PINYL #11: 'Honesty & Intrigue'

[PATRONS]

Put the Bismarck Party on hold and check out the latest installment of PINYL today!

In our latest episode of Poland Is Not Yet Lost, we see what happened as the Turks confronted the Russians along the River Pruth. With the Turkish Grand Vizier holding all the cards, with his guns pointed literally at the heart of Russia’s government, how could Tsar Peter hope to survive the ordeal with his regime intact? The odds had been stacked against him even before his nemesis, King Charles XII of Sweden, arrived in the Turkish camp, after riding non-stop for 17 hours. Once Charles arrived though, he found circumstances had moved outside of his control – vengeance, in spite of all the ingredients being perfectly aligned – would not in fact be his. 

This is perhaps a spoiler, but what is not a spoiler is how Tsar Peter worked to improve and reinforce Russia’s position over 1711-1713. By 1711, in fact, Sweden was looking very tasty to its rivals and neighbours, for all the wrong reasons. It seemed like there was now a perfect chance to take from Sweden what the Swedes no longer appeared able to defend. By chipping pieces off of Sweden’s young empire, Britons, Danes, Russians, Saxons, Poles and many others could hope to benefit. Undoubtedly though, it was the Tsar who held the strongest position, and this was true in the war with the Swedes, as much as it was true in Poland itself.

Ah yes, Poland – the actual topic of this series, in case my side-tracking had made you forget it! King Augustus II of Poland – newly installed by his Russian friend by 1710 – plainly had to depend upon that Russian friend for aid. By now, it had become clear that the Commonwealth was being pulled in several directions. To the east, along the Russian border, powerful magnates had been persuaded to see the necessity of the Russian friendship, and many had taken bribes. Across the Commonwealth itself, Russian soldiers moved with impunity, and even if he had wanted to, Augustus lacked the means to defend his shattered and exhausted adopted homeland from these soldiers. It was a good thing that he and the Tsar were firm friends, but what happened when a supreme Tsar thirsted for more from his disadvantaged, prostrate neighbour? Who could hope to defend Poland then? As it happened, the answer was as tragic as it was predictable, and the foundations for this supplication were laid during these eventful years…