Poland

• “If you can not prevent your enemies from swallowing you at least prevent them from digesting you” – Jean-Jacques Rousseau

• What do you think this means? Write your response in your notes.

Physical Characteristics

• Poland covered by North European plain

• Trees were cut down– 2/3 of Poland is now

open fields

• Poland has SEVERE winters

• South of the Baltic Sea

• How has Poland’s geography contributed to its history of foreign domination???

• Write the correct answer in your notes– Hint #1: Think about where Poland is

on the map– Hint #2: Think about what would

attract invaders

• How has Poland’s geography contributed to its history of foreign domination???

• Write the correct answer in your notes

•Answer: No natural barriers to prevent invasion from east and west and abundance of natural resources that attract invaders

WWII

• 95% of people who live in Poland now are Roman Catholic

• Before WWII Poland was multi-ethnic– What could have

changed this???

The Nazi Party• Wanted the “perfect” race• Blamed the Jewish religion for

Germany’s hard times.• The Nazi Party either scared the

various races out of Poland or they killed those who were different

Auschwitz

Location:

• Olwiecim, Poland

•Date Aushwitz opened:- June 14, 1940

The camp was used for…

There were 3 main camps within Auschwitz:Auschwitz 1: Administrative CenterAuschwitz 2: Extermination CampAuschwitz 3: Labor Camp

Chief Commander:Rudolph Hoess

• In charge from May 4, 1940 to November of 1943.

Types of Executions Used:

• Gassing• Lack of disease

prevention• Starving• Individual

executions• Medical

experiments (sterilization, twins, dwarfs)

Five Years Later…

Death toll:-estimated 2.5-4 million people died

Liberated by the Soviet Union:

-January 27, 1945

After Liberation…Auschwitz 1 (Administration Camp)

-Made into a museum to tell the tragic story of what happened.

Auschwitz 2 (Extermination Camp)-Made into a grave site for the many that died there.

End of WWII

• Communist government takes over Poland.

• What does communism mean?• What are the negatives? What are the

positives of communism?– Positives – Free health care, low taxes for

the poor, everyone is equal, classless society– Negatives – Censorship, hunger, political

repression, work environment, hair color???• Communist party tried to remove

religion from Poland but the Roman Catholics stayed!!

Communism Ends

• In 1989• Poland did not experience instant

prosperity • Change was difficult, however by the

mid 1990s economic growth was up and unemployment improved