| The Deluge | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Northern Wars (Second Northern War and the 1654–1667 Russo-Polish War) | |||||||||
 The occupation of the Commonwealth by Sweden, Russia, Brandenburg and Khmelnytsky's Cossacks | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| 69,000 | 191,000[2] | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Total dead: 3,000,000–4,000,000 | |||||||||
Deluge(history) —
Background
editTo understand the causes of the outbreak of the Swedish Deluge, it is necessary to refer to the earlier Polish-Swedish conflicts, which had their roots in the disputes of the Vasa dynasty also these rights were claimed among others by John Casimir[3] and the rivalry for dominance over the Baltic. After the conclusion of the Treaty of Stuhmsdorf in 1635, which was favourable to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Poland and Lithuania enjoyed a certain period of stability. However, this situation changed after the Thirty Years' War, when Sweden significantly strengthened its military and political position,[4] however, after the Thirty Years' War, Sweden was temporarily weakened, as even Leszek Podhorecki mentions, and it was then that the Polish King Władysław IV Vasa decided to take advantage of this, but the Swedes, as mentioned above, concluded the unfavourable Peace of Stuhmsdorf in order to keep the peace.[5] Poland, struggling with internal problems, became an attractive target for Sweden's expansive plans. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth faced numerous internal problems during this period:Internal crisis and debt: A weak administration and a growing treasury debt weakened Poland's ability to defend itself effectively. Bohdan Khmelnytsky rebellion: The Cossack uprising that broke out in 1648 consumed the Commowealth's considerable military and financial resources.[4][6] Muscovite invasion: The war with Moscow further drained the strength of the Polish-Lithuanian state, weakening its ability to defend itself against further threats.[4][7]
Sweden controlled trade along almost the entire Baltic coast, with the exception of Polish Pomerania (Royal Prussia).[8] By occupying the entire coast and turning the Baltic into an inland sea, Sweden would be able to expand its commercial influence and strengthen its economic position.[9] By strengthening its position on the Baltic, Sweden aimed for total domination of the region.[9][8] Polish-Swedish relations were further complicated by the regular claims of the Vasa dynasty to the Swedish throne.[10] However, this was one of the biggest reasons why Polish-Swedish relations broke out, among others, because of the Polish—Swedish war (1600—1611), Polish—Swedish war (1621—1625), Polish—Swedish war (1626—1629).[11]
The Swedish invasion of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was supported by a section of Polish Protestants and by parties of magnates hostile to King John Casimir, regardless of religion. Charles X Gustav tried not to give the conflict a religious character, but Protestant communities such as the Czech Brethren of Leszno, led by Jan Ámos Komensky, allowed the Swedes into the town. As a result of this action, Leszno was burnt down by Polish troops in 1656. On the international political scene, Oliver Cromwell exhorted Charles X Gustav to weaken Poland, seen as the 'horn on the head of the beast' (the Catholic Church). The causes of the outbreak of the Swedish Deluge were multifaceted, encompassing both the internal problems of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Sweden's expansionist ambitions and the complicated political and religious relations in the region. The conflicts of the Vasa dynasty and Sweden's aspirations to dominate the Baltic Sea provided the backdrop for the outbreak of one of the most tragic wars in Polish history.
Course of the conflict
editOutcome
editThe exact outcome of the Deluge is disputed, historians like Michael Fredholm von Essen state that the Deluge "did not end in a Swedish defeat" and that the Deluge "did not end in a Polish victory,[12] while Kevin Wang and James Lee Ray classify the war as a Swedish success diplomatically.[13] Polish politician and writer Jędrzej Giertych mentions it as a defensive victory against Sweden.[14] While Feliks Koneczny calls the result Status quo ante bellum and says that the whole war was an unnecessary bloodshed.[15] The Treaty of Oliva signed in 1660 meant that: Poland gave up most of Livonia with Riga, retaining only part of it (Latgale – the south-eastern part of Livonia) which was in Russian hands at the time, until the Armistice of Andrusov in 1667. King John II Casimir Vasa renounced his right to claim the Swedish Throne for himself and those who succeeded him. He did, however, retain the title of King of Sweden for the rest of his life. Additional sources also claim that Sweden won the war.However, this view is not shared by the historians Leszek Podhorecki and Adam Kersten who wrote about the Polish victory over the Swedes.
References
edit- ^ "Adolf Johan". sok.riksarkivet.se. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
- ^ Göran 2002, p. 96.
- ^ Podhorecki 1985, p. 168.
- ^ a b c Fros 2004, p. 1.
- ^ Podhorecki 1985, p. 160.
- ^ Frost 2000, p. 156.
- ^ Frost 2000, p. 164.
- ^ a b Frost 2000, p. 169.
- ^ a b Podhorecki 1985, p. 170.
- ^ Podhorecki 1985, p. 86.
- ^ Podhorecki 1985, p. 86, 96.
- ^ Essen 2023, p. 410.
- ^ Wang & Lee Ray, p. 139–154.
- ^ Giertych 1964, p. 177.
- ^ Koneczny 2016, p. 273.
Bilbliography
edit- Carlbom, J. Levin (1905). Karl X Gustafs polska krig [1655-1657 och öfvergången till det 2:dra Sundskriget : Karl Gustaf Wrangel 1654-1658 : krigsmakten till lands och sjös : försvaret hemma och ute i provinserna : med karta och bataljteckningar] (in Swedish). Göteborg.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Essen, Michael (2023). Charles X's Wars, Volume 3: The Danish Wars, 1657–1660. Helion & Company. ISBN 9781915113603.
- Giertych, Jędrzej (1964). U źródel katastrofy dziejowej Polski (in Polish).
- Göran, Claes (2002). Karl X Gustavs Krig (in Swedish). Lund: Historiska Media. ISBN 91-89442-57-1.
- Fros, Robert (2004). After the Deluge: Poland-Lithuania and the Second Northern War, 1655-1660 (in Polish). Warszawa: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-54402-5.
- Herbst, Stanisław (1956). W walce z najazdem szwedzkim (in Polish). Warszawa: Wydawnictwo MON.Koneczny, Feliks (2016). Dzieje Polski (in Polish). Lwów: Zysk i S-ka Wydawnictwo. ISBN 9788382026658.
- Kubala, Ludwik (1913). Wojna Szwedzka w roku 1655 i 1656 (in Polish). Lwów.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Kubala, Ludwik (1917). Wojna brandenburska i najazd Rakoczego 1656-1657, Szkice Historyczne seria 5 (in Polish). Lwów-Warszawa-Poznań.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Podhorecki, Leszek (1985). Rapier i Koncerz (in Polish). ISBN 830511452X. OCLC 176976102.
- Frost, Robert I. (2000). The Northern Wars 1558–1721 (PDF). British library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data. ISBN 0-582-06430-9.
- Rudowski, Wawrzywiec, Jan (1855). Historia polska od śmierci Władysława IV aż do pokoju oliwskiego przez szlachcica polskiego, kanonika katedry ołomunieckiej i radcy Jego Cesarskiej Mości Arcyksięcia austriackiego Leopolda Wilhelma. Petersburg-Mohylew.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Tostern, Holm. Översikt över Sveriges krig under 1600-talets senare hälvt (in Polish).
- Wang, Kevin; Lee Ray, James. “Beginners and Winners: The Fate of Initiators of Interstate Wars Involving Great Powers Since 1495.”. International Studies Quarterly. doi:10.2307/2600875.