MARCH 12
1794
The Kościuszko Uprising was fought against Imperial Russia and the Kingdom of Prussia. It was led by Tadeusz Kosciuszko, in the Commonwealth of Poland and the Prussian Partition, however, the uprising failed to liberate the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from Russian and Prussian occupation. (after the Second Partition of Poland in 1793) Russia seized 250,000 square kilometres (97,000 sq mi), while Prussia took 58,000 square kilometres (22,000 sq mi) of the Commonwealth's territory. It reduced Poland's population to only one-third of what it was before the partitions began in 1772. The rump state was garrisoned by Russian troops and its independence was strongly curtailed.
1938
Nazi Germany annexed (Anschluss) Austria. Many Germans from both Austria and Germany saw the anschluss as completing the destiny of German unification of all German peoples into one state. However, Vienna was not in favor, due it having the largest population of Austrian Jews in the country. The next day the Anchluss was officially declared. This was followed by the creation of Nazi laws and bureaucratic protocols to justify the aryanisation of Austria, and to systemically strip Austrian Jews of their assets and wealth.
1945
German submarine U-260 struck a mine and was scuttled south of Ireland.
1956
Boleslaw Bierut died. He was a Polish Communist leader, notorious NKVD agent, and treacherous Stalinist who became President of Poland after the Soviet takeover of the country in the aftermath of World War II . Bierut signed death warrants on many members of the Polish underground, including, Witold Pilecki, General Emil August Fieldorf, General Stanislaw Tatar and countless others. Bierut died on this day under what was described as mysterious circumstances (during a visit to the Soviet Union, 20th Congress of the Communist Party).
1999
Former Warsaw Pact members the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland joined NATO. (Note: On July 8,1997, they were invited to join by NATO.)
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