Russia and its Rulers: Poland

Poland was the empire’s most persistent challenge, and this episode tracks how Russian and Soviet rulers—from Alexander II to Khrushchev—used repression, Russification, and later satellite‑state control to contain a nation that continually pushed back. From the 1863 revolt to Stalin’s post‑war domination and Khrushchev’s uneasy concessions, Poland exposes the limits of Russian authority across the whole period.