First War of North

The first war of North or the Flood is the name which the final phase of the war of succession between the Sweden took and the Poland between 1655 and 1660. It had as pretexts that the king of Poland Jean II Casimir Vasa refused to recognize Charles X as king de Suède. True the reason is the Swedish will to increase its territory. Charles X invades Poland and this one was supported by the Austria, the Russia and the Denmark. This war finished when the Polish king renonça definitively with his claims on the throne of Sweden. Denmark yielded to him Skåne by the Traité of Roskilde.

Competition enters Poland and Sweden and the question of the Cossacks

The family Wasa reign still on the Sweden and the Poland but it is divided politically and religieusement. Each branch claims the throne of the other for its account. The two families fight for hegemony in the Baltic but they are competed with by the Denmark and the Brandebourg.

But it is the question of the statute of the Cosaques which starts the war. The Cossacks are peasant-soldiers populating the Ukraine and under Polish suzerainty. Fearing the influence of the Polish owners, their chief, the hetman Bohdan Chmielnicki (v.1595-1657), research Russian alliance. In January 1654, is signed the Traité of Perejaslav between the Russia and the Cossacks, by whom the Cossacks can continue to elect to them hetman but this last must be confirmed by the Tsar and the Cossacks must lend oath of fidelity to the tsar.

The double invasion of Poland

Extremely support of the Cossacks, the Russians launch an offensive in direction of Smolensk which is taken in April 1654. This Russian intervention worries the powers of the Baltic and causes the intervention of Sweden. |Charles X Gustave wishes to widen the zone of Swedish influence and to stop the Russian advance. He starts from Poméranie and advances in Poland at a fulgurating speed. The Swedes take Warsaw then Cracow. In same time, another Swedish army under the command of Gardie, share of Riga in direction of Vilnius in Lithuania. The king of Poland, Jean-Casimir, escapes and puts himself under imperial protection. During this time, the Russian troops continued their advance. But the king of Sweden, which wanted to take the control of royal Prussia, went into reverse in direction of this area. He met the Brandenburger army but an agreement was signed between the two sovereigns the January 17th 1656. Frederic-Guillaume agrees to become vassal of king de Suède for ducal Prussia and receives in évêché exchange of Ermeland.

Poland had impoverished itself considerably following plunderings of the two invaders. But the exactions made by the Swedes against the churches caused the reversal of the Polish population. The king of Sweden accepted the military aid of the Prince-Voter of Brandebourg and with them two, it demolished the Polish army lately made up with the battle of the Three days close to Warsaw to the 28 with the July 30th 1656. Jean-Casimir is overcome in spite of the numerical superiority and the support of Tatars. This Swedish victory brings back Large-Poland in the Swedish girond.

Extension of the conflict

Charles X had been combined with very new prince de Transylvanie, Georges II Rakoczi, which wished émanciper Othoman supervision. In 1657, Georges II launches the offensive against Poland and joined the troops Swedish in April. The king of Denmark, anxious of the union between Sweden and the prince of Transylvania, declares the war in Sweden the May 6th 1657. The king of Sweden is constrained to turn over to north. He leaves his ally alone so that Georges II asks peace Poland. In front of the heavy allowance required by the prince of Transylvania, Poland refuses. The sultan, exceeded by the attitude of Georges II, who behaves as an independent prince, orders with the kahn of the Crimea of hunting the Transylvanian ones of Poland. Tatares beat the latter with the Bataille of Trembowla the July 31st 1657. The conflict continued in Transylvania because Georges II, who had been deposited, did not cease wanting to reconquer his throne. He receives even the support of the emperor.

The emperor Ferdinand III, then its successor Léopold Ier, anxious by this new threat in the east, decides to help Jean-Casimir by gaining the Brandebourg with his cause. Thus is signed the Traité of Welhau the September 19th 1657 between Brandebourg and Poland. Brandebourg is turned over against Sweden in exchange of whole sovereignty on the duchy of Prussia as well as the territories of Lauenburg, Bülow and Draheim.

The king of Sweden launches initially the offensive against Jutland during the winter 1657. Benefitting from particularly rigorous winter which made freeze the straits of Small-Belt and Large-Belt, it makes cross its army on the ice and threatens Copenhagen. The February 27th 1658, the king of Denmark signs the Traité of Roskilde by which it yields to Sweden the Scanie, the island of Bornholm and districts of Halland, Blekinge, Bohuslaan and Trondheim. Peace between Sweden and Denmark is quickly broken because the king of Sweden precedes a possible alliance between Denmark, Brandebourg and Poland. He invades one second time Zeeland and threatens once again Copenhagen. This offensive threatens the Dutch economic interests Baltique at sea so that the United Provinces sends a fleet of help to the Danish capital. This fleet beats a Swedish fleet the November 8th 1659.

On this date, Sweden must deal with army of united including/understanding the Imperial ones, the Pole, Tatars and Brandenburgers. This army starts the seat of Stettin. The Dutch fleet transhipped this army - put aside the Imperial ones - on the island of Fyn. It gained a victory over the Swedish army with Nyborg the November 24th 1659.

Peace treaties

The negotiation proceeds with the monastery of Oliva thanks to the mediation of France. Charles X dies in February, which accelerates the negotiations. The May 3rd 1660 is signed the Traité of Oliva between the Sweden and united. The latter leave the Poméranie and Sweden. Brandebourg is seen confirming its whole sovereignty on the duchy of Prussia. The June 6th 1660 is signed the Traité of Copenhagen between Sweden and the Denmark by which this last is seen returning the district of Trondheim and the island of Bornholm. Sweden gains rights in the passage of the Sund because of possession of the Scanie and preserves a passage towards the North Sea.

The June 21st 1661 is signed the Traité of Kardis between Sweden and the Russia by which Russia returns the livoniennes cities taken to Sweden during the conflict.

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