wolf_brother
Banned
The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was one of the most powerful, populous, and richest empires in Europe throughout most of its history (1540s-1795). Compromising the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Commonwealth was a Noble's Democracy (the Commonwealth styled itself the Most Serene Republic) - ie, a constitutional monarchy, with a legislative branch (the Sejm, or gathering) consisting of two chambers, with certain protections for the common man. Also of interest to a modern (democratic) eye is that the Commonwealth was marked by high levels of ethnic diversity and by unusual religious tolerance for the period.
The Commonwealth entered a period of slow but steady decline around 1648, mostly due to the raise of Russia to the east, Sweden to the North, and various internal struggles (though a joint Commonwealth-Holy Roman campaign drove the Ottoman Turks south of the Danube in the Great Turkish War of 1662-99). The Commonwealth eventually became a vassal of Russia between the time of Peter the Great and Catherine the Great. An attempt at reform was made in 1791, with a massive constitutional rewrite that year (which has been described as the second oldest codified national constitution of modern history), but it was too late - the Commonwealth was partitioned between Prussia, Russia and Austria between 1793 & 1795.
So, what if this interesting if little-known European power with plenty of potential survives, or at least lives a little bit longer
How does this come about, and how does it affect European history? How does it affect world history for that matter - would the a more powerful, more stable Commonwealth support the American or French Revolutionaries? Does the Commonwealth live onto become the 'Sick Man of Europe'?
Another thing to keep in mind; a number of serious attempts, by both parties, to unite the Commonwealth and Muscovy into a Polish-Lithuanian-Muscovite Commonwealth took place between 1547 and 1658, but ultimately came to no avail due to incomplete demands on both sides. Russia strictly opposed the religious tolerance of the Commonwealth, and the Tsar was not interested in giving the boyars any liberties. On the other side the Commonwealth (the Poles for the most part, if the surviving literature is correct) were unwilling to entertain the idea of a Muscovite-Russian as King as a precondition of a personal union between the two powers. The most promising time for a potential union was the early 17th century during the reign of Boris Godunov, just before the beginning of the Time of Troubles (1598-1613).
Another attempt to expand the borders of the Commonwealth was to raise the Ruthenian voivodeship (governorship) to the level of a Duchy, making it a full partner in the Commonwealth. Interestingly, the major push for Rutheian Duchy was from the Poles, as a way to maintain Polish rule in the area during the 1648-57 Khmelnytsky Uprising; though in the long-term this would have considerably weakened Polish dominance in the Commonwealth. The Sejm and King even went as far as to sign an Treaty of Hadiach with the Cossack leadership; however this lead to the Russo-Polish War (1654–1667), as Tsar Alexis opposed increased Polish influence over 'his' cossacks - even before it was ratified he sent an army into Rutheia. Between several indecisive battles, the situation was further complicated by the Ottoman Empire, which tried to gain control of the disputed region and played all factions against each other. In the end, Russia was victorious, gaining control of the region and cossacks, and weakening both the Commonwealth and the Ottomans.
So, lots of potential with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. What happens, where and when, and why?
Edit: Edited to make it clear that I was making a challenge focused on making Poland-Lithuania last longer, and not the states that border it at the time (such as the Ottomans {who actually need to be cut short to make this challenge succeed, IMO})
The Commonwealth entered a period of slow but steady decline around 1648, mostly due to the raise of Russia to the east, Sweden to the North, and various internal struggles (though a joint Commonwealth-Holy Roman campaign drove the Ottoman Turks south of the Danube in the Great Turkish War of 1662-99). The Commonwealth eventually became a vassal of Russia between the time of Peter the Great and Catherine the Great. An attempt at reform was made in 1791, with a massive constitutional rewrite that year (which has been described as the second oldest codified national constitution of modern history), but it was too late - the Commonwealth was partitioned between Prussia, Russia and Austria between 1793 & 1795.
So, what if this interesting if little-known European power with plenty of potential survives, or at least lives a little bit longer
How does this come about, and how does it affect European history? How does it affect world history for that matter - would the a more powerful, more stable Commonwealth support the American or French Revolutionaries? Does the Commonwealth live onto become the 'Sick Man of Europe'?Another thing to keep in mind; a number of serious attempts, by both parties, to unite the Commonwealth and Muscovy into a Polish-Lithuanian-Muscovite Commonwealth took place between 1547 and 1658, but ultimately came to no avail due to incomplete demands on both sides. Russia strictly opposed the religious tolerance of the Commonwealth, and the Tsar was not interested in giving the boyars any liberties. On the other side the Commonwealth (the Poles for the most part, if the surviving literature is correct) were unwilling to entertain the idea of a Muscovite-Russian as King as a precondition of a personal union between the two powers. The most promising time for a potential union was the early 17th century during the reign of Boris Godunov, just before the beginning of the Time of Troubles (1598-1613).
Another attempt to expand the borders of the Commonwealth was to raise the Ruthenian voivodeship (governorship) to the level of a Duchy, making it a full partner in the Commonwealth. Interestingly, the major push for Rutheian Duchy was from the Poles, as a way to maintain Polish rule in the area during the 1648-57 Khmelnytsky Uprising; though in the long-term this would have considerably weakened Polish dominance in the Commonwealth. The Sejm and King even went as far as to sign an Treaty of Hadiach with the Cossack leadership; however this lead to the Russo-Polish War (1654–1667), as Tsar Alexis opposed increased Polish influence over 'his' cossacks - even before it was ratified he sent an army into Rutheia. Between several indecisive battles, the situation was further complicated by the Ottoman Empire, which tried to gain control of the disputed region and played all factions against each other. In the end, Russia was victorious, gaining control of the region and cossacks, and weakening both the Commonwealth and the Ottomans.
So, lots of potential with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. What happens, where and when, and why?
Edit: Edited to make it clear that I was making a challenge focused on making Poland-Lithuania last longer, and not the states that border it at the time (such as the Ottomans {who actually need to be cut short to make this challenge succeed, IMO})
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