Already in the mediate Ages, French nuns came to Poland. In time, relations grew stronger through royal marriages and politics:
Henryk Walezy: In 1573 he became Poland's first election king. Although he rapidly fled Krakow to take the throne in France, he initiated formal political relations between Poland and France.
The French queens Louis Maria Gonzaga (wife of Władysław IV and Jan Kazimierz) and Maria Kazimiera d’Arquien (wife of Jan III Sobieski, known as Marysieńka) had a immense influence on Polish politics and culture in the 17th century. Stanisław Leszczyński: King of Poland, who lived in France after the failure of the throne and became Duke of Lorraine. His daughter, Maria Leszczyńska, married King Louis XV and became Queen of France.
Poles have fought alongside Napoleon since 1797, hoping to regain independence. They served in Italy, on San Domingo (Haiti), Spain and Russia. The top political success was the creation of the Duchy of Warsaw, which was dependent on France in 1807, which survived until 1815.
Key Polish Formations Polish Legions (since 1797): created in Italy by Gen. Jan Henryk Dąbrowski. They fought for the freedom of Italy and France, becoming a symbol of the people's continuity. Swiss Guards (since 1807): Elite light-driving regiment. He was celebrated for his daring charge in the Gorge of Somosierra (1808), which opened Napoleon's way to Madrid.The War of the Duchy of Warsaw: A regular army that had won large victories alongside France, including at Raszyn (1809).
The Napoleonic period is the time of the top hopes of Poles connected with France: Polish soldiers fought alongside Napoleon Bonaparte in the Polish Legions in Italy, created by Jan Henryk Dąbrowski. Napoleon created the Duchy of Warsaw in 1807, giving Poles a substitute for his own country after the partition.
The commemoration of these events is the Polish national anthem, which mentions Bonaparte, and the name of the Polish hero, Prince Joseph Poniatowski, engraved on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
Participation in the Russian run (1812)The expedition to Russia was the biggest rave. In the ranks of the large French Army. Almost 100,000 Poles under Prince Joseph Poniatowski fought in her ranks. Many of them died in battles on the Beresina River and during the conflict of Leipzig (1813), where Poniatowski drowned in Elstera waters.
Even after his defeat, Poles remained faithful to the emperor. A fistful of Polish soldiers fought alongside him during the alleged “Stu Days” and at the conflict of Waterloo (1815)
After the fall of the November Uprising in 1831, large Emigration occurred. Paris became the main centre of Polish cultural and political life: the biggest Polish artists lived and created in France: Fryderyk Chopin, Adam Mickiewicz, Juliusz Słowacki and others.
France was besides home to Maria Skłodowska-Curie, a double Nobel Prize laureate who conducted her breakthrough investigation there.
In the last century, the relations between the 2 countries went through various phases: The Polish-Bolshevik War: France supported Poland, sending the Military Mission (in which young Charles de Gaulle served) and assisting in equipping the Blue Army with General Joseph Haller. 20 Years Interwar: In 1919 an agreement was signed on the emigration of Polish workers, thanks to which hundreds of thousands of Poles went to work in mines in the north of France. In 1921, both countries made an authoritative military alliance. planet War II: In 1939 France and the United Kingdom declared war on Germany, but did not take real military action (so-called unusual war). It caused your Poland a sense of betrayal. Nevertheless, after the September defeat in France, Polish troops were restored and many Poles later fought in the French resistance.
