It is very interesting to me how the specific geography of each country, as detailed in Rokkan’s map, has such a profound effect on the history and politics of the European countries we have studied.  It seems Poland is an excellent example of this phenomenon, as they have fallen victim over the years to a poor geographic position.   Poland’s position between Germany and Russia has placed it in the center of many conflicts in which it would not have been involved in otherwise.  The book details several specific instances, the most obvious being WWII. Furthermore, the fragmentation of polish society from one region to another has essentially prevented the Polish from mounting an appreciable resistance to outside threats.  As a result, they have a society that has been continually overrun, which has only recently been unified to its former size after the fall of communism.  One thing that I am curious about is whether the government’s weak influence on the outlying regions in Poland has been a contributing factor in their failure to establish strong parties.  I suspect the geography has affected the recent political climate (which would be consistent with polish history). There are certainly examples of current geographic circumstances affecting the policies of the government. For instance, as mentioned in earlier postings, the position of Poland near Germany may actually be beneficial in the 21st century as German companies have been outsourcing jobs to Poland where labor is cheaper.  Additionally, I read an article online about Putin making Russo-Polish relations a top priority and how he was sending his main advisor to Poland for a long stay, as tensions between the two nations were still high.