Jerzy Ossoliński wobec powstania Chmielnickiego na sejmach Rzeczypospolitej

Abstract

The article shows the attitude of the Great Crown Chancellor Jerzy Ossoliński towards the Khmelnytsky Uprising at the Sejms of the Republic of Poland in the years 1648–1650. The introductory part of the article focuses on considerations on the reaction of the Polish nobility to the outbreak of the Cossack uprising. Two factions representing different concepts of solving the growing conflict were discussed. The first one, called “peaceful”, assumed an agreement with the Cossacks, while the second one, called military, demanded the military suppression of the “Cossack rebellion” and the restoration of relations in Ukraine from before the outbreak of the uprising. This part of the article also introduces the figure of Jerzy Ossoliński. The proper lecture focuses, on the one hand, on determining the views of the chancellor regarding the nature of this uprising – in other words, whether he showed a deeper understanding of the problem of the Cossack presentation, and on the other hand, on a detailed discussion of his position on the Khmelnytsky uprising in the Sejms of the Republic of Poland. The analysis of Ossoliński’s writings and, above all, his parliamentary speeches proved that he, like most of the nobility, perceived the Cossack speech in terms of social conflict. It should also be emphasized that Ossoliński was fully aware of Bohdan Khmelnytsky’s political ambitions expressed in his aspiration to create an independent state in Ukraine. In the light of the considerations undertaken, there is no doubt that Chancellor Ossoliński showed understanding for Khmelnytsky’s political ambitions, the implementation of which was a deadly threat to the existing political system of the Commonwealth.