History /
Ancient Polish History thread [180]
what were they before 966?
scattered tribes? what other tribes existed?
Yes. Polanie, Mazowszanie, Wiślanie, Pomorzanie, Ślężanie and many smaller tribes.
Some of them created their own states like Wiślanie, who had a quite strong state already in IXth century but later went under infuence of Czechs. At the beginning of Xth century Polanie started expansion and in the middle of the century except their homeland (Poznań area now called Wielkopolska - Greater Poland) controlled also Mazowsze (Warsaw area) and Kujawy (Bydgoszcz area). Before the end of Xth century they united (partly willingly , partly by force) other tribes and controlled area similar to modern day Poland (map in post 12).
In 967 the Polish ruler defeated German Count Wichman and his allies. In 972 at the Battle of Cedynia, Mieszko defeated Hodo of the Eastern March. Mieszko I died in 992. His successor was his son Bolesław Chrobry (Bolesław the brave).
Bolesław I Chrobry
Bolesław I Chrobry was born in 967, died on 17th June 1025.
Boleslaw continued the work of his father. At the Congress of Gniezno (1000) he was able to persuade Emperor Otto III to give his permission to create the first Polish archbishopric. Otto III died two years later.
Frustrated in his efforts to form an equal partnership with the Holy Roman Empire, Boleslaw gained some non-Polish territory in a series of wars against his imperial overlord in 1003 and 1004. Boleslaw I conquered the imperial March of Meissen (Polish Miśnia) and also Lausitz (Latin Lusatia, Polish £użyce). Boleslaw conquered and made himself duke of Bohemia in 1003, but lost the territory the following year. Then turned eastward. He defeated the Rus' and stormed Kyiv in 1018. Shortly before his death in 1025, Boleslaw won international recognition as the first king of a fully sovereign Poland.
