jointly shared the Muscovite crown, creating a dualistic state between the Grand Duchy of Moscow and the Kingdom of Poland.

In 1578, the Kingdom of Novgorod indirectly attempted to spark insurrection among the eastern portions of the Commonwealth. By sending missionaries to impose Jehovah Law in the east. This led to the Hunt of Jehovah in the Ruthenian and Lithuanian regions. Crucifixions, live burnings, tarring, and other signs of torture were sighted by local policing forces. Catholics, Jews, Muslims and also those who practiced Eastern Orthodoxy took part in chasing these missionaries out of the nation. At least 250 Novgorodian missionaries were killed.

After the immature actions of Novgorod, King Casimir III declared war. Over 100,000 troops that watched the Muscovite border during Novgorod's war on independence stormed across into Muscovy then into Novgorod. Casimir's wife, Irina, soon joined upon request by Casimir. During the campaign against the Kingdom of Novgorod, several rebellious groups aided the cause of the Polish and Muscovite coalition against the dictatorship. The war only lasted five months, but this was mainly because of Novgorod's petty military capabilities, lack of military development and preoccupation with several simultaneous revolts. After five months, the title of Prince/Princess of Novgorod was soon passed down to Casimir III of Poland and Irina of Moscow.

The eldest child of Casimir III and Irina, Princess Kristina, would be wed to Count Maunas Vaalgamaast, the heir of the Duchy of Livonia in 1602. This led to an eventual dynastic union between the two nations, and ended up with their son, Nikolajs, being poised to inherit both realms.

1886-Present[]

A communist revolution takes place in Poland after various incidents take place within the nation. Rajmund Sokoloff, a disgruntled, charismatic factory worker rises to the front of things and leads the Revolution. The Revolution was successful and the People's Republic of Poland is declared and Rajmund Sokoloff becomes General Secretary. Dawid Dubanowski is appointed as Foreign Minister and Konstantyn Starek Head of Military. In 1887, war is declared upon Pskov to help Poland's communist comrades in arms. The war against Pskov is successful and at the Armistice at Minsk the peace terms are agreed upon by Pskov, Russia, and Poland. After the war against Pskov General Secretary Rajmund Sokoloff starts his Ten Year Plan in 1888, which plans to reform the country according to the principles of Jakkopism-Ayernovism. Czechia becomes the communist puppet state of Poland in 1889 after an ultimatum is sent. In 1890 a war is declared against Silesia after their refusal of a referendum identical to the one accepted by Czechia, but Croatia joined and started a major reversal, and the following year a peace treaty is made, which sends reparations to Silesia and Croatia for any costs caused by the war. After the war against Silesia was finished, an anti-communist rebellion was started in Czechia, which is a stalemate currently.

Government[]

General Secretary[]

In the current form of government, the general secretary leads as head of state and head of government. De facto control of the nation technically belongs to the General Secretary, but the other higher positions in the government such as Foreign Minister or Head of Military still have a great deal of power within the state. Current General Secretary is Rajmund Sokoloff.

Foreign Minister[]

Portrait of the General Sejm PMIII

The former General Sejm in Kraków

The Foreign Minister is essentially in charge of all matters concering foreign diplomacy and trade, including alliances, military pacts, trade pacts, and declarations of war. The current Foreign Minister is Dawid Dubanowski.

Head of Military[]

The Head of Military is in charge of all things concerning the military other than actual declarations of war, which is under the jurisdiction of the Foreign Minister. Current Head of Military is Konstantyn Starek.

Administrative Divisions[]

Division Capital Flag
Poland
Polska
Eastern Pomerania
Pomorze Wschodnie
Gdansk
Kujawy Bydgoszcz
Masovia
Mazowsze
Plock
Ludzigród Ludzigród
Kielce Kielce
Lesser Poland
Malopolska
Krakow
Lwow Lwow
Bialorosja Grodno
Litwa Wilno

Ten Year Plan[]

The Ten Year Plan was a series of communist economic and state reforms enacted by the communist government that started in 1888 and ended 1988, with the aim of reforming Poland in the image of the ideals set forth by the ideology of Jakkopism-Ayernovism, which included partial collectivization with the end aim of largely increasing Poland's industrial and agricultural output.

Economy[]

Production[]

The primary goods produced in Poland are agricultural and mining products such as pig iron and coal. The plantation system of using serf labor is dominant, but slavery is very uncommon. Grains, such as rye, wheat, barley, and other cereals, are very common to be grown in Poland. Very few people live in cities, with most living in town-like plantations that provide most needs internally.

Poland, combined with Lithuania and the other affiliated states, is the largest grain producer in Europe. Most grain is consumed internally, but a large quanitity is still exported to the rest of Europe, especially during years of famines.

Trade[]

Polish trade is centered around the export of four basic products: grain, cattle, metals, and furs. Most trade is taken north, and out of Poland, to Prussia, where it is shipped through the Baltic Sea to cities like Antwerp and Amsterdam. 

The Amber Road, a powerful trade route stretching from Venice to Novgorod passes through the Commonwealth. Another overland trade route brings goods from Persia to Europe via Poland, bringing wealth with the traders.

Military[]

The Polish military is headed by Head of Military.

Polish Army[]

The Polish Army is at a current size of 330,000, with about 500,000 possible troops in reserve, and is equipped with the Polish-designed ZW-93 rifle and artillery made from Russian and French designs. Cavalry was once a large part of the Polish Army, but has since declined significantly after the Revolution as the nobles who made up the majority of the cavalry left the nation.

Polish Navy[]

The Polish Navy is currently very small, but has access to building schematics for most modern ship designs. It currently numbers at 30 ironclads of a new Polish design based on current French models. Most men in the navy are recruited from the Gdansk area.

Culture[]

Ethnic Groups[]

There are three primary ethnic groups in Poland and its affiliated states. These are: Polish, Lithuanian, and Ruthenian. In Poland, the Polish ethnic group is by far the largest, while in Lithuania the Ruthenian and Lithuanian groups are larger. However, several minor ethnic groups are scattered across the nation, such as Silesian, Bohemian and German. Although according to the Reforms of Golden Liberty, there is no primary or official ethnic group.

Poles are part of the Western Slavic group, and associate with Silesian, Bohemian, Pomeranian, Polabian, and Sorbian cultures.

Art and Architecture[]

Polish architecture is generally considered to be the eastern-most extent of Western architecture. Architectural influences in the west generally reflect Germanic forms, such as Gothic structures, while architectural influences in the east can sometimes reflect Eastern European forms.

Polish art follows Western art very closely. Tapestries and woven rugs are both common forms of expression. Tapestries, while originally imported from Europe, have recently become produced witha greater frequency in Poland. Woven rugs, which had been shipped through Poland on their way to Europe from Persia have recently become extremely popular with Polish artisans.

Entertainment[]

Music in Poland is relatively advanced for its location. This is attributed to more patronage than the smaller Germanic states. Polish music is polyphonic, and is similar to the Notre Dame School. Mikołaj z Radomski is the most notable composer of Polish music, and often incorporates religious themes and motifs in his work.

As for literature, Christianity introduced Latin to the Poles, and therefore introduced literature. Gallus Anonymous, from the 1100s, is the most notable historian of ancient Poland, known for his Deeds of the Princes of the Poles. Wincenty Kadłubek is another historian and political commentator, who wrote Chronicles of the Kings and Princes of Poland.

Religion[]

Although different religions are rule vast portions of the Commonwealth there is no defined religion within the country's borders as a way to practice civil rights and liberty from the Hapsburg's sphere. In the western and northern regions Roman Catholics and those who practice the beliefs of the Western Church are a majority, while the Eastern Orthodox Church is the primary religion in the eastern regions.

Foreign Relations[]

Allies[]

Russia, France, West Czechia, and Romania

Friends[]

Ruthenia

Neutral[]

Other Nations

Rivals[]

Croatia

Enemies[]

Pskov

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