Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
Poland, 1569–1795. Draft, not yet reviewed
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, also referred to as Poland–Lithuania or the First Polish Republic, was a federative real union between the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, existing from 1569 to 1795. The Union of Lublin established the Commonwealth as a single entity on 1 July 1569. As he remained childless, his death in 1572 marked the end of the Jagiellonian dynasty. The Commonwealth's parliamentary system of government and elective monarchy, called the Golden Liberty, was an early example of constitutional monarchy.
Seat of power: Warsaw
Rulers
Sigismund II Augustus
King of Poland, 1530–1572
He established the first regular Polish navy and the first regular postal service in Poland, known today as Poczta Polska. Sigismund Augustus' rule is widely considered the apex of the Polish Golden Age.
Portrait of Sigismund II Augustus: Lucas Cranach the Younger, Public domain, file
Henry III of France
King of Poland, 1573–1574
During his brief rule, he refused to sign the Henrician Articles into law, which would recognise the szlachta's right to freely elect their monarch. Aged 22, Henry abandoned Poland–Lithuania upon inheriting the French throne when his brother, Charles IX of France, died without issue.
Portrait of Henry III of France: Attributed to Étienne Dumonstier, Public domain, file
Anna Jagiellon
King of Poland, 1575–1596
While Báthory was preoccupied with the Livonian War, Anna spent her time on local administrative matters and several construction projects, including the city wall Stara Prochownia to protect Sigismund Augustus Bridge. After her husband's death, Anna had the opportunity to remain on the throne as the sole ruler, but instead promoted her nephew Sigismund III Vasa.
Portrait of Anna Jagiellon: Martin Kober, Public domain, file
Stephen Báthory
King of Poland, 1576–1586
He worked closely with the chancellor Jan Zamoyski. His signal achievement was his victorious campaign in Livonia against Russia in the middle part of his reign, in which he repulsed a Russian invasion of the Commonwealth borderlands and secured a highly favorable treaty of peace.
Portrait of Stephen Báthory: After Martin Kober, Public domain, file
_01.jpg){kind=link}
Sigismund III Vasa
King of Poland, 1587–1632
Zealously religious, he imposed Catholicism across the vast realm, and his crusades against neighbouring states marked Poland's largest territorial expansion. A deeply polarising ruler, he presided over the end of the Golden Age of prosperity and achievement, further distinguished by the transfer of the country's capital from Kraków to Warsaw.
Portrait of Sigismund III Vasa: Pieter Soutman, Public domain, file
Władysław IV Vasa
King of Poland, 1632–1648
He supported religious tolerance and carried out military reforms, such as the founding of the Commonwealth Navy. He was largely successful in defending the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth against foreign invasion, most notably in the Smolensk War of 1632–1634 in which he participated personally.
Portrait of Władysław IV Vasa: Peter Paul Rubens, Public domain, file
John II Casimir Vasa
King of Poland, 1648–1668
His reign commenced amid the confusion and disasters caused by the great revolt of the Cossacks under Bohdan Khmelnytsky in Ukraine, who had advanced into the very heart of Poland. The power of the king had been stripped of almost all its prerogatives by the growing influence of the nobles.
Portrait of John II Casimir Vasa: Daniel Schultz, Public domain, file
Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki
King of Poland, 1669–1673
Michał was chosen partly because of the merit of his father, Prince Jeremi Wiśniowiecki, a powerful border magnate who had helped suppress the rebellious Cossacks during the Khmelnytsky Uprising.
Portrait of Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki: Daniel Schultz, Public domain, file
John III Sobieski
King of Poland, 1674–1696
Sobieski's 22-year reign marked a period of the Commonwealth's stabilization, much needed after the turmoil of previous conflicts. Popular among his subjects, he was an able military leader, most famously for his victory over the Ottoman Empire at the Battle of Vienna in 1683.
Portrait of John III Sobieski: Attributed to Daniel Schultz / Possibly Andreas Stech, Public domain, file
Augustus II the Strong
King of Poland, 1697–1706
In order to be elected king of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Augustus converted to Catholicism. As a Catholic, he received the Order of the Golden Fleece from the Holy Roman Emperor and established the Order of the White Eagle, Poland's highest distinction.
Portrait of Augustus II the Strong: Louis de Silvestre, Public domain, file
Stanisław Leszczyński
King of Poland, 1704–1709
Sweden had supported Stanisław Leszczyński for the throne, and after defeating a combined army of Saxon and Polish-Lithuanian forces, deposed Augustus II the Strong and installed Leszczyński as Stanisław in 1704.
Portrait of Stanisław Leszczyński: Jean Girardet, Public domain, file
Augustus II the Strong
King of Poland, 1709–1733
As elector of Saxony, he is perhaps best remembered as a patron of the arts and architecture. Augustus also amassed an impressive art collection and built lavish baroque palaces in Dresden and Warsaw.
Portrait of Augustus II the Strong: Louis de Silvestre, Public domain, file
Augustus III of Poland
Grand Duke of Lithuania, 1733–1763
He was elected king of Poland by a small minority on 5 October 1733. In Poland, his rule was marked by the increasing influence of the Czartoryski and Poniatowski families, and by the intervention of Catherine the Great in Polish affairs.
Portrait of Augustus III of Poland: Louis de Silvestre, Public domain, file
_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg){kind=link}
Stanisław Leszczyński
King of Poland, 1733–1736
Stanisław I Leszczyński was twice King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania.
Portrait of Stanisław Leszczyński: Jean Girardet, Public domain, file
Stanisław August Poniatowski
King of Poland, 1764–1795
Contrary to expectations, Poniatowski attempted to reform and strengthen the large but ailing Commonwealth. His efforts were met with external opposition from neighbouring Prussia, Russia and Austria, all committed to keeping the Commonwealth weak.
Portrait of Stanisław August Poniatowski: Marcello Bacciarelli, Public domain, file
Culture
- The country also exhibited unusual levels of ethnic diversity and great religious tolerance by European standards, guaranteed by the Warsaw Confederation Act of 1573, though the practical degree of religious freedom varied.
- It was the first codified, modern constitution (possessing checks and balances and a tripartite separation of powers) in Europe and the second in the world, after that of the United States.
- The Constitution sought to implement a more effective constitutional monarchy, introduced political equality between townspeople and nobility, and placed the peasants under the government's protection. It banned pernicious parliamentary institutions such as the liberum veto, which had put the Sejm at the mercy of any single deputy.
- The 1791 Constitution was in force for less than 19 months.
Picture
The Constitution of 3 May 1791 was a written constitution for the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth that was adopted by the Great Sejm.
Image: Ignacy Potocki (1750–1809), Hugo Kołłątaj (1750–1812), Stanisław August Poniatowski (1732–1798), Public domain, file
Sources
- Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (Wikipedia)
- Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (Wikidata)
- About the picture (Wikipedia)
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.