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183-772: In 1655, Charles X Gustav of Sweden invaded and occupied western Poland–Lithuania, the eastern half of which was already occupied by Russia . The rapid Swedish advance became known in Poland as the Swedish Deluge . The Grand Duchy of Lithuania became a Swedish protectorate , the Polish–Lithuanian regular armies surrendered and the Polish king John II Casimir Vasa fled to the Habsburgs . Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia initially supported

366-450: A Palikot Movement member of the Polish parliament, announced his plan to send thousands of postcards to European politicians and journalists, in which he wanted to convince the recipients that Poland should get financial compensation from Sweden for the destruction of the country in the deluge. Poznański claims that in the 1660 Treaty of Oliwa, Sweden pledged to return all stolen goods, which never happened. The MP had previously intervened at

549-462: A Polish–Lithuanian–Ruthenian Commonwealth (Polish: Rzeczpospolita Trojga Narodów , "Commonwealth of Three Nations"). Supported by Cossack Hetman Ivan Vyhovsky and the starshyna , the treaty aimed to change the face of Eastern Europe. However, its terms never came into full operation: in addition to the unpopularity of continued integration with the Commonwealth with the majority of

732-521: A fief of Poland since 1466). This treaty is regarded by historian Józef Włodarski as one of the worst mistakes in Polish history. In the spring of 1658, the Polish army, together with its Austrian allies under Raimondo Montecuccoli , began a campaign in Royal Prussia, where several key towns and cities were still in Swedish hands. On July 1, the siege of Toruń began. The heavily fortified city

915-638: A great power due to invasions by Sweden and Russia. According to Professor Andrzej Rottermund, manager of the Royal Castle in Warsaw , the destruction of Poland in the Deluge was more extensive than the destruction of the country in World War II . Rottermund claims that Swedish invaders robbed the Commonwealth of its most important riches, and most of the stolen items never returned to Poland. Warsaw,

1098-494: A "cultural desert". Poland and Lithuania lost 67 libraries and 17 archives. Of all major cities of the country, only Lwów and Gdańsk were not destroyed, and when Swedish soldiers were unable to steal an item, they would destroy or burn it. In ruins were castles, palaces, churches, abbeys, towns and villages. As a result of the Swedish invasion, few pre-Baroque buildings remained in Poland. An estimated 3 million died. Among others, Swedish troops stole such items as: According to

1281-406: A "cure" including the application of multiple enemata , laxatives , bloodletting and sneezing powder . While after three weeks the fever eventually was down and the coughing was better, the pneumonia had persisted and evolved into a sepsis by 8 February. On 12 February, Charles X Gustav signed his testament : His son, Charles XI of Sweden , was still a minor, and Charles X Gustav appointed

1464-503: A 16th-century invention. The Swedish king Charles IX (1604–1611) chose his numeral after studying a fictitious history of Sweden. This king was the fourth actual King Charles, but has never been called Charles IV . In his early childhood, raised in the Swedish court alongside his cousin Queen Christina , he received an excellent civil education. Later Charles X learned the art of war under Lennart Torstenson , being present at

1647-617: A Brandenburgian-Swedish force in the Battle of Prostken in Ducal Prussia . Gosiewski then ravaged Ducal Prussia, burning 13 towns and 250 villages, in a campaign that entered folklore because of the high death toll and the high number of captives deported to the Crimea . On 22 October, Gosiewski was defeated by Swedish forces in the Battle of Filipów and turned to Lithuania. Also on 22 October, besieged Dorpat surrendered to Alexis, while

1830-580: A Livonian army of 2,200 infantry and 400 dragoons, Magnus de la Gardie 's 7,000 men in Prussia, and 6,933 men dispersed in garrisons along the Eastern Baltic coast. Alexis invaded Livonia in July with 35,000 men and took Dünaburg . In late July, Danzig was reinforced by a Dutch garrison, and a combined Danish and Dutch fleet broke the naval blockage imposed on Danzig by Charles X Gustav. On 28–30 July,

2013-540: A Swedish force defeated a Russian army of 8,000 men commanded by Matvey V. Sheremetev in the Battle of Walk , however, a month later it was defeated by the Russians near Gdov , after that the actions were in the nature of mutual raids. In early 1658, Sweden and Russia agreed on a truce, resulting in the Treaty of Valiesar (Vallisaare, 1658) and the Treaty of Kardis (Kärde, 1661). The Russian war with Poland–Lithuania on

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2196-581: A Swedish-Brandenburgian army southwards. The following month saw the Swedish-Brandenburg-Transylvanian-Romanian-Cossack forces play cat and mouse with the Polish–Lithuanian forces, moving about all of the commonwealth without any major engagements, except the capture of Brest by Charles X Gustav in May, and the capture of Warsaw by Rákóczi and Gustaf Otto Stenbock on 17 June. Due to internal conflicts within

2379-542: A campaign in Livonia and laid siege to Riga , the second largest city in the Swedish Realm. Charles's retreat from Jarosław to Warsaw almost ended with disaster. His forces were trapped by the three converging Polish-Lithuanian armies in a marshy forest region intersected in every direction by well-guarded rivers. Escaping this disaster is considered one of his most brilliant achievements. But on 21 June 1656

2562-471: A clause stipulating that the two parts of the Commonwealth, Poland and Lithuania, need not fight each other. Part of the Lithuanian army opposed the treaty however, forming a confederation led by the magnate and Polish–Lithuanian hetman Paweł Jan Sapieha at Wierzbołów . On 24 August, Charles X Gustav joined Wittenberg's forces. The Polish king John II Casimir left Warsaw the same month to confront

2745-643: A combined Brandenburgian-Swedish army was able to defeat the Polish–Lithuanian army in the Battle of Warsaw , forcing John II Casimir to retreat to Lublin . In August, Alexis' army took Livonian Kokenhausen (Koknese), laid siege to Riga and Dorpat (Tartu) and raided Estonia, Ingria and Kexholm . On 4 October, John II Casimir stormed Łęczyca in Greater Poland before heading for Royal Prussia, and on 8 October, Wincenty Korwin Gosiewski with 12,000 to 13,000 Lithuanian and Crimean Tartar cavalry overran

2928-498: A couple of days the ice of the Little Belt would become firm enough to bear even the passage of a mail-clad host. The cold during the night of 29 January became most severe; and early in the morning of the 30th the Swedish king gave the order to start, the horsemen dismounting on the weaker spots of ice and cautiously leading their horses as far apart as possible, until they swung into their saddles again, closed their ranks and made

3111-537: A dash for the shore. Swedish arms quickly overpowered the Danish troops lining the opposite coast and won the whole of Funen with the loss of only two companies of cavalry, which disappeared under the ice while fighting with the Danish left wing. Pursuing his march, Charles X, with his eyes fixed on Copenhagen , resolved to cross the frozen Great Belt also. However, he accepted the advice of his chief engineer officer Erik Dahlberg , who acted as pioneer throughout and chose

3294-431: A force of 14,500 Brandenburgers commanded by Frederick William , 10,600 Austrians commanded by Raimondo Montecuccoli , and 4,500 Poles commanded by Czarniecki. By January 1659, the allied forces stood at Fredriksodde , Kolding and Als . Charles X Gustav then tried a decisive assault on Copenhagen on 21 and 22 February, but was repelled. In 1659, the war was characterized by Swedish forces defending their strongholds on

3477-560: A force of 28,500 regulars and a noble levy of 18,000 to 20,000. Thereupon, Brandenburg actively participated in the war on the Swedish side, prompting John II Casimir Vasa to state that while his Tartars already had the Swedes for breakfast, he would now take Frederick William into custody, where neither sun nor moon would shine. Already in May 1656, Alexis of Russia had declared war on Sweden, taking advantage of Charles being tied up in Poland, and Livonia, Estonia and Ingria secured only by

3660-528: A fort in Swedish territory in 1651. Director-General Peter Stuyvesant named the outpost Fort Casimir after the Polish king, but it was captured and renamed Fort Trinity (Swedish: Trefaldigheten ) by Swedish governor Johan Risingh in May 1654. Following the outbreak of the Second Northern War in Europe, Stuyvesant retaliated. In the summer of 1655, he dispatched most of the colonial garrison to

3843-892: A minor regency consisting of six relatives and close friends. Charles X Gustav died the next day at the age of 37. On the night between 12 and 13 February, he would die in the arms of Lord High Marshal Gabriel Oxenstierna after having urged him to bring peace to Sweden. Charles X Gustav had only one legitimate child by Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp : his successor Charles XI (1655–1697, reigned 1660–1697). Before his marriage, his mistress Märta Allertz gave birth to their well-known son Gustaf Carlson (1647–1708), who became Count of Börringe and Lindholmen Castle in Scania . There are credible theories suggesting that Charles X Gustav, before marrying Hedwig Eleonora (but not after), also sired several more children of whom some names are known: by Baroness Ludmila Jankovska von Lažan (1615–1655)

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4026-518: A peace treaty with the Commonwealth, in which he promised to break the alliance with Sweden, withdraw his troops from Kraków and Brześć Litewski, and pay for the damage inflicted by his army. On July 26, remnants of the Transylvanian army were surrounded by the Tatars near Skałat . Rákóczi himself managed to flee, and the army was temporarily commanded by John Kemény , who himself was captured by

4209-467: A popular uprising of Zaporozhian Cossacks and Ukrainian peasants discontented with the rule of Polish and Lithuanian magnates . Although the initial phase of the rebellion ended (after much destruction) at the Battle of Berestechko (1651), it brought into focus the rivalry between Russia and the Commonwealth for hegemony over Ukraine and over the eastern Slavic lands in general. Thus, in October 1653,

4392-627: A result. Thus, Sweden opted for a preemptive attack on the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth to occupy its yet available territories before the Russians. Swedish forces entered Poland–Lithuania from Swedish Pomerania in the west, and Livonia in the north. The division on the western flank consisted of 13,650 men and 72 artillery pieces commanded by Arvid Wittenberg who entered Poland on 21 July 1655 and another 12,700 to 15,000 commanded by Charles X Gustav who followed in August, while

4575-517: A science he is described as having quickly mastered. As the recognized heir to the throne, his position on his return to Sweden was dangerous because of the growing discontent with the queen. He therefore withdrew to the isle of Öland until the abdication of Christina on 5 June 1654 called him to the throne. Charles X Gustav was crowned on 7 June 1654, the day after his cousin Christina abdicated. The beginning of Charles X's reign concentrated on

4758-485: A second treaty was ratified at Kėdainiai in the north. The Union of Kėdainiai unified Lithuania with Sweden, with Radziwiłł recognizing Charles X Gustav as Grand Duke of Lithuania. Over the following days, most of the Polish army surrendered to Sweden: on 26 October Koniecpolski surrendered with 5,385 men near Kraków, on 28 October Field Crown Hetman Stanisław Lanckoroński and Great Crown Hetman Stanisław "Rewera" Potocki surrendered with 10,000 men, and on 31 October

4941-473: A son Charles (Carolus Wenzeslaus) Jankovský z Vlašimi (1644–1684), who became Baron of Château Rešice in Moravia; by Walbor Staffansdotter son Nils Karlsson (who strongly resembled his father); by Sidonia Johansdotter son Samuel Karlsson and by an unknown woman daughter Anna Karlsdotter. Attribution The Deluge (Polish history) The Deluge was a series of mid-17th-century military campaigns in

5124-552: A three-day siege, the Swedes, Cossacks, and Transylvanians captured Warsaw. Soon afterwards, however, the Dano-Swedish War began, and Charles X Gustav left Poland with most of his troops. The remaining Swedish army was commanded by Gustaf Otto Stenbock . The Swedish withdrawal made Rákóczi uneasy, as he was well aware of the poor quality of his soldiers. On July 7–8, 1656, at Łańcut Castle, King John Casimir and his hetmans agreed that Stefan Czarniecki would follow Rákóczi and

5307-593: Is called the Swedish Deluge ( Polish : potop szwedzki , Lithuanian : š vedų tvanas , Swedish : Svenska syndafloden ), or less commonly the Russo–Swedish Deluge ( Polish : Potop szwedzko-rosyjski ) due to the simultaneous Russo-Polish War. The term "deluge" ( potop in Polish) was popularized by Henryk Sienkiewicz in his novel The Deluge (1886). During the wars the Commonwealth lost approximately one third of its population as well as its status as

5490-705: Is the Little Northern War, which however might also refer to the 1741–43 war. In Poland, the term "The Deluge" is also ambiguous, as it is sometimes used for a broader series of wars against Sweden , Brandenburg , Russia, Transylvania and the Cossacks . In 1648, the Peace of Westphalia had ended the Thirty Years' War , during which the Swedish Empire emerged as a major European power. In

5673-555: The Battle of Sandomierz at the cost of his artillery and baggage. A Swedish relief force under Frederick of Baden-Durlach was destroyed by Czarniecki on 7 April in the Battle of Warka . In the same month, John II Casimir with the Lwów Oath proclaimed Virgin Mary queen of Poland, and promised to lift the burdens inflicted on the peasantry if he regained control. On 25 June 1656, Charles X Gustav signed an alliance with Brandenburg:

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5856-470: The Battle of Sobota , and on September 4, the Swedes captured Łowicz . Four days later, the Swedish army entered the Polish capital, becoming the first foreign army in history to capture Warsaw. King Charles Gustav left a garrison in Warsaw, under Bengt Gabrielsson Oxenstierna , and headed southwards, in pursuit of John Casimir. On September 16, the Swedes defeated Polish troops in the Battle of Żarnów , and

6039-534: The Battle of Ujście , and then pledged loyalty to the Swedish king. Wittenberg established a garrison in Poznań (Posen). On the northern front, Prince Janusz Radziwiłł signed the Treaty of Kėdainiai with Sweden on 17 August 1655, placing the Grand Duchy of Lithuania under Swedish protection. Though Radziwiłł had been negotiating with Sweden before, during his dispute with the Polish king, Kėdainiai provided

6222-600: The Braniewo Library, works of Nicolaus Copernicus , including the 1543 Nuremberg edition of De revolutionibus orbium coelestium , and the oldest printed text of Bogurodzica . Krzywiński states that as an act of goodwill, the Swedish side should cover the cost of reconstruction of the Rawa Mazowiecka castle, which was destroyed by them in the 1650s. The population in cities like Warsaw had been reduced to only 10% of its pre-war population of 20,000, and

6405-549: The Cossacks there was practically no participation of the Cossack Hetmanate in that war. Worn out from previous campaigns and requesting Bohdan Khmelnytsky to break with Sweden, Alexis of Russia eventually signed the Truce of Vilna or Niemież with the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, and did not engage the Swedish army in any major battle throughout 1657 even though he still reinforced his armies in Livonia. On 18 June,

6588-538: The Duchy of Prussia , formerly a Polish fief, as a fief from Charles X Gustav. The Brandenburgian garrisons in Royal Prussia were withdrawn, and when Marienburg (Malbork) surrendered in March, Danzig remained the only town not under Swedish control. The rapid Swedish invasion and occupation of the Polish–Lithuanian territories became known in Poland as the " (Swedish) deluge ." The "deluge" and religious differences between

6771-463: The Duchy of Prussia . In early October 1656, an army of 11,000 under Wincenty Korwin Gosiewski entered Prussia, supported by 2,000 Crimean Tatars . On October 8, Gosiewski's army won the Battle of Prostken (October 8), but after the Tatars decided to return to the Crimea, the Polish–Lithuanian army was defeated in the Battle of Filipów (October 22). In November 1656, Greater Poland's troops invaded

6954-650: The Dutch Republic had agreed on a petition in the First Concert of the Hague , urging Sweden to settle for peace with Denmark on the terms of Roskilde, and peace talks mediated by France were taking place throughout 1659. The colony of New Sweden lay along the Delaware River , a territory claimed but not settled by Dutch New Netherland . The Swedish colonists were the preferred trading partners of

7137-637: The Grand Duchy of Lithuania , whose eastern part had been occupied by another Swedish army under Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie since August 1655, Janusz Radziwiłł and his cousin Bogusław Radziwiłł signed the Union of Kėdainiai (October 20, 1655), which ended Lithuania's union with Poland. The decision of the Radziwiłłs was the result of the 1654 Russian invasion, as Janusz Radziwiłł accused the Poles of not helping

7320-576: The House of Habsburg . On December 1, 1656, the first Treaty of Vienna was signed, which was followed by a second Treaty of Vienna , in which Emperor Leopold I promised to aid John Casimir with 12,000 troops against the Swedish-Brandenburgian alliance. By late 1656, Swedish troops had been pushed out of most of the Commonwealth. They only held the right-bank half of Royal Prussia, northern Mazovia, Łowicz, Kraków, and Tykocin . In 1653,

7503-641: The Noteć river, with some regular infantry for support. On 25 July the Polish noble levy army capitulated, and the voivodeships of Poznań and Kalisz placed themselves under the protection of the Swedish King. Thereupon the Swedes entered Warsaw without opposition and occupied the whole of Greater Poland . The Polish king, John II Casimir of Poland (1648–68) of the House of Vasa , eventually fled to Silesia after his armies had suffered defeats. A great number of Polish nobles and their personal armies joined

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7686-566: The Polish forces gave up resistance and surrendered to the invaders. The Polish king headed towards Kraków on September 25, and then fled to the Głogówek castle near Prudnik in Upper Silesia . Kraków was left in the hands of Stefan Czarniecki ; on October 3 Swedish forces once again defeated the Poles in the Battle of Wojnicz , which opened the road to Kraków. The ancient capital of Poland

7869-692: The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth . In a wider sense, it applies to the period between the Khmelnytsky Uprising of 1648 and the Truce of Andrusovo in 1667, comprising the Polish theatres of the Russo-Polish and Second Northern Wars . In a stricter sense, the term refers to the Swedish invasion and occupation of the Commonwealth as a theatre of the Second Northern War (1655–1660) only; in Poland and Lithuania this period

8052-633: The Russian siege of Swedish-held Riga was lifted . John II Casimir meanwhile took Bromberg (Bydgoszcz) and Konitz in Royal Prussia, and from 15 November 1656 until February 1657 stayed in Danzig , where a Swedish siege had to be lifted due to Dutch intervention , just 55 kilometers away from Charles X Gustav's quarters in Elbing . In the Treaty of Labiau on 20 November, Charles X Gustav of Sweden granted Frederick William of Brandenburg full sovereignty in

8235-498: The San river. Charles Gustav sent some of his forces to capture Przemyśl , but on March 16 they returned to Jarosław without success. On March 22, the Swedish army set off northwards, along the San and Vistula rivers, back to Warsaw. They were followed by units of Stefan Czarniecki and Aleksander Koniecpolski, and during the retreat, Polish troops supporting the invaders changed sides, joining

8418-513: The Sejm ordered the expulsion of the Polish Brethren , who were accused of collaborating with the Swedish invaders. In 1659, the Swedish army still remaining in Poland under Lorens von der Linde was withdrawn to major Royal Prussian fortresses – Malbork, Głowa Gdańska, Grudziądz , Elbląg , and Brodnica . In August 1659, the Polish army captured Głowa and Grudziądz, and soon afterwards,

8601-794: The Susquehannock , who at that time were the most powerful indigenous group in the Susquehanna River valley and rivals to the Iroquois Confederacy further north. The Iroquois in turn were allies of the Dutch. The Dutch–Polish alliance in Europe left its mark in New Netherland. Among the small Polish community in New Amsterdam was Daniel Liczko , a military officer who took part in an expedition to erect

8784-690: The Swedish Army Museum , and Livrustkammaren . Almost all cities, towns, castles and churches in locations where Swedish troops were stationed were destroyed, and in guides to many Polish towns and cities one can find notes that read "object destroyed during Swedish invasion". From the Royal Castle in Warsaw the Swedes plundered approximately 200 paintings, a number of carpets and Turkish tents, musical instruments, furniture, Chinese porcelain, weapons, books, manuscripts, marbles, even dresses of maids and door frames pulled from walls. Meanwhile,

8967-531: The Torstenson War while Sweden was busy elsewhere. Brandenburg left the alliance with Sweden when granted full sovereignty in the Duchy of Prussia by the Polish king in the treaties of Wehlau and Bromberg . Frederick III's war on Sweden gave Charles X Gustav a reason to abandon the Polish–Lithuanian deadlock and fight Denmark instead. After marching his army to the west and making a dangerous crossing of

9150-643: The Torstenson War , a theater of the Thirty Years' War, Sweden had defeated the former Baltic great power Denmark-Norway. Sweden had been at peace with Russia since the Treaty of Stolbovo had ended the Ingrian War in 1617. Sweden had remained in a state of war with the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth since the Polish–Swedish War (1626–29) , which was concluded by the repeatedly renewed truce ( Altmark , Stuhmsdorf ). In 1651, an unsuccessful congress

9333-409: The Treaty of Cardis in 1661. In English language, German, Russian and Scandinavian historiography, these conflicts were traditionally referred to as First Northern War . The term "Second Northern War", coined in Polish historiography ( Druga Wojna Północna ), has lately been increasingly adopted by German and English language historiography. Another ambiguous term referring to the Second Northern War

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9516-538: The Treaty of Kėdainiai (1655), which envisaged the Radziwiłł princes ruling over two duchies carved out from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania under Swedish protection . In July 1655 two Swedish armies, operating from Swedish Pomerania and the Province of Pomerania , entered Greater Poland , one of the richest and most developed provinces of the Commonwealth, which had for centuries been unaffected by any military conflicts, and whose levée en masse had not been used to fighting. Greater Poland's noble camp, located in

9699-464: The Treaty of Marienburg granted Greater Poland to Frederick William in return for military aid. While the Brandenburgian elector was free of Swedish vassalage in Greater Poland, he remained a Swedish vassal for the Duchy of Prussia . Brandenburgian garrisons then replaced the Swedish ones in Greater Poland, who went to reinforce Charles X Gustav's army. On 29 June however, Warsaw was stormed by John II Casimir , who had drawn up to Charles X Gustav with

9882-407: The Treaty of Oliva with Poland–Lithuania, the Habsburgs and Brandenburg in April and the Treaty of Copenhagen with Denmark in May. Sweden was to keep most of her gains from Roskilde, the Duchy of Prussia became a sovereign state, and otherwise, the parties largely returned to the status quo ante bellum. Sweden had already concluded a truce with Russia in 1658, which gave way to a final settlement in

10065-462: The Treaty of Rinsk , in which the Royal Prussian nobility agreed to allow Brandenburgian garrisons in their province to defend it against the Swedish invasion (the treaty did not include the cities of Gdańsk , Elbląg and Toruń ). In November and December 1655 the Swedish army under Gustaf Otto Stenbock captured all the towns of Royal Prussia except for Gdańsk, Puck and Malbork . To prevent John Casimir's return to Poland, Swedish units protected

10248-517: The Treaty of Stuhmsdorf . The Polish–Lithuanian King John II Casimir (reigned 1648–68) lacked support among the Commonwealth nobility ( szlachta ) due to his sympathies with absolutist Austria and his open contempt for the " Sarmatist " culture of the nobility. Earlier, in 1643, John Casimir had become a member of the Jesuits and had received the title of Cardinal . Nevertheless, in December 1646, he returned to Poland and, in October 1647, resigned his position as Cardinal to stand for election to

10431-403: The Truce of Andrusovo (January 30, 1667). The Deluge was the climax of a series of wars that took place in Poland–Lithuania in the mid-17th century. The Commonwealth was first affected by the Khmelnytsky Uprising , which began in 1648, and affected southeastern provinces of the country. In the final stages of the uprising, the Russians invaded Poland–Lithuania in 1654, reaching as far west as

10614-431: The Tyszowce Confederation was formed in support of the Polish king. John Casimir himself met with hetmans Stanisław Rewera Potocki , Jerzy Sebastian Lubomirski , Stanisław Lanckoroński and Stefan Czarniecki in Krosno, on December 31, 1655. The meeting was also attended by Primate Andrzej Leszczyński , and eight voivodes . While in Krosno, the Polish king found out about the end of the siege of Jasna Góra, and about

10797-438: The Vistula river near Puławy . The Commonwealth also fought forces from Transylvania and Brandenburg-Prussia , but the Duchy of Prussia gained formal Polish recognition of its independence outside of the Polish state ( Treaty of Wehlau , 1657). The Tatars of the Crimean Khanate and the Nogai Horde conducted almost annual slave raids in the territories controlled by the Commonwealth. In all these other invasions, only

10980-750: The Vistula to the Baltic Sea and then to Sweden. In November 2011, archaeologists of the University of Warsaw found approximately 70 items (total weight five tons), which probably come from the Warsaw Royal Castle. They sank in the Vistula while being transported to Sweden. Even though Article 9 of the Treaty of Oliva stated that Sweden should return all stolen goods, all items are still kept in Stockholm and other Swedish locations. Several Polish kings (John II Casimir, John III Sobieski and Stanisław II Augustus ) sent official missions to Sweden, but without success. In most situations, Swedish authorities claimed that they did not know where stolen goods were. In 1911, Kraków's Academy of Science sent its own mission, which

11163-420: The division on the northern flank consisted of 7,200 men commanded by Magnus De la Gardie who had already seized Dünaburg with them on 12 July. On the western front, Wittenberg was opposed by a Polish levy of 13,000 and an additional 1,400 peasant infantry. Aware of the military superiority of the well-trained Swedish army, the nobles of Greater Poland surrendered to Wittenberg on 25 July in Ujście after

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11346-555: The estates in Royal Prussia , but allied with Sweden in return for receiving the Duchy of Prussia as a Swedish fief. Exploiting the hurt religious feelings of the Roman Catholic population under Protestant occupation and organizing Polish–Lithuanian military leaders in the Tyszowce Confederation , John II Casimir Vasa managed to regain ground in 1656. Russia took advantage of the Swedish setback, declared war on Sweden and pushed into Lithuania and Swedish Livonia . Charles X Gustav then granted Frederick William full sovereignty in

11529-558: The estates , whom he had summoned to Gothenburg . The lower estates protested the imposition of fresh burdens, but were persuaded by Charles. Soon after the estates opened on 4 January 1660, Charles X Gustav fell ill with symptoms of a cold. Ignoring his illness, he repeatedly went to inspect the Swedish forces near Gothenburg, and soon broke down with chills, headaches and dyspnoea . On 15 January, court physician Johann Köster arrived, and in medical error mistook Charles X Gustav's pneumonia for scorbut and dyspepsia . Köster started

11712-456: The liberum veto since 1652. As a consequence, the Commonwealth lacked a sufficient defense. In January 1654, the anti-Polish alliance of Pereiaslav was concluded between the rebellious Cossack Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky and Alexis of Russia , who was in control of a well-equipped army that was undergoing modernization. In 1654, when Charles X Gustav succeeded his cousin Christina on the Swedish throne, Russian forces were advancing into

11895-436: The " snaphaner " led by Lorenz Tuxen and Svend Poulsen (" Gøngehøvdingen ") ambushed Swedish forces. The Swedish garrison of Bornholm was forced to surrender to Danish insurgents, with the commander killed. In Royal Prussia (Eastern Pomerania in contemporary Poland), Thorn had fallen already in December 1658, but Elbing and Marienwerder withstood. On 24 November, Sweden had to abandon Funen and Langeland after

12078-430: The 18th century. As a result of the Deluge, the Commonwealth began a subsequent period of decline. The Deluge had a major effect on Poland, and there are several books describing the war. In 1886 Henryk Sienkiewicz described the Swedish invasion in his novel Роtор . Based on the novel, Jerzy Hoffman directed the film The Deluge ( Роtор ) in 1974, a classic historical work. It starred Daniel Olbrychski as

12261-532: The Americas until the acquisition of Saint Barthélemy from France in 1784. On 15 September, while the bulk of the Dutch garrison was still in New Sweden, 500 Munsee occupied New Amsterdam in what in known as the Peach War . No bloodshed occurred until the Dutch opened fire as the Munsee were preparing to depart. In response the Munsee attacked Pavonia and Staten Island . Stuyvesant later reported 40 deaths and 100 captives taken. Many Dutch settlers from outlying farms took refuge at Fort Amsterdam . The cause of

12444-443: The Brandenburger province of Neumark , which resulted in withdrawal of Brandenburger forces from most of Greater Poland. Charles Gustav, knowing that he needed the support of the Elector, agreed to sign the Treaty of Labiau (November 20), which granted full sovereignty to the Prussian ruler, in exchange for his complete military support of Sweden in the ongoing war. The Commonwealth, on the other hand, had already been negotiating with

12627-472: The Commonwealth, but were later defeated in the Battle of Konotop and the Battle of Polonka . On May 3, 1660, the Treaty of Oliva was signed, which ended the Polish–Swedish War. After the conclusion of the conflict, Poland–Lithuania initiated a large offensive against the Russians, who were beaten in the Battle of Chudnov . In 1661, Vilnius was recaptured (December 2), and in 1663–64, Polish forces invaded Left-bank Ukraine . The war with Russia ended with

12810-454: The Commonwealth. Meanwhile, Rákóczi had already been negotiating with Bohdan Khmelnytsky, and on September 7, 1656, Transylvania and the Zaporizhian Sich signed a peace treaty, which obliged both sides to help each other in war. On December 8, 1656, the Treaty of Radnot was signed, which divided Poland-Lithuania among Charles X Gustav, Bogusław Radziwiłł, Elector Frederick William, Bohdan Khmelnytsky, and George II Rákóczi. In late January 1657,

12993-476: The Commonwealth. The Swedish king decided to find allies, who would help him to divide Poland-Lithuania. On June 29, 1656, he signed the Treaty of Marienburg , in which he offered Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg a reward for fighting on his side. Brandenburg-Prussia was promised sovereignty in four voivodeships – Poznań, Kalisz, Łęczyca, and Sieradz. On July 28, a reinforced Swedish–Brandenburgian army, under Charles Gustav, set out for Warsaw. Even though

13176-493: The Cossacks and Tsardom of Russia , seemed like easy prey, also because its best soldiers had been either killed in the 1652 Battle of Batih or massacred after it. Furthermore, Swedes remembered claims to their throne by Polish kings Sigismund III Vasa and his sons Władysław IV Vasa and John II Casimir , who themselves belonged to the House of Vasa . An earlier conflict, the Polish–Swedish War (1626–1629) had ended with

13359-473: The Cossacks, Russia refused to recognize Hadiach, and maintained its claims to Ukraine . The Russo-Polish War (1654–1667) ended with the Treaty of Andrusovo of January 13, 1667. (Poland-Lithuania profited from Turkish participation in the Russo-Turkish War (1676–1681) due to Ottoman links with the Crimea .) The peace settlement gave Russia control over the so-called Left-bank Ukraine (left of

13542-587: The Cossacks, while Lubomirski's and Potocki's divisions together with Crimean Tatars. The Ottomans were offended that George II Rakoczi, who was officially their vassal, did not ask their approval to attack Poland and did not want to open another war (in that time they tried to attack Venice through Dalmatia) but when he ignored them they ordered the Crimean Tatars to help the Polish troops and punish Rakoczi. They already replaced Rakoczi's vassal voivodes from Moldavia and Wallachia. On June 20, 1657, Stenbock

13725-636: The Crown Hieronim Radziejowski , an old enemy of the Polish King who had been exiled to Sweden, encouraged Charles Gustav to claim the Polish crown . Two Lithuanian noble princes, Janusz Radziwiłł and Bogusław Radziwiłł , introduced dissension into the Commonwealth and began negotiations with the Swedish king Charles X Gustav of Sweden aimed at breaking up the Commonwealth and the Polish–Lithuanian union . They signed

13908-520: The Delaware River and led a squadron of ships to attack New Sweden. The Dutch recaptured Fort Trinity on 11 September and besieged the Swedish capital at Fort Christina for ten days before Risingh surrendered on 15 September. This effectively marked the end of New Sweden, but for a time the Swedish and Finnish settlers continued to enjoy local autonomy with their own militia, religion, court and lands. Sweden had no further territorial presence in

14091-411: The Deluge "did not end in a Swedish defeat" and "did not end in a Polish victory". Some claim that Sweden won the war. However, other historians claim that Sweden lost the war. Other historians also claim that the war ended favourably for Sweden. With other historians claiming the war to have ended favourably for the Commonwealth or unfavourably for Sweden. The Swedish invasion affected

14274-501: The Deluge in the region of Kaszuby ), Znak Jastrzębca ( The sign of the Jastrzębiec ) by Stanisław Maria Jankowski, and Pamiętnik oblężenia Częstochowy ( The memoir of the siege of Częstochowa ), by Father Augustyn Kordecki . Furthermore, James Michener describes the Deluge in his novel Poland (1983). The Deluge has also found its way into video games. The video game Mount & Blade: With Fire & Sword (named after

14457-578: The Duchy of Prussia in return for military aid, and in the Treaty of Radnot allied himself with the Transylvanian George II Rákóczi who invaded Poland–Lithuania from the southeast. John II Vasa found an ally in Leopold I of Habsburg , whose armies crossed into Poland–Lithuania from the southwest. This triggered Frederick III of Denmark 's invasion of the Swedish mainland in early 1657, in an attempt to settle old scores from

14640-558: The Duchy of Prussia in return for a more active participation in the war. In the Treaty of Radnot on 6 December, Charles X Gustav promised to accept George II Rákóczi of Transylvania as king of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania in return for his entrance into the war. Rákóczi entered the war in January 1657, crossing into the commonwealth with a force of 25,000 Transylvanian-Wallachian-Moldavian men and 20,000 Cossacks who reinforced Kraków before they met with Charles X Gustav, who had led

14823-901: The Lithuanians with the defence of the Grand Duchy. The Russian capture of Vilnius (August 9, 1655) and the subsequent slaughter of its residents convinced the Lithuanian nobility that Swedish protection was the best solution. The situation of the Commonwealth was desperate, but hope appeared with the Truce of Vilna (November 3), in which Poland and the Tsardom of Russia formed an anti-Swedish alliance. With Russian forces attacking Sweden in Livonia (see Russo-Swedish War (1656–1658) ), Poland finally had time to recoup and gather fresh forces. On October 12, 1655, with permission from King John Casimir, Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg signed

15006-608: The Norwegian province Trøndelag to Sweden. Yet, Swedish-held territory in Poland had been reduced to some towns in Royal Prussia , most notably Elbing , Marienburg and Thorn . With Transylvania neutralized and Brandenburg defected, Charles X Gustav's position in the region was not strong enough to force his stated aim, the permanent gain of Royal Prussia. He was further pressed militarily when an Austro-Polish army laid siege to Thorn in July 1658, and diplomatically when he

15189-520: The Peach War has been the subject of debate. The armed protest and raids may have been triggered by the murder of a Munsee woman who was stealing peaches from the orchard of a Dutch colonist. Many historians, however, have speculated that the Peach War was orchestrated by the Susquehannock in response to the Dutch attack on New Sweden. After renegotiating land rights and securing the release of

15372-460: The Poles from taking control of the northern districts of the country, and departed Warsaw with an army of 10,000 (April 17). On April 21, the Lithuanians under Sapieha freed Lublin, and on April 23, the Lithuanian army reached Praga , which today is a right-bank district of Warsaw. The forces of Czarniecki and Lubomirski joined other troops near Piła , but on May 7 they were defeated in the Battle of Kłecko , despite their numerical superiority. After

15555-533: The Poles retook Warsaw, and four days later Charles was obliged to purchase the assistance of Frederick William I , by the treaty of Marienburg (23 June 1656). On 28–30 July the combined Swedes and Brandenburgers, 18,000 strong, after a three days' battle , defeated John Casimir's army of 40,000 at Warsaw, however the Polish-Lithuanian forces promptly withdrew with no large losses and apparent strong will to fight another day, while Swedish host reoccupied

15738-484: The Polish Crown army under Stanisław Potocki, and the Lithuanian army under Paweł Sapieha, to force a decisive battle. On April 29, the Polish and Lithuanian armies joined forces at Łosice , and in early May 1657, the Poles decided to organize a revenge raid on Transylvania, under hetman Jerzy Sebastian Lubomirski. On May 13, Rákóczi and Charles X Gustav seized the fortress of Brześć Litewski , and on May 17, after

15921-542: The Polish Crown'. After the Battle of Warka, Czarniecki and Lubomirski decided to head towards Greater Poland and Kujawy , to support guerrilla forces active there. By April 9, Polish troops reached Royal Prussia, capturing Bydgoszcz and Nakło (April 19). The Polish attempt to capture Toruń , on April 17, was a failure. After a short rest, Stefan Czarniecki considered a raid of Swedish Pomerania , but other Polish leaders opposed this idea. Charles Gustav decided to prevent

16104-765: The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture; he also visited the Embassy of Sweden in Warsaw. A businessman from Warsaw, Sławian Krzywiński, joined Poznański, creating the Foundation of Reconstruction of Destruction Caused by the Swedish Invasion (Fundacja Odbudowy Zniszczeń Dokonanych w Czasie Potopu Szwedzkiego). According to Krzywiński, looted goods are still kept in Swedish museums and private collections. Among others, Poland lost

16287-505: The Polish capital again, causing much destruction to the city and its inhabitants. However, this feat of arms did not have the desired result for Charles, and when Frederick William compelled the Swedish king to open negotiations with the Poles, they refused the terms offered, the war resumed, and Charles concluded an offensive and defensive alliance with the elector of Brandenburg ( Treaty of Labiau , 20 November 1656) which stipulated that Frederick William and his heirs should henceforth possess

16470-406: The Polish diet and his negotiations for the partition of the very state he affected to befriend, awoke a nationalistic spirit in the country. In the beginning of 1656 King John II Casimir returned from exile and the reorganised Polish army, increased in numbers. By this time Charles had discovered that he could more readily defeat the Poles than conquer Poland. What is described as his chief object,

16653-419: The Polish throne, after the death of his brother Władysław IV Vasa . He became King in 1648. However, some of the nobility supported Charles Gustav (King of Sweden from 1654 to 1660 and John Casimir's cousin) for the Polish–Lithuanian throne. Many members of the Polish nobility regarded John Casimir as a weak king or a "Jesuit-King"; Grand Treasurer Bogusław Leszczyński , a Protestant, and Deputy Chancellor of

16836-568: The Protestant Polish Brethren from Poland in 1658 exemplified the increasing intolerance. During the Deluge, many thousands of Polish Jews also fell victim to violence carried out by the Zaporozhian Cossacks and Polish-Lithuanian forces. 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

17019-617: The Russian Zemsky Sobor declared war on the Commonwealth, and in June 1654 the forces of Tsar Alexis of Russia invaded the eastern half of Poland-Lithuania, starting the Russo-Polish War of 1654–1667 . In the summer of 1654, the Russians managed to capture most important cities and strongholds of today's Belarus . Smolensk was captured after a siege on October 3, 1654. The Swedish Empire , which technically already

17202-545: The Russian invaders caused the most similar damages to the Swedes, due to Russian raids, destructions and rapid incursion which crippled Polish industries. With the Treaty of Hadiach on September 16, 1658, the Polish Crown sought to elevate the Cossacks and Ruthenians to a position equal to that of Poland and Lithuania in the Polish–Lithuanian Union, and in fact transform the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth into

17385-494: The Russian invaders in the east had also destroyed and damaged much of the eastern part's infrastructure, partly due to heavy agricultural fertile developments there. Hubert Kowalski of the University of Warsaw Institute of Archeology says that Swedes stole anything they could lay their hands on – windows, stairs, chimneys, sculptures, floors, doors and gates. Most goods were loaded on boats and transported along

17568-420: The Swedes invested the fortress-monastery of Częstochowa , but the Poles defended it and after a seventy days' siege the Swedish besiegers had to retire with great loss. This success elicited popular enthusiasm in Poland and gave rise to a nationalistic and religious rhetoric concerning the war and Charles X. He was depicted as tactless and his mercenaries barbaric. His refusal to legalize his position by summoning

17751-505: The Swedes, including the majority of the famous Winged Hussars. Many Poles saw Charles X Gustav as a strong monarch who could be a more effective leader than John II Casimir. Meanwhile, Charles X Gustav pressed on towards Kraków , which the Swedes captured after a two-month siege. The fall of Kraków followed a capitulation of the Polish Royal armies, but before the end of the year a reaction began in Poland herself. On 18 November 1655

17934-604: The Swedes, the elector of Brandenburg, perceiving Sweden's difficulties, joined the league against Sweden and compelled Charles to accept the proffered mediation of Oliver Cromwell , Coenraad van Beuningen and Cardinal Mazarin . The negotiations foundered, however, upon the refusal of Sweden to refer the points in dispute to a general peace-congress, and Charles received encouragement from the capture of Fredriksodde, 23–24 October, whereupon he began to make preparations for conveying his troops over to Funen in transport vessels. But soon another and cheaper expedient presented itself. In

18117-516: The Swedish and Transylvanian armies from meeting. After joining the Cossacks, Rákóczi decided not to attack Lwów, but set off towards Kraków, where the situation of the Swedish garrison under Wirtz was desperate. On March 21, Rákóczi captured Tarnów , and on March 28, he reached Kraków. Along the way to the ancient Polish capital, the Transylvanian-Cossack army burned and looted towns and villages, murdering thousands. Since his army

18300-492: The Swedish army in the west, but after some skirmishes with the Swedish vanguard retreated southwards to Kraków . On 8 September Charles X Gustav occupied Warsaw, then turned south to confront the retreating Polish king. The kings met at the Battle of Żarnów on 16 September, which like the next encounter at the Battle of Wojnicz on 3 October was a victory for Sweden. John II Casimir was exiled to Silesia while Kraków surrendered to Charles X Gustav on 19 October. On 20 October,

18483-726: The Swedish force was split with Carl Gustaf Wrangel heading west to clear Bremen-Verden and Charles X Gustav heading north to clear Jutland . When these aims were achieved, Charles X Gustav in September moved to the Swedish port of Wismar and ordered his navy into the inconclusive Battle of Møn. Meanwhile, Polish forces led by general Stefan Czarniecki ravaged southern Swedish Pomerania , and destroyed and plundered Pasewalk , Gartz (Oder) and Penkun . The Habsburg and Brandenburg allies however were reluctant to join Czarniecki, and against John II Casimir's wish decided against taking

18666-826: The Swedish king. The Pauline monastery Jasna Góra in Częstochowa successfully resisted a Swedish siege throughout November 1655 to January 1656. On 20 November a manifesto was issued in Opole (Oppeln) calling for public resistance and the return of John II Casimir, and in December a peasant force took Nowy Sącz . On 29 December, the partisan Tyszowce Confederation was constituted under participation of Lanckoroński and Potocki, and on 1 January 1656 John II Casimir returned from exile. Later in January, Stefan Czarniecki joined in, and by February most Polish soldiers who were in Swedish service since October 1655, had switched sides to that of

18849-699: The Tatars. After six months of fighting in Poland, Rákóczi's army of 25,000 ceased to exist, with all survivors taken prisoner by the Tatars. On August 30, the Swedish garrison left Kraków, and throughout August and September 1657, all Swedish troops in Poland moved northwards, to Royal Prussia . Altogether, by autumn of that year, only some 8,000 Swedish soldiers remained in Poland–Lithuania. The Swedes still kept some Prussian cities, as Malbork, Elbląg, Sztum , Brodnica , Grudziądz , and Toruń . On September 11, an Austrian army of 11,000, allied with Poland, concentrated near Kraków and set off to Płock , where it spent

19032-605: The Transylvanian Hungarian ruler George II Rákóczi signed an alliance with Poland, and the relations between the Commonwealth and Transylvania were friendly. George had even been offered the Polish crown, on condition that he convert to Catholicism. Stunning Swedish successes, however, made Rákóczi change his mind. On May 18, 1656, Charles X Gustav, in a letter sent from Malbork, offered the Hungarian prince Red Ruthenia, in exchange for military support against

19215-519: The Transylvanian army of 25,000 crossed the Carpathians , heading towards Medyka , where 10,000 Cossack allies awaited them. To face the new invader, the army of hetman Stanisław Rewera Potocki rushed southwards. At the same time (January 2), in the Battle of Chojnice , the Swedes defeated the Poles. On February 26, Stefan Czarniecki and King John Casimir met in Kalisz , where they decided to prevent

19398-602: The aforementioned treaties secured Brandenburg the Lands of Lauenburg and Bütow at the border of Brandenburgian Pomerania , while the Bishopric of Ermeland was returned to Poland. The attack of Frederick III of Denmark in June 1657, aimed at regaining the territories lost in 1645 , provided an opportunity for Charles X Gustav to abandon the unfortunate Polish–Lithuanian battlefields. With 9,950 horse and 2,800 foot, he marched through Pomerania and Mecklenburg . In Holstein ,

19581-496: The allied army was smaller, it still managed to defeat the Poles and Lithuanians in the Battle of Warsaw (July 28–30), and to recapture Warsaw. This victory, however, achieved little, as the Poles retreated behind the Wieprz , where they regrouped, and were soon ready to continue fighting. Finally, Charles Gustav decided to abandon Warsaw, and retreat to Royal Prussia. To punish Brandenburg-Prussia, Commonwealth forces decided to invade

19764-443: The battle, the surviving Polish units regrouped near Gniezno , and in late May, they headed for Warsaw, to help the Lithuanians in the siege of the Polish capital (April 24 – July 1). Warsaw was being defended by Arvid Wittenberg with 2,000 soldiers, as the main Swedish army was busy besieging Gdańsk. Wittenberg capitulated on July 1, 1656. Already in late 1655, Charles Gustav realized that it would be impossible for him to control

19947-604: The border with Silesia. On November 18, 1655, the Swedes besieged the monastery at Jasna Góra , located in Lesser Poland, near the border. Led by the Grand Prior Augustyn Kordecki , the garrison of this symbolic sanctuary-fortress of Poland held off its enemies in the Siege of Jasna Góra . The defense of Jasna Góra galvanized Polish resistance against the Swedes. The news of the siege spread across

20130-440: The capital of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, was destroyed by the Swedes, and out of a pre-war population of 20,000, only 2,000 remained in the city after the war. According to the 2012 Polish estimates, the material damage caused by the Swedish army amounted to 4 billion złotys . 188 cities and towns, 186 villages, 136 churches, 89 palaces, and 81 castles were completely destroyed in Poland. In 1648, Bohdan Khmelnytsky led

20313-700: The character Andrzej Kmicic , a patriot who valiantly fought against the Swedish invasion. The film received a nomination for an Oscar in 1974, but lost to the Italian film Amarcord . In 2000, Renata Ocieczek wrote the book Czasy potopu szwedzkiego w literaturze polskiej ( The time of the Swedish deluge in Polish literature ), and in 2006 Jacek Płosiński wrote Potop szwedzki na Podlasiu ( Swedish deluge in Podlasie ). Other books about this topic include: Warszawa 1656 by Mirosław Nagielski, Krwawy sztorm ("Bloody storm") by Augustyn Necel (describing

20496-563: The city, defeating the Swedish fleet in the Battle of the Sound on 29 October 1658, and Copenhagen repelled a major assault afterwards . Charles X consented to reopen negotiations with Denmark, at the same time proposing to exercise pressure upon his rival by a simultaneous winter campaign in Norway. Such an enterprise necessitated fresh subsidies from his already impoverished people, and obliged him in December 1659 to cross over to Sweden to meet

20679-512: The combined Austrian and Polish–Lithuanian forces without Swedish support, and after a pursuit into Ukraine he was encircled and forced to capitulate, with the rest of the Transylvanian army defeated by the Tartars. Brandenburg changed sides in return for Polish withdrawal of claims to Ducal Prussia , declaring Frederick William the sole sovereign in the Duchy with the treaties of Wehlau on 19 September and Bromberg on 6 November. In addition,

20862-524: The confederation. Charles X Gustav, with a force of 11,000 horse, reacted by pursuing Czarniecki's force of 2,400 men, confronting and defeating him in the Battle of Gołąb in February 1656. Charles X Gustav then intended to take Lwow, but his advance was halted in the Battle of Zamość , when he was nearly encircled by the growing Polish–Lithuanian armies under Sapieha and Czarniecki, and barely escaped on 5 and 6 April breaking through Sapieha's lines during

21045-429: The conquest of Prussia , remained unaccomplished, and a new Swedish adversary arose in the elector of Brandenburg , Frederick William I , alarmed by the ambition of the Swedish king. Charles forced the elector, albeit at the point of the sword, to become his ally and vassal ( Treaty of Königsberg , 17 January 1656); but the Polish national rising now imperatively demanded his presence in the south. For weeks he engaged in

21228-592: The death of Janusz Radziwiłł. On January 12, 1656, John Casimir left Krosno, and after three days, arrived at Łańcut Castle , which belonged to the Lubomirski family . On February 10, the king came to Lwów , which, together with Gdańsk, was one of only two major cities of the Commonwealth not seized by any of Poland's enemies. Soon Polish Army units began to concentrate in the area of Lwów, including militias from Red Ruthenia , Volhynia and Lublin , as well as forces under Potocki and Prince Lubomirski, together with

21411-601: The defeat in the Battle of Nyborg . In January 1660, Sweden lost the Livonian fortress Mitau . Meanwhile, conflicts arose within the anti-Swedish alliance between the Habsburgs and Poland–Lithuania when the Habsburgs demanded ever more contributions while not showing the war efforts Poland–Lithuania had expected. With the Russo-Polish War ongoing, most Polish–Lithuanian forces were tied up in Ukraine . England, France and

21594-538: The devastating Deluge was the subsequent weakening of Poland's international standing. While Sweden destroyed more, Russia also took part and was second only to Sweden in the level of destruction. With the entire Polish nation crippled by the Swedes and Russians, Russia was able to rise, found the Russian Empire in the early 18th century and play a major role in the Partitions of Poland in the latter half of

21777-449: The disadvantageous Treaty of Roskilde on 26 February 1658. Sweden had won its most prestigious victory, and Denmark had suffered its most costly defeat. Denmark was forced to yield the provinces of Scania , Halland , Blekinge and the island of Bornholm . Halland had already been under Swedish control since the signing of the Treaty of Brömsebro in 1645, but they now became Swedish territory indefinitely. Denmark also had to surrender

21960-445: The duchies. But the fortress of Fredriksodde ( Fredericia ) held Charles's smaller army at bay from mid-August to mid-October, while the fleet of Denmark–Norway, after two days' battle, compelled the Swedish fleet to abandon its projected attack on the Danish islands. The position of the Swedish king had now become critical. In July Denmark–Norway and Poland-Lithuania concluded an offensive and defensive alliance. Still more ominously for

22143-460: The entire city was razed to the ground, akin to the centuries-after Nazi occupation of the city during World War II . Kraków and Vilnius were also devastated, with their populations being reduced by over half. Additionally, the Polish Gross national product ( GNP or GNI) was reduced to 55% of its pre-war levels as a consequence of the Swedish invasion. One of the most notable effects of

22326-551: The estimates of Polish scholars I. Ihnatowicz, Z. Landau, A. Mączak and B. Zientara, the invasion by the Swedish army and its allies (Brandenburg-Prussia and Transilvania), resulted in the loss of 25% of the population in four core Polish provinces. Lesser Poland lost 23% of population, Mazovia 40% in villages and 70% in towns, Greater Poland 50% in villages and 60% in towns. Royal Prussia lost some 60% of its population. The Commonwealth's population losses are estimated at between 30% and 50% in 1648–1660. In January 2013 Marek Poznański,

22509-437: The forces of John Casimir. On March 30, the starving, cold and tired Swedish army of 5,000 stopped near Sandomierz , which was already in Polish hands. The Swedes camped among the forests of Sandomierz Forest near Gorzyce , where they were quickly surrounded by approximately 23,000 Poles and Lithuanians. To help the besieged army, on March 27 Frederick VI left Warsaw with 2,500 reiters and dragoons , so John Casimir ordered

22692-459: The frozen Gulf of Bothnia from Finland to mainland Sweden in March 1809 during the Finnish War . It is believed that the effect of this achievement on the Danish government found expression in the Treaty of Taastrup on 18 February, and in the Treaty of Roskilde (26 February 1658), whereby Denmark–Norway sacrificed a great part of her territory to save the rest. However, Charles X continued

22875-423: The frozen straits in the winter of 1657/58, he surprised the unprepared Frederick III on the Danish isles and forced him into surrender. In the Treaty of Roskilde , Denmark had to abandon all Danish provinces in what is now Southern Sweden. The anti-Swedish allies meanwhile neutralized the Transylvanian army and Polish forces ravaged Swedish Pomerania . In 1658 Charles X Gustav decided that instead of returning to

23058-576: The fulfillment of some provisions of the Treaty of Roskilde by postponing payments and not blocking foreign fleets from access to the Baltic Sea, and with half of the 2,000 Danish soldiers that were obliged by Roskilde to enter Swedish service deserting, the Swedish king embarked from Kiel with a force of 10,000 men on 16 August. While everyone expected him to head for Royal Prussia, he disembarked on Zealand on 17 August, and headed for Copenhagen , which

23241-512: The full sovereignty of East Prussia . Labiau involved an essential modification of Charles's Baltic policy; but the alliance with the elector of Brandenburg had now become indispensable for him on almost any terms. The difficulties of Charles X in Poland are believed to have caused him to receive the tidings of the Danish-Norwegian declaration of war on 1 June 1657 with extreme satisfaction. He had learnt from Torstensson that Denmark

23424-459: The garrison of Kamieniec Podolski fortress. Charles Gustav, after finding out about the return of the Polish king, ordered his armies to concentrate in Łowicz. On February 8, 1656, the Swedes defeated Czarniecki in the Battle of Gołąb , and continued their march towards Lwów, reaching the Zamość Fortress on February 25. On March 1, realizing that without heavy guns it was impossible to capture

23607-446: The healing of domestic discords and on the rallying of all the forces of the nation round his standard for a new policy of conquest. On the recommendation of his predecessor, he contracted a political marriage on 24 October 1654 with Hedwig Eleonora , the daughter of Frederick III, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp . He was hoping to secure a future ally against Denmark. The Riksdag which assembled at Stockholm in March 1655, duly considered

23790-464: The hostages, the Dutch resettled most of their abandoned territory and constructed several additional fortifications. Stuyvesant decreed that "like our neighbors of New England ," the New Netherland colonists must now "concentrate themselves... in the form of towns, villages and hamlets, so that they may be the more effectually protected" against future attacks. Notably, the Staten Island colony

23973-519: The levy of Mazovia surrendered after the Battle of Nowy Dwór . Meanwhile, Russian and Cossack forces had occupied the east of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth as far as Lublin , with only Lwow (Lviv, Lemberg) remaining under Polish–Lithuanian control. In late October, Charles X Gustav headed northwards and left Wittenberg in Kraków with a mobile force of 3,000 Swedish and 2,000 Polish troops, and an additional number scattered in garrisons, to control

24156-460: The main attack took place in the night of November 16–17, and on December 30 Toruń capitulated. Meanwhile, Stefan Czarniecki's division headed to Denmark–Norway , to help the Danes in the Dano-Swedish War . In October 1658, the Polish army of 4500 reached Hamburg , and in December 1658, with the help of Polish troops, the fortress of Kolding was captured (see Battle of Kolding ). On July 1, 1658,

24339-590: The middle of December 1657 began the great frost, which would prove so fatal to Denmark–Norway. In a few weeks the cold had grown so intense that the freezing of an arm of the sea with so rapid a current as the Small Belt became a conceivable possibility; and henceforth meteorological observations formed an essential part of the strategy of the Swedes. On 28 January 1658, Charles X arrived at Haderslev in South Jutland. His meteorologists estimated that in

24522-577: The mighty stronghold, the Swedish army gave up the siege, and headed towards Bełżec . On March 3, Charles Gustav, whose units were harassed by Polish guerilla forces, decided to retreat. At the same time, guerilla warfare also broke out in Mazovia and Greater Poland, and Lithuanian units under the Grand Hetman of Lithuania Paweł Jan Sapieha began moving towards Red Ruthenia. On March 11, the Swedish army arrived at Jarosław , fighting its way across

24705-455: The more circuitous route from Svendborg, by the islands of Langeland , Lolland and Falster , in preference to the direct route from Nyborg to Korsør, which would have had to cross a broad, almost uninterrupted expanse of ice. A council of war, which met at two o'clock in the morning to consider the practicability of Dahlberg's proposal, dismissed it as hazardous. Even the king wavered; but when Dahlberg persisted in his opinion, Charles overruled

24888-536: The mounted units of Czarnecki and Lubomirski to face the margrave. Frederick's army was defeated on April 7 in the Battle of Warka . At Gorzyce, however, second-quality Polish forces remained, and the Swedish king managed to break out (April 5), and on April 13, Charles Gustav reached Warsaw. Meanwhile, the Polish king made the Lwów Oath (April 1), in which he entrusted the Commonwealth to the Blessed Virgin Mary's protection, and declared her 'The Queen of

25071-422: The nation, and in several areas guerrilla units were created, outraged at the Swedes' attempt to seize the monastery. On December 7, 1655, the unit of Colonel Gabriel Wojniłłowicz defeated the Swedes and their Polish collaborators near Krosno . On December 13, Polish troops under Wojniłłowicz recaptured Nowy Sącz , and soon afterwards Sweden lost Biała , Dukla , Biecz , Wieliczka , and Oświęcim . By late 1655,

25254-403: The objections of the commanders. On the night of 5 February the transit began, the cavalry leading the way through the snow-covered ice, which quickly thawed beneath the horses' hoofs so that the infantry which followed after had to wade through half an ell (nearly 2 feet) of sludge, facing the risk that the ice would break beneath their feet. At three o'clock in the afternoon, with Dahlberg leading

25437-524: The opposition of the Privy Council headed by Axel Oxenstierna . In 1648 he gained the appointment of commander of the Swedish forces in Germany. The conclusion of the treaties of Westphalia in October 1648 prevented him from winning the military laurels he is said to have desired, but as the Swedish plenipotentiary at the executive congress of Nuremberg , he had an opportunity to learn diplomacy,

25620-452: The other hand resumed in 1658. Like Sweden, John II Casimir was also looking for allies to break the deadlock of the war. On 1 December 1656, he signed an alliance with Ferdinand III of Habsburg in Vienna , essentially a declaration of Ferdinand III's intend to mediate a peace rather than provide military aid, which did not come into effect until Ferdinand's death on 2 April 1657. The treaty

25803-407: The present day, and secured the Swedish dominium maris baltici . Russia, still engaged in the Russo-Polish War (1654–1667) , settled its dispute with Sweden in the Treaty of Cardis , which restored Russian-occupied Swedish territory to Sweden. Charles X Gustav of Sweden Charles X Gustav , also Carl X Gustav ( Swedish : Karl X Gustav ; 8 November 1622 – 13 February 1660),

25986-476: The primarily Protestant Swedes and the primarily Catholic Poles, resulting in cases of maltreatment and murder of Catholic clergy and monks as well as cases of looting of Catholic churches and monasteries, gave rise to some partisan movements in the Swedish-occupied territory. A guerilla force attacked a small Swedish garrison at Koscian in October 1655 and killed Frederick of Hesse , brother-in-law of

26169-471: The pursuit of Polish divisions engaged in guerrilla tactics in the snow-covered plains of Poland, penetrating as far south as Jarosław in Ruthenian Voivodeship (województwo ruskie), by which time he had lost two-thirds of his 15,000 men army with no apparent result. In the meantime, the Russians signed a cease-fire with the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth ( Truce of Vilna ) and then pursued

26352-512: The remaining Swedish strongholds in Poland–Lithuania, he would rather attack Denmark again. This time, Denmark withstood the attack and the anti-Swedish allies pursued Charles X Gustav to Jutland and Swedish Pomerania. Throughout 1659, Sweden was defending her strongholds in Denmark and on the southern Baltic shore, while little was gained by the allies and a peace was negotiated. When Charles X Gustav died in February 1660, his successor settled for

26535-566: The revenues of occupied territory , was conscious that a direct attack on her main adversary Russia could well result in a Dano-Polish–Russian alliance. Also, Sweden was prevented from forming a Swedish–Polish alliance by the refusal of John II Casimir to drop his claims to the Swedish crown and the unwillingness of the Polish–Lithuanian nobility to make the territorial and political concessions an alliance with Sweden would eventually cost, final negotiations in Lübeck during February 1655 ended without

26718-603: The richest provinces of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth ( Greater Poland , Lesser Poland , Mazovia , Pomerelia , Kujawy , Podlasie ), which for the most part had not been affected by major wars for 200 years. According to Professor Andrzej Rottermund, manager of the Royal Castle in Warsaw , the Swedish army robbed Poland of her most precious goods – thousands of works of art, books and valuables. Most of these items have never been returned to Poland, and are kept both in private Swedish hands and in Stockholm museums, such as

26901-604: The rising Cossack Hetmanate to its side that stood in strong opposition to the Polish government and promised military support if the Cossacks would break with the Russians. Bohdan Khmelnytsky sent an expedition headed by the Kiev colonel to Halychyna which soon turned back due to mutiny within its ranks. The leader of the Hetmanate did not participate in the actions due to poor health conditions. Sweden, at that time an expansionist empire with an army designed to be maintained by

27084-658: The river Dnieper ), with the Commonwealth retaining Right-bank Ukraine (right of the Dnieper). While initially the agreement stipulated that Russia would return Left-bank Ukraine to the Commonwealth in twenty years, the division became permanent with the Eternal Peace Treaty of 1686 . The Deluge brought to an end the era of religious tolerance in the Commonwealth: mostly non-Catholic invaders antagonized Catholic (including Uniate) population. The expulsion of

27267-420: The second Battle of Breitenfeld (1642) and at Jankowitz (1645). From 1646 to 1648 he frequented the Swedish court, supposedly as a prospective husband of his cousin the queen regnant, Christina of Sweden (1626–89, reigned 1632–54), but her insurmountable objection to wedlock put an end to these anticipations, and to compensate her cousin for a broken half-promise she declared him her successor in 1649, despite

27450-534: The siege laid on Greifswald by the Brandenburgian prince-elector, and major general Paul Wirtz , who from besieged Stettin managed to capture the Brandenburgian ammunition depot at Curau and took it to Stralsund . The Brandenburgians withdrew ravaging the countryside while retreating. In the occupied and annexed Danish provinces, guerilla movements pressed Swedish garrisons. After an uprising, Norwegians took Trondheim in late 1658. In Scania and Zealand ,

27633-540: The situation in southern Lesser Poland had deteriorated to such an extent for the invaders that on December 27 they decided to lift the siege of Jasna Góra. On December 16, 1655, in Sokal , Polish Crown hetmans urged the nation to fight the Swedish armies. Two days later, King John Casimir left the Głogówek in Silesia, and via Racibórz and Cieszyn , returned to Poland, arriving at Lubowla on December 27. Two days later,

27816-483: The south, immediately stabilizing the situation in southern Poland by conquering Kraków , while Denmark attacked Swedish Bremen-Verden and turned to Jämtland and Västergötland in July. When Charles X Gustav left the Commonwealth and headed westwards for an anti-Danish counterstrike, the Swedish–Brandenburgian–Transylvanian alliance broke apart. Rákóczi of Transylvania was unable to withstand

27999-412: The southern Baltic coast against allied assaults. A combined force of 17,000 Austrians and 13,000 Brandenburgers led by general Jean-Louis Raduit de Souches invaded Swedish Pomerania , took and burned Greifenhagen , took Wollin island and Damm , besieged Stettin and Greifswald without success, but took Demmin on 9 November. Counterattacks were mounted by general Müller von der Lühnen , who lifted

28182-625: The southern part of the Swedish-occupied commonwealth. In the north, the Royal Prussian nobles concluded a defensive alliance with the Electorate of Brandenburg on 12 November in the Treaty of Rinsk , permitting Brandenburgian garrisons. Danzig (Gdansk), Thorn (Torun) and Elbing (Elblag) had not participated in the treaty, with Thorn and Elbing surrendering to Sweden. In the Treaty of Königsberg on 17 January 1656, Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia, took

28365-529: The starving Swedish garrison at Brodnica surrendered. The siege of Malbork was continued, and Polish – Brandenburgian troops blocked Elbląg. In December 1659, the siege of Elbląg began. Meanwhile, in late 1658, the Polish–Russian truce ended when Russian forces under Ivan Andreyevich Khovansky (Tararui) and Jurij Aleksiejewicz Dołgorukow again attacked the Polish – Lithuanian units (see Russo-Polish War (1654–1667) ). The Russians managed to capture large parts of

28548-591: The time war was declared he had at his disposal 50,000 men and 50 warships. Hostilities had already begun with the occupation of Dünaburg in Polish Livonia by the Swedes on 1 July 1655. Then on 21 July 1655 Swedish army under Arvid Wittenberg crossed into Poland and proceeded towards the encampment of the Greater Poland Levy of the Nobility ( pospolite ruszenie ) encamped among the banks of

28731-399: The two great pressing national questions: war, and the restitution of the alienated crown lands. Over three days a secret committee presided over by the King decided the war question: Charles X easily persuaded the delegates that a war against Poland appeared necessary and might prove very advantageous; but the consideration of the question of the subsidies due to the crown for military purposes

28914-446: The unprotected Commonwealth , and by focusing on the northeast these drew close to the Swedish sphere of interest at the Baltic coast . Seeing the great success on the Russian side, Sweden also decided to intervene, among other reasons using the explanation that it was to protect the Protestant population in Poland. Having a close relationship with the Prince of Transylvania, Sweden had intentions to defeat Catholic Poland. Sweden also drew

29097-456: The valley of the Noteć river, near the town of Ujście , looked more like a large party, as the szlachta , gathered there to face the Swedish Army, was more interested in drinking. To make matters worse, two powerful magnates, the Voivode of Poznań Krzysztof Opaliński , and the Voivode of Kalisz , Andrzej Karol Grudziński, argued with each other whether to fight or to give up. Polish troops lacked gunpowder, cannons, and even food, which

29280-447: The war efforts against Denmark–Norway after a council held at Gottorp on 7 July, even though he was in defiance of international equity. Without warning, Denmark–Norway was attacked a second time. On 17 July he again landed on Zealand and besieged Copenhagen with its king Frederick III of Denmark and Norway , but the city managed to hold out long enough for the Dutch fleet under Lieutenant-Admiral Jacob van Wassenaer Obdam to relieve

29463-409: The war to the Holy Roman Empire fearing the start of a new Thirty Years' War . The harsh winter of 1657/58 had forced the Dano-Norwegian fleet to stay in port, and the Great and Little Belts separating the Danish isles from the mainland were frozen. After entering Jutland from the south, a Swedish army of 7,000 veterans undertook the March across the Belts ; on 9 February 1658, the Little Belt

29646-518: The way, the army reached Grimsted in Lolland without losing a man; on 8 February, Charles reached Falster. On 11 February he stood safely on the soil of Zealand . A Swedish medal struck to commemorate the transit of the Baltic Sea bear the inscription: Natura hoc debuit uni . Sweden had achieved a rare war exploit, in Sweden considered to be matched only by the crusade of the Livonian Order led by William of Modena to conquer Saaremaa (Osel) in January 1227 and afterwards when two Russian armies crossed

29829-593: The weakness of the Swedish efforts. The Dutch Republic withdrew its blockade but was soon convinced by Denmark to support them again. France and England intervened for Sweden and the situation again teetered on the edge of a major conflict. However, the Danish statesman Hannibal Sehested negotiated a peace treaty without any direct involvement by foreign powers. The conflict was resolved with the Treaty of Copenhagen (1660) . Sweden returned Bornholm and Trøndelag to Denmark. The treaty of 1660 established political borders between Denmark, Sweden and Norway which have lasted to

30012-450: The winter. Polish army commanders and King John Casimir, gathered in Poznań on November 26, decided to delay the attack on Swedish forces in Royal Prussia until spring 1658. On November 6, 1657, Poland and Brandenburg–Prussia signed the Treaty of Bromberg . Ducal Prussia , which had previously allied itself with Sweden and attacked Poland, changed sides and guaranteed military support of the Commonwealth, in return for sovereignty (it had been

30195-447: Was King of Sweden from 1654 until his death. He was the son of John Casimir , Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Kleeburg and Catherine of Sweden . After his father's death he also succeeded him as Pfalzgraf . He was married to Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp , who bore his son and successor, Charles XI . Charles X Gustav was the second Wittelsbach king of Sweden after the childless king Christopher of Bavaria (1441–1448) and he

30378-413: Was at war with the Commonwealth (a ceasefire agreement existed from 1629 and was prolonged from 1635 to 1661), invaded in July 1655 and occupied the remaining half of the country. Following the Thirty Years' War , the Swedish Empire emerged as one of the strongest kingdoms on the continent. It had a large army but little money to pay its soldiers. The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, weakened by wars with

30561-424: Was captured after a siege , on October 13, 1655. With the three most populated and best developed Polish provinces in his hands (Greater Poland, Lesser Poland and Mazovia ), Charles Gustav decided to head back northwards to Royal Prussia , which was defended by the Voivode of Malbork , Jakub Wejher . The Swedes, who were generally superior in training, discipline, and equipment, advanced rapidly. Meanwhile, in

30744-402: Was crossed and the island Funen (Fyn) captured within a few days, and soon thereafter Langeland , Lolland and Falster . On 25 February, the Swedish army continued across the Great Belt to Zealand where the Danish capital Copenhagen is located. Although only 5,000 men made it across the belts, the Swedish attack was completely unexpected; Frederick III was compelled to surrender and signed

30927-425: Was defended by 10,650 Danes and 2,000 Dutch. This time however, the town did not surrender, and a long siege ensued. When Swedish forces took Kronborg in September, they controlled both sides of the Øresund , yet in November a Dutch fleet broke the Swedish naval blockade of Copenhagen in the Battle of the Sound . Meanwhile, the anti-Swedish alliance had deployed an army to Denmark, to confront Charles X Gustav with

31110-407: Was defended by 2400 soldiers under Barthod Hartwig von Bülow. The Polish troops included the divisions of Krzysztof Grodzicki , Jan Sapieha and Stefan Czarniecki. Furthermore, they were provided support by the Brandenburgian-Prussian army of Bogusław Radziwiłł , which after the Treaty of Bromberg changed sides. Altogether, almost 25,000 soldiers besieged Toruń. After a prolonged artillery bombardment,

31293-429: Was gone and the Treaty of Oliva was signed on 23 April. Sweden was accepted as sovereign in Swedish Livonia , Brandenburg was accepted as sovereign in Ducal Prussia , and John II Casimir withdrew his claims to the Swedish throne, though he was to retain the title for life. All occupied territories were restored to their pre-war sovereigns. However, Denmark was not keen on peace after its recent successes and witnessing

31476-402: Was however renewed and amended on 27 May by Ferdinand's successor Leopold I of Habsburg , who agreed in Vienna to provide John II Casimir with 12,000 troops maintained at Polish expense; in return, Leopold received Kraków and Posen in pawn. Receiving the news, Frederick III of Denmark promptly declared war on Sweden, and by June the Austrian army entered the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from

31659-446: 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. Sweden had pledged to uphold freedom of trade in the Baltic. The evaluation of the outcome of the Deluge is disputed. Historians like Michael Fredholm von Essen state that

31842-410: Was made up of renowned professors Eugeniusz Barwiński, Ludwik Birkenmajer and Jan Łoś. In Stockholm and Uppsala they found 205 manuscripts and 168 rare Polish books, describing their foundings in a report. In 2002, the Warsaw Royal Castle organized an exhibition, "Eagle and Three Crowns", which presented many items stolen from Poland, and kept in Swedish museums. After the Deluge, the Commonwealth became

32025-465: Was most vulnerable if attacked from the south, and he attacked Denmark with a velocity which paralysed resistance. At the end of June 1657, at the head of 8,000 seasoned veterans, he broke up from Bromberg ( Bydgoszcz ) south of Pomerania and reached the borders of Holstein on 18 July. The Danish army dispersed and the Swedes recovered the duchy of Bremen . In the early autumn Charles's troops swarmed over Jutland and firmly established themselves in

32208-423: Was not reoccupied for several years. Its patroon was Cornelis Melyn , former chairman of the Council of Eight Men and a political rival of Stuyvesant; he had been imprisoned without trial earlier in the year. Melyn and his family defected to English New Haven soon after his release. Charles X Gustav fell ill in early 1660 and died on 23 February of that year. With his death, one of the major obstacles to peace

32391-412: Was ordered by Charles X Gustav to abandon Rákóczi and head with his army to Stettin . To save his skin, the ruler of Transylvania began a quick retreat southwards, towards the Carpathians. On July 11, Stefan Czarniecki's division defeated Rákóczi at Magierów near Lwów, and on July 20, the Transylvanian-Cossack army was destroyed in the Battle of Czarny Ostrów in Podolia . Three days later, Rákóczi signed

32574-530: Was organised in Lübeck to mediate peace talks between Sweden and Poland-Lithuania. On the other hand, the Commonwealth, under king John II Casimir Vasa since 1648, experienced a crisis resulting both from the Cossack Khmelnytsky Uprising in the southeast and from the paralysis of the administration due to the internal quarrels of the nobility, including feuds between the king and the Lithuanian hetman Janusz Radziwiłł and feuds among disagreeing sejmiks who had been able to stall each other's ambitions with

32757-420: Was postponed to the following Riksdag. In 1659 he proclaimed severe punishment for anyone hunting in the royal game reserve in Ottenby , Öland , Sweden, where he had built a long dry-stone wall separating the southern tip of the island. On 10 July 1655, Charles X left Sweden to engage in a war against the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth , in what became the Second (or Little) Northern War (1655–1660). By

32940-400: Was stolen at local villages by hungry soldiers. After an easy Swedish victory at the Battle of Ujście , Krzysztof Opaliński surrendered Greater Poland to Charles Gustav . On July 31, 1655, the army commanded by Arvid Wittenberg captured Poznań , and on August 20 near Konin , the armies of Wittenberg and Charles Gustav joined forces, and headed for Warsaw. On September 2, the Poles lost

33123-429: Was the first king of the Swedish Caroline era , which had its peak during the end of the reign of his son, Charles XI . He led Sweden during the Second Northern War , enlarging the Swedish Empire. By his predecessor Christina , he was considered de facto Duke of Eyland (Öland), before ascending to the Swedish throne. From 1655 to 1657, he was also Grand Duke of Lithuania . His numbering as Charles X derives from

33306-407: Was too busy looting Lesser Poland , only 5,000 soldiers reached Kraków, which by the Treaty of Radnot, was to be ruled by Transylvania. After leaving 2,500 soldiers to help the Swedish garrison of Kraków, Rákóczi's army headed northwards, along the Vistula . On April 12, 1657, the Transylvanian-Cossack army met with Swedish forces under Charles X Gustav, at Ćmielów . The joined forces began to follow

33489-408: Was urged by France to settle. France was unwilling to intervene militarily, and Sweden could not afford to violate the Peace of Westphalia by attacking the Habsburg and Brandenburgian possessions in the Holy Roman Empire , which would likely have driven several Germans into the anti-Swedish alliance. Thus, Charles X Gustav opted to instead attack Denmark again. When the Danes stalled and prolonged

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