Anniversary of Poland and Sweden's truce in the Old marketplace (formerly: Altmark).
Today in our calendar we will look at the Swedish-Polish struggles in the 1920s. The discussion of these events should begin with the large Polish – Turkish conflict from 1620 to 1621.
Poles successfully defended themselves under Chocim for over a month, bleeding Turkish forces. During the fighting, hetman Chodkiewicz died, but this message was hidden from the army in order not to origin panic. In the end, the defeat of attempts to master the Polish guards and the failure of more than 1/3 of the army forced Osman II to make peace and retreat. The Republic was saved.
The war against Turkey became an chance that King Gustav II Adolf had hoped for. erstwhile Poles engaged all forces in the south, The Swedes in the strength of 18,000 soldiers besieged and captured Riga, and by the mid-1622 they captured most of Infint. After failing in the conflict for Kurlandian capital – Mitawa, Gustav Adolf proposed a truce. Sigismund III rejected the anticipation of a ceasefire as he had at that moment, a powerful army returning from the Turkish front. He moved it north with the intention to defeat Sweden erstwhile and for all and regain its throne.
Lithuanian Commissioners with Protestant Krzysztof Radziwiłł at the head, signed a truce without the approval of the King and the Sejm. The interesting thing is that during the talks, the Swedish Union of Lithuania and Sweden was proposed, which Radziwiłl tactfully rejected, realizing that at this phase it had no chance of success. His son, Janusz Radziwiłł, returned to the thought many years later.
In the following years, Gustav Adolf sought a fresh confrontation. He dealt with Moscow and Turkey to establish an anti-Polish alliance. Even Cossacks of Zaporos by his agents. The plans to establish a broad coalition did not work out, so the Swedes attacked themselves, although they must be admitted – in rule they respected the agreement with the Lithuanians and Lithuania did not attack. They moved to the confederate part of Inflant and another crown estates.
The invasion went unexpectedly well – the Swedes captured almost the full basin of the Dźwina and beat the Army of the Republic for the first time in history, in Battle of Walmojza (January 17, 1626). Shortly thereafter, the war was moved to the territory of Prussia and Pomerania. This alleged war for the mouth of the Vistula revealed in full visibility all political and military weaknesses of the Republic. The notorious shortcomings in the cash registry and the failure to prepare the army for winning fortresses have affected subsequent Polish failures.
During the fighting, crucial areas of Pomerania and Kujaw were destroyed. In addition, there was a ambiguous attitude of the Prussian lentil, who not only did not aid Poles, but even repeatedly allowed Gustav Adolf's troops through his territory. Although Poles yet won the naval conflict against Oliwa (1627) and the land conflict at Trzciana (1629), under force from France it was decided to conclude a temporary, very unfavourable truce for Poland in the Old marketplace (German: Altmark).
Provisions of the truce:
- The Swedes kept Inflanty north of the Sound along with Riga – so the erstwhile territorial losses of the Republic in this area were established.
- The Swedes stopped all Prussian ports, i.e. Tolkmicko, Elbląg, Braniewo, Piława and Klaipeda. Poland has maintained control of Gdańsk, Królewiec and Puck.
- Malbork, Sztum, Gdańsk Head and Żuława Wiślane were handed over in a seceve to the Brandenburg elector Jerzy Wilhelm (in exchange for part of the coast with Piława). If there was no lasting peace after the truce, the cities would return to Sweden. It was a prize for the elector for passing over Swedish troops during the attack on Poland.
- Busy by the Swedes, Mitawa returned to the Duke of Kurland.
- The Swedes obtained the right to collect 5.5% of the customs work on goods transported from Gdańsk, with 3.5% being given to the Swedish king, 1% to the Polish king and 1% to Gdańsk.
The Swedes withdrew completely from Prussia and Pomerania only after the death of Zygmunt III Vasa (1632), under a truce in the Sztumska Village of 1635.
Previous entry from our calendar is available Here.
