Danzig rebellion
Encyclopedia
The rebellion of the city of Danzig (Gdańsk) in 1570s against the election and rule of Polish King and Grand Duke of Lithuania Stephen Báthory began on 12 December 1575 (when Emperor Maximillian was announced as a King) and ended on 16 December 1577. Maximilian's II death in fall of 1576 weakened Danzig's position and made the conflict less about the recognition of the ruler than about Danzig's privileges. With neither side being able to defeat the other militarily, a compromise was reached, with economic as well as religious privileges of the city being restored and recognized, in return for a large reparation and recognition of Bathory as the king.
introduced Karnkowski Statutes, which partly reduced Danzig's special privileges granted by earlier Polish kings after the Prussian Confederation
cities recognized their rule in 1454.
In 1572, the throne of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
was vacated when King Sigismund Augustus died without an heir and Henry III of France
after a brief period as a Polish king returned to France. Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
was an elective monarchy
and (after the Union of Lublin
in 1569) in close union with Lithuania, meaning that Polish nobility (szlachta
) could vote on who would become the next king. Cities had no vote; Danzig however was invited by primate of Poland and interrex
Jakub Uchański
to cast a vote but declined to send a representative. Members of the Senate
(including most of the Polish episcopate led by Jakub Uchański) decided to elect Emperor Maximilian II
, against the will of majority of nobility
, which during the royal election voted for Anna Jagiello (the last representative of the former Polish-Lithuanian Jagiellon dynasty
) and Stephen Báthory as her husband and de facto King. This led to a some unrest in Poland.
Danzig, whose economic privileges were reduced by the Karnkowski Statutes, wanted to use the situation to regain its preferential position within the Polish Crown. The town of Danzig also preferred Maximilian, who looked more likely to support towns' economic privileges, and who could also threaten serious economic repercussions (boycott by the Habsburg
s). Thus the Hanseatic League
city, encouraged by its immense wealth and almost impregnable fortifications, as well as by the secret support of Denmark
and Emperor Maximilian, had supported the latter's election.
On 1 May 1576 Stefan Bathory married King Anna Jagiello and was crowned by Stanisław Karnkowski as King of Poland. Jakub Uchański and nuncio Wincenty Laureo were still respecting Maximillian as a King, but soon they and others accepted will of majority. When Stefan sweared in all of existing rights of Prussia Royale
and Prussia Ducale, and was recognized as a rightful ruler, one city—Danzig—refused to do it and was still respecting Maximillian as King of Poland.
Danzig refused to recognize Bathory's authority, and the tensions grew as rioters looted and burned down an abbey in Oliwa
. The abbey belonged to the bishop of Kujawy, Stanisław Karnkowski, under whose jurisdiction was the whole Polish Pomerania
. The Sejm
(parliament) of the Commonwealth did not approve higher taxes for the war. It has however approved a banicja (form of political exile and excommunication), confiscation of Danzig property, arrest of its citizens, commercial blockade and rerouting of the important trade via the port of Elbląg
(which however was immediately blockaded by Denmark's navy).
(Marienburg), from there Polish units took control the area surrounding Gdansk, capturing Grabina
and Głowa, two strategically important villages, thereby blockading Daznig's port from the east and the south. The King left the army under the command of Hetman
Jan Zborowski and most of the forces were stationed at Tczew (Dirschau). In the west the main base was at Puck
(Putzig), where there was a mercenary force led by Ernest Weyher. While some Polish privateer
ships fought the Gdansk and Danish fleets, for the most part the control of the Baltic Sea
belonged to the Danzigers and their allies. Soon after the fighting begun, Maximilian's II death (12 October 1576) was announced; this weakened Danzig's position and made the conflict less about the recognition of the ruler than about Danzig's privileges.
With the coming of the spring of 1577, the fighting began anew. The Danzig army, led by the German mercenary commander
Johannn Winkelbruch (Hans Winckelburg von Kölln), was about 7,000-12,000 strong (including mercenaries, among them a Scottish regiment), but with less than 1,000 cavalry. Winckelburg decided to crush the small army of Zborowski (who had about 2,000 men, half of them cavalry), but the Danzig army was utterly defeated by Zborowski in the battle of Lubiszewo
on April 17, 1577.
After the battle, the Danzig forces retreated behind the walls, citizens pulled down trees and houses in front of fortifications and a siege
began. Reinforcement with King Batory arrived only in July. During it King Stefan was using heated cannonballs and turned back the flow of the Radunia
river. Bathory had about 11,000 men, and Danzig, about 10,000. A surprise attack by the Danzigers managed to destroy two-thirds of the Polish artillery, vastly slowing the progress of the siege. In September 1577 Danzig and Danish fleets started a blockade of Polish trade along Elbing and attacked its suburbs. Their troops that landed were soon pushed back by Bathory's Hungarian infantry under Kacper Bekiesza, and the city council send a note thanking the King.
However, after a few months, Stephen's army was unable to take the city by force. On 16 December 1577, the siege ended and citizens swore loyalty to Stefan's representatives Eustachy Wołłowicz and Andrzej Firlej. (Treaty of Malbork).
).
The siege and all economic restrictions that were passed in the past two years were lifted in return for reparations and recognition of Bathory as the sovereign. Stefan forgave the city's rebellion and again turned Polish trade from Elbing to Danzig. The city, in turn, recognized him as ruler of Poland and promised to pay the large sum of 200,000 złotys and an additional 20,000 repatriation to the abbey of Oliwa in five years.
On 26 November 1585 the Karnkowski Statutes from 1570 were lifted, and Danzig again became the most privileged city in the Commonwealth. The subsequent policies of Bathory also increased the power of Hohenzollerns in Prussia.
Background
On 20 July 1570, the Polish-Lithuanian king Sigismund II AugustusSigismund II Augustus
Sigismund II Augustus I was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, the only son of Sigismund I the Old, whom Sigismund II succeeded in 1548...
introduced Karnkowski Statutes, which partly reduced Danzig's special privileges granted by earlier Polish kings after the Prussian Confederation
Prussian Confederation
The Prussian Confederation was an organization formed in 1440 by a group of 53 gentry and clergy and 19 cities in Prussia to oppose the monastic state of the Teutonic Knights. It was based on the basis of an earlier similar organization, the Lizard Union...
cities recognized their rule in 1454.
In 1572, the throne of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was a dualistic state of Poland and Lithuania ruled by a common monarch. It was the largest and one of the most populous countries of 16th- and 17th‑century Europe with some and a multi-ethnic population of 11 million at its peak in the early 17th century...
was vacated when King Sigismund Augustus died without an heir and Henry III of France
Henry III of France
Henry III was King of France from 1574 to 1589. As Henry of Valois, he was the first elected monarch of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth with the dual titles of King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1573 to 1575.-Childhood:Henry was born at the Royal Château de Fontainebleau,...
after a brief period as a Polish king returned to France. Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was a dualistic state of Poland and Lithuania ruled by a common monarch. It was the largest and one of the most populous countries of 16th- and 17th‑century Europe with some and a multi-ethnic population of 11 million at its peak in the early 17th century...
was an elective monarchy
Elective monarchy
An elective monarchy is a monarchy ruled by an elected rather than hereditary monarch. The manner of election, the nature of the candidacy and the electors vary from case to case...
and (after the Union of Lublin
Union of Lublin
The Union of Lublin replaced the personal union of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania with a real union and an elective monarchy, since Sigismund II Augustus, the last of the Jagiellons, remained childless after three marriages. In addition, the autonomy of Royal Prussia was...
in 1569) in close union with Lithuania, meaning that Polish nobility (szlachta
Szlachta
The szlachta was a legally privileged noble class with origins in the Kingdom of Poland. It gained considerable institutional privileges during the 1333-1370 reign of Casimir the Great. In 1413, following a series of tentative personal unions between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of...
) could vote on who would become the next king. Cities had no vote; Danzig however was invited by primate of Poland and interrex
Interrex
The Interrex was literally a ruler "between kings" during the Roman Kingdom and the Roman Republic. He was in effect a short-term regent....
Jakub Uchański
Jakub Uchanski
Jakub Uchański , of Radwan Coat of Arms, was an archbishop of Gniezno and primate of Poland from 1562 to 1581, interrex from 1572 to 1573 and from 1574 to 1575....
to cast a vote but declined to send a representative. Members of the Senate
Senate of Poland
The Senate is the upper house of the Polish parliament, the lower house being the 'Sejm'. The history of the Polish Senate is rich in tradition and stretches back over 500 years, it was one of the first constituent bodies of a bicameral parliament in Europe and existed without hiatus until the...
(including most of the Polish episcopate led by Jakub Uchański) decided to elect Emperor Maximilian II
Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian II was king of Bohemia and king of the Romans from 1562, king of Hungary and Croatia from 1563, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation from 1564 until his death...
, against the will of majority of nobility
Szlachta
The szlachta was a legally privileged noble class with origins in the Kingdom of Poland. It gained considerable institutional privileges during the 1333-1370 reign of Casimir the Great. In 1413, following a series of tentative personal unions between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of...
, which during the royal election voted for Anna Jagiello (the last representative of the former Polish-Lithuanian Jagiellon dynasty
Jagiellon dynasty
The Jagiellonian dynasty was a royal dynasty originating from the Lithuanian House of Gediminas dynasty that reigned in Central European countries between the 14th and 16th century...
) and Stephen Báthory as her husband and de facto King. This led to a some unrest in Poland.
Danzig, whose economic privileges were reduced by the Karnkowski Statutes, wanted to use the situation to regain its preferential position within the Polish Crown. The town of Danzig also preferred Maximilian, who looked more likely to support towns' economic privileges, and who could also threaten serious economic repercussions (boycott by the Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
s). Thus the Hanseatic League
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe...
city, encouraged by its immense wealth and almost impregnable fortifications, as well as by the secret support of Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and Emperor Maximilian, had supported the latter's election.
On 1 May 1576 Stefan Bathory married King Anna Jagiello and was crowned by Stanisław Karnkowski as King of Poland. Jakub Uchański and nuncio Wincenty Laureo were still respecting Maximillian as a King, but soon they and others accepted will of majority. When Stefan sweared in all of existing rights of Prussia Royale
Royal Prussia
Royal Prussia was a Region of the Kingdom of Poland and of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth . Polish Prussia included Pomerelia, Chełmno Land , Malbork Voivodeship , Gdańsk , Toruń , and Elbląg . It is distinguished from Ducal Prussia...
and Prussia Ducale, and was recognized as a rightful ruler, one city—Danzig—refused to do it and was still respecting Maximillian as King of Poland.
Danzig refused to recognize Bathory's authority, and the tensions grew as rioters looted and burned down an abbey in Oliwa
Oliwa
Oliwa, also Oliva is one of the quarters of Gdańsk. From east it borders Przymorze and Żabianka, from the north Sopot and from the south with the districts of Strzyża, VII Dwór and Brętowo, while from the west with Matarnia and Osowa...
. The abbey belonged to the bishop of Kujawy, Stanisław Karnkowski, under whose jurisdiction was the whole Polish Pomerania
Pomerania
Pomerania is a historical region on the south shore of the Baltic Sea. Divided between Germany and Poland, it stretches roughly from the Recknitz River near Stralsund in the West, via the Oder River delta near Szczecin, to the mouth of the Vistula River near Gdańsk in the East...
. The Sejm
Sejm
The Sejm is the lower house of the Polish parliament. The Sejm is made up of 460 deputies, or Poseł in Polish . It is elected by universal ballot and is presided over by a speaker called the Marshal of the Sejm ....
(parliament) of the Commonwealth did not approve higher taxes for the war. It has however approved a banicja (form of political exile and excommunication), confiscation of Danzig property, arrest of its citizens, commercial blockade and rerouting of the important trade via the port of Elbląg
Elblag
Elbląg is a city in northern Poland with 127,892 inhabitants . It is the capital of Elbląg County and has been assigned to the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship since 1999. Before then it was the capital of Elbląg Voivodeship and a county seat in Gdańsk Voivodeship...
(which however was immediately blockaded by Denmark's navy).
Fights
In August 1576 Bathory led 2,000 men to MalborkMalbork
Malbork is a town in northern Poland in the Żuławy region , with 38,478 inhabitants . Situated in the Pomeranian Voivodeship since 1999, it was previously assigned to Elbląg Voivodeship...
(Marienburg), from there Polish units took control the area surrounding Gdansk, capturing Grabina
Grabina
Grabina may refer to the following places:*Grabina, Łask County in Łódź Voivodeship *Grabina, Łódź East County in Łódź Voivodeship *Grabina, Poddębice County in Łódź Voivodeship...
and Głowa, two strategically important villages, thereby blockading Daznig's port from the east and the south. The King left the army under the command of Hetman
Hetman
Hetman was the title of the second-highest military commander in 15th- to 18th-century Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which together, from 1569 to 1795, comprised the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, or Rzeczpospolita....
Jan Zborowski and most of the forces were stationed at Tczew (Dirschau). In the west the main base was at Puck
Puck, Poland
Puck is a town in northwestern Poland with 11,350 inhabitants. It is in Gdańsk Pomerania on the south coast of the Baltic Sea . Previously in the Gdańsk Voivodeship , Puck has been the capital of Puck County in the Pomeranian Voivodeship since 1999.-History:The settlement became a marketplace...
(Putzig), where there was a mercenary force led by Ernest Weyher. While some Polish privateer
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
ships fought the Gdansk and Danish fleets, for the most part the control of the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
belonged to the Danzigers and their allies. Soon after the fighting begun, Maximilian's II death (12 October 1576) was announced; this weakened Danzig's position and made the conflict less about the recognition of the ruler than about Danzig's privileges.
With the coming of the spring of 1577, the fighting began anew. The Danzig army, led by the German mercenary commander
Condottieri
thumb|Depiction of [[Farinata degli Uberti]] by [[Andrea del Castagno]], showing a 15th century condottiero's typical attire.Condottieri were the mercenary soldier leaders of the professional, military free companies contracted by the Italian city-states and the Papacy, from the late Middle Ages...
Johannn Winkelbruch (Hans Winckelburg von Kölln), was about 7,000-12,000 strong (including mercenaries, among them a Scottish regiment), but with less than 1,000 cavalry. Winckelburg decided to crush the small army of Zborowski (who had about 2,000 men, half of them cavalry), but the Danzig army was utterly defeated by Zborowski in the battle of Lubiszewo
Battle of Lubiszewo
The Battle of Lubieszów , fought on April 17, 1577, was the most important battle in the two-year Danzig Rebellion fought between the forces loyal to the newly elected king Stefan Batory of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Commonwealth's richest city of Danzig , following the city's refusal...
on April 17, 1577.
After the battle, the Danzig forces retreated behind the walls, citizens pulled down trees and houses in front of fortifications and a siege
Siege of Danzig (1577)
The Siege of the city of Danzig in 1577 by king Stephen Báthory of Poland ended militarily inconclusive.The conflict begun as the city of Danzig, along with the Polish episcopate and a portion of the Polish szlachta, did not recognize the election of Bathory to the Polish throne and instead...
began. Reinforcement with King Batory arrived only in July. During it King Stefan was using heated cannonballs and turned back the flow of the Radunia
Radunia
The Radunia is a small river in Kashubia which issues from a lake and falls into the Motława near Gdansk .A part of its water is conveyed into the city via the 13.5 km long Kanał Raduni / Radaunekanal or New Radaune or Radunia Channel, a canal built in 14th century by Teutonic Knights,...
river. Bathory had about 11,000 men, and Danzig, about 10,000. A surprise attack by the Danzigers managed to destroy two-thirds of the Polish artillery, vastly slowing the progress of the siege. In September 1577 Danzig and Danish fleets started a blockade of Polish trade along Elbing and attacked its suburbs. Their troops that landed were soon pushed back by Bathory's Hungarian infantry under Kacper Bekiesza, and the city council send a note thanking the King.
However, after a few months, Stephen's army was unable to take the city by force. On 16 December 1577, the siege ended and citizens swore loyalty to Stefan's representatives Eustachy Wołłowicz and Andrzej Firlej. (Treaty of Malbork).
Aftermath
The Gdansk merchants had suffered a great deal from the blockade, especially because of lack of trade. In the meantime, Bathory also wanted to end the siege, as Ivan the Terrible of Muscovy broke a three year truce in the same year and Muscovy tried to gain control of the eastern territories of the Commonwealth (Livonian WarLivonian War
The Livonian War was fought for control of Old Livonia in the territory of present-day Estonia and Latvia when the Tsardom of Russia faced a varying coalition of Denmark–Norway, the Kingdom of Sweden, the Union of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland.During the period 1558–1578,...
).
The siege and all economic restrictions that were passed in the past two years were lifted in return for reparations and recognition of Bathory as the sovereign. Stefan forgave the city's rebellion and again turned Polish trade from Elbing to Danzig. The city, in turn, recognized him as ruler of Poland and promised to pay the large sum of 200,000 złotys and an additional 20,000 repatriation to the abbey of Oliwa in five years.
On 26 November 1585 the Karnkowski Statutes from 1570 were lifted, and Danzig again became the most privileged city in the Commonwealth. The subsequent policies of Bathory also increased the power of Hohenzollerns in Prussia.