After the Deluge
Poland-Lithuania and the Second Northern War, 1655–1660

Robert Frost examines the reasons for the collapse of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth after the Swedish invasion of 1655.

Robert I. Frost (Author)

9780521544023, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 11 March 2004

236 pages, 5 b/w illus.
22.8 x 15.3 x 1.7 cm, 0.368 kg

'… a skilful account of a turning point in Polish Eastern European history …'. Archives

The Swedish invasion of 1655, known to Poles ever since as the 'Swedish deluge', provoked the political and military collapse of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the second-largest state in Europe. Robert Frost examines the reasons for Poland's fall and the conduct of the war by the Polish government, and addresses the crucial question of why, despite widespread recognition of the shortcomings of the political system, subsequent attempts at reform failed. War has long been seen as crucial to the development of more effective systems of government in Europe during the seventeenth century, but studies usually concentrate on states which responded successfully to the challenges. Much can be learned from those that failed, and the paucity of English-language material on this important conflict means that After the Deluge will appeal to a broad audience among historians of Poland, Germany, Scandinavia, Russia, and early modern Europe in general.

1. Introduction: Poland-Lithuania in the mid-seventeenth century
2. The deluge
3. Recovery: July 1655–August 1656
4. The widening conflict: June-December 1656
5. Constructing a coalition: January - December 1657
6. The succession and the failure of the coalition: January - July 1658
7. Political reform
8. Towards a French candidature: 1658–1660
9. Conclusion: the succession and the failure of reform.

Subject Areas: Early modern history: c 1450/1500 to c 1700 [HBLH], European history [HBJD]