nation and memory polish history week 4. outline 1.origins 2. the polish-lithuanian commonwealth 3....

Nation and Memory

Polish History

Week 4

Outline

1.Origins2. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth3. The Nobleman‘s Heaven4. From the Deluge to the Partitions of Poland5. Conclusion

966 Mieszko I (Piast dynasty) was baptised – Latin Church

997 Bishop Adalbert (Wojciech) dies – first national saint Polands

1000 Act of Gniezno, Otto III and Bolesław the Brave

1025 Bolesław crowned as first Polish King

1050 Polish court to Cracow

1126 Mazovian Prince Conrad invited the Order of Teutonic Knights to Northern Poland

1241 Mongol invasion, stopped in Silesia

Outline


1333 Casimir the Great (III) crowned – golden era of Polish Middle ages, new towns, conquest of Southwest Rus

1364 Cracow (Kraków) University founded

1386 Personal Union between Grand Principality of Lithuania and Kingdom of Poland, Polish heiress Jadwiga marries Grandprince Jogaila (Jagiełło) of Lithuania (baptism of Lithuanians)

Grand Principality of Lithuania• Lithuanians: pagan, baltic tribe (princes and knights: war lords of Medieval Europe)

• Elite: Lithuanian and Ruthenian knights

• Majority of population: Orthodox Ruthenians (Belarussians, Ukrainians)

• Peasants: Ruthenians and Lithuanians

• Court language: Court Slavonic

• Questions: why Latin Church and not Orthodox Church, why Poland and not Vladimir/Muscovy?

Conflict with Teutonic Order

1410 Battle of Grunwald (in German history: Tannenberg), Polish-Lithuanian troops defeat Teutonic Order

1466 Treaty of Toruń between Poland and Teutonic Order, Gdańsk to Poland, control of West Prussia

1525 Teutonic Order was secularized and became vassal of Poland

Battle of Grunwald 1410 (Jan Matejko, 1878)

Outline


Union of Lublin 1569

United Kingdom of Poland and Grand Principality of Lithuania in one single state – the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

The monarch (King of Poland and Grand Prince of Lithuania) was elected by the Polish and Lithuanian nobility and crowned in Cracow

Common Parliament (Sejm)

Common Foreign Policy and Currency

But separate administrations, judicial systems, finances, armies

An old Latin proverb proclaimed that the Polish Commonwealth was

"heaven for the nobles, purgatory for the townsfolk, hell for the peasants,

and paradise for the Jews."

From: Norman Davies: God‘s Playground. A History of Poland. Vol 1. New York 1982

Wappen „Jelita“

Commands the Army Calls the banns of the nobility together, but needs the approval of the SejmIs not responsible to the Sejm, but has to obey the Articuli Henriciani and the Pacta Conventa Supreme power off sessions of the Sejm Appoints ambassadors, but his right to give them directives is restricted Appoints high officials and commanders of the Army, but cannot easily dismiss them Appoints bishops Controls crownland and can give land as a feud no noblemen

Prerogatives of the King (ca. 1600)

Liberum Veto

Right of Resistance

Confederation

Zerrissener Reichstag

Liberum Veto (Latin "free veto") was a parliamentary device in the Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth that allowed any deputy of the Sejm to force an immediate end to the current session and nullify all legislation already passed during the session. The first time used in 1652.

If the king violates ‚natural law‘, the Articuli Henriciani or the Pacta Conventa (de non praestanda-obedienta) does the nobility have the right to organise resistance against the king

An alliance of noblemen, to act for national interests but also to act for particular interests, the King can be part of such a confederation

Parliament, which finishes a session period without having made any decisions, without a law having passed – because of use of Liberum Veto

Social structure of Poland-Lithuania, 1600

Norman Davies: God‘s Playground. A History of Poland. Vol 1. New York 1982

Outline


Wars 1576-16991576-1582 War against Moscow1600-1611 War against Sweden(Zebrzydowski-Rebellion 1606/7)1609-1619 War against Moscow

1582 Victory: Gain of Livland and Polock Polish victories, but no changes

Victory, Peace of Deulina, Gain of Smolensk and Chernigov

1620-1621 War against Ottoman Empire1621-1629 War against Sweden

1632-1634 War against Moscow, Conflict with Sweden

No changesDefeat: Peace of Altmark, Sweden gains some coastal citiesVictory: Renewal of DeulinaSweden gives coastal cities back, confirmation of Polish rule in Livland

1648-1654 Cossack Uprising1654-1655 War against Moscow1655-1660 War against Sweden (Potop – Deluge)1658-1667 War against Moscow1665-1666 Lubomirski Uprising1672-1676, 1683-1699 Wars against Ottoman Empire

Mostly defeats, some victoriesStopped1660 Peace of Oliva: Status quo, Loss of LivlandDefeat: Peace of Andrusovo: Loss of leftbank Ukraine with KievDefeat and Victory: Loss and Regain of Podolia and part of rightbank Ukraine

King Jan III Sobieski August the Strong, King of Poland, Elector of Saxony

Peter the Great, painting by Paul Delaroche (1797-1856)Charles XII of Sweden

1657 Treaty of Wehlau: Independence of Duchy of Prussia

1699-1721 Great Northern War

1717 Silent Sejm: Start of Russian Protectorate

1730 Russia, Prussia, Austria agree to uphold status quo in Poland

1733-35 War of succession

1764 Stanislaw August Poniatowski

1768-1772 Confederation of Bar against Russia (and King)

1772 First Partition of Poland

Catherine II (the Great) of RussiaPainting by Johann Baptist Lampi, 1794

Friedrich II, der Große (Frederik the Great) of PrussiaPainting by Antoine Pesne, 1745

Maria Theresia of AustriaÖlgemälde von Martin van Meytens, 1747-49

Rejtan or Poland‘s Fall (1772), Jan Matejko 1866

1772-1791 Reform efforts culminating in Great or Four-Year-Sejm (1788-1791)

Constitution of May 3rd, 1791

1. Catholic confession – state religion, other confessions/religions tolerated

2. Nobility: liberties and rights confirmed

3. Towns and burghers: habeas corpus, right to buy land, access to many offices, not represented in Parliament (Sejm)

4. Peasants: legal protection, rights and possessions guaranteed, new foreign settlers completely free

5. Division of power: Executive (King and government), Legislation (Sejm), independent judicial system

6. King from House Wettin (Saxony) – new ruling family

7. Army: Polish people/nation has to defend herself – people‘s army

Confederation of Targowica (against reforms, appealing to Catherine II for help - 1792 Second Partition of Poland

After the Battle of Racławice (1794), painting by Jan Matejko (end of 19th c.)

1794 Kosciuszko uprising1795 Third Partition of Poland

Outline


Why was Poland partitioned and what can be done to regain independence?

God’s Punishment – Sins

Evilness of Prussia, Austria, Russia – Break of international law

Weakness of old Polish Constitution – Anarchy, not Liberty

Guilt of noble factions - treason

Oppression of peasants

Polish Backwardness

Back to Catholic values, support Catholic Church, pray and live virtuous life

Uprisings, waiting for international crisis, European war

Restitution of May Constitution 1791, liberal Constitution, stronger government

Fight against traitors, replacement of nobility in national leadership

Liberation of peasants, (National) Education of Peasants

Modernisation, Polish Middle Class, Organic Work

Suchodolski: The death of Józef Poniatowskis at Leipzig

nation and memory polish history week 4. outline 1.origins 2. the polish-lithuanian commonwealth 3....

Documents