Until the Second World War Poland was characteristically multi-cultural, with about one-third of its population belonging to minority communities. Today it stands out as a relatively culturally homogenous country. Rather than providing a simple narrative account of Polish history and the nation-building process, this book highlights those historical moments that have had a lasting impact on Polish identity debates and on the self-definition of the nation in various historical-political narratives. It also offers a juxtaposition of the nation-building ideas espoused and symbolized by two key modern leaders, Jozef Pilsudski and Roman Dmowski, as well as a comparison of the national identity construction processes in Poland and other countries. Poland is essential reading for students of Polish history and Eastern European history seeking to understand Poland today.