The Impact of Historical Memory: Polish-Russian Relations since 1991

The history of global foreign relations is marked by both strengthening alliances and deteriorating ties. From a historical perspective a perfect example of this dynamic is seen in the complex and ever-evolving relationship of Poland and Russia. That is why this research thesis will be focused on the history of Polish and Russians relations in connection to the Polish response to Putin’s war in Ukraine. This research project’s look into this history will serve to answer the central question of “How has the shared history of Polish and Russian relations uniquely shaped the Pole’s response to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine?” This relationship is important to answering this question because of how much history and historical events influence the collective identity of Poland. By looking at the two countries' shared history since the early 1900s, this thesis will specifically focus on how Poland has used history to stand for a specific image of Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. This will be shown through analysis of the historical depiction of Russia in past and present contexts from the Polish perspective. With sources ranging from news articles and historical works that directly analyze key events in Poland’s history where Russia is involved as explanations for the state of Polish Russian relations. The result of this research is to find that Poland’s use of historical memory as a political tool highlights histories impact on contemporary foreign relations.