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Polish Statehood  |
The Duchy of Warsaw (Polish: Księstwo Warszawskie; French: Duché de Varsovie; German: Herzogtum Warschau; Russian: Варшавское герцогство) was a Polish state established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1807 from the Polish lands ceded by the Kingdom of Prussia under the terms of the Treaties of Tilsit. The Kingdom of Poland ( pol Królestwo Polskie, lat Regnum Poloniae, ukr The Kingdom of Poland of the Jagiellons was the Polish state created by the accession of Wladislaus II Jagiełło, Grand Duke of Lithuania, to The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, officially the Commonwealth of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania also known as the Most Serene Republic The Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the The Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria official (Königreich Galizien und Lodomerien mit dem Großherzogtum Krakau und den Herzogtümern Auschwitz und Zator official Congress Poland Kongresówka, officially and formally Kingdom of Poland (Królestwo Polskie {{IPA-pl|'|p|o|l|s|kʲ|e}} Царство Польское Tsarstvo Polskoye The Free Independent and Strictly Neutral City of Kraków (Cracow with its Territory The Grand Duchy of Posen (Großherzogtum Posen Wielkie Księstwo Poznańskie was an autonomous province of the Kingdom of Prussia in the Polish lands commonly known as " For the Grand Duke overlord of the Polanes during fragmentation of Poland see Duke of Cracow (1138 - 1320 The Grand Duchy of Cracow (Großherzogtum The Second Polish Republic or interwar Poland is the Republic of Poland between World War I and World War II. Polish Underground State (Polskie Państwo Podziemne also known as Polish Secret State) refers to all underground resistance organizations in Poland during The People's Republic of Poland or Polish People's Republic ( Polish: Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa, PRL Russian Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. The Kingdom of Prussia (Königreich Preußen was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918 and from 1871 was the leading state of the German Empire, comprising The Treaties of Tilsit were two agreements signed by Napoleon I of France in the aftermath of his victory at Friedland in the town of Tilsit The duchy was held in personal union by one of Napoleon's allies, King Frederick Augustus I of Saxony. For the king of Poland see Augustus I of Poland Frederick Augustus I (full name Frederick Augustus Joseph Maria Anton Johann Nepomuk Aloys Xavier) (Friedrich The Kingdom of Saxony (Königreich Sachsen lasting between 1806 and 1918 was an independent member of a number of historical confederacies in Napoleonic through post-Napoleonic Following Napoleon's failed invasion of Russia, the duchy was occupied by Prussian and Russian troops until 1815, when it was formally partitioned between the two countries at the Congress of Vienna. The French invasion of Russia in 1812 was a turning point in the Napoleonic Wars. The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of the major powers of Europe, chaired by the Austrian statesman Clemens Wenzel von Metternich
The duchy is often referred to, incorrectly, as the Grand Duchy of Warsaw.
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Formation of the duchy
The area of the duchy had already been liberated by a popular uprising that had escalated from anti-conscription rioting in 1806. One of the first tasks for the new government included providing food to the French army fighting the Russians in East Prussia. East Prussia (Ostpreußen; Rytų Prūsija or Rytprūsiai; Prusy Wschodnie Восточная Пруссия or Vostochnaya Prussiya) refers to the main part
The Duchy of Warsaw was officially created by Napoleon Bonaparte, as part of the Treaty of Tilsit with Prussia. Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. The Treaties of Tilsit were two agreements signed by Napoleon I of France in the aftermath of his victory at Friedland in the town of Tilsit The Kingdom of Prussia (Königreich Preußen was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918 and from 1871 was the leading state of the German Empire, comprising Its creation met the support of both local republicans in partitioned Poland, and the large Polish diaspora in France, who openly supported Napoleon as the only man capable of restoring Polish sovereignty after the Partitions of Poland of late 18th century. The Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the Although it was created as a satellite state (and was only a duchy, rather than a kingdom), it was commonly hoped and believed that with time the nation would be able to regain its former status, not to mention its former borders. Satellite state is a political term that refers to a country which is formally independent but under heavy influence or control by another country A duchy is a territory fief, or domain ruled by a Duke or Duchess. A monarchy is a Form of government in which supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in an individual who is the Head of state, often for life or
The newly (re)created state was formally an independent duchy, allied to France, and in a personal union with the Kingdom of Saxony. The Empire of the French (1804-1814 also known as the Empire of France, Greater French Empire, First French Empire, French Empire, or A personal union is the combination by which two different States are governed by the same Monarch, while their boundaries their laws and their interests remain distinct The Kingdom of Saxony (Königreich Sachsen lasting between 1806 and 1918 was an independent member of a number of historical confederacies in Napoleonic through post-Napoleonic King Frederick Augustus I of Saxony was compelled by Napoleon to make his new realm a constitutional monarchy, with a parliament (the Sejm). For the king of Poland see Augustus I of Poland Frederick Augustus I (full name Frederick Augustus Joseph Maria Anton Johann Nepomuk Aloys Xavier) (Friedrich A constitutional monarchy, or a limited monarchy, is a form of Constitutional Government, wherein either an elected or hereditary Monarch is However, the duchy was never allowed to develop as a truly independent state; Frederick Augustus' rule was subordinated to the requirements of the French raison d'état, who largely treated the state as a source of resources. This article is about the generic foreign affairs term See The National Interest for the political journal The most important person in the duchy was in fact the French ambassador, based in the duchy's capital, Warsaw. Significantly, the duchy lacked its own diplomatic representation abroad.
In 1809, a short war with Austria started. For the history of these states before 1804 see Holy Roman Empire, Habsburg Monarchy, and articles on each of the component countries. Although the Battle of Raszyn was won, Austrian troops entered Warsaw, but Duchy and French forces then outflanked their enemy and captured Cracow, Lwów and much of the areas annexed by Austria in the Partitions of Poland. The first Battle of Raszyn was fought on April 19, 1809 between armies of the Austrian Empire and the Duchy of Warsaw as a part of the War Kraków, in English also spelled Krakow or Cracow (ˈkrækaʊ M-W: krăk'ou krāk'ō is one of the largest and oldest cities in Poland Lviv ( Ukrainian: Львів, L’viv, Lwów Lemberg Львов L'vov; see also other names) is a major city in western The Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the The ensuing Treaty of Schönbrunn allowed for a significant expansion of its territory southwards with the regaining of once-Polish and Lithuanian lands. The Treaty of Schönbrunn (Traité de Schönbrunn Friede von Schönbrunn sometimes known as the Treaty of Vienna, was signed between France and Austria
Geography and demographics
According to the Treaties of Tilsit, the area of the duchy covered roughly the areas of the 2nd and 3rd Prussian partitions, with the exception of Danzig (Gdańsk), which was made into the Free City of Danzig under joint French and Saxon "protection", and the district around Białystok, which was given to Russia. The Treaties of Tilsit were two agreements signed by Napoleon I of France in the aftermath of his victory at Friedland in the town of Tilsit The Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the Gdańsk ( Polish pronunciation; 'Danzig', Gduńsk Gedania Dantiscum is the City at the centre of the fourth-largest Metropolitan area in Poland The Free City of Danzig, sometimes referred to as the Republic of Danzig, was a semi-independent state established by Napoleon on September 9, Białystok Lublin Voivodeship Białystok (also known by alternative names) is the largest City in northeastern Poland. The Prussian territory was made up of territory from the former Prussian provinces of New East Prussia, Southern Prussia, New Silesia, and West Prussia. New East Prussia (Neuostpreußen Prusy Nowowschodnie was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1795 to 1807 South Prussia (Südpreußen Prusy Południowe was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1793 to 1807 New Silesia may also refer to the Barossa Valley in Australia West Prussia ( Prusy Zachodnie was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1773&ndash1824 and 1878&ndash1918 which was created out of the earlier Polish In addition, the new state was given the area along the Noteć river and the Land of Chełmno. The Noteć ( German: Netze, Latin: Natissis) is a River in central Poland with a length of 388 km (7th longest and a basin
Altogether, the duchy had an initial area of around 104,000 km², with a population of approximately 2,600,000. The bulk of its inhabitants were Poles. The Polish people, or Poles, (Polacy) are a Western Slavic Ethnic group of Central Europe, living predominantly in Poland.
Following the annexation in 1809 of Austrian Galicia and the areas of Zamość and Kraków, the duchy's area was increased significantly, to around 155,000 km², and the population was also substantially increased, to roughly 4,300,000. Galicia (Галичина ( Halychyna) Galicja is a historical region in East Central Europe, currently divided between Poland and Ukraine, Zamość is a town in southeastern Poland with 66633 inhabitants (2004 situated in the Lublin Voivodeship (since 1999
The departments
The duchy was divided into several departments, each named after their capital city. Administrative division of Duchy of Warsaw was based on departments. Initially, there were six:
- Departament warszawski (Warsaw Department)
- Departament poznański (Poznań Department)
- Departament kaliski (Kalisz Department)
- Departament bydgoski (Bydgoszcz Department)
- Departament płocki (Płock Department)
- Departament łomżyński (Łomża Department)
The additional territory acquired in 1809 was organised into four further departments:
- Departament krakowski (Kraków Department)
- Departament lubelski (Lublin Department)
- Departament radomski (Radom Department)
- Departament siedlecki (Siedlce Department)
Military and economic demands
The duchy's armed forces were completely under French control via its war minister, Prince Józef Poniatowski, who was also a Marshal of France. Warsaw Department (Polish Departament Warszawski) was a unit of administrative division and local government in Polish Duchy of Warsaw in years 1806-1815 Poznań Department (Polish Departament Poznański) was a unit of administrative division and local government in Polish Duchy of Warsaw in years 1806-1815 Kalisz Department (departament kaliski was a unit of administrative division and Local government in Polish Duchy of Warsaw in years 1806 – Bydgoszcz Department (Polish Departament bydgoski was a unit of administrative division and local government in Polish Duchy of Warsaw in years 1806 - Płock Department (Polish Departament płocki) was a unit of administrative division and local government in the Polish Duchy of Warsaw from 1806 Łomża Department (Polish Departament Łomzyński) was an administrative division and local government in the Polish Duchy of Warsaw in the years Constitution of the Duchy of Warsaw was passed by Napoleon on 22 July 1807 in Dresden. Kraków Department (Polish Departament krakowski) was a unit of administrative division and local government in Polish Duchy of Warsaw in years 1809 Lublin Department (Polish Departament Lubelski) was a unit of administrative division and local government in Polish Duchy of Warsaw in years 1810-1815 Radom Department (Polish Departament radomski) was a unit of administrative division and local government in Polish Duchy of Warsaw in years 1809 Siedlce Department (Polish Departament siedlecki) was a unit of administrative division and local government in Polish Duchy of Warsaw in years 1809 Early Austrian years war with Turkey Prince Józef Antoni Poniatowski was born in Vienna, Austria in the Palais Kinsky (others say he was actually The Marshal of France (Maréchal de France and pl Maréchaux de France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a Military rank. In fact, the duchy was heavily militarised, bordered as it was by Prussia, the Austrian Empire, and Russia, and it was to be a significant source for troops in various campaigns of Napoleon. The Kingdom of Prussia (Königreich Preußen was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918 and from 1871 was the leading state of the German Empire, comprising For the history of these states before 1804 see Holy Roman Empire, Habsburg Monarchy, and articles on each of the component countries. The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya
The standing army was of a considerable size when compared to the duchy's number of inhabitants. Initially consisting of 45,000 of regular soldiers (made up of both cavalry and infantry), its numbers were to rise to over 100,000 in 1810, and by the time of Napoleon's campaign in Russia in 1812, its army totaled almost 200,000 troops (out of a total population of some 4. The Polish cavalry (kawaleria can trace its origins back to the days of Medieval mounted Knights. The French invasion of Russia in 1812 was a turning point in the Napoleonic Wars. 3 million people).
The heavy drain on its resources by forced military recruitment, combined with a drop in exports of grain, caused significant problems for the duchy's economy. To make matters worse, in 1808 the French Empire imposed on the duchy an agreement at Bayonne to buy from France the debts owed to it by Prussia. Bayonne ( French: Bayonne bajɔn Gascon Occitan and Basque: Baiona) is a city and commune of southwest The debt, amounting to more than 43 million francs in gold, was bought at a discounted rate of 21 million francs. Debt is that which is owed usually referencing Assets owed but the term can cover other obligations Origins The franc was originally a French Gold coin of 387 g minted in 1360 on the occasion of the release of King John II ("the good", held by the Gold (ˈɡoʊld is a Chemical element with the symbol Au (from its Latin name aurum) and Atomic number 79 However, although the duchy made its payments in installments to France over a four-year period, Prussia failed to pay it, causing the Polish economy to suffer heavily. Indeed, to this day the phrase "sum of Bayonne" is a synonym in Polish for a huge amount of money. Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland. All these problems resulted in both inflation and overtaxation.
To counter the threat of bankruptcy, the authorities intensified the development and modernisation of agriculture. Bankruptcy is a legally declared inability or impairment of ability of an individual or organization to pay their Creditors Creditors may file a bankruptcy petition against Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture Also, a protectionist policy was introduced to protect industry. For the protectionist Australian political party from the 1880s to 1909 see Protectionist Party For other uses of this term see Industry (disambiguation An industry (from Latin industrius, "diligent industrious"
The end of the duchy
Napoleon's campaign against Russia
Poles expected in 1812 that the duchy would be upgraded to the status of a kingdom and that during Napoleon's march on Russia, it would be joined with the liberated territories of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Poland's historic partner in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Early Austrian years war with Turkey Prince Józef Antoni Poniatowski was born in Vienna, Austria in the Palais Kinsky (others say he was actually Juliusz Fortunat Kossak ( December 15, 1824 - February 3, 1899) was a Polish painter The Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė old literary Lithuanian Didi Kunigiste Letuvos, Ruthenian: Wialikaje Kniastwa Litowskaje The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, officially the Commonwealth of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania also known as the Most Serene Republic However, Napoleon did not want to make a permanent decision that would tie his hands before the anticipated peace settlement with Russia. Nevertheless he proclaimed the attack on Russia as a second Polish war.
That peace was not to be, however. Napoleon's Grande Armée, including a substantial contingent of Polish troops, set out with the intention of bringing the Russian Empire to its knees, but his military ambitions were frustrated by a combination of the Russians and an appalling winter climate; few returned from the march on Moscow. The failed campaign against Russia proved to be a major turning point in Napoleon's fortunes.
After Napoleon's defeat in the east, most of the territory of the Duchy of Warsaw was taken by Russia in January of 1813 in their advance on France and its German allies. The rest of the duchy fell to Prussia. Although several isolated fortresses held out for more than a year, the existence of the state in anything but name came to an end. Alexander I of Russia created a Provisional Highest Council of the Duchy of Warsaw to govern the area through his generals. Alexander I of Russia ( Russian: Александр I Павлович / Aleksandr I Pavlovich (23 December 1777 – November 19 1825 served as Emperor of
The Congress of Vienna, and the Fourth Partition
Although many European states and ex-rulers were represented at the so-called Congress of Vienna in 1815, the decision-making was largely in the hands of the major powers. The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of the major powers of Europe, chaired by the Austrian statesman Clemens Wenzel von Metternich It was perhaps inevitable, therefore, that both Prussia and Russia would effectively partition Poland between them; Austria was to more-or-less retain its gains of the First Partition of 1772.
Russia demanded to gain all territories of Duchy of Warsaw. It kept all its gains from the three previous partitions, together with Białystok and the surrounding territory that it had obtained in 1807. Its demands for whole Duchy of Warsaw were denied by other European powers.
Prussia regained territory it had first gained in the First Partition, but had had to give up to the Duchy of Warsaw in 1807. It also regained as the "Grand Duchy of Posen" (i. The Grand Duchy of Posen (Großherzogtum Posen Wielkie Księstwo Poznańskie was an autonomous province of the Kingdom of Prussia in the Polish lands commonly known as " e. Poznań) some of the territory it had conquered in the Second Partition, and had again had to give up in 1807. This territory formed an area approximately 29,000 km² in size.
The city of Kraków and some surrounding territory, previously part of the Duchy of Warsaw, were established as a semi-independent Free City of Kraków, under the "protection" of its three powerful neighbours. The Free Independent and Strictly Neutral City of Kraków (Cracow with its Territory The city's territory measured some 1164 km², and had a population of about 88,000 people. The city was eventually annexed by Austria in 1846.
Finally, the bulk of the former Duchy of Warsaw, measuring some 128,000 km in area, was re-established as what is commonly referred to as the "Congress Kingdom" of Poland, in personal union with the Russian Empire. Congress Poland Kongresówka, officially and formally Kingdom of Poland (Królestwo Polskie {{IPA-pl|'|p|o|l|s|kʲ|e}} Царство Польское Tsarstvo Polskoye A personal union is the combination by which two different States are governed by the same Monarch, while their boundaries their laws and their interests remain distinct The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya De facto a Russian puppet state it maintained its separate status only until 1831, when it was effectively annexed to the Russian Empire. A puppet state is a State that is nominally independent but in reality under the control of another power
The duchy's legacy
Superficially, the Duchy of Warsaw was just one of various states set up during Napoleon's dominance over the European continent, lasting only a few years and passing with his fall. However, its establishment a little over a decade after the Second and Third Partitions had appeared to wipe Poland off the map meant that Poles had their hopes rekindled of a resurrected Polish state. Even with Napoleon's defeat a Polish state continued in some form until the increasingly autocratic Russian state eliminated Poland once again as a separate entity. Altogether, this meant that an identifiable Polish state was in existence for at least a quarter of a century. At the 200th anniversary of creation of the Polish state, numerous commemorative events dedicated to that event were held in Polish capital of Warsaw. In addition Polish ministry of defence asked the honour of holding a joint parade of Polish and French soldiers to which President Nicolas Sarkozy agreed[1]. Nicolas Sarkozy (pronounced,
Grand Duchy of Warsaw
The Duchy of Warsaw is commonly referred to today as the Grand Duchy of Warsaw. However, the duchy was not referred to as such in French, which was both the diplomatic language of the time, and of course the language of the French Empire which created the state. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people The Empire of the French (1804-1814 also known as the Empire of France, Greater French Empire, First French Empire, French Empire, or
Article 5 of the Treaty of Tilsit, which created the duchy, the Convention which transferred it to Saxony, and Article 1 of the Act of the Congress of Vienna, which effectively abolished it, all refer to it in French as the "Duché de Varsovie".
Similarly, the duchy's constitution refers to it in German as Herzogtum Warschau, and its coins bore the Latin inscription FRID·AVG·REX SAX·DVX VARSOV· (Fridericus Augustus, Rex Saxoniæ, Dux Varsoviæ; "Frederick Augustus, King of Saxony, Duke of Warsaw). Constitution of the Duchy of Warsaw was passed by Napoleon on 22 July 1807 in Dresden. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome.
References
See also
- History of Poland (1795–1918)
- Polish Legions in Italy
- Greater Poland Uprising (1806)
- Congress Poland
External links
- Constitution of the Duchy of Warsaw
- Polish Army of the Napoleonic Wars
- Napoleon and the Duchy of Warsaw
- Information about events marking 200th anniversary of establishing Duch of Warsaw, in Polish, also included photo gallery
Further reading
- E. Partitions Summary Although the majority of the Szlachta was reconciled to the end of the Commonwealth in 1795 the possibility of Polish Legions, during the Napoleonic Period, were collectively several Polish units serving in the French army from the 1790s to 1810s Greater Poland Uprising of 1806 was a military insurrection by Poles in Wielkopolska (Greater Poland against the occupying Prussian forces after the Congress Poland Kongresówka, officially and formally Kingdom of Poland (Królestwo Polskie {{IPA-pl|'|p|o|l|s|kʲ|e}} Царство Польское Tsarstvo Polskoye Fedosova (December 1998), Polish Projects of Napoleon Bonaparte, Journal of the International Napoleonic Society 1(2)
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