Poland: Her heroes and her traitors

What about Bogusław Radziwiłł? Was he anything like Sienkiewicz's portrayal of him in The Deluge? With a super effeminate powdered head attached to a herculean body his incongrousness made him the quintessential Baroque villian in my opinion.

Together with his cousin Janusz Radziwiłł in 1654 during The Deluge, or Swedish invasion of Poland, Bogusław Radziwiłł began negotiations with King Charles X Gustav of Sweden aimed at breaking the Commonwealth and the Polish-Lithuanian union.

Another lie by you Pawian (you're quoting text with intent here) both Bogusław and Radziwill defended polish interests in multiple wars and battles.

Reading his "Autobiografia" carefully, we see that Bogusław created it not only to clear himself in eyes of the Polish society from the charge of treason and from his service to the foreign powers but also to justify his right to the Hetman Mace - not because the merits of his or of his ancestors but because of his personal skills and great military experience.

This is why he devoted so much space in this little book to the military ranks he received and the military campaigns he conducted. Even the general concept of himself, presenting himself above all as a fearless knight, even duelling with lower classes, was clearly associated with the desire to demonstrate his rights to the Mace.

Anno 1656. On January 2, I followed the King of Sweden to Konigsberg, where soon afterwards a treaty was signed between the Elector and the Swedes. I then learned about death of my cousin [Janusz] (I was in Bartensztein then), so I hurried as quickly as I could to see to his body, but nearing Kamieniec Mazowiecki I learned that young JM Pan Sapieha besieged Tykocin. Collecting as many people as I could I went to the rescue of Tykocin - wishing to liberate the body of the deceased prince, which they wanted to mutilate. I also took revenge on Korotkiewicz, who had incited my soldiers to mutiny at Zaszków, cutting down his regiment at Choroszcza , so he barely escaped with his life. From there, going towards Warsaw and learning that a Sapieha's banner was readying to attack me I overtook them and cut all of them down.

I joined the King of Sweden, who was returning from Zamość, near Warsaw on the second day of Easter. Together we were moving around for few weeks towards Bydgoszcz and across the Great Poland until we finally came into Toruń, from where he cruised to Elbląg to meet the Swedish Queen his wife. I also welcomed her but shortly afterwards we went to Gdańsk, and after taking Głowa, the Swedish king took two more forts, which city badly needed.

At that time, the luck of Swedish king was cut short because JM King of Poland took Warsaw back, and where I lost much of my things and belongings. King of Sweden was perturbed of this news fearing for life of his brother Adolf and General Wrangel, who were staying at Nowy Dwór with very few people only. […] So he moved there himself and sent me with an army of 3000 selected soldiers to rescue Tykocin, besieged by "pospolite ruszenie". Thanks to the Lord I liberated the place and removed from it the most expensive belongings of mine. I came back to the King of Sweden the same day, when the armed union with the Elector was established.

I saw some websites that tried to soften Bogusław Radziwiłł's image somehow. I suspect that his own "Autobiografia" has a lot to offer, even though he tries to show himself there in the best possible light. For your convenience I translated few paragraphs below.

I saw some websites that tried to soften Bogusław Radziwiłł's image somehow

Sokrates: Another lie by you Pawian (you're quoting text with intent here) both Bogusław and Radziwill defended polish interests in multiple wars and battles.

Only when it suited them. They betrayed the Commonwealth when it suited them, too.

During the Swedish invasion of 1655 ("The Deluge"), he was committed by a chapter of the Sejm to defend the province of Greater Poland, but instead Bogusław began to negotiate with the Swedes and the Prussian elector.

Although considered a great speaker, he was also criticised by many for being selfish and dishonorable. He was suspected of defalcation of money and royal jewels. A telling story is that when he was offered a Chancellor's post, he bribed the members of the parliament to grant him "absolution", and when one of them later opposed him, he asked, curious: "Who's this son of a b1tch that I failed to pay off?"

During the Swedish invasion (The Deluge) Krzysztof Opaliński and Bogusław Leszczyński tasked with defence of Greater Poland (Wielkopolska), dissatisfied with policies of Jan Kazimierz, decided to surrender together with their pospolite ruszenie of Great Poland to Charles Gustav at Ujście on 25 July 1655.

Yes, ideal situations are rare, but that was the protocol to be followed.

more, please :)

Can you imagine it? A man sentencing his brother to death?

I would like to know what percentage of the Gorale population these 300 constituted.

=Des Essientes]Also do you have a list of their surnames, and if so would you be so kind as to post it?

oops.... I am not a god, come on....

It's just as well. I wanted to see if any of my family surnames appeared in the list of 300 traitors and I'd have been mortified if any did.

any of my family surnames appeared in the list of 300 traitors and I'd have been mortified if any did.

Pol3The Interia news portal asked more than 10,000 Poles who they were proud of. Do the results surprise you?

Do the results surprise you?

Each true Pole, not blinded by the Prussian and royalist cabal, is convinced, that our Fatherland can only be saved by Russia, otherwise our nation will be enslaved".

"About past Poland and Poles [I don't want to talk anymore]. Gone is this country, and this name, as many others have perished in the world's history. I am now a Russian forever."

A fascinating conversion at the risk of life.

Wow