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Polish–Swedish War (1626–1629)
Encyclopedia
The Polish–Swedish War of 1626–1629 was the fourth stage (after 1600–1611, 1617–1618, and 1620–1625) in a series of conflicts between Sweden
and Poland
fought in the 17th century. It began in 1626 and ended four years later with the Truce of Altmark
and later at Stuhmsdorf with the Treaty of Stuhmsdorf.
, Latvia
, where a Swedish force of 4,900 men under Gustavus II Adolphus ambushed and took by surprise a Polish-Lithuanian force of 2,000 men under Jan Stanisław Sapieha, Polish-Lithuanian casualties amounted to between 500 and 1000 dead, wounded or captured and their commander collapsed from a mental illness after this defeat.
In May 1626 Gustav Adolf began the surprising invasion of Prussia
. Gustav's fleet (over 125 ships) landed in Ducal Prussia near Piława (Pillau) with over 8,000 soldiers (including 1,000 cavalry) came as a surprise to the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and despite his relatively small forces, Gustav Adolf acting with the support of the neutral Duchy of Prussia, under the duke and Elector of Brandenburg, quickly captured - usually without fighting - 16 of the coastal Prussian towns, who opened their gates to the Lutheran forces, who were fighting against the Catholic forces of the Counter-Reformation
. Gustav Adolph did not manage to capture the largest prize: the city of Danzig (Gdańsk
), which as a Hansa
city was self-reliant and kept its own military and fleet. Gustav Adolf wanted to prepare his army for another attack on Danzig, and he increased his forces to over 22,000. The Commonwealth received no support from its vassal
, Ducal Prussia. Near the town of Gniew
in a battle on the 22-30 September 1626 Gustav with 8150 infantry, 1750 cavalry and 74 cannons managed to stop an attacking Polish army of 11,000 men led by King Sigismund. Sigismund withdrew and called for reinforcements from other parts of the country.
Hetman Stanisław Koniecpolski's forces (4,200 light cavalry
, 1,000 dragoon
s, 1,000 infantry) moved to Prussia with amazing speed. Strengthened by other units, he had 10,000 men against over 20,000-strong Swedish force. Using the tactic of maneuver warfare
, with small mobile units striking at the enemy's communication lines and smaller units, he managed to stop the Swedish attack and force the units under Axel Oxenstierna
, who also attempted to avoid battles with an overwhelming concentrated forces of Koniecpolski, into a defense. For a short time the war became a stalemate.
In the meantime, the Sejm
(Commonwealth Parliament) agreed to raise money for the war, but the situation of the Polish forces was difficult. Lithuanian forces were dealt a serious defeat in December of 1626 near Kokenhusen in Livonia and retreated behind the Dvina river. The Swedes planned to strike Koniecpolski from two directions — Oxenstierna from direction of the Vistula
and Johann Streiff von Lauenstein and Maximilian Teuffel from Swedish held Pomerania
. The flooding of the Vistula disrupted their plans and allowed Koniecploski to intercept the enemy units coming from neighboring Pomerania.
Koniecpolski recaptured the town of Putzig, erlier Pautzke at the Pautzker Wiek (now Puck
) on 2 April. During the crossing of the Vistula near Käsemark, Danziger Niederung (delta) Kieżmark
, in the vicinity of Danzig (Gdańsk
), Gustav met the Polish forces and in the ensuing battle was wounded in the hip and forced to retreat. In July he led forces to lift the siege of Braunsberg (now Braniewo
), and lay siege to Wormditt (now Orneta
). Koniecpolski responded with the sudden attack and capture of Gniew. Gustav Adolf was reported to be impressed by the speed of Koniecpolski's reaction. With about 7,800 men (including 2,500 cavalry and hussar
s), Koniecpolski tried to stop the Swedish army from reaching Danzig near Dirschau (Gdansk, near Tczew
). On 7–8 August (or 18 September, sources vary), battle with the Swedish forces (10,000 men including 5,000 infantry) took place near the swamp
s of the river Mottlau (Motława). The Swedes wanted to provoke the Poles into an attack and then destroy them with infantry fire and artillery
, but Koniecpolski decided not to attack. The Swedes then took the initiative and attacked with cavalry, but did not manage to draw the Poles within the range of their fire. The consequent Swedish attacks managed to deal severe damage to Polish cavalry units, but did not manage to cripple the army (whose morale was kept high, thanks to Koniecpolski). The battle ended when Gustav Adolf was once again wounded and the Swedes retreated.
After the battle, Koniecpolski saw the need to reform the army and strengthen the firepower of infantry and artillery to match the Swedish units. The Swedes, on the other hand, learned arts of cavalry attacks, charges and melee combat from the Poles.
(Hamersztyn) Koniecpolski (with 2,150 hussars, 3,290 Cossack cavalry, 2,515 western infantry, 1,620 Polish infantry, 1,265 dragoons and 2,000 Zaporozhian Cossacks) forced the Swedish forces to retreat inside the city, and three days later to surrender, leaving behind their banners and insignia. Some Swedish soldiers and mercenaries changed sides at that time. This victory also convinced the Elector
of Brandenburg
to declare his support for the Commonwealth, and the Lithuanian forces resumed the offensive in Inflanty.
Koniecpolski's insistence of taking the war to the seas resulted in gathering aid to charter a tiny and untested Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Navy of 9 ships to the defeat of a Swedish flotilla
on 28 November 1627 (or 17 November, dates vary), at the battle of Oliwa
near Oliva-Danzig.
. Koniecpolski counterattacked by using his small forces most efficiently — fast cavalry melee attacks combined with the supporting fire of infantry and artillery, and using fortifications and terrain advantage. By that time the war had become a war of maneuver with neither side willing to face the other without advantages of terrain or fortifications.
(or Gurzno), where a Swedish army of 8,000 men encountered a Polish army of 3,000 men under the command of Stanisław Potocki. Sweden lost 30 dead and 60 wounded, while Poland suffered 700 dead or wounded and 600 captured.
The Sejm decided to increase the funds for the war after the battle of Górzno
. The Imperial Catholic Holy Roman Empire
sent help to the Commonwealth in the form of units under field marshal
Hans Georg von Arnim-Boitzenburg
and Ernst Georg Sparr. An imperial corps under Albrecht von Wallenstein
also cooperated in Pomerania
with Koniecpolski in 1629. Nonetheless, Koniecpolski was forced to withdraw Commonwealth forces from many strategic Polish strongholds he had set up in Prussia
.
In time, hetman Koniecpolski managed to recapture Putzig Pautzke (now Puck
). Another battle took place on 17 June 1629 at Honigfeld(t) or Honigfelde near Stuhm/Sztum (by Polish writers described as Trzciana
(or Trzcianka). The Swedes attacked in the direction of Graudenz (Grudziądz), were stopped, and retreated to Stuhm (Sztum
) and Marienburg (Malbork
). Koniecpolski attacked the rear guard led by Johann Wilhelm von Salm, count of Rhine and the Wilds, and destroyed it. He also repelled a counterattack by Swedish raitars, who were pushed in the direction of Pułkowice
, where another counterattack was led by Gustav Adolf with 2,000 cavalrymen. This counterattack was also stopped, and the Swedish forces were saved by the last reserve units led by field marshal Herman Wrangel
, who finally managed to stop the Polish attack. Swedish losses were heavy, especially in the cavalry regiments. Gustav Adolf said after the battle "I have never been in such a bath". 600 Swedes were killed, including the count Johann Wilhelm and the son of Wrangel, and 400 - 500 were captured, as well as 10 artillery guns and 15 Swedish banners. Polish losses were under 200 killed and injured.
(Truce of Altmark
) on 26 October 1629 was in favour of the Swedes, to whom Poland ceded the larger part of Livonia
with the important port of Riga
. Swedes also got the right to tax Polish trade moved through the Baltic (3.5% on the value of goods), kept control of many cities in Royal and Ducal Prussia
(including Piława (Pillau), Memel
and Elbląg
(Elbing)) and for the time were generally recognized as the dominant power on the southern Baltic Sea coast. It was failure of Polish diplomacy, not the army's. The Duchy of Prussia was compensated for its losses (occupation of some cities by Swedes) by Commonwealth, with the temporary (until 1634) transfer of Marienburg, Stuhm and Żuławy Wiślane. Remaining ships of the Commonwealth fleet were transferred to Sweden. The Swedes only failure was their inability to capture the important port of Danzig. Gustav Adolf’s biographer, Harte, noted that the king was furious "that a pacific commercial rabble should beat a set of illustrious fellows, who made fighting their profession". Nonetheless, Swedes now controlled almost all Baltic ports, with the exception of Danzig, Putzig Pautzke, Königsberg
and Liepāja
(Libau). This would be the closest Sweden ever got to realising its goal of making the Baltic Sea 'Sweden's inner lake'. After the treaty, Sweden used their prizes and money as a starting point in their entry into the Thirty Years' War
and begun the invasion of northern Germany.
The Treaty of Altmark would be revised in Commonwealth favour in 1635 (Treaty of Sztumska Wieś
or Treaty of Stuhmsdorf), when Sweden, with the death of the king Gustav Adolph in 1632, was weakened by their losses in the Thirty Years' War
, would retreat from some Baltic ports and quit collecting the 3.5% tax.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
fought in the 17th century. It began in 1626 and ended four years later with the Truce of Altmark
Truce of Altmark
The six-year Truce of Altmark was signed on 25 September 1629 at the Altmark , near Danzig by Sweden and Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth during Thirty Years' War, ending the Polish–Swedish War ....
and later at Stuhmsdorf with the Treaty of Stuhmsdorf.
1626
The first encounter in this war would be near WallhofBattle of Wallhof
Battle of Wallhof , was a battle fought between Sweden and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in which a Swedish force of 4,900 men with 6 guns under Gustavus II Adolphus ambushed and took by surprise a Polish-Lithuanian force of 2,000 men with 3 guns under Jan Stanisław Sapieha, Polish-Lithuanian...
, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, where a Swedish force of 4,900 men under Gustavus II Adolphus ambushed and took by surprise a Polish-Lithuanian force of 2,000 men under Jan Stanisław Sapieha, Polish-Lithuanian casualties amounted to between 500 and 1000 dead, wounded or captured and their commander collapsed from a mental illness after this defeat.
In May 1626 Gustav Adolf began the surprising invasion of Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
. Gustav's fleet (over 125 ships) landed in Ducal Prussia near Piława (Pillau) with over 8,000 soldiers (including 1,000 cavalry) came as a surprise to the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and despite his relatively small forces, Gustav Adolf acting with the support of the neutral Duchy of Prussia, under the duke and Elector of Brandenburg, quickly captured - usually without fighting - 16 of the coastal Prussian towns, who opened their gates to the Lutheran forces, who were fighting against the Catholic forces of the Counter-Reformation
Counter-Reformation
The Counter-Reformation was the period of Catholic revival beginning with the Council of Trent and ending at the close of the Thirty Years' War, 1648 as a response to the Protestant Reformation.The Counter-Reformation was a comprehensive effort, composed of four major elements:#Ecclesiastical or...
. Gustav Adolph did not manage to capture the largest prize: the city of Danzig (Gdańsk
Gdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...
), which as a Hansa
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 was self-reliant and kept its own military and fleet. Gustav Adolf wanted to prepare his army for another attack on Danzig, and he increased his forces to over 22,000. The Commonwealth received no support from its vassal
Vassal
A vassal or feudatory is a person who has entered into a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. The obligations often included military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain privileges, usually including the grant of land held...
, Ducal Prussia. Near the town of Gniew
Gniew
Gniew is a town situated on the left bank of the Vistula River, in the Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland. It is located at around .-History:The first recorded mentions of Gniew appear in written documents from the first half of the 13th century, one of which refers to the region as Terra Gymeu...
in a battle on the 22-30 September 1626 Gustav with 8150 infantry, 1750 cavalry and 74 cannons managed to stop an attacking Polish army of 11,000 men led by King Sigismund. Sigismund withdrew and called for reinforcements from other parts of the country.
Hetman Stanisław Koniecpolski's forces (4,200 light cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
, 1,000 dragoon
Dragoon
The word dragoon originally meant mounted infantry, who were trained in horse riding as well as infantry fighting skills. However, usage altered over time and during the 18th century, dragoons evolved into conventional light cavalry units and personnel...
s, 1,000 infantry) moved to Prussia with amazing speed. Strengthened by other units, he had 10,000 men against over 20,000-strong Swedish force. Using the tactic of maneuver warfare
Maneuver warfare
Maneuver warfare, or manoeuvre warfare , is the term used by military theorists for a concept of warfare that advocates attempting to defeat an adversary by incapacitating their decision-making through shock and disruption brought about by movement...
, with small mobile units striking at the enemy's communication lines and smaller units, he managed to stop the Swedish attack and force the units under Axel Oxenstierna
Axel Oxenstierna
Axel Gustafsson Oxenstierna af Södermöre , Count of Södermöre, was a Swedish statesman. He became a member of the Swedish Privy Council in 1609 and served as Lord High Chancellor of Sweden from 1612 until his death. He was a confidant of first Gustavus Adolphus and then Queen Christina.Oxenstierna...
, who also attempted to avoid battles with an overwhelming concentrated forces of Koniecpolski, into a defense. For a short time the war became a stalemate.
In the meantime, 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 ....
(Commonwealth Parliament) agreed to raise money for the war, but the situation of the Polish forces was difficult. Lithuanian forces were dealt a serious defeat in December of 1626 near Kokenhusen in Livonia and retreated behind the Dvina river. The Swedes planned to strike Koniecpolski from two directions — Oxenstierna from direction of the Vistula
Vistula
The Vistula is the longest and the most important river in Poland, at 1,047 km in length. The watershed area of the Vistula is , of which lies within Poland ....
and Johann Streiff von Lauenstein and Maximilian Teuffel from Swedish held 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 flooding of the Vistula disrupted their plans and allowed Koniecploski to intercept the enemy units coming from neighboring Pomerania.
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...
) on 2 April. During the crossing of the Vistula near Käsemark, Danziger Niederung (delta) Kieżmark
Kiezmark
Kiezmark is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Cedry Wielkie, within Gdańsk County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland...
, in the vicinity of Danzig (Gdańsk
Gdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...
), Gustav met the Polish forces and in the ensuing battle was wounded in the hip and forced to retreat. In July he led forces to lift the siege of Braunsberg (now Braniewo
Braniewo
Braniewo is a town in northeastern Poland, in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, with a population of 18,068 . It is the capital of Braniewo County...
), and lay siege to Wormditt (now Orneta
Orneta
Orneta is a town in northern Poland, in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, with a population of 9,859 .- History :Wormditt, a village of Old Prussians, was first mentioned in 1308...
). Koniecpolski responded with the sudden attack and capture of Gniew. Gustav Adolf was reported to be impressed by the speed of Koniecpolski's reaction. With about 7,800 men (including 2,500 cavalry and hussar
Hussar
Hussar refers to a number of types of light cavalry which originated in Hungary in the 14th century, tracing its roots from Serbian medieval cavalry tradition, brought to Hungary in the course of the Serb migrations, which began in the late 14th century....
s), Koniecpolski tried to stop the Swedish army from reaching Danzig near Dirschau (Gdansk, near Tczew
Tczew
Tczew is a town on the Vistula River in Eastern Pomerania, Kociewie, northern Poland with 60,279 inhabitants . It is an important railway junction with a classification yard dating to the Prussian Eastern Railway...
). On 7–8 August (or 18 September, sources vary), battle with the Swedish forces (10,000 men including 5,000 infantry) took place near the swamp
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
s of the river Mottlau (Motława). The Swedes wanted to provoke the Poles into an attack and then destroy them with infantry fire and artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
, but Koniecpolski decided not to attack. The Swedes then took the initiative and attacked with cavalry, but did not manage to draw the Poles within the range of their fire. The consequent Swedish attacks managed to deal severe damage to Polish cavalry units, but did not manage to cripple the army (whose morale was kept high, thanks to Koniecpolski). The battle ended when Gustav Adolf was once again wounded and the Swedes retreated.
After the battle, Koniecpolski saw the need to reform the army and strengthen the firepower of infantry and artillery to match the Swedish units. The Swedes, on the other hand, learned arts of cavalry attacks, charges and melee combat from the Poles.
1627
In March or April (dates vary) of 1627 near CzarneCzarne
Czarne is a town in Człuchów County of Pomeranian Voivodeship in northern Poland. Population: 6,053 .-History:The town was founded on the territories that were formerly part of the Kingdom of Poland. They were acquired by the Monastic State of the Teutonic Order in 1308. Konrad von Jungingen...
(Hamersztyn) Koniecpolski (with 2,150 hussars, 3,290 Cossack cavalry, 2,515 western infantry, 1,620 Polish infantry, 1,265 dragoons and 2,000 Zaporozhian Cossacks) forced the Swedish forces to retreat inside the city, and three days later to surrender, leaving behind their banners and insignia. Some Swedish soldiers and mercenaries changed sides at that time. This victory also convinced the Elector
Prince-elector
The Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Roman king or, from the middle of the 16th century onwards, directly the Holy Roman Emperor.The heir-apparent to a prince-elector was known as an...
of Brandenburg
Brandenburg
Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
to declare his support for the Commonwealth, and the Lithuanian forces resumed the offensive in Inflanty.
Koniecpolski's insistence of taking the war to the seas resulted in gathering aid to charter a tiny and untested Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Navy of 9 ships to the defeat of a Swedish flotilla
Flotilla
A flotilla , or naval flotilla, is a formation of small warships that may be part of a larger fleet. A flotilla is usually composed of a homogeneous group of the same class of warship, such as frigates, destroyers, torpedo boats, submarines, gunboats, or minesweepers...
on 28 November 1627 (or 17 November, dates vary), at the battle of Oliwa
Battle of Oliwa
The naval Battle of Oliva, also Battle of Oliwa or Battle of Gdańsk Roadstead, took place on 28 November 1627 during the Polish-Swedish War outside Danzig harbour near Oliva , a village outside of Danzig...
near Oliva-Danzig.
1628
In 1628 the Polish forces, lacking funding, were forced to stop their offensive and switch to defense. Gustav Adolf captured Nowy and BrodnicaBrodnica
Brodnica is a town in northern Poland with 27,400 inhabitants . Previously part of Toruń Voivodeship [a province], from 1975 to 1998, Brodnica has been situated in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship since 1999...
. Koniecpolski counterattacked by using his small forces most efficiently — fast cavalry melee attacks combined with the supporting fire of infantry and artillery, and using fortifications and terrain advantage. By that time the war had become a war of maneuver with neither side willing to face the other without advantages of terrain or fortifications.
1629
On 2 February, Poland suffered a defeat at GórznoGórzno
Górzno is a town in Brodnica County, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland, with 1,369 inhabitants ....
(or Gurzno), where a Swedish army of 8,000 men encountered a Polish army of 3,000 men under the command of Stanisław Potocki. Sweden lost 30 dead and 60 wounded, while Poland suffered 700 dead or wounded and 600 captured.
The Sejm decided to increase the funds for the war after the battle of Górzno
Górzno
Górzno is a town in Brodnica County, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland, with 1,369 inhabitants ....
. The Imperial Catholic Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
sent help to the Commonwealth in the form of units under field marshal
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
Hans Georg von Arnim-Boitzenburg
Hans Georg von Arnim-Boitzenburg
Johann or Hans Georg von Arnim-Boitzenburg was a Field Marshal of Holy Roman Empire and the Electorate of Saxony, diplomat, and politician.Arnim was born in Boitzenburger Land, Brandenburg...
and Ernst Georg Sparr. An imperial corps under Albrecht von Wallenstein
Albrecht von Wallenstein
Albrecht Wenzel Eusebius von Wallenstein , actually von Waldstein, was a Bohemian soldier and politician, who offered his services, and an army of 30,000 to 100,000 men during the Danish period of the Thirty Years' War , to the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II...
also cooperated in 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...
with Koniecpolski in 1629. Nonetheless, Koniecpolski was forced to withdraw Commonwealth forces from many strategic Polish strongholds he had set up in Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
.
In time, hetman Koniecpolski managed to recapture Putzig Pautzke (now 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...
). Another battle took place on 17 June 1629 at Honigfeld(t) or Honigfelde near Stuhm/Sztum (by Polish writers described as Trzciana
Battle of Trzciana
The Battle of Trzciana, , which took place in June 1629 was one of many battles of the Polish-Swedish War...
(or Trzcianka). The Swedes attacked in the direction of Graudenz (Grudziądz), were stopped, and retreated to Stuhm (Sztum
Sztum
Sztum is a town in northern Poland, located in the Pomeranian Voivodeship. It is the capital of Sztum County, with some 10,141 inhabitants .-History:...
) and Marienburg (Malbork
Malbork
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...
). Koniecpolski attacked the rear guard led by Johann Wilhelm von Salm, count of Rhine and the Wilds, and destroyed it. He also repelled a counterattack by Swedish raitars, who were pushed in the direction of Pułkowice
Pulkowice
Pułkowice is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Ryjewo, within Kwidzyn County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It lies approximately east of Ryjewo, north-east of Kwidzyn, and south-east of the regional capital Gdańsk....
, where another counterattack was led by Gustav Adolf with 2,000 cavalrymen. This counterattack was also stopped, and the Swedish forces were saved by the last reserve units led by field marshal Herman Wrangel
Herman Wrangel
Herman Wrangel was a Swedish soldier and politician of Baltic German extraction. He was appointed Field Marshal in 1621, Privy Councillor in 1630, and Governor General of Livonia in 1643...
, who finally managed to stop the Polish attack. Swedish losses were heavy, especially in the cavalry regiments. Gustav Adolf said after the battle "I have never been in such a bath". 600 Swedes were killed, including the count Johann Wilhelm and the son of Wrangel, and 400 - 500 were captured, as well as 10 artillery guns and 15 Swedish banners. Polish losses were under 200 killed and injured.
Outcome
The stalemate at Honigfeld was still not followed by Sigismund III giving in to a truce, who wanted to sign a truce only under the condition of Gustav Adolph denouncing the crown of Sweden. Sigismund III never gave up, trying to regain the Swedish crown and his son Wladislaw IV continued it. Despite all of Koniecpolski's brilliant efforts, a ceasefire in Stary TargStary Targ
Stary Targ is a village in Sztum County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Stary Targ. It lies approximately east of Sztum and south-east of the regional capital Gdańsk...
(Truce of Altmark
Truce of Altmark
The six-year Truce of Altmark was signed on 25 September 1629 at the Altmark , near Danzig by Sweden and Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth during Thirty Years' War, ending the Polish–Swedish War ....
) on 26 October 1629 was in favour of the Swedes, to whom Poland ceded the larger part of Livonia
Livonia
Livonia is a historic region along the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. It was once the land of the Finnic Livonians inhabiting the principal ancient Livonian County Metsepole with its center at Turaida...
with the important port of Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
. Swedes also got the right to tax Polish trade moved through the Baltic (3.5% on the value of goods), kept control of many cities in Royal and Ducal Prussia
Ducal Prussia
The Duchy of Prussia or Ducal Prussia was a duchy in the eastern part of Prussia from 1525–1701. It was the first Protestant duchy with a dominant German-speaking population, as well as Polish and Lithuanian minorities...
(including Piława (Pillau), Memel
Klaipeda
Klaipėda is a city in Lithuania situated at the mouth of the Nemunas River where it flows into the Baltic Sea. It is the third largest city in Lithuania and the capital of Klaipėda County....
and 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...
(Elbing)) and for the time were generally recognized as the dominant power on the southern Baltic Sea coast. It was failure of Polish diplomacy, not the army's. The Duchy of Prussia was compensated for its losses (occupation of some cities by Swedes) by Commonwealth, with the temporary (until 1634) transfer of Marienburg, Stuhm and Żuławy Wiślane. Remaining ships of the Commonwealth fleet were transferred to Sweden. The Swedes only failure was their inability to capture the important port of Danzig. Gustav Adolf’s biographer, Harte, noted that the king was furious "that a pacific commercial rabble should beat a set of illustrious fellows, who made fighting their profession". Nonetheless, Swedes now controlled almost all Baltic ports, with the exception of Danzig, Putzig Pautzke, Königsberg
Königsberg
Königsberg was the capital of East Prussia from the Late Middle Ages until 1945 as well as the northernmost and easternmost German city with 286,666 inhabitants . Due to the multicultural society in and around the city, there are several local names for it...
and Liepāja
Liepaja
Liepāja ; ), is a republican city in western Latvia, located on the Baltic Sea directly at 21°E. It is the largest city in the Kurzeme Region of Latvia, the third largest city in Latvia after Riga and Daugavpils and an important ice-free port...
(Libau). This would be the closest Sweden ever got to realising its goal of making the Baltic Sea 'Sweden's inner lake'. After the treaty, Sweden used their prizes and money as a starting point in their entry into the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
and begun the invasion of northern Germany.
The Treaty of Altmark would be revised in Commonwealth favour in 1635 (Treaty of Sztumska Wieś
Treaty of Sztumska Wies
The Treaty of Stuhmsdorf or Sztumska Wieś was a treaty signed on 12 September 1635 between the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and Sweden in the village of Stuhmsdorf , Royal Prussia, just south of Stuhm ....
or Treaty of Stuhmsdorf), when Sweden, with the death of the king Gustav Adolph in 1632, was weakened by their losses in the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
, would retreat from some Baltic ports and quit collecting the 3.5% tax.