This article is about the specific polity Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and therefore only includes events related to its territory and not to its possessions or colonies. If you are interested in the possession, this is the link to the article about the nation which includes all possessions as well as all the different incarnations of the nation.
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With the Union of Lublin (1569) Poland and Lithuania, that were already united since 1385 through a dynastic relationship, were merged into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
Summary
The personal union between the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was formalized in 1569 with the creation of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. This new state stretched from the Baltic to the Black Sea and was a major power in Eastern Europe. The Commonwealth was an elective monarchy, with the nobility playing a significant role in governance. Cultural and religious diversity flourished, but weaknesses in the political system led to a gradual decline in the 17th century. The 17th and 18th centuries saw the steady weakening of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Foreign powers, especially Russia, interfered in domestic affairs and partitioned the country three times between 1772 and 1795, completely erasing it from the map of Europe. The Commonwealth's demise was hastened by internal political dysfunction, economic problems, and the rise of powerful neighbors.
Establishment
July 1569: The Union of Lublin was signed on 1 July 1569 in Lublin, Poland, and created a single state, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. It replaced the personal union of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Chronology
Interactive Chronologies with maps are available in the section Changes Navigation
Expansion during the rule of Selim II in the Ottoman Empire.
January 1573: Hotin conquered by turkey.
Expansion during the rule of Murad III in the Ottoman Empire.
January 1576: Crimean Tatar raid in Central Europe and Russia in 1576.
The Crimean Tatars repeatedly undertook campaigns to Central Europe and Russia in the XVI and XVII centuries.
February 1576: Crimean Tatar raid in Central Europe and Russia in 1576. After the raid the Tatars left these territories.
January 1577: Crimean Tatar raid in Central Europe and Russia in 1577.
February 1577: Crimean Tatar raid in Central Europe and Russia in 1577. After the raid the Tatars left these territories.
January 1580: Crimean Tatar raid in Central Europe and Russia in 1580.
February 1580: Crimean Tatar raid in Central Europe and Russia in 1580. After the raid the Tatars left these territories.
January 1590: Crimean Tatar raid in Central Europe and Russia in 1590.
February 1590: Crimean Tatar raid in Central Europe and Russia in 1590. After the raid the Tatars left these territories.
January 1594: Crimean Tatar raid in Central Europe and Russia in 1594.
February 1594: Crimean Tatar raid in Central Europe and Russia in 1594. After the raid the Tatars left these territories.
January 1617: Crimean Tatar raid in Central Europe and Russia in 1617.
February 1617: Crimean Tatar raid in Central Europe and Russia in 1617. After the raid the Tatars left these territories.
January 1641: Crimean Tatar raid in Central Europe and Russia in 1641. After the raid the Tatars left these territories.
January 1641: Crimean Tatar raid in Central Europe and Russia in 1641.
February 1641: Crimean Tatar raid in Central Europe and Russia in 1641. After the raid the Tatars left these territories.
February 1641: Crimean Tatar raid in Central Europe and Russia in 1641.
January 1667: Crimean Tatar raid in Central Europe and Russia in 1667. After the raid the Tatars left these territories.
January 1667: Crimean Tatar raid in Central Europe and Russia in 1667.
February 1667: Crimean Tatar raid in Central Europe and Russia in 1667.
February 1667: Crimean Tatar raid in Central Europe and Russia in 1667. After the raid the Tatars left these territories.
January 1668: Crimean Tatar raid in Central Europe and Russia in 1668.
January 1668: Crimean Tatar raid in Central Europe and Russia in 1668. After the raid the Tatars left these territories.
February 1668: Crimean Tatar raid in Central Europe and Russia in 1668.
February 1668: Crimean Tatar raid in Central Europe and Russia in 1668. After the raid the Tatars left these territories.
January 1682: Crimean Tatar raid in Central Europe and Russia in 1682.
February 1682: Crimean Tatar raid in Central Europe and Russia in 1682. After the raid the Tatars left these territories.
January 1689: Crimean Tatar raid in Central Europe and Russia in 1689.
February 1689: Crimean Tatar raid in Central Europe and Russia in 1689. After the raid the Tatars left these territories.
A series of wars fought in northern and northeastern Europe from the 16th to the 18th century.
4.1.Livonian War
Was a war fought over the control of Old Livonia. The Tsardom of Russia faced a varying coalition of the Dano-Norwegian Realm, the Kingdom of Sweden, and the Union (later Commonwealth) of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland. Old Livonia was finally partitioned between Sweden, Poland-Lithuania and Denmark-Norway.
4.1.1.Polish and Swedish counterattack (Livonian War)
Were the military operations of Sweden and Poland-Lithuania against the Russian invasion.
August 1579: Polish-Lithuanian troops advanced on Polotsk. The siege began 11 August, and the city surrendered on the 29th of that month.
October 1579: The Polish army also captured all 8 Russian castles in Polotsk - Rossony region (Sokol, Nescherda, Susha, Krasnae, Turovlia, Sitna, Kaz'jany, Usviaty).
September 1580: The forces of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth besieged Velikiye Luki on 29 August and took it on 5 September.
September 1580: A cavalry battle took place on 20 September near Toropets (battle of Toropets) and ended in another Polish victory.
October 1580: Polish forces captured Velizh and Nevel.
4.1.1.1.Treaty of Yam-Zapolsky
The Truce or Treaty of Yam-Zapolsky (Ям-Запольский) or Jam Zapolski, signed on 15 January 1582 between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Tsardom of Russia, was one of the treaties that ended the Livonian War.
January 1582: The Truce or Treaty of Yam-Zapolsky, signed on 15 January 1582 between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Tsardom of Russia, was one of the treaties that ended the Livonian War. In the terms of the treaty, Russia renounced its claims to Livonia and Polotsk but conceded no core Russian territories as Batory and returned the territories his armies had been occupying.
4.2.Russo-Polish War (1654-1667)
Was a major conflict between the Tsardom of Russia and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth that ended with significant Russian territorial gains.
July 1654: V.B. Sheremetev set out from Pskov and seized the Lithuanian cities of Nevel.
July 1654: In 1654, Ukrainian hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky's forces captured Homel from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
July 1654: In 1654, during the Russo-Polish War, Prince Trubetskoy led Russian forces to capture the territories of Mstislavl and Roslavl.
July 1654: Polotsk conquered by russia.
August 1654: In July 1654, during the Russo-Polish War (1654-1667), the Russian army under the command of Tsar Alexei I captured the border forts of Bely and Dorogobuzh, solidifying Russian military occupation in the region.
August 1654: In 1654, Russian military leader Ivan Cherkassky captured the city of Orsha during the Battle of Shklov. .
September 1654: The Russian forces, led by Tsar Alexei I, successfully captured Smolensk on September 23, 1654, marking a significant victory in the conflict.
November 1654: Vitebsk conquered by russia.
December 1654: The combined forces of Khmelnitsky and the Russian Boyar Buturlin struck against Volynia. Despite many disagreements between the commanders, they took hold of Ostroh and Rivne by the end of the year.
January 1655: In 1654, Tsar's troops led by Alexei I of Russia invaded and occupied Ludza and Rezekne in Polish Livonia.
June 1655: A Polish army (allied with the Tatars) crushed a Russian-Ukrainian contingent at Zhashkov.
June 1655: In the winter and spring of 1655, Prince Radziwill launched a counter-offensive in Belarus, recapturing Orsha.
June 1655: In 1655, Prince Vasily Sheremetev, a Russian military leader, captured the town of Velizh during the Russo-Polish War.
July 1655: In 1655, Lithuanian forces, led by Janusz Radziwiłł, surrendered Minsk to the Cossacks and Ivan Cherkassky during the Russo-Polish War.
July 1655: Vilnius, the capital of the Great Duchy of Lithuania, was taken by the Russians.
September 1655: Russian conquest of Kaunas and Hrodno.
October 1655: Russian and Cossack forces had occupied the east of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth as far as Lublin, with only Lwow remaining under Polish-Lithuanian control.
January 1656: In 1655, Prince Volkonsky, a Russian military leader, sailed from Kiev up the Dnieper and Pripyat rivers. He defeated the Lithuanians and captured Pinsk, which was then under Russian military occupation.
January 1656: Trubetskoy's unit overran Slonim and Kletsk.
January 1664: Towards the end of 1663, the Polish-Lithuanian King crossed the Dnieper and invaded Left-bank Ukraine.
February 1664: The Poles loose Left-Bank Ukraine.
4.2.1.Truce of Andrusovo
The Truce of Andrusovo established a thirteen-and-a-half year truce, signed in 1667 between the Tsardom of Russia and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, which had fought the Russo-Polish War since 1654 over the territories of modern-day Ukraine and Belarus.
January 1667: The peace negotiations were between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Tsardom of Russia. The Treaty of Andrusovo was signed by Polish King John II Casimir and Russian Tsar Alexis I, ending the Russo-Polish War of 1654-1667. The treaty resulted in Russia gaining control of Smolensk and Left-Bank Ukraine.
January 1667: During the 1667 truce of Andrusovo, the region of Zaporizhzhia fell under condominium of both the Tsardom of Muscovy and the Kingdom of Poland.
January 1667: In 1667, the Russo-Polish war ended with the Treaty of Andrusovo, which split the Cossack Hetmanate along the Dnieper River: Left-bank Ukraine enjoyed a degree of autonomy within the Tsardom of Russia, while Right-bank Ukraine remained part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
January 1667: The peace negotiations in 1664-1667 involved the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Tsardom of Russia. The Treaty of Andrusovo was signed by Polish King John II Casimir and Russian Tsar Alexis I, ending the Russo-Polish War. The treaty divided the territories of Smolensk and Left-Bank Ukraine between the two powers.
January 1667: The peace negotiations in 1664-1667 involved the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia, led by Duke Jacob Kettler, and Left-Bank Ukraine, led by Hetman Ivan Briukhovetsky. The Treaty of Andrusovo ended the conflict and transferred Smolensk and Left-Bank Ukraine to Courland and Semigallia.
4.3.Second Northern War
Was a war between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Sweden (along with their respective allies) over the hegemony in the Baltic Sea.
July 1655: Sweden seized Dünaburg.
July 1655: The nobles of Greater Poland surrendered to Wittenberg on 25 July in Ujście. Wittenberg established a garrison in Poznań.
August 1655: The Treaty of Kėdainiai placed Lithuania under Swedish protection, marking a significant shift in power dynamics in the region.
September 1655: On 8 September Charles X Gustav of Sweden occupied Warsaw.
October 1655: Kraków surrendered to Charles X Gustav of Sweden.
October 1655: The levy of Mazovia, led by Polish nobleman Stefan Czarniecki, surrendered to the Swedish forces after the Battle of Nowy Dwór in 1655.
June 1656: In May 1656, Alexis of Russia declared war on Sweden. He invaded Livonia with 35,000 men and took Dünaburg.
October 1656: On 4 October, John II Casimir stormed Łęczyca.
October 1656: John II Casimir took Bromberg and Konitz in Royal Prussia.
March 1657: The Swedes stayed in Danzig until February 1657.
June 1657: The Swedish army by Charles X Gustav captured Brest in May 1657.
September 1657: Charles X Gustav of Sweden left the Commonwealth and headed westwards for an anti-Danish counterstrike. The Swedish-Brandenburgian-Transylvanian alliance broke apart.
November 1657: Ermland returned to Poland.
4.4.Great Northern War
Was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe.
4.4.1.Phase 1: Swedish Dominance
Was the first phase of the Great Northern War, characterized by Swedish victories.
4.4.1.1.War against Augustus II
Was a military campaign initiated by Sweden during the Great Northern war. The goal of the campaign was the overthrow of Augustus II the Strong, who was at the same the Elector fo Saxony and the King of Poland-Lithuania.
May 1702: Charles XII of Sweden and his army marched against Warsaw, which surrendered without a fight on May 14, 1702.
July 1702: Battle of Klissow.
July 1702: Charles XII of Sweden occupied Kraków on July 31, 1702. Sweden now controlled the residence city of Warsaw and the coronation city of Kraków.
May 1703: Battle of Pultusk (1703).
May 1703: Siege of Thorn (1703).
October 1703: The Swedes under King Charles XII. conquered the fortress of Thorn after a month-long siege.
January 1704: The city of Posen was conquered by the Swedes in 1703.
September 1704: Swedish storming of Lviv.
October 1704: In 1704, during the Great Northern War, Western Prussia was occupied by Sweden under the leadership of King Charles XII. The successful military occupation of the territory led to other cities in the region submitting to the Swedish king out of fear and admiration for his military prowess.
October 1704: The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth captured Warsaw (1704).
November 1704: Battle of Tillendorf.
December 1704: In 1704, during the Great Northern War, Tsar Peter the Great of Russia led a large army into Belarus, capturing key cities like Vilnius, Minsk, and Grodno. This military occupation marked a significant expansion of Russian influence in the region.
October 1705: As a result of the Battle of Rakowitz, Stanislaus Leszczyński was crowned the new Polish king on October 4, 1705 in Warsaw. […] Only Greater Poland, West Prussia, Mazovia and Lesser Poland submitted to him, while Lithuania and Volhynia continued to support Augustus II and Peter I.
November 1705: Since Count Ogiński was unsuccessful in his continued struggle on August II's side, the Swedish party finally gained the upper hand in Lithuania.
March 1706: Battle in Nyasvizh.
March 1706: Siege of Lyakavichy.
April 1706: Battle of Klezk.
May 1706: Siege of Lyakavichy.
September 1706: Having pursued Augustus of Saxony in his homeland, the Swedish King forced Augustus to sign the Altranstadt Peace Treaty on 24 september 1706. The Elector of Saxony renounced the Polish crown "forever" and dissolved the alliance with Russia.
4.4.1.2.Russian Campaign of Charles XII
Was the Swedish invasion of the Tsardom of Russia during the first phase of the Great Northern War.
July 1708: Battle of Golovchin.
July 1708: In 1708, during the Great Northern War, King Charles XII of Sweden halted the advance of the Swedish main army at Mogilev, awaiting General Lewenhaupt's reinforcements and supply trains from Livonia. This strategic decision was crucial for the Swedish military occupation of Mogilev.
August 1708: On August 21, the Swedes occupied Chemikow on the Sosh River.
September 1708: Battle of Molyatichi.
September 1708: Finally, King Charles XII of Sweden decided to call off the march on Moscow. When he left Tatarsk in mid-September 1708, it marked the end of Sweden's military occupation of the territory.
4.4.2.Phase 2: Sweden Defending itself
Was the second phase of the Great Northern War. It consisted in the counterattack of all the countries that Sweden had invaded during the first phase of the war.
August 1709: After the Russian army invaded Poland and Peter I negotiated with his former ally, the Elector of Saxony canceled the Peace of Altranstädt with Sweden in August. On August 20, 1709, Saxon troops invaded Poland again. The weak Swedish troops under the command of General Krassow retreated with 9000 men to Stettin and Stralsund in Swedish Pomerania. The Polish king Stanislaus I Leszczynski, who was enthroned by the Swedes, fled to Stockholm via Stettin and Kristianstad.
August 1709: The Russian invasion of Poland and its victory at Poltava, revived the anti-Swedish alliance which came to include Saxony, Denmark, Prussia, Russia and Hanover. On August 20, 1709, Saxon troops invaded Poland again. The weak Swedish troops under the command of General Krassow retreated with 9000 men to Stettin and Stralsund in Swedish Pomerania. The Polish king Stanislaus I Leszczynski, who was enthroned by the Swedes, fled to Stockholm via Stettin and Kristianstad.
4.4.3.Peace Treaties of the Great Northern War
Were the peace treaties that ended the Great Northern War.
4.4.3.1.Peace of Nystad
Was a treaty that ended the Great Northern War between the Tsardom of Russia and the Swedish Empire.
September 1721: In the Nystad Peace Treaty (1721), Sweden ceded the areas of Ingria, Livonia, Estonia, the islands of Ösel and Dagö, and South Karelia to Russia.
September 1721: In 1721, Russia evacuated the military occupied territories in Livonia and Estonia at the end of the Great Northern War. The territories were returned to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth under the Treaty of Nystad, signed by Russian Tsar Peter the Great and Swedish King Frederick I.
Was a war that took place from 1587 to 1588 over the election of the successor to the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania Stephen Báthory.
October 1587: Lubowla is acquired by the Habsburg (Military Occupation).
October 1587: Habsburg attempt to storm Kraków.
January 1588: The Habsburg troops leave the are of Kraków.
January 1588: Battle of Byczyna.
Was a war between Sweden and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth mainly over the control of Livonia and Estonia.
6.1.Polish Counterattack (Polish-Swedish War of 1600-1611)
Was the Polish counterattack against the Swedish invasion in the Polish-Swedish War (1600-1611).
August 1608: The Swedish army captured Daugavgrīva.
October 1609: Battle of Daugavgrīva.
Was a War between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Kingdom of Sweden caused by disputes over the Duchies of Livonia and Estonia.
June 1617: On June 19, 1617, four months after the Treaty of Stolbovo, Swedish naval squadron of four ships entered the Gulf of Riga and anchored at Dyjament/Dunamunde. The fortress was defended by weak Polish-Lithuanian forces under starosta of Rūjiena, Wolmar Farensbach, who capitulated after a two-day siege and joined the invaders.
October 1618: Military operations by Polish-Lithuanian forces led by Radziwill resulted in the recapture of almost all towns and strongholds occupied by Sweden, except for Pärnu.
Was a period of political crisis during the Tsardom of Russia which began in 1598 with the death of Fyodor I, the last of the Rurik dynasty, and ended in 1613 with the accession of Michael I of the House of Romanov.
8.1.Polish-Muscovite War (1605-1618)
Was a conflict fought between the Tsardom of Russia and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth together with Zaporozhian Cossacks.
8.1.1.Truce of Deulino
Was the treaty that ended the Polish-Muscovite War (1609-1618) with notable Polish territorial gains.
January 1619: With the Truce of Deulino at the end of the Polish-Muscovite War (1605-1618), Russia ceded various territories to Poland-Lithuania. The Commonwealth gained control over the Smolensk and Chernihiv Voivodeships.
Was a war in a long-running series of conflicts between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Swedish Empire. It began with a Swedish invasion of the Polish-Lithuanian fiefdom Livonia.
September 1621: Riga capitulated to Swedish forces on September 25.
October 1621: The Swedes captured the fortress of Dunamunde.
September 1625: The Swedish forces, led by King Gustavus Adolphus, invaded the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1625. Biržai was captured on September 7th.
Was a war between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Sweden.
April 1627: Hetman Koniecpolski recaptured the town of Puck.
May 1627: The area west of the Vistula was completely free of Swedish troops.
July 1627: Koniecpolski forced the Swedish garrison in Gniew to surrender.
September 1628: Gustaw Adolf led a military occupation of Brodnica, a town in Poland. This move was part of Sweden's involvement in the Thirty Years' War, a conflict that engulfed much of Europe at the time.
January 1629: Swedish forces captured the towns of Nowy and Brodnica.
February 1629: The Polish forces were badly defeated at the Battle of Górzno, where a Swedish force under Field Marshal Herman Wrangel encountered a Polish army under Stanisław Potocki.
10.1.Invasion of Polish Prussia
Swedish invasion of Prussia during the Polish-Swedish War (1626-1629).
July 1626: The cities of Frombork and Elbląg were occupied by Swedish forces.
July 1626: Orneta conquered by sweden.
July 1626: Malbork, a fortress in Poland, was taken by Swedish forces on July 18, 1626 after only two days of siege.
September 1626: The head fortress of Wisła Elbląska and Leniwka was seized by the Swedes under the command of King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden.
January 1627: Swedish forces led by King Gustavus Adolphus captured the towns of Oliwa and Puck in Poland.
January 1627: King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden led his troops across the Vistula River and captured the towns of Tczew, Gniew, and Starogard (in Poland).
10.2.Truce of Altmark
Was the treaty that ended the Polish-Swedish War (1626-1629).
September 1629: After the Truce of Altmark, Sweden returned all the regions it had occupied in Prussia.
September 1629: In 1629, during the Thirty Years' War, the Coastal Stripe of Prussia was ceded to the Kingdom of Sweden. This territory included the cities of Elbing, Memel, Fischhausen, Braunsberg, and Frauenburg.
September 1629: The Commonwealth retained southeastern parts of the Wenden Voivodeship, renamed to Inflanty Voivodeship.
10.3.Treaty of Stuhmsdorf
Was a treaty where Sweden returned territories of Brandenburg-Prussia and Poland-Lithuania that were invaded in the previous years.
September 1635: The Swedes had to return to the commonwealth the territories they occupied in Baltic Prussia: ports of Elbing, Memel and Pillau, the latter two returning to George William, Elector of Brandenburg and withdraw their garrisons from them
Were a series of wars in Europe (and the overseas possessions of European countries) the 16th, 17th and early 18th that started after the Protestant Reformation. Although the immediate causes of the wars were religious, the motives were complex and also included territorial ambitions.
11.1.Thirty Years' War
Was a war that took place mainly in central Europe between 1618 and 1648. The war began as a religious conflict between Catholics and Protestant in the Holy Roman Empire but then escalated into a conflict for the hegemony in Europe between Habsburg Spain and Austria, Sweden and France.
11.1.1.Swedish Period
Was the third main period of the Thirty Years' War. It started with the intervention of the Kingdom of Sweden.
May 1631: After the Swedish occupation of Frankfurt an der Oder in April 1631, Pomerania, Mecklenburg, Brandenburg and Saxony signed alliance treaties with Sweden.
September 1631: Defeat of the Imperial army of Baltasar von Marradas by the Swedish army of Hans Georg von Arnim not far from Breslau.
11.1.2.Franco-Swedish Period
Was the fourth main period of the Thirty Years' War. It started with the intervention of the Kingdom of France.
11.1.2.1.North German Front (Sweden)
Was the north German front during the Franco-Swedish period of the Thirty Years' War.
November 1637: After the death of Swedish King Ferdinand II, his son and successor Ferdinand III brought the Swedish troops back to Pomerania, leaving the territories occupied by Sweden in Germany.
December 1643: In 1643 Swedish general Torstensson invaded Moravia for the second time.
July 1647: The Imperial Army liberated the fortress of Egra (today known as Cheb in the Czech Republic) from Swedish occupation.
Was a conflict fought between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Russia.
October 1632: Several towns and castles fell as the Russians advanced, and on 28 October 1632 (the same day that the historic town of Dorogobuzh was taken), Shein moved to begin the siege of Smolensk.
August 1633: In July 1633, the Russians, led by Tsar Michael I and his military commander Dmitry Pozharsky, took control of the towns of Polatsk, Velizh, Usvyat, and Ozerishche.
December 1633: In the autumn of 1633, Commonwealth forces led by Hetman Stanisław Koniecpolski retook Dorogobuzh from the Russian forces during the Smolensk War.
June 1634: The Treaty of Polyanovka was signed by representatives of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, led by King Władysław IV Vasa, and the Tsardom of Russia, led by Tsar Michael I. This treaty marked the end of military occupations between the two powers and resulted in the territory being transferred to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
Were a series of Wars between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Ottoman Empire.
13.1.Polish-Ottoman War (1633-34)
Was a conflict between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Ottoman Empire with its vassals.
October 1633: In mid-October 1633, Polish King Władysław IV Vasa was near Chocim (Khotyn) during the Polish-Ottoman War. The city was under Turkish military occupation at the time.
October 1633: Abazy crossed the Dniestr about October 20.
October 1633: In 1633, Abazy Pasha, the Ottoman governor of Podolia, attacked the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth with his full forces but was repelled with heavy losses. As a result, he ordered a retreat from all occupied regions back to Ottoman territory.
13.2.Polish-Cossack-Tatar War (1666-1671)
Was a war between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Ottoman Empire over territories in Ukraine.
November 1667: In 1667, Podhajce was invaded by Tatars during the ongoing conflict between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Cossack Hetmanate (Russia).
13.3.Polish-Ottoman War (1672-1676)
Was a war between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Ottoman Empire. The war ended with the Commonwealth ceding control of most of its Ukraine territories to the Ottomans.
13.3.1.First Phase of the Polish-Ottoman War (1672-1676)
Was the first phase of the Polish-Ottoman War (1672-1676), where the Ottomans invaded the Ukrainian territories of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
September 1672: The Ottoman forces, led by Grand Vizier Köprülü Fazıl Ahmed and Sultan Mehmed IV, invaded Polish Ukraine in 1672. They successfully captured the Commonwealth fortress at Kamieniec Podolski, marking a significant victory for the Ottoman Empire.
September 1672: Kamieniec Podolski was a key fortress in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Ottoman forces, led by Grand Vizier Köprülü Fazıl Ahmed and Sultan Mehmed IV, successfully invaded the territory in 1672, marking a significant victory for the Ottoman Empire in the region.
13.3.1.1.Treaty of Buchach
Was a treaty that ended the first phase of the Polish-Ottoman War (1672-1676).
October 1672: The Poles were forced to sign the Peace of Buczacz in October that year, which ceded to the Ottomans the Commonwealth part of Ukraine.
13.3.2.Second Phase of the Polish-Ottoman War (1672-1676)
Was the second phase of the Polish-Ottoman War (1672-1676). The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth got part of its Ukrainian territories back.
October 1676: The Treaty of Żurawno ended the second phase of the Polish-Ottoman War (1672-76). It revised the 1672 Treaty of Buchach, and was more favorable to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, which no longer had to pay tribute, and regained about one third of the Ukrainian territories lost in the Buchach treaty.
A Cossack rebellion that took place between 1648 and 1657 in the eastern territories of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, which led to the creation of a Cossack Hetmanate in Ukraine.
August 1649: The Khmelnytsky Uprising led to the creation of the cossack hetmanate
Was a war between the Tsardom of Russia and the Ottoman Empire. .
15.1.1677 Campaign
Was an Ottoman military campaign in Ukraine during the Russo-Turkish War of 1676-1681.
August 1677: The Ottomans crossed the Sula River on the way to Chyhyryn.
September 1677: In 1677, Ivan Samoilovich and Grigory Romodanovsky, military commanders in the Russian army, successfully relieved the city of Chyhyryn from Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth occupation during the Russo-Turkish War.
15.2.1678 Campaign
Was an Ottoman military campaign in Ukraine during the Russo-Turkish War of 1676-1681.
August 1678: In 1678, the Turkish army led by Grand Vizier Kara Mustafa, along with the Crimean Tatar army, besieged Chyhyryn.
August 1678: The Turks broke into the Lower Town of Chyhyryn.
15.3.1679 Campaign
Was an Ottoman military campaign in Ukraine during the Russo-Turkish War of 1676-1681.
January 1679: The Russian army retreated beyond the Dnieper, beating off the pursuing Turkish army, which would finally leave them in peace. Later the Turks seized Kanev and established the power of Yuri Khmelnitsky on the Right-bank Ukraine.
Were a series of conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and the Habsburg Domains. The conflicts started with the partition of Hungary between the Ottomans and the Habsburgs after the Battle of Mohács (1526).
16.1.Great Turkish War
Was a series of conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and the Holy League consisting of the Holy Roman Empire, Poland-Lithuania, Venice, Russia, and Habsburg Hungary.
January 1699: The Treaty of Karlowitz, signed in Sremski Karlovci, in modern-day Serbia, concluded the Great Turkish War of 1683-1697.
Was a major European conflict sparked by a Polish civil war over the succession to Augustus II of Poland.
17.1.Russian and Saxon Invasion of Poland
Was a joint military invasion of Poland by the Tsardom of Russia and the Electorate of Saxony during the War of the Polish Succession.
October 1733: The Russians, commanded by Peter Lacy, quickly captured the capital city of Warsaw and installed Augustus as potential heir, forcing Stanislaus to flee to Danzig.
June 1734: Russia and Saxony captured the Polish-Lithuanian city of Danzig.
17.2.Treaty of Vienna (1738)
Was the treaty that ended the War of the Polish Succession. Augustus III was officially confirmed as King of Poland.
November 1738: The Treaty of Vienna ended the War of the Polish Succession, confirming Augustus as king of Poland and uniting Poland with Saxony in personal union.
Was a war fought between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth on one side, and the Targowica Confederation (conservative nobility of the Commonwealth opposed to the new Constitution of 3 May 1791) and the Russian Empire under Catherine the Great on the other.
18.1.Southern Theatre (Polish-Russian War of 1792)
Was the southern theatre of the Polish-Russian War of 1792.
May 1792: Due to the Polish situation (it became indepndent from Russian influence), Russia started the war. Poniatowski, in face of a significant numerical inferiority of his forces, and promised reinforcements by King Poniatowski, decided to abandon Ukraine and move to Volhynia.
July 1792: Poniatowski's army retreated to the Bug River, where Kościuszko's units on 18 July fought the Battle of Dubienka, which was a draw.
18.2.Northern theatre
Was the northern theatre of the Polish-Russian War of 1792.
May 1792: Minsk was abandoned to the Russians, after some skirmishes.
June 1792: The Russians, led by General Fyodor Denisov, defeated Tadeusz Judycki, a Polish military leader, at the Battle of Mir on 11 June 1792. This marked the beginning of Russia's military occupation of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
June 1792: The Russians, led by General Denisov, took Wilno from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1792. The local garrison, commanded by General Kosciuszko, put up a brief resistance before surrendering.
June 1792: The Russians occupied Nieśwież.
June 1792: Kaunas conquered by Russia.
June 1792: The Polish army, led by General Tadeusz Kościuszko, withdrew in relative order towards Warsaw after a minor defeat at Zelwa in 1792. This event occurred during the Polish-Russian War of 1792, where Poland was ultimately forced to cede territory to Russia.
July 1792: In 1792, during the Second Partition of Poland, Russian forces led by General Alexander Suvorov took control of Grodno on 5 July. This military occupation was part of Russia's expansion into Polish territories, following the weakening of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
July 1792: Białystok conquered by russia.
July 1792: On 23 July the Russians took Brest.
18.3.Second Partition of Poland
The second of three partitions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth happened in the aftermath of the Polish-Russian War of 1792. Polish-Lithuanian territories were acquired by Prussia and Russia.
January 1793: Russian and Prussian troops entered the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth again and the Second Partition was signed on January 23, 1793. Austria did not participate in the Second Partition.
January 1793: The Second Partition of Poland in 1793 involved Russian and Prussian troops entering the Commonwealth. The partition was signed on January 23, 1793, with Austria not participating. This led to the territory going to the Kingdom of Prussia outside the Holy Roman Empire.
November 1793: After the Third Partition of Poland in 1793, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was divided among Russia, Prussia, and Austria. The remaining territory, known as the rump state, was garrisoned by Russian troops, effectively ending its independence.
January 1573: The Khotyn area becomes part of Moldavia.
January 1581: It came under the influence of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth by the Treaty of Drohiczyn, which ended the war for Riga in 1581.
January 1616: The Khotyn area becomes part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
January 1622: The Khotyn area becomes part of Moldavia.
January 1629: In 1628 Crimean Tatars and Nogays began to ravage the surrounding towns and villages of Poland, killing and capturing the local population.
February 1629: End of Nogai and Tatar ravage in southern Poland.
January 1674: Hotin conquered by Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
May 1686: A Treaty of Perpetual Peace between the Tsardom of Russia and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was signed on 6 May 1686 in Moscow. The region of Zaporizhian Sich, Siverian lands, cities of Chernihiv, Starodub, Smolensk and its outskirts were also ceded to Russia, while Poland retained Right-bank Ukraine.
January 1692: Brandenburg acquires the city of Tauroggen (now Tauragė in Lithuania) thanks to the marriage between Louis of Brandenburg and Princess Ludwika Karolina Radziwiłł.
January 1700: Hotin conquered by turkey.
May 1791: As the Russians found themselves fighting in the Russo-Swedish War, a new alliance between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Prussia seeming to provide security against Russian intervention was signed. On 3 May 1791 the a constitution was read and adopted to overwhelming popular support. End of Russian influence in Poland.
Disestablishment
January 1793: Russian and Prussian troops entered the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth again and the Second Partition was signed on January 23, 1793. Austria did not participate in the Second Partition.
January 1793: The Second Partition of Poland in 1793 involved Russian and Prussian troops entering the Commonwealth. The partition was signed on January 23, 1793, with Austria not participating. This led to the territory going to the Kingdom of Prussia outside the Holy Roman Empire.
November 1793: After the Third Partition of Poland in 1793, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was divided among Russia, Prussia, and Austria. The remaining territory, known as the rump state, was garrisoned by Russian troops, effectively ending its independence.
Selected Sources
Bradford, J.C. (2004): International Encyclopedia of Military History, Routledge, p. 554
Frost, R. I. (2000): The Northern Wars: War, State and Society in Northeastern Europe 1558-1721, London (UK), p. 110-111
Frost, R. I. (2000): The Northern Wars: War, State and Society in Northeastern Europe 1558-1721, London (UK), p. 169
Frost, R. I. (2000): The Northern Wars: War, State and Society in Northeastern Europe 1558-1721, London (UK), p. 179
Poten, B. (1879): Handwörterbuch der gesamten Militärwissenschaften, Velhagen & Klasing, p. 202
Rambaud, A. (1890): Recueil des instructions données aux ambassadeurs et ministres de France depuis les traités de Westphalie jusqu'à la Révolution française, Ancienne Librairie Germer Baillière et Cie., p. 232.
Schmidt, G. (2006): Der Dreißigjährige Krieg, Munich (Germany), p. 65
Zeuske, M. (2013): Handbuch Geschichte der Sklaverei. Eine Globalgeschichte von den Anfängen bis zur Gegenwart, De Gruyter, Berlin p. 470ff.
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
