In the spotlight: Poland's Independence Day
This year's Independence Day celebrations are particularly special because 2008 marks the 90th anniversary of the event.
A 123-year-long partition of the country between the Austrian, Prussian and Russian empires was ended in 1918. Throughout that time, Poles' language, culture and civil liberties were severely restricted and several military attempts to regain freedom in 1830, 1848 and 1863 ended in bitter defeats.
The fall of major European dominions after World War I, together with a display of determination and diplomatic skills by the Polish leaders of the time, brought the country sovereignty.
The restoration of independence was gradual, and involved a string of intense diplomatic and military actions throughout WWI. The pivotal moment was November 11, when the top military and political leader, Józef Piłsudski, was appointed Commander in Chief of Polish forces and was authorized with creating a national government.
While Piłsudski was the key architect of Polish freedom, other remarkable figures included Józef Haller, a lieutenant general, Roman Dmowski, a politician, and Ignacy Paderewski, a diplomat and pianist.
The United States played a role in the process too, and President Woodrow Wilson's famous proclamation of the Fourteen Points is well remembered in Poland to this day.
In his speech to the US Congress on the European peace plan in 1918 Wilson postulated that "[an] independent Polish state should be erected…" Wilson's claims were later included in the Treaty of Versailles that ended WWI.
