| The Deluge (polish History) |
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The Deluge ( Polish ''Potop'') is a name commonly assigned in the History Of Poland to a series of wars in the 17th Century which left Poland in ruins. In a stricter sense ''Deluge'' refers only to the Swedish invasion and occupation of the country; in a wider sense it applies to the whole series of misfortunes started by the uprising of the Cossack s in 1648 and ending in either 1656 , 1660 or even in 1667 . Before ''The Deluge'' Poland was a Central Europe an power. During the wars, however, Poland lost an estimated 1/3 of its population (relatively higher losses than during World War II ), and its great power status. , taken in 1655 in Lwów , during The Deluge.]] The misfortunes were started in in the Battle Of Beresteczko , their rebellion gave pretext to the Russia ns to invade and occupy the eastern half of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1655 . The Swedes invaded and occupied the rest in the same year. Princes Janusz Radziwiłł and Bogusław Radziwiłł began Negotiation s with the Swedish king Charles X Gustav Of Sweden aimed at breaking the Commonwealth and the Polish-Lithuanian Union . They signed a treaty according to which Radziwiłłs were to rule over two Duchies carved up from the lands of the Grand Duchy Of Lithuania , under Swedish Vassalage . Many Polish nobles ( Szlachta ), as Deputy Chancellor Of The Crown Hieronim Radziejowski and Grand Treasurer Of The Crown Bogusław Leszczyński , thinking that Jan II Kazimierz was a weak King, or a Jesuit-King, or for other reasons, encouraged Charles Gustav to claim the Polish Crown. Jan Kazimirerz had few friends among the Polish szlachta, as he openly sympathized with . (He joined the Jesuits in 1643 and received the title of Cardinal ). So Charles Gustav, (his cousin), became the natural heir of the Polish-Lithuanian Throne. Nevertheless, in December 1646 Jan Kazimierz returned to Poland and, in October 1647, resigned his position of Cardinal to stand in elections for the Polish throne. But started the counterattack in order to put away those loyal to Charles Gustav. In the end, Jan II Kazimierz was solemnly crowned at Lwów Cathedral in 1656 ( Lwów Oath ). The Swedes were driven back in 1657 and the Russians were finally defeated in 1662 . The struggle over Ukraine ended with the Treaty Of Andrusovo ( 13 January , 1667 ), with the help of Turkish intervention due to their claims in the Crimea . Forces from Prussia and Transylvania were also defeated, but Prussia gained a formal recognition of independence and ceased to be a Polish vassal. ''The Deluge'' also stopped the era of Polish tolerance, since most of the invaders were non- Catholic , with expulsion of the Polish Brethren as a clear sign of it. During the Deluge, many thousands of Polish Jews also fell victim to Pogroms initiated by rebelling Cossacks. With the Ivan Vyhovsky and the Starshyna this Treaty could change the East-European History. ''The Deluge'' is described in a fictionalized novel of Henryk Sienkiewicz under the same title. MOVIE ''The Deluge'' was also made into a Movie in 1974, a classic historical movie created by the film director Jerzy Hoffman and starring Daniel Olbrychski as Andrzej Kmicic , a patriot who valiantly fought against the Swedish Invasion. The film was nominated for a Best Foreign Film Oscar in 1974. SEE ALSO
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