This is a story of true greatness! I am taking you to a period when our homeland experienced its most glorious moments and stood on par with the greatest powers of the world! We will follow the path of the Republic of Poland towards its "Golden Age", an era in which Poland not only survived but flourished, but we will also see the first cracks that began to appear in the foundations of this empire. Was it possible to foresee the difficulties that would come? What determined the strength and what the weakness of the Polish-Lithuanian union? In the first chapter, we go back to the times of Władysław Jagiełło, analyzing the genesis of the Union of Krewo (1385), which united Poland and Lithuania in the face of common threats. We will also trace the beginnings of Jagiełło's reign, his challenges related to the consolidation of two different worlds, and key moments such as the Great War with the Teutonic Order and the Battle of Grunwald (1410) - one of the most important clashes of medieval Europe. We will discuss its effects, including the Peace of Toruń (1411) and the diplomatic struggles of the king. At the end of this part, you will learn how the privileges granted to the nobility slowly changed the balance of power in the country. The second chapter is devoted to Jagiełło's two sons - Władysław III of Varna and Casimir IV Jagiellon. We will learn about the fate of the young king Władysław III, who, trying to stop the expansion of the Ottoman Empire, died in the Battle of Varna (1444). Then we will learn about the rule of Casimir IV, who, despite great political challenges, was able to unite the country and go down as one of the most outstanding rulers of the Jagiellon dynasty. In the third chapter, we move to the turbulent period of the reign of John Albert and Alexander Jagiellon. We will see how their decisions and the growing influence of the magnates influenced the further fate of the country. We will also check what happened to the nobility during Albert's time and whether certain sayings have a grain of truth in them... Chapter four is the history of the 16th century - the Golden Age of the Republic. We will look at the reign of Sigismund I the Old and Sigismund II Augustus, the flourishing of culture and economy, as well as the culminating moment - the conclusion of the Union of Lublin (1569), which transformed Poland and Lithuania into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In the background, there will be no shortage of threads related to Bona Sforza, her influence on the state and a popular culinary myth. This is an episode full of great battles, political intrigues, lofty ideas and human dilemmas. An episode about triumphs and challenges, great battles, complicated politics and ambitions that built a superpower, but also sowed the seeds of its future problems. If you want to understand how Poland reached the peak of its power and what lessons can be learned from this history, I invite you! Enjoy listening! Rafał :) Timeline: 0:00 Intro 3:27 Chapter I: Jagiełło. A 5-minute summary of the History of Poland from the Slavs to the Union of Krewo 9:38 Union of Krewo 13:08 Jagiełło. Beginning of rule, expansion, consolidation 16:43 Teutonic Knights; Battle of Grunwald 28:06 Grunwald – significance, Peace of Toruń 1411 30:17 Jagiełło after Grunwald – peaces, nobility, securing succession 35:46 Privileges 41:15 Expansion under Jagiełło 45:33 Chapter II: Two Sons; Władysław of Warneńczyk 47:36 Ottoman Empire 51:56 Battle of Varna 55:56 Casimir Jagiellon 59:38 Year 1454 - Elizabeth von Habsburg (Rakuszanka), Sejm, The Thirteen Years' War 1:13:08 Chapter III: At the Crossroads; John Albert. 1:25:23 Alexander Jagiellon 1:29:52 Nobility / Magnates / Magnates – who is who? 1:33:39 The further fate of Alexander Jagiellon 1:38:10 Chapter IV: The 16th Century, the Golden Age! English: 1:51:28 Sigismund the Old 2:03:04 Bona Sforza 2:07:35 Sigismund Augustus - the last Jagiellon 2:11:38 The Baltic Sea and the fight for Dominium Maris Baltici 2:16:11 Union of Lublin 2:22:35 Epilogue 2:24:36 Outro 2:25:51 Patrons 2:27:04 Curiosity My book "History for the Brave" - ​​buy quickly and safely at https://odwaga.alt.pl 🔥🔥 [self-promotion] If you like it - become a Patron! https://patronite.pl/podcasthistoryczny Patrons: https://pastebin.com/68sZyKwz Thank you for accompanying me on board this ship on this journey through the waves of history!  Sources: https://pastebin.com/Tbjy2F8H TT: / sadowski_rafal IG: / rafal_sadowskii