The Polish Captivity unfolds a plain, evidence-based view of Poland under foreign rule and a people determined to endure.
This edition presents Henry Sutherland Edwards’s firsthand account of how Poland exists today—not as a grand state, but as a nation shaping its future while coping with occupation by Russia, Austria, and Prussia. It blends political context with vivid on-the-ground observations to show a people who refuse to be erased.
The narrative centers on the present position of the Poles and their enduring national identity. It contrasts captivity under partition with signs of resilience in culture, science, and literature, and it frames their fate through the experiences of communities across Warsaw, Cracow, and other Polish lands. Through personal travel and careful reflection, the book documents challenges to language, education, and political life, while highlighting moments of moral and intellectual revival amid adversity.
What you will experience:
- A clear explanation of the Treaty of Vienna’s promises and how they shaped the Polish question.
- Insight into how three partitioning powers affected daily life, law, and governance.
- Observations on Polish literature, education, and public life under foreign rule.
- Profiles of notable figures and the broader arc of national revival across generations.
Ideal for readers of 19th‑century European history, political upsets, and the long arc of Polish national identity.