Polonophile

The history of the concept dates back to the beginning of the Polish state in 966 AD under Duke Mieszko I. It remained strong among ethnic minorities as in allied neighbouring countries and during Polonization of the Eastern Borderlands, Livonia and other acquired territories implied by the Polish Crown or the Polish government, thus also triggering Polonophobia.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L-QLXnX16kAC&dq=polonization&pg=PA133|title=Fires of Hatred|first=Norman M.|last=Naimark|date=22 May 2019|publisher=Harvard University Press|access-date=22 May 2019|via=Google Books|isbn=9780674009943}}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qBNpAAAAMAAJ&q=polonization|title=Nationalism and Historiography: The Case of Nineteenth-century Lithuanian Historicism|first=Virgil|last=Krapauskas|date=22 May 2019|publisher=East European Monographs|access-date=22 May 2019|via=Google Books|isbn=9780880334570}}

One of the first recorded potential Polonophiles were exiled Jews, who settled in Poland throughout the Middle Ages, particularly following the First Crusade (1096-1099).{{cite web|url=https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/poland-virtual-jewish-history-tour|title=Poland Virtual Jewish History Tour|website=www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org|access-date=22 May 2019}} The culture and the intellectual output of the Jewish community in Poland had a profound impact on Judaism as a whole over the next centuries, with both cultures becoming somewhat interconnected and being influenced by each other. Jewish historians claimed that the name of the country is pronounced as "Polania" or "Polin" in Hebrew, which was interpreted as a good omen because Polania can be divided into three separate Hebrew words: po (here), lan (dwells), ya (God) and Polin into two words: po (here) lin ([you should] dwell).{{cite web|url=https://www.nybooks.com/daily/2014/12/06/polands-jews-new-roof-polin/|title=Poland's Jews: Under a New Roof|first=Shelley|last=Salamensky|date=6 December 2014|access-date=22 May 2019}} That suggested that Poland was a good destination for the Jews fleeing from persecution and anti-Semitism in other European countries. Rabbi David HaLevi Segal (Taz) expressed his pro-Polish views by stating in Poland, "most of the time the Gentiles do no harm; on the contrary they do right by Israel" (Divre David; 1689).David ben Samuel Ha-Levi, "Divre ̄ David Ture ̄ Zahav" (1689) in Hebrew. Published in: Bi-defus Y. Goldman, Warsaw: 1882. Quoted by the YIVO Encyclopedia of Jews in Eastern Europe. Ashkenazi Jews willingly adopted some aspects of Polish cuisine, language and national dress, which can be seen in Orthodox Jewish communities around the world.{{cite web|url=http://www.jewishtreats.org/2009/06/shtreimels-and-spodiks.html|title=Shtreimels and Spodiks|first=Jewish|last=Treats|access-date=22 May 2019}}{{cite web|url=http://www.jhi.pl/psj/sztrajmel|title=Jewish Historical Institute|website=www.jhi.pl|access-date=22 May 2019}}

{{main|Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth|Crown of the Kingdom of Poland|Polonization}}

File:Tartu flag.svg in Estonia, which was granted to the city by Polish King Stephen Bathory in 1584, is still in use. It closely resembles the Polish flag and represents Poland's historical influence over Livonia]]

When Polish King Stephen Bathory captured Livonia (Truce of Jam Zapolski), he granted the city of Tartu (Polish: Dorpat), now in Estonia, its own banner with the colours and layout resembling the Polish flag. The flag dates from 1584 and is still in use.{{cite web|url=https://www.tartu.ee/en/flag-and-coat-of-arms-of-tartu|title=The Flag and the coat of arms of Tartu|website=Tartu linn|access-date=22 May 2019}}

When the Poles invaded the Tsardom of Russia in 1605, a self-identified prince, known as False Dmitry I, assumed the Russian throne. A Polonophile, he assured that King Sigismund III of Poland could control the country's internal and external affairs, secure Russia's conversion to Catholicism and thus make it a puppet state. Dmitry's murder was a possible justification for arranging a full-scale invasion by Sigismund in 1609. The Seven Boyars deposed reigning Tsar Boris Godunov to demonstrate their support for the Polish cause. Godunov was transported as a prisoner to Poland, where he died.Robert O. Crummey, The Formation of Muscovy 1304–1613 (New York and London: Longman, 1987), pp. 224–5. In 1610, the Boyars elected Sigismund's underage son Władysław as the new Tsar of Russia, but he was never crowned.{{sfn|Bohun|Rosalak|2007|p=8}} This period was known as the Time of Troubles, a major part in Russian history that remains relatively unmentioned in Polish historiography because of its implied Polonization policies.

File:Newrew - False Dimitry I swearing Sigismund III introduction of catholicism in Russia.jpg swears an oath of allegiance to Sigismund III of Poland and promises conversion to Catholicism.]]

During the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Zaporizhian Cossack state was allied to the Catholic King of Poland, and the Cossacks were often hired as mercenaries. That had a strong impact on the Ukrainian language and led to the establishment of a functioning Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in 1596 at the Union of Brest.{{cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/event/Union-of-Brest-Litovsk|title=Union of Brest-Litovsk|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|access-date=22 May 2019}} The Ukrainians, however, retained their Orthodox Christian faith and Cyrillic alphabet. During the Russo-Polish War of 1654–1667, the Cossacks were divided into the pro-Polish (Right-bank Ukraine) and pro-Russian (Left-bank Ukraine) factions. Petro Doroshenko, who commanded the army of Right-bank Ukraine, and Pavlo Teteria and Ivan Vyhovsky were open Polonophiles and allied to the Polish king.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AxETCgAAQBAJ&dq=ivan+vyhovsky+pro+polish&pg=PA173|title=The Polish-Lithuanian State, 1386–1795|first=Daniel Z.|last=Stone|date=1 July 2014|publisher=University of Washington Press|access-date=22 May 2019|via=Google Books|isbn=9780295803623}} The Polish influence on Ukraine ended with the partitions of the late 18th century, when the territory of contemporary Ukraine was annexed by the Russian Empire.{{cite web|url=http://countrystudies.us/poland/11.htm|title=Poland – The Three Partitions, 1764–95|website=countrystudies.us|access-date=22 May 2019}}

Under John III Sobieski, the Christian coalition forces defeated the Ottoman Turks at the Battle of Vienna in 1683, which ironically sparked admiration for Poland and its Winged Hussars in the Ottoman Empire. The Sultan named Sobieski the "Lion of Lehistan [Poland]".{{cite book |author=Mario Reading|title=The Complete Prophecies of Nostradamus|year=2009|page=382|publisher=Sterling Publishing Company, Inc|isbn=978-1-906787-39-4}} It also sparked admiration in Persia, with the Persians granting Sobieski the proud title of Ghazi.{{cite web|url=https://www.wilanow-palac.pl/bitwa_pod_wiedniem_2.html|title=Bitwa pod Wiedniem – 12 IX 1683|website=Muzeum Pałacu Króla Jana III w Wilanowie|author=Hanna Widacka|access-date=23 April 2023|language=pl}} That tradition was cultivated when Poland disappeared from map for 123 years. The Ottoman Empire, along with Persia, was the only major country in the world not to recognise the Partitions of Poland.{{cite web |url= http://miedzykulturowa.org.pl/zalaczniki/Warszawa_wielu_kultur_Turcy.pdf |title= Edukacja Międzykulturowa: Turcy |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100703050535/http://miedzykulturowa.org.pl/zalaczniki/Warszawa_wielu_kultur_Turcy.pdf |archive-date= 3 July 2010 }} {{small|(48.9 KB)}} The reception ceremony of a foreign ambassador or a diplomatic mission in Istanbul began with an announcement sacred formula: "the Ambassador of Lehistan [Poland] has not yet arrived".{{cite web|url=http://warsaw.emb.mfa.gov.tr/Mission/ShowInfoNote/223798|title=T.C. Dışişleri Bakanlığı Turkish Embassy in Warsaw|website=warsaw.emb.mfa.gov.tr|access-date=22 May 2019}}

{{main|Partitions of Poland|Congress Poland|Austrian Poland|Province of Posen}}

File:Robe à la Polonaise MET DT11155.jpg, a Polish dress popular at Versailles in the 18th century and worn by Marie Antoinette]]

The Partitions of Poland gave a rise to a new wave of Polonophilia in Europe and the world. Exiled revolutionaries such as Casimir Pulaski and Tadeusz Kościuszko, who fought for the independence of the United States from Great Britain, contributed to the sentiment that is relatively pro-Polish in North America.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MKfKuDDM0doC&dq=casimir+pulaski+independence&pg=PT76|title=Count Casimir Pulaski: From Poland to America, a Hero's Fight for Liberty|first=AnnMarie Francis|last=Kajencki|date=15 August 2004|publisher=The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc|access-date=22 May 2019|via=Google Books|isbn=9781404226463}}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UWvU0cjtJVEC&dq=kosciuszko+independence&pg=PA195|title=History of the Portrait Collection, Independence National Historical Park|first1=Doris Devine|last1=Fanelli|first2=Karie|last2=Diethorn|date=22 May 2019|publisher=American Philosophical Society|access-date=22 May 2019|via=Google Books|isbn=9780871692429}}

In Haiti, the leader of the Haitian Revolution and first head of state Jean-Jacques Dessalines, called the Poles the white Negroes of Europe.{{cite book|last=Girard|first=Philippe R.|title=The Slaves Who Defeated Napoleon: Toussaint Louverture and the Haitian War of Independence, 1801–1804|year=2011|publisher=The University of Alabama Press|location=Tuscaloosa|page=266|isbn=978-0-8173-1732-4}}{{cite book|last=Meade|first=Teresa A.|author-link=Teresa Meade |title=A History of Modern Latin America: 1800 to the Present|year=2022|publisher=Wiley-Blackwell|page=71}} This was an expression of respect and empathy for the situation of the Poles, after Polish soldiers sent by Napoleon to suppress the Haitian Revolution defected to join the insurgents (see Haiti–Poland relations). The 1805 Haitian constitution granted the Poles Haitian citizenship.{{cite web|url=http://www.webster.edu/~corbetre/haiti/history/earlyhaiti/1805-const.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051228150910/http://www.webster.edu/~corbetre/haiti/history/earlyhaiti/1805-const.htm|archive-date=28 December 2005|title=The 1805 Constitution of Haiti|website=Webster University|access-date=23 April 2023}}

Newly established Belgium, which declared independence from the Netherlands, was a very Polonophile country (see Belgium–Poland relations).{{cite book|author=|title=Symbole Królestwa Belgii/De symbolen van het Koninkrijk België/Les symboles du Royaume de Belgique|language=pl,nl,fr|year=2021|publisher=Agence Leacom|pages=4, 7, 9}} Belgian diplomacy refused to establish diplomatic relations with the Russian Empire for annexing a large portion of Poland's eastern territories during the Partitions.{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GRYjAQAAIAAJ&q=polonophil+belgium|title=BTNG|date=22 May 2019|publisher=SOMA-CEGES.|access-date=22 May 2019|via=Google Books}} Diplomatic relations between Moscow and Brussels were established only decades later.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0RMoRvbo-d8C&dq=polonophilic+history&pg=PA1|title=Russia and the Low Countries: An International Bibliography, 1500–2000|first=Roger|last=Tavernier|date=22 May 2019|publisher=Barkhuis|access-date=22 May 2019|via=Google Books|isbn=9789077089040}}

The November Uprising in Congress Poland in 1830 against Russia prompted a wave of Polonophilia in Germany (excluding the partitioning state of Prussia), including financial contributions to exiles, the singing of pro-Polish songs, and pro-Polish literature. During the January uprising in 1863, however, the pro-Polish sentiment had mostly vanished.{{cite book|last=Healy |first=Róisón |title=The Shadow of Colonialism on Europe's Modern Past |page=116 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hCdHBQAAQBAJ&dq=polonophilia+germany&pg=PA116 |chapter=From Commonwealth to Colony? Poland under Prussia |date=2014 |publisher=Springer |editor-last1=Healy |editor-first1=Róisín |editor-last2=Dal Lago |editor-first2=Enrico |isbn=9781137450746}}

File:Nietzsche1882.jpg was a lifelong Polonophile and supported Poland in every field.]]

One of the strongest centres of Polonophilia in 19th-century Europe was Ireland.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bmqvBAAAQBAJ&dq=polonophil+belgium&pg=PA4|title=Transnational Perspectives on Modern Irish History|first=Niall|last=Whelehan|date=3 October 2014|publisher=Routledge|access-date=22 May 2019|via=Google Books|isbn=9781317963226}} The Young Ireland movement and the Fenians saw similarities in both countries as "Catholic nations and victims of larger imperial powers". In 1863, Irish newspapers expressed wide support for the January uprising, which was then seen as a risky move.

Italians and Hungarians supported the Poles in the January Uprising most numerously (see Hungary and Italy sections below), but other nations also showed sympathy for the uprising. In Sweden, various newspapers sympathized with the Poles, with some stating that Russia was a common enemy of Sweden and Poland, pro-Polish rallies were held, attended by Swedish parliamentarians, and funds were collected for arms for the Polish insurgents.{{cite magazine|last=Kowalska-Postén|first=Leokadia|year=1977|title=Stosunek sejmu, prasy i opinii politycznej w Szwecji do sprawy polskiej w 1863 r.|magazine=Przegląd Historyczny|language=pl|issue=68–4|pages=661–664, 666}} Swedish King Charles XV strongly supported Swedish involvement in the fight on the Polish side, which, however, did not take place due to the restrained stance of the Swedish government, which declared willingness to fight for Poland only alongside Western European powers of Britain and France.Kowalska-Postén, pp. 666, 672 An expedition of armed Polish volunteers from Western Europe assisted by foreigners of various nationalities, which stopped on the island of Öland and in Malmö on its way to Poland, was met with sympathy of the local Swedes.{{cite book|last=Zieliński|first=Stanisław|title=Bitwy i potyczki 1863-1864. Na podstawie materyałów drukowanych i rękopiśmiennych Muzeum Narodowego w Rapperswilu|year=1913|language=pl|publisher=Fundusz Wydawniczy Muzeum Narodowego w Rapperswilu|location=Rapperswil|pages=298–299}}

Throughout modern history, France was long Poland's ally, especially after French King Louis XV married Polish Princess Marie Leszczyńska, the daughter of Stanislaus I. Polish customs and fashion became popular in the Versailles such as the Polonaise dress (robe à la polonaise), which was adored by Marie Antoinette. Polish cuisine also became known in French as à la polonaise. Both Napoleon I and Napoleon III expressed strong pro-Polish sentiment after Poland had ceased to exist as a sovereign country in 1795.{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=57uRAAAAIAAJ&q=napoleon+i+polonophil|title=A Polish chapter in Civil War America: the effects of the January insurrection on American opinion and diplomacy|first=Joseph W.|last=Wieczerzak|date=22 May 1967|publisher=Twayne Publishers|access-date=22 May 2019|via=Google Books}}{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=obdJAAAAMAAJ&q=napoleon+iii+polonophil|title=Russia and the Soviet Union: a modern history|first=Warren Bartlett|last=Walsh|date=22 May 2019|publisher=University of Michigan Press|access-date=22 May 2019|via=Google Books}} In 1807, Napoleon I established the Duchy of Warsaw, a client state of the French Empire that was dissolved in 1815 at the Congress of Vienna. Napoleon III also called for a free Poland and his wife, Eugénie de Montijo, astonished the Austrian ambassador (Austria was one of three partitioning powers) by "unveiling a European map with a realignment of borders to accommodate independent Poland".{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lPuHAgAAQBAJ&dq=polonophile+france&pg=PA76|title=Ideology and International Relations in the Modern World|first=Alan|last=Cassels|date=1 November 2002|publisher=Routledge|access-date=22 May 2019|via=Google Books|isbn=9781134813308}}

The closely related Sorbs, who were also under Polish rule in the Middle Ages, sympathised with the Poles and viewed them as allies in the resistance against Germanisation policies. 19th-century Sorbian activist {{ill|Michał Hórnik|hsb}} declared his sympathy and admiration for the Poles, popularised knowledge of Nicolaus Copernicus and Tadeusz Kościuszko through Sorbian press, reported on the events of the January Uprising and made contacts with Poles during visits to Warsaw, Kraków and Poznań.{{cite journal|last=Wojtal|first=Józef|year=1973|title=Michał Hornik – budziszyński przyjaciel Polski i popularyzator dzieł Kopernika|journal=Śląski Kwartalnik Historyczny Sobótka|publisher=Zakład Narodowy im. Ossolińskich|location=Wrocław|language=pl|volume=XXVIII|issue=2|pages=184–186}}

One of the most prominent and self-declared Polonophiles of the late 19th century was the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, who was certain of his Polish heritage.{{Cite book |first=Henry Louis |last=Mencken |title=Friedrich Nietzsche |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_r71AzHvf64C&dq=poland+polish&pg=PA6 |year=1913 |publisher=Transaction Publishers |isbn=978-1-56000-649-7 |page=6}} He often expressed his positive views and admiration towards Poles and their culture. However, modern scholars believe that Nietzsche's claim of Polish ancestry was a pure invention.{{Citation |first=Henry Louis |last=Mencken |title=The Philosophy of Friedrich Nietzche |others=introd. & comm. Charles Q. Bufe |publisher=See Sharp Press |place=US |year=2003 |page=2}} According to biographer R. J. Hollingdale, Nietzsche's propagation of the Polish ancestry myth may have been part of his "campaign against Germany".{{sfn|Hollingdale|1999|p=6}}

File:G. K. Chesterton at work.jpg expressed his admiration for the Polish nation]]

In the early 20th century, a number of writers declared their admiration for the Poles, including Brazil's Ruy Barbosa,{{cite web|url=https://en.uj.edu.pl/en_GB/news/-/journal_content/56_INSTANCE_SxA5QO0R5BDs/81541894/149993348|title=Ruy Barbosa's bust revealed at the Jagiellonian Library|website=Jagiellonian University|access-date=23 April 2023}} Japan's Nitobe Inazō and Britain's G. K. Chesterton.{{cite web|url=https://www.chesterton.org/lecture-125-there/|title=Lecture 125: There|author=Dale Ahlquist|date=4 December 2018 |access-date=23 April 2023}} Nitobe Inazō called Poles a brave and chivalrous nation, and valued Polish devotion to history and patriotism.{{cite book|last=Nitobe|first=Inazō|author-link=Nitobe Inazō|year=1904|translator-last1=Lewenz|translator-first1=Marie A.|title=Bushido: Dusza Japonii|location=Lwów, Warszawa|pages=V–VI|language=pl}} Ruy Barbosa advocated for Polish independence at the Hague Conventions of 1907.

{{blockquote|I judged the Poles by their enemies. And I found it was an almost unfailing truth that their enemies were the enemies of magnanimity and manhood. If a man loved slavery, if he loved usury, if he loved terrorism and all the trampled mire of materialistic politics, I have always found that he added to these affections the passion of a hatred of Poland. She could be judged in the light of that hatred; and the judgment has proved to be right.|G. K. Chesterton}}

A display of sympathy and gratitude towards Poland in Bulgaria was the unveiling of a memorial complex and symbolic mausoleum of King Władysław III of Poland in Varna.{{cite web|url=http://varnenchikmuseum.com/Eng/index.html|title=About us|website=Park-museum of military friendship 1444 "Vladislav Varnenchik"|access-date=23 April 2023}} Władysław III commanded a coalition of Central and Eastern European countries at the Battle of Varna in 1444 in an attempt to repel the Ottoman invasion of Europe and liberate Bulgaria. Also, football club SK Vladislav Varna, the first ever Bulgarian football champion, was named after the Polish king.

When Poland finally regained its independence following World War I, Polonophilia gradually transformed into a demonstration of patriotism and solidarity, especially during the horrors of the Second World War and the Polish struggle against communism.

File:Breda 75 jaar bevrijding-2.jpg by the Polish 1st Armoured Division (2019)]]

In 1939, Germany's allies, traditionally Poland-friendly Italy, Japan and Hungary, did not approve of the German invasion of Poland, which started World War II. Despite declared neutrality and German and Soviet pressure, Hungary, Romania, Italy, Bulgaria, Greece and Yugoslavia sympathized with Poland and secretly allowed the escape of Poles through their territories to Polish-allied France, where the Polish Army was reconstituted to continue the fight against Germany.{{cite magazine|last=Wróbel|first=Janusz|year=2020|title=Odbudowa Armii Polskiej u boku sojuszników (1939–1940)|magazine=Biuletyn IPN|language=pl|publisher=IPN|issue=1–2 (170–171)|page=104|issn=1641-9561}} Eventually, Greece and Yugoslavia, fearing Germany, became reluctant to further allow Poles to escape through their territories, however Bulgaria and Turkey allowed the escape through their lands to continue.Wróbel, p. 106 The Japanese helped secretly evacuate a portion of the Polish gold reserve from occupied Poland and closely co-operated with Polish intelligence.{{cite magazine|last=Kopeć|first=Krzysztof|year=2014|title=Uratować złoto|magazine=Pamięć.pl|volume=9 |language=pl|publisher=IPN|issue=30|page=33|issn=2084-7319}} Mahatma Gandhi declared appreciation for the Polish resistance against the German invasion.{{cite book|last=Sharma|first=Jai Narain|title=Rediscovering Gandhi|volume=3|year=2011|publisher=Concept Publishing Company|location=New Delhi|page=216}}

Polish troops took part in the liberation of a number of nations from German occupation, which is, for example, particularly strongly remembered in Breda in the Netherlands.{{cite web|url=https://www.ad.nl/breda/brabanders-en-polen-herdenken-bevrijding-breda-en-oosterhout-op-indrukwekkende-wijze~a9552865/|title=Brabanders en Polen herdenken bevrijding Breda en Oosterhout op indrukwekkende wijze|website=AD.nl|date=23 October 2021|access-date=23 April 2023|language=nl}} There is a Polish military cemetery, where Polish general and war hero Stanisław Maczek is buried, and the anniversary of the liberation is commemorated in the city, also by supporters of the local football club NAC Breda (see Netherlands–Poland relations).{{cite web|url=https://www.omroepbrabant.nl/nieuws/3096204/dzieki-nac-supporters-bedanken-poolse-bevrijders-met-mega-spandoek-op-tribune|title=Dzieki!, NAC-supporters bedanken Poolse bevrijders met mega-spandoek op tribune|website=Omroep Brabant|date=29 October 2019|access-date=23 April 2023|language=nl}}

File:Polish cemetery in Jakkabag in Uzbekistan IGP2635.jpg, Uzbekistan]]

Several people who had contact with the Polish resistance praised the Poles. Ron Jeffery, British prisoner of war who escaped from German captivity in occupied Poland and joined the Polish resistance, stated in his memoirs that People of more matchless moral and physical courage than the Poles have never existed, and a sense of pride at having fought and been closely associated with them in their scarce unbroken struggles, is always with me.{{cite book|last=Jeffery|first=Ron|title=Red Runs the Vistula|year=1989|publisher=Nevron Associates|page=51}} Australian Walter Edward Smith, who similarly escaped from German captivity and joined the Polish resistance,{{cite news|author= |date=30 August 1944|title=Australian Fighting in Warsaw|work=Newcastle Morning Herald|location=Newcastle}} declared that Poles, not Australians as he previously believed, were the best soldiers in the world.{{cite web|url=https://nowosci.com.pl/walczyl-w-powstaniu-warszawskim-ramie-w-ramie-z-polakami/ar/10837542|title=Walczył w Powstaniu Warszawskim ramię w ramię z Polakami|website=Nowości Dziennik Toruński|author=Paweł Bukowski|date=1 August 2015|access-date=23 April 2023|language=pl}}

Despite Soviet rule, Polish cemeteries and graves from World War II in Uzbekistan have mostly survived the post-war period.{{cite magazine|last=Ziółkowska|first=Ewa|year=2002|title=Polskie groby w Uzbekistanie i Kazachstanie. W 60. rocznicę polskiego wychodźstwa z ZSRR|magazine=Wspólnota Polska|language=pl|issue=3–4 (116–117)|page=66|issn=1429-8457}} After the dissolution of the Soviet Union and restoration of independent Uzbekistan, Uzbeks often annotated Polish cemeteries with inscriptions referring to buried Poles as their friends (see Poland–Uzbekistan relations).

In Argentina, 8 June is celebrated as the "Day of the Polish Settler" to honour the contribution of Polish immigrants to Argentina.{{cite web|url=https://www.argentina.gob.ar/normativa/nacional/resolución-634-1997-43747/texto|title=Resolución 634/1997|website=Argentina.gob.ar|access-date=23 April 2023|language=es}}

{{main|Armenia–Poland relations}}

Armenians in Poland have an important and historical presence which dates back to the 14th century,{{cite web|url=http://www.armenica.org/cgi-bin/armenica.cgi?=1=1=172=31==1=3=A|title=Epilogue – History of Armenia|website=www.armenica.org|access-date=22 May 2019}} however, the first Armenian settlers arrived in the 12th century, which makes them the oldest minority in Poland with the Jews.{{cite web|url=https://polanddaily.com/157-polish-armenians-one-of-the-oldest-minorities-living-in-poland|title=Polish Armenians, one of the oldest minorities living in Poland|date=17 January 2019|website=POLANDDAILY.COM|access-date=22 May 2019|archive-date=2 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200602210417/https://polanddaily.com/157-polish-armenians-one-of-the-oldest-minorities-living-in-poland|url-status=dead}} A very significant and independent Armenian diaspora existed in Poland but was assimilated over the centuries because of Polonization and the absorption of Polish culture. Between 40,000 and 80,000 people in Poland today claim Armenian nationality or Armenian heritage.{{cite web|url=http://asbarez.com/173701/armenians-in-poland-from-the-middle-ages-to-the-modern-day/|title=Armenians in Poland: From the Middle Ages to the Modern Day|date=12 July 2018|access-date=22 May 2019}} Mass waves of Armenian immigration to Poland has occurred since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.{{cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Armenia|title=Armenia – Administration and social conditions|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|access-date=22 May 2019}}

Armenians are highly fond of Polish culture and history.{{cite journal|title=Displacing and Re-Placing Population in the Two World Wars: Armenia and Poland Compared|first=Peter|last=Gatrell|date=22 May 2019|journal=Contemporary European History|volume=16|issue=4|pages=511–527|jstor = 20081381|doi = 10.1017/S0960777307004158|s2cid=163041671}} Several Armenian cultural features also exist in the Polish national dress, most notably the Karabela sabre introduced by Armenian merchants under Poland-Lithuania.

There are khachkars commemorating Armenian-Polish friendship in Zamość, Szczecinek and Zabrze in Poland, and Yerevan in Armenia.{{cite magazine|title=Nowe chaczkary w Zamościu, Warszawie i Kurowie|magazine=Awedis|issue=36|year=2018|language=pl,hy|pages=2–3}}{{cite magazine|title=Odsłonięcie chaczkarów|magazine=Awedis|issue=37|year=2018|language=pl|page=11}}{{cite magazine|title=Chaczkar w Zabrzu|magazine=Awedis|issue=55|year=2023|language=pl|page=3}}{{cite magazine|title="Polski" chaczkar w Erywaniu|magazine=Awedis|issue=53|year=2022|language=pl|page=2}}

{{main|Georgia–Poland relations}}

File:Geo-Polish officers.jpg soldiers in the Polish army, 1925]]

Many Georgians participated in military campaigns that were led by Poland in the 17th century. Bogdan Gurdziecki, an ethnic Georgian, became the Polish king's ambassador to the Middle East and made frequent diplomatic trips to Persia to represent Polish interests. As both nations shared a similar fate, with Poland partitioned by Russia, Prussia and Austria in the late 18th century, and Georgia annexed by Russia in the 19th century, the two nations had more frequent encounters, particularly as a result of Russian deportations of Poles to Georgia and Georgians to Poland. Both nations supported each other's independence movements, and young Georgians came to study in Warsaw as they considered Poles an inspiration and model for their national liberation activity.{{cite book|last=Woźniak|first=Andrzej|editor-last=Kolbaja|editor-first=Dawid|year=1992|title=Pro Georgia II|language=pl|location=Warszawa|publisher=Towarzystwo Gruzińsko-Polskie|page=31|chapter=Gruzini w XIX-wiecznej Warszawie|isbn=83-900527-1-7}}

Following the Red Army invasion of Georgia, many Georgian military officers found refuge in Poland and joined the Polish Army. They later fought in Polish defense during the joint German-Soviet invasion of Poland at the start of World War II and afterwards many joined the Polish resistance movement.

During the Russo-Georgian War of 2008, Poland strongly supported Georgia. Polish President Lech Kaczyński flew to Tbilisi to rally against the Russian military intervention and the subsequent military conflict. Several European leaders met with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili at Kaczyński's initiative at the rally held on 12 August 2008, which was attended by over 150,000 people. The crowd responded enthusiastically to the Polish president's speech and chanted, "Poland, Poland", "Friendship, Friendship" and "Georgia, Georgia".{{cite web |url=http://www.rp.pl/artykul/175569.html |title=Lech Kaczyński: jesteśmy tu po to, by podjąć walkę |work=Rzeczpospolita |date=12 August 2008 |language=pl |access-date=4 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111082310/http://www.rp.pl/artykul/175569.html |archive-date=11 January 2012 |url-status=live}}

The main boulevard in the city of Batumi, Georgia, is named after Lech Kaczyński and his wife, Maria.{{cite news|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/Georgian_Port_City_Renames_Street_After_Late_Polish_President/2056810.html|title=Georgian Port City Renames Street After Late Polish President|newspaper=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty|date=30 May 2010 |access-date=22 May 2019}}

{{main|Hungary–Poland relations|Pole and Hungarian cousins be}}

File:2016 - Year of Hungarian - Polish Solidarity.JPG declared 2016 to be the Year of the Hungarian–Polish Solidarity and Friendship. The countries have sustained a 1000-year diplomatic relation and Friendship Day is celebrated in Hungary and Poland on 23 March.]]

Hungary and Poland have enjoyed good relations since the inauguration of diplomatic relations between the two countries in the Middle Ages.{{cite web|url=http://www.miniszterelnok.hu/the-alliance-between-poland-and-hungary-is-a-historic-one/|title=The alliance between Poland and Hungary is a historic one – miniszterelnok.hu|website=www.miniszterelnok.hu|access-date=22 May 2019}} Hungary and Poland have maintained a very close friendship and brotherhood "rooted in a deep history of shared monarchs, cultures, and common faith". Both countries commemorate a fraternal relationship and Friendship Day.

Poles and Hungarians have repeatedly supported each other's national liberation uprisings, including the Polish November Uprising, January Uprising and Warsaw Uprising and Hungarian Rákóczi's War of Independence, Revolution of 1848 and Revolution of 1956. After the fall of the Rákóczi's War of Independence, Poland took in fugitive Hungarian insurgents, including its leader Francis II Rákóczi,{{cite book|author= |title=Z Bogiem za ojczyznę i wolność – o Franciszku II Rakoczym bohaterze Węgier|year=2016|language=pl|publisher=Muzeum Niepodległości w Warszawie|location=Warszawa|page=15|isbn=978-83-62235-88-9}} and following the fall of the January Uprising, Hungary received Polish refugees.{{cite book|author= |title=Polacy to nasi przyjaciele. Węgrzy i powstanie warszawskie 1944|year=2017|language=pl,hu|publisher=Instytut Pamięci Narodowej, Węgierski Instytut Kultury w Warszawie|location=Warszawa|pages=16, 21|isbn=978-83-8098-246-8}} Polish general Józef Bem is considered a national hero in Hungary, and is commemorated with several monuments.

During the Second World War, Hungary refused to allow Adolf Hitler's troops to pass through the country during the invasion of Poland in September 1939. Although Hungary, which was ruled by Miklós Horthy, was allied with Nazi Germany, it declined to participate in the invasion as a matter of "Hungarian honour".Józef Kasparek, "Poland's 1938 Covert Operations in Ruthenia", p. 370.

On 12 March 2007, the Hungarian Parliament declared 23 March as the "Day of Hungarian-Polish Friendship", with 324 votes in favor, none opposed, and no abstentions. Four days later, the Polish Parliament declared 23 March as the "Day of Polish-Hungarian Friendship" by acclamation. The Hungarian Parliament also voted 2016 as the Year of Hungarian-Polish solidarity.{{cite web|url=http://orka.sejm.gov.pl/proc5.nsf/uchwaly/1499_u.htm|title=Uchwała Sejmu Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej z dnia 16 marca 2007 r. w sprawie ustanowienia dnia 23 marca Dniem Przyjaźni Polsko-Węgierskiej|website=orka.sejm.gov.pl|access-date=22 May 2019}}

The Hungarian-born Prince Stephen Báthory was elected King of Poland in 1576 and is the primary figure of the close ties between the countries.

File:Targa liberazione 1944-Ancona.jpg by the Polish II Corps in 1944]]

{{main|Italy–Poland relations}}

Italy and Poland shared common historical backgrounds and common enemies (Austria), and a good relationship is maintained to this day. Poles and Italians supported each other's independence struggles. The Poles fought in the First Italian War of Independence{{cite web|url=https://www.ohio.edu/chastain/ip/poleurev.htm|title=Poles in European revolutions 1848-1849|author=Jolanta T. Pekacz|access-date=23 April 2023}} and the Expedition of the Thousand, contributing to the birth of a unified Italy. The Italian government subsequently agreed to establish a Polish Military School in Genoa, which trained Polish officers in exile, who then fought in the Polish January Uprising against Russia.{{cite web|url=https://encyklopedia.pwn.pl/haslo/Polska-Szkola-Wojskowa;3959783.html|title=Polska Szkoła Wojskowa|website=Encyklopedia PWN|access-date=23 April 2023|language=pl}} Italian volunteers formed the Garibaldi Legion which also fought for Poland's independence in the uprising. Its leader Francesco Nullo was killed at the Battle of Krzykawka in 1863.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g_06DwAAQBAJ&dq=poland+nullo&pg=PA123|title=The Mass Deportation of Poles to Siberia, 1863–1880|first=Andrew A.|last=Gentes|date=20 October 2017|publisher=Springer|access-date=22 May 2019|via=Google Books|isbn=9783319609584}} In Poland, Nullo is a national hero, and numerous streets and schools are named in his honour.{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QkFMAAAAIAAJ&q=poland+nullo|title=Polish Literature: Littérature Polonaise|date=22 May 1969|publisher=Authors Agency. Agence des auteurs|access-date=22 May 2019|via=Google Books}}

The struggle for a united and sovereign nation was a common goal for both countries and was noticed by Goffredo Mameli, a Polonophile and the author of the lyrics in the Italian national anthem, Il Canto degli Italiani.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1mSmCwAAQBAJ&dq=mameli+polish&pg=PA36|title=Foreign Fighters under International Law and Beyond|first1=Andrea De|last1=Guttry|first2=Francesca|last2=Capone|first3=Christophe|last3=Paulussen|date=30 March 2016|publisher=Springer|access-date=22 May 2019|via=Google Books|isbn=9789462650992}} Mameli featured a prominent statement in the last verse of the anthem, Già l'Aquila d'Austria, le penne ha perdute. Il sangue d'Italia, il sangue Polacco.... ("Already the Eagle of Austria has lost its plumes. The blood of Italy, the Polish blood...").

During World War I, Italy established two POW camps for soldiers of Polish nationality conscripted to the Austrian Army, who were then allowed to leave Italy and join the Polish Blue Army in France to fight for Polish independence.{{cite book|last=Turek|first=Stanisław|year=1928|title=Zarys historji wojennej 12-go Pułku Kresowego Artylerji Polowej|language=pl|location=Warszawa|page=3}} The Italian government and people were friendly towards the Polish troops, and Italian cities gifted banners to the newly formed Polish units in Italy.

Pope John Paul II also greatly contributed to a favourable opinion of the Polish people in Italy and in the Vatican during his pontificate.{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AJgjAQAAMAAJ&q=john+paul+ii+polonophil|title=Yearbook of Polish Foreign Policy|date=22 May 2019|publisher=Polish Institute of International Affairs|access-date=22 May 2019|via=Google Books}}

{{main|Poland–United States relations}}

{{multiple image

| align = right

| image1 = Edgar Allan Poe, circa 1849, restored, squared off.jpg

| width1 = 144

| alt1 = Edgar Allan Poe

| caption1 = Writer Edgar Allan Poe was a self-declared Polonophile and offered his service in a possible Polish Army to fight for Poland's independence.

| image2 = President Woodrow Wilson portrait December 2 1912.jpg

| width2 = 166

| alt2 = Woodrow Wilson

| caption2 = US President Woodrow Wilson presented his Fourteen Points and demanded for a sovereign Poland to be established after World War I.

}}

Tadeusz Kościuszko and Casimir Pulaski, who fought for the independence of the United States and Poland, are seen as the foundation of Polish-American relations. However, the United States began to be involved in Poland's struggle for sovereignty during two uprisings, which took place in the 19th century.

When the November Uprising started in 1830, there were very few Poles in the United States, but American views of Poland were shaped positively by their support for the American Revolution. Several young men offered their military services to fight for Poland, the most well-known of which was Edgar Allan Poe, who wrote a letter to his commanding officer on 10 March 1831 to join the Polish Army if it was created in France. Support for Poland was highest in the South, as Pulaski's death in Savannah, Georgia, was well-remembered and memorialized. The most famous landmark representing American Polonophilia of the time was Fort Pulaski in the State of Georgia.

Włodzimierz Bonawentura Krzyżanowski was another hero who fought at the Battle of Gettysburg and helped to repel the Louisiana Tigers. He was appointed the governor of Alabama, Georgia and served as administrator of Alaska Territory, a high distinction for a foreigner at the time. He had fled Poland after the failed 1848 Greater Poland Uprising.

File:FtPulaskiFront.jpg named after Casimir Pulaski]]

Strong support for Poland and pro-Polish sentiment were also observed by US President Woodrow Wilson. In 1918, delivered his Fourteen Points as peace settlement to end World War I and stated in Point 13 that "an independent Polish state should be erected... with a free and secure access to the sea...".{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wYAzmjlJmVoC&dq=poland+fourteen+points&pg=PT147|title=Hollywood's War with Poland, 1939–1945|first=M. B. B.|last=Biskupski|date=1 August 2011|publisher=University Press of Kentucky|access-date=22 May 2019|via=Google Books|isbn=978-0813139326}}{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6StnAAAAMAAJ&q=poland+fourteen+points|title=The Fourteen Points|first=Joel S.|last=Poetker|date=22 May 1969|publisher=C. E. Merrill|access-date=22 May 2019|via=Google Books}}

US President Donald Trump also expressed his sentiment towards Poland and Polish history in his speech in Warsaw on 6 July 2017. Trump spoke highly of the spirit of the Polish for defending the freedom and the independence of the country several times at the speech, notably the unity of Poles against the oppression of communism. He applauded the Poles' prevailing spiritual determination and recalled the gathering of the Poles in 1979 with the famous chant "We want God".{{cite news|title=Remarks by President Trump to the People of Poland|url=https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-people-poland/|date=6 July 2017|via=National Archives|work=whitehouse.gov|access-date=5 November 2018}} Trump also made remarks on Polish economic success and policies towards migrants.

The large Polish-American community maintains some traditional folk customs and contemporary observances, such as Dyngus Day and Pulaski Day, which became well known in American culture. It also includes the influence of Polish cuisine and the spread of famous specialties from Poland like pierogi, kielbasa, Kabana sausage and bagels.{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2007-10-10-0710080234-story.html|title=Pierogi, yes, but there's so much more|first=Monica Kass Rogers, Special to the|last=Tribune|website=chicagotribune.com|date=10 October 2007 |access-date=22 May 2019}}

• Polonophobia
• Polish Americans
• History of Poland
• Polonization

{{reflist}}

{{Cultural appreciation}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Culture of Poland

Category:Polish nationalism

Category:Admiration of foreign cultures

Category:History of the foreign relations of Poland