The Oxford History of Poland-Lithuania

The Oxford History of Poland-Lithuania PDF Author: Robert I. Frost
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198208693
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 593

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Book Description
The history of eastern European is dominated by the story of the rise of the Russian empire, yet Russia only emerged as a major power after 1700. For 300 years the greatest power in Eastern Europe was the union between the kingdom of Poland and the grand duchy of Lithuania, one of the longest-lasting political unions in European history. Yet because it ended in the late-eighteenth century in what are misleadingly termed the Partitions of Poland, it barely features in standard accounts of European history. The Making of the Polish-Lithuanian Union 1385-1569 tells the story of the formation of a consensual, decentralised, multinational, and religiously plural state built from below as much as above, that was founded by peaceful negotiation, not war and conquest. From its inception in 1385-6, a vision of political union was developed that proved attractive to Poles, Lithuanians, Ruthenians, and Germans, a union which was extended to include Prussia in the 1450s and Livonia in the 1560s. Despite the often bitter disagreements over the nature of the union, these were nevertheless overcome by a republican vision of a union of peoples in one political community of citizens under an elected monarch. Robert Frost challenges interpretations of the union informed by the idea that the emergence of the sovereign nation state represents the essence of political modernity, and presents the Polish-Lithuanian union as a case study of a composite state. The modern history of Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine, and Belarus cannot be understood without an understanding of the legacy of the Polish-Lithuanian union. This volume is the first detailed study of the making of that union ever published in English.

The Oxford History of Poland-Lithuania

The Oxford History of Poland-Lithuania PDF Author: Robert I. Frost
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198208693
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 593

Get Book Here

Book Description
The history of eastern European is dominated by the story of the rise of the Russian empire, yet Russia only emerged as a major power after 1700. For 300 years the greatest power in Eastern Europe was the union between the kingdom of Poland and the grand duchy of Lithuania, one of the longest-lasting political unions in European history. Yet because it ended in the late-eighteenth century in what are misleadingly termed the Partitions of Poland, it barely features in standard accounts of European history. The Making of the Polish-Lithuanian Union 1385-1569 tells the story of the formation of a consensual, decentralised, multinational, and religiously plural state built from below as much as above, that was founded by peaceful negotiation, not war and conquest. From its inception in 1385-6, a vision of political union was developed that proved attractive to Poles, Lithuanians, Ruthenians, and Germans, a union which was extended to include Prussia in the 1450s and Livonia in the 1560s. Despite the often bitter disagreements over the nature of the union, these were nevertheless overcome by a republican vision of a union of peoples in one political community of citizens under an elected monarch. Robert Frost challenges interpretations of the union informed by the idea that the emergence of the sovereign nation state represents the essence of political modernity, and presents the Polish-Lithuanian union as a case study of a composite state. The modern history of Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine, and Belarus cannot be understood without an understanding of the legacy of the Polish-Lithuanian union. This volume is the first detailed study of the making of that union ever published in English.

The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, 1733-1795

The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, 1733-1795 PDF Author: Richard Butterwick
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 030025220X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 506

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Book Description
A major new assessment of the "vanished kingdom" of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth--one which recognizes its achievements before its destruction Richard Butterwick tells the compelling story of the last decades of one of Europe's largest and least understood polities: the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Drawing on the latest research, Butterwick vividly portrays the turbulence the Commonwealth experienced. Far from seeing it as a failed state, he shows the ways in which it overcame the stranglehold of Russia and briefly regained its sovereignty, the crowning success of which took place on 3 May 1791--the passing of the first Constitution of modern Europe.

Lithuania Ascending

Lithuania Ascending PDF Author: S. C. Rowell
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107658764
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 417

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Book Description
This book, first published in 1994, studies the rise of a pagan state in late medieval Christendom against a background of crises in Europe.

The Reconstruction of Nations

The Reconstruction of Nations PDF Author: Timothy Snyder
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 9780300105865
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 388

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Book Description
Yet he begins with the principles of toleration that prevailed in much of early modern eastern Europe and concludes with the peaceful resolution of national tensions in the region since 1989.".

God's Playground A History of Poland

God's Playground A History of Poland PDF Author: Norman Davies
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 9780199253395
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 502

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Book Description
This new edition of Norman Davies's classic study of the history of Poland has been revised and fully updated with two new chapters to bring the story to the end of the twentieth century. The writing of Polish history, like Poland itself, has frequently fallen prey to interested parties. Professor Norman Davies adopts a sceptical stance towards all existing interpretations and attempts to bring a strong dose of common sense to his theme. He presents the most comprehensive survey in English of this frequently maligned and usually misunderstood country.

Elective Monarchy in Transylvania and Poland-Lithuania, 1569-1587

Elective Monarchy in Transylvania and Poland-Lithuania, 1569-1587 PDF Author: Felicia Rosu
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0192506447
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 365

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Book Description
This book is an examination of why and how the elective principle, already established in Transylvanian and Polish political culture in the late medieval period, was transformed in the early elections of the 1570s. In this period, the two polities adopted constitutional arrangements different in depth and scope but based on the same fundamental principles: elective thrones, state-sanctioned religious pluralism, and constitutional guarantees for the right of disobedience. There were important variations in their regulation and application, but Transylvania and the newly created Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth had one essential thing in common: they were the only two polities in early modern Europe whose political systems secured the succession of their rulers through large-scale elections in which the dynastic principle, although still important, was not binding.

God's Playground: 1795 to the present

God's Playground: 1795 to the present PDF Author: Norman Davies
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780231053532
Category : Poland
Languages : en
Pages : 725

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Book Description


The Polish-Lithuanian Monarchy in European Context, C.1500-1795

The Polish-Lithuanian Monarchy in European Context, C.1500-1795 PDF Author: R. Butterwick
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
ISBN: 9781349416189
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 249

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Book Description
The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is often considered an 'aberration' where monarchy was reduced by the nobility to impotence, and which was consequently partitioned. However, historians' reappraisal of monarchy in early modern Europe calls for a reconsideration of the extent of Polish-Lithuanian 'divergence'. The essays of this collection assess the institution and idea of monarchy in one of Europe's largest and most neglected states. It will appeal to all those interested in early modern history.

Citizenship and Identity in a Multinational Commonwealth

Citizenship and Identity in a Multinational Commonwealth PDF Author: Karin Friedrich
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004169830
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 340

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Book Description
This work is an attempt to change thinking not only on the political practice and the role of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in a European context (both East and West), but to also connect the early modern past with present notions of citizenship and participatory political systems.

The Last Years of the Teutonic Knights

The Last Years of the Teutonic Knights PDF Author: William Urban
Publisher: Greenhill Books
ISBN: 1784383589
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 455

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Book Description
“The most comprehensive account available of the final years of the crusading military order” from the acclaimed author of Medieval Mercenaries (Baltische Historiche Kommission). The Battle of Grunwald was one of the largest battles in Medieval Europe and was the most important in the histories of Poland and Lithuania. It was fought on 15 July 1410 during the Polish-Lithuania-Teutonic War between the alliance of the Kingdom of Poland (led by King Jagiello) and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (led by Grand Duke Vytautas) against the German-Prussian Teutonic Knights (led by Grand Master Ulrich von Jungingen) and with the assistance of Sigismund, then King of Hungary and Croatia. The Teutonic Knights, a crusading military order, were defeated and most of their leaders were killed or taken prisoner. This defeat would mark the beginning of their decline and they would never again regain their former power. Following the battle, the balance of power shifted in Central and Eastern Europe and so came the rise of the Polish-Lithuanian union as the dominant political and military force. In this compelling account the action takes place in Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Russia and Germany. There are bloody battles; fascinating characters; intrigue; betrayals; sex; unexpected twists of fate; religious heresy and a smattering of saints. There is also the monumental end of one era making way for the beginning of another. While there has long been interest on the crusades outside of the Holy Land, this book is unique in the sheer breadth and depth of its research. “A must-read for those seeking scholarly work on this pivotal period of European history.” —Journal of Military History