Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Navy was the navy of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. == Early history == == Battle of Oliva == During the time of Polish-Swedish War in 1627, the Commonwealth fleet under command of Admiral Arend Dickmann achieved it most famous victory, breaking the Swedish blockade at the Battle of Oliwa. == 1630s: Wladyslaw IV plans for Navy expansion == The 58th article signed and sworn by monarch Wladyslaw IV Waza Pacta Conventa announced creation of a war fleet "according to needs of Commonwealth". Władysław, taking the throne after his father Zygmunt III Waza died in 1632 was in favour of expanding and modernising the Commonwealth military. One of his plans was the expansion of the Commonwealth Navy. Despite his attempts he did not recover ships taken by Swedes in Wismar and Travemuende. Władysław decided to build a new fleet and created a "Naval Commission" with Gerard Denhoff as a chairman to fulfill this task. The choice of other members of this Commission was not random, it contained wealthy king supporters, like the merchant and owner of a merchant fleet from Gdansk, Jerzy Hewel. Because the Sejm (Polish Diet) was at best reluctant to pay for new ships and royal chest was permanently empty it was due to Hawel that the new fleet was created at all. He gave to the king's disposal 10 ships, a few of them were carrying small caliber cannons. These ships had to be modernized in order to allow them to carry heavier cannons. Additionally the king wanted to build a few Galleons in Gdansk and Puck, Poland and because of long construction times, also to purchase a few ships abroad, but those plans were not realized (except of purchase of one Danish ship - requiring quite serious repair). Thus the new Polish fleet consisted of 10 ex-merchant ships: "Czarny Orzeł" (Black Eagle - 420 tons, 32 cannons), "Prorok Samuel" (Prophet Samuel - 400 tons, 24 cannons), "Wielkie Słońce" (Great Sun - 540 tons, 24 cannons), "Nowy Czarny Orzeł" (New Black Eagle - 24 cannons). Four smaller ships "Biały Orzeł" (White Eagle), "Charitas", "Gwiazda" (Star) and "Strzelec" (Saggitarius) had 200 tons and two the smallest "Święty Piotr" (Saint Peter) or "Fortuna" (Fortune) 160 tons and "Mały Biały Orzeł" (Small White Eagle) 140 tons and 4 small caliber cannons and additionally one small galley. Command of the newly created fleet was given to rear admiral Aleksander Seton. The King did not forget to ensure a safe base for the newly created fleet. The Harbor in Puck was too shallow for the biggest ships and the usage of Wisłoujście (a fortress near Gdansk) was constantly plagued by difficulties from the Gdansk Patriciate (afraid that a king with a strong naval arm would step upon their "liberties", control tolls, exert taxes etc.). The royal engineers Fryderyk Getkant, Jan Pleitner and Eliasz Arciszewski selected a location for two new fortifications with naval bases on Hel peninsula. Those were quite strong and raised in record time (ready in 1634, strong wooden (oak) palisade, earth walls, trenches and moat) and named after the king and his brother: Wladyslawowo and Kazimierzowo (the small town of Władysławowo still exists in Hel peninsula nowadays - the fort was more or less on its current edge). Additionally about 500 Cossacks under Konstanty Kołek with their small boats (czajka) were brought. It is uncertain if they were used at all1. Their main goal was to plague Swedish communication and supply lines near Pilawa and on Zatoka Wiślana (Vistula Bay). There were plans to use Cossacks in their light but very fast boats against Inflanty (Livonia) and even to raid the Swedish shore (to burn, pillage, capture merchant ships etc.). Cossacks were know from their plundering raids on Black Sea (they even burned suburbs of Istanbul once or twice). Generally one has to stress that because of the overall tonnage and armament difference between Polish and Swedish naval fleets even before (in 1620-ties) the main role of the Polish fleet was to disrupt Swedish communication and supply lines, to capture merchant ships bringing supplies for the Swedes (even if they belonged to neutral powers, for example ships belonging to the Netherlands, England or German duchies/cities were captured and sequestrated). The King's plan never had strong support from Polish nobles (szlachta): costs, dislike to strengthen the king's power were always crippling Władysław's plans. Thus not even all the king's expenses for modernization of those 10 ships were fully repaid. Unfortunate international alliances (with Danmark and Muscovy) did not allow him to mount any offensive actions and the majority of wars he participated in were defensive ones (like the Smolensk War with Muscovy in 1634). A new armistice with Sweden signed in Sztumska Wies (Stumsdorf) knocked the last argument out of the kings hand. After that the king wanted to use his ships to organize the first Polish merchant company (with help of Hewel), however Hewel's death stopped even those plans. Finally the ships were sold. The built fortifications were salt in Denmark's and the Gdansk Patriciate eyes and under their pressure were destroyed in 1640s. The Swedes were without king after the death of Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden and lost battles in Germany. The Polish nobles did not want to fight a new war so when the Swedes returned most of the lands they captured in the previous war a new armistice for 35 years was signed. One has to stress that cost of Polish preparations for this war was comparable with costs of king's relief of Smolensk in 1634 and his campaign against Muscovy. == Commonwealth Fleet after 1630s == == Note == # Some sources state that the Cossacks were used, other, that they didn't arrive before the armistice. == See also == * Polish Navy * Lithuanian Navy Polish Navy Navies
See other meanings of words starting from letter:
Words begining with Polish-Lithuanian_Commonwealth_Navy:
Polish-Lithuanian_Commonwealth_Navy
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Navy
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Navy was the navy of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. == Early history == == Battle of Oliva == During the time of Polish-Swedish War in 1627, the Commonwealth fleet under command of Admiral Arend Dickmann achieved it most famous victory, breaking the Swedish blockade at the Battle of Oliwa. == 1630s: Wladyslaw IV plans for Navy expansion == The 58th article signed and sworn by monarch Wladyslaw IV Waza Pacta Conventa announced creation of a war fleet "according to needs of Commonwealth". Władysław, taking the throne after his father Zygmunt III Waza died in 1632 was in favour of expanding and modernising the Commonwealth military. One of his plans was the expansion of the Commonwealth Navy. Despite his attempts he did not recover ships taken by Swedes in Wismar and Travemuende. Władysław decided to build a new fleet and created a "Naval Commission" with Gerard Denhoff as a chairman to fulfill this task. The choice of other members of this Commission was not random, it contained wealthy king supporters, like the merchant and owner of a merchant fleet from Gdansk, Jerzy Hewel. Because the Sejm (Polish Diet) was at best reluctant to pay for new ships and royal chest was permanently empty it was due to Hawel that the new fleet was created at all. He gave to the king's disposal 10 ships, a few of them were carrying small caliber cannons. These ships had to be modernized in order to allow them to carry heavier cannons. Additionally the king wanted to build a few Galleons in Gdansk and Puck, Poland and because of long construction times, also to purchase a few ships abroad, but those plans were not realized (except of purchase of one Danish ship - requiring quite serious repair). Thus the new Polish fleet consisted of 10 ex-merchant ships: "Czarny Orzeł" (Black Eagle - 420 tons, 32 cannons), "Prorok Samuel" (Prophet Samuel - 400 tons, 24 cannons), "Wielkie Słońce" (Great Sun - 540 tons, 24 cannons), "Nowy Czarny Orzeł" (New Black Eagle - 24 cannons). Four smaller ships "Biały Orzeł" (White Eagle), "Charitas", "Gwiazda" (Star) and "Strzelec" (Saggitarius) had 200 tons and two the smallest "Święty Piotr" (Saint Peter) or "Fortuna" (Fortune) 160 tons and "Mały Biały Orzeł" (Small White Eagle) 140 tons and 4 small caliber cannons and additionally one small galley. Command of the newly created fleet was given to rear admiral Aleksander Seton. The King did not forget to ensure a safe base for the newly created fleet. The Harbor in Puck was too shallow for the biggest ships and the usage of Wisłoujście (a fortress near Gdansk) was constantly plagued by difficulties from the Gdansk Patriciate (afraid that a king with a strong naval arm would step upon their "liberties", control tolls, exert taxes etc.). The royal engineers Fryderyk Getkant, Jan Pleitner and Eliasz Arciszewski selected a location for two new fortifications with naval bases on Hel peninsula. Those were quite strong and raised in record time (ready in 1634, strong wooden (oak) palisade, earth walls, trenches and moat) and named after the king and his brother: Wladyslawowo and Kazimierzowo (the small town of Władysławowo still exists in Hel peninsula nowadays - the fort was more or less on its current edge). Additionally about 500 Cossacks under Konstanty Kołek with their small boats (czajka) were brought. It is uncertain if they were used at all1. Their main goal was to plague Swedish communication and supply lines near Pilawa and on Zatoka Wiślana (Vistula Bay). There were plans to use Cossacks in their light but very fast boats against Inflanty (Livonia) and even to raid the Swedish shore (to burn, pillage, capture merchant ships etc.). Cossacks were know from their plundering raids on Black Sea (they even burned suburbs of Istanbul once or twice). Generally one has to stress that because of the overall tonnage and armament difference between Polish and Swedish naval fleets even before (in 1620-ties) the main role of the Polish fleet was to disrupt Swedish communication and supply lines, to capture merchant ships bringing supplies for the Swedes (even if they belonged to neutral powers, for example ships belonging to the Netherlands, England or German duchies/cities were captured and sequestrated). The King's plan never had strong support from Polish nobles (szlachta): costs, dislike to strengthen the king's power were always crippling Władysław's plans. Thus not even all the king's expenses for modernization of those 10 ships were fully repaid. Unfortunate international alliances (with Danmark and Muscovy) did not allow him to mount any offensive actions and the majority of wars he participated in were defensive ones (like the Smolensk War with Muscovy in 1634). A new armistice with Sweden signed in Sztumska Wies (Stumsdorf) knocked the last argument out of the kings hand. After that the king wanted to use his ships to organize the first Polish merchant company (with help of Hewel), however Hewel's death stopped even those plans. Finally the ships were sold. The built fortifications were salt in Denmark's and the Gdansk Patriciate eyes and under their pressure were destroyed in 1640s. The Swedes were without king after the death of Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden and lost battles in Germany. The Polish nobles did not want to fight a new war so when the Swedes returned most of the lands they captured in the previous war a new armistice for 35 years was signed. One has to stress that cost of Polish preparations for this war was comparable with costs of king's relief of Smolensk in 1634 and his campaign against Muscovy. == Commonwealth Fleet after 1630s == == Note == # Some sources state that the Cossacks were used, other, that they didn't arrive before the armistice. == See also == * Polish Navy * Lithuanian Navy Polish Navy Navies
See other meanings of words starting from letter:
P
PA | PB | PC | PD | PE | PF | PG | PH | PI | PJ | PK | PL | PM | PN | PO | PR | PS | PT | PU | PW | PX | PY | PZ |Words begining with Polish-Lithuanian_Commonwealth_Navy:
Polish-Lithuanian_Commonwealth_Navy
These materials are based on Wikipedia and licensed under the GNU FDL
YouTube.com videos better site than Turbo Tax 2007
