Which Western European country is closest to Poland?

**Peterski** · 04-19-2018, 12:25 PM

What Foreigner wrote is quite true. France had a significant influence on Poland especially in the 1600s-1700s and during the Napoleonic Wars. That influence was mutual because Poles also impacted France in the 1600s-1900s. The Duchy of Warsaw (1807-1815) was created by Napoleon and had laws, institutions and organization based on Post-Revolutionary France. France has had a big Polish Diaspora since the 1700s. France was also historically Catholic, like Poland, however it has become very secularized and even anti-religious over the last 200 years. Poland is closer to Ireland in terms of religiosity. The Catholic Church fared better in Poland than in France during the late 1700s:

http://www.history.ac.uk/reviews/review/1296

**Thracian** · 04-19-2018, 12:52 PM

Netherland

**Peterski** · 04-19-2018, 12:54 PM

Originally Posted by Stearsolina

France. First that comes to my mind is Marie Curie and some political alliances of the past.

**Peterski** · 04-19-2018, 12:59 PM

Originally Posted by Foreigner

Poland was one of France's allies in the interwar era

Also during WW1: http://www.hallersarmy.com/

**~~Sikeliot~~** · 04-19-2018, 01:12 PM

Netherlands

Now do one for just far south Europe

**Decius** · 04-19-2018, 01:23 PM

Netherlands

**Peterski** · 04-19-2018, 01:24 PM

Netherlands, really? Why?

**Grace O'Malley** · 04-19-2018, 04:22 PM

I always thought Ireland and Poland had similarities in that both were very strong Catholic countries and also both had very powerful neighbours. Also the Irish firmly backed Polish independence when the country was partitioned by Russia, Prussia and Austria. One of the most important women during 1916 was Countess Markievicz nee Constance Gore-Booth who married a wealthy Polish man called Casimir Markievicz. At the beginning of the 17th Century 6,000 Irishmen were shipped off to Sweden and they weren't happy fighting for a Lutheran power so the majority of them deserted to fight for Catholic Poland. There was also a great Polish man Sir Paweł Edmund Strzelecki who did a lot of work in Ireland during the Famine. Both countries also have a history of immigration and today many Poles have immigrated to Ireland making them the largest ethnic minority in Ireland. Both Ireland and Poland have a long history of fighting for independence and a history of oppression by their neighbours. These are just some connections that come to mind.