Search Results: Polish lithuanian commonwealth

Prince Józef Poniatowski (1763-1813) was a Polish soldier and patriot, who served as commander-in-chief of the Polish army during the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815). A steadfast ally of French Emperor Napoleon I (r. 1804-1814; 1815), Poniatowski...

Khotyn fortress is a complex of fortifications situated on the hilly right bank of the Dniester in Khotyn, Ukraine. It consists of a 13th-century stronghold and an 18th-century bastion surrounding it. It is one of the oldest preserved fortifications...

The leader of Nazi Germany Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) ordered the invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939. Hitler's refusal to withdraw brought a declaration of war from Britain and France on 3 September, and so began the Second World War (1939-45...

Ivan III of Russia (Ivan the Great) was the Grand Prince of Moscow and Russia from 1462 to 1505. Ivan III was born in 1440 to Grand Prince Vasily II of Moscow (r. 1425-1462) and his wife, Maria Borovsk (l. c. 1420-1485). He served as co-ruler...

A photograph showing Polish troops marching to battle following the German invasion of Poland in September 1939. (Imperial War Museums)

A photograph showing German troops and Polish civilians following the German invasion of Poland in September 1939. Photograph taken in the Tuchola Forest, 4 September 1939. (Imperial War Museums)

A photograph of Polish soldiers during the Siege of Tobruk (Apr-Dec 1941) in the Western Desert Campaigns in North Africa during the Second World War (1939-45). Taken in September 1941. (Imperial War Museums)

Prince Józef Poniatowski leading Polish troops during the wars of the 1790s, painting by Aleksander Orłowski, c. 1809-1813. Private collection.

Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso noted for his solo piano music. Chopin's work helped make the piano the most popular musical instrument of the 19th century. One of the great composers of Romantic music, Chopin's...

The Treaties of Tilsit were two peace treaties signed in July 1807 by Emperor Napoleon I of France (r. 1804-1814; 1815) and the monarchs of Russia and Prussia in the aftermath of the Battle of Friedland. The treaties ended the War of the...