▁a ▁Polish ▁term ▁introduced ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁in ▁relation ▁to ▁the ▁ ▁dis member ment ▁and ▁an nex ation ▁of ▁Poland ▁by ▁foreign ▁powers . ▁Pol ako ż erst wo ▁described ▁the ▁for cible ▁supp ression ▁of ▁Polish ▁culture , ▁education ▁and ▁religion ▁on ▁histor ically ▁Polish ▁lands , ▁and ▁the ▁elim ination ▁of ▁Pol es ▁from ▁public ▁life ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁from ▁land ed ▁property . ▁Anti - Pol ish ▁policies ▁were ▁implemented ▁by ▁the ▁German ▁Empire ▁under ▁Otto ▁von ▁B ism ar ck , ▁especially ▁during ▁the ▁Kultur k ampf , ▁and ▁enfor ced ▁up ▁to ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁I . ▁Organ ized ▁per sec ution ▁of ▁Pol es ▁ra ged ▁in ▁the ▁territ ories ▁an nex ed ▁by ▁the ▁Russian ▁Empire , ▁mainly ▁under ▁Ts ar ▁Nicholas ▁II . ▁Historic ▁actions ▁inspired ▁by ▁anti - Pol on ism ▁r anged ▁from ▁fel on ious ▁acts ▁motiv ated ▁by ▁hat red , ▁to ▁physical ▁ex termin ation ▁of ▁the ▁Polish ▁nation , ▁the ▁goal ▁of ▁which ▁was ▁to ▁er ad icate ▁the ▁Polish ▁state . ▁During ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁when ▁most ▁of ▁Polish ▁society ▁became ▁the ▁object ▁of ▁gen oc idal ▁policies ▁of ▁its ▁neighb ours , ▁German ▁anti - Pol on ism ▁led ▁to ▁an ▁un pre ced ented ▁campaign ▁of ▁mass ▁murder . ▁ ▁At ▁present , ▁among ▁those ▁who ▁often ▁express ▁their ▁host ile ▁attitude ▁towards ▁the ▁Polish ▁people ▁are ▁some ▁Russian ▁ ▁polit icians ▁and ▁their ▁far - right ▁political