THE CONFLICTS PF POLISH-LITHUANIAN UNION IN THE ERA OF JOHN II. KASIMIR WITH THE TOPIC: THE REBELLION IN TODAYS' UKRAINE

Kot nakaže naslov, sem se v diplomski nalogi osredotočil na dogajanje in predvsem konflikte v poljsko-litovski zvezi sredi 17. stol., ko ji je vladal nesrečni Jan II. Kazimir iz dinastije Vasa. Pod njegovim krmarjenjem je država, tistega časa ena največjih in najmočnejših v Evropi, doživljala spremembe, ki so posledica desetletja in stoletja dolgih napetosti ter sovražnosti s sosednjimi silami. Tako je v obdobju dobrih dvajsetih let, od leta 1648, poljsko-litovska zveza doživela velikanski upor kozakov v Ukrajini pod karizmatičnim Hmelnickim, čemur je sledila vojna s Tatari, napad vzhajajoče Rusije ter invazija Švedov. Kos pogače so si želeli odrezati še Prusi in Sedmograščani, ob koncu vladanja Jana Kazimira pa se je nad državo z juga zgrinjal še en mogočen sovražnik – Osmanski imperij. Za lažje razumevanje vzrokov za takšne sovražnosti med velikimi sosedami sem v diplomski nalogi zajel tudi dogajanje nekaj desetletji pred uporom Hmelnickega, delovanje same poljsko-litovske zveze (družba, religija) ter še posebej samo kozaško vprašanje. Državi je bilo v ponos, da je Plemiška republika, a prav to jo je pripeljalo do „potopa“. As visible from the title, my diploma is focused on the events and particularly conflicts in the Polish-Lithuanian Alliance in the middle of 17th century, when it was ruled by the unfortunate Jan II. Casimir of the Vasa Dynasty. Under his ruling, the country, which at that time was one of the largest and strongest in Europe, was experiencing transitions, which were product of decades and centuries long tensions and hostilities with the neighbouring forces. In the time period of twenty years, from 1648 on, the Polish-Lithuanian Alliance went through a tremendous Cossack revolt in the Ukraine under the charismatic Hmelnicki, which was followed by Tatar war, the attack of the rising Russia and the invasion of the Swedes. The Prussians and the Transylvania wanted a share of the cake as well, and at the end of Jan Casimir’s ruling, another powerful enemy was threatening the country from the South – the Osman Empire. In order to understand the arguments for such hostilities among great neighbouring countries, I also included the events some decades prior to the Hmelnicki revolt, operations of the Polish-Lithuanian Alliance (society, religion) and especially the Cossack question in my diploma. The country was proud to be an Aristocratic republic, however it was the reason for their “sinking”.