The Polish state was establishment with the adoption of Christianity in 966. The first capital was in the city of Gniezno, but a century later the capital was moved to Krakow, where it remained for half a millennium. The Kingdom of Poland was formed in 1025, and in 1569 by signing the Union of Lublin, forming the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, was the largest country in Europe, attracted significant numbers of foreign migrants, including Germans, Jews, Armenians and the Dutch, thanks to the freedom of confession guaranteed by the state and the atmosphere of religious tolerance.

The commonwealth collapsed in 1795, and Poland's territory was divided among the Kingdom of Prussia, the Russian Empire, and Austria. After a failed uprising, Poland ceased to exist as a country for 123 years. A long period of foreign domination was met with fierce resistance. During the Napoleonic Wars, a semi-autonomous Duchy of Warsaw was created, before being erased from the map again in 1813. Throughout the occupation, Poles retained their sense of national identity.

Poland regained its independence in 1918, after World War I, but was later occupied by Nazi Germany when it was invaded on 1 September 1939, followed by the Soviet Union invasion, split into two zones, one occupied by Germany while the eastern provinces fell under the control of the Soviet Union. Polish civilians opposed to either side's rule were rounded up, tortured, and executed. The Nazis established concentration and death camps on Polish soil, where many millions of Europeans were ruthlessly murdered, Auschwitz is perhaps the most famous. Nearly all major cities were destroyed and with them the history of centuries was gone. Poland lost over six million citizens in World War II, the highest percentage of its citizens of all the countries involved in the war. At the end of the war, Poland's borders were shifted and the new Poland emerged 20% smaller by 77,500 square kilometers (29,900 sq mi). Forced to become a Soviet satellite country following agreements between the Western Allies and the Soviet Union (viewed by many Poles as an act of betrayal by the Allies), emerged several years later as the People's Republic of Poland in 1952. During the Revolutions of 1989, communist rule was overthrown by the Solidarity movement, a sign of the collapse of communism across Eastern Europe.