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1375 - 1410
Poland and Lithuania form Personal Union, Lithuanians convert to Roman Catholicism but most of Grand Duchy’s population are Russians who follow Orthodox religion. Polish nobles want to increase their power and spread their religion, they raise a large army, hire Catholic mercenaries and invade Ruthenia. They remove local nobility, take all land from Russian population and divide it among the Catholic Church, the Polish nobility, mercenaries and Catholic peasants from Poland. Orthodox clergy replaced with Roman Catholics and they begin to convert the populace. By 1410 the nobility is completely Polish and the middle classes are Polish speaking Catholics. Peasants retain some of old culture but it is dying out.

1410 - 1450

There is still tension with the Teutonic Order but the Papacy has allied with Poland-Lithuania as they are seen as crusaders. The Polish influence the Papacy to denounce the Order as heretics, the Polish raise an army and hire German Catholic mercenaries and invade Teutonic lands. Polish win the Battle of Grunwald and press on, they eventually drive out most of the Teutonic Knights and annex their lands, leaving a small number as vassals with no real power. The new lands are divided between the Polish nobility, mercenaries and migrant peasants from Poland, all Baltic lands start to become culturally Polish.

1450 - 1500

Polish realise their biggest threat comes from the East; the Russian states and the Tatars. Muscovy threatens to annex Novgorod, which would create a united Russia. Poland-Lithuania allies with Novgorod and invades Muscovy, the Polish army wins due to its size. Muscovy is annexed, local nobility and clergy replaced with those from Poland and the region starts to be converted. Papacy is very pleased at Polish expansion of Catholicism and gives them much support. Poland turns against Novgorod, Polish army greatly outnumbers them and the state is annexed. Poles continue their conversion policy. The Lithuanian community begins to adopt Polish as their main language due to its widespread use and also adopt Polish culture, the kingdoms become more homogenised.

1500 - 1569

There are no Russian Orthodox states left, Poland-Lithuania now rules all of the territories of the original Kievan Rus. The entire nobility and middle class are now Polish-speaking Catholics. The Polish-Lithuanian Crown makes deals with the rulers of Spain and Portugal to divide the world into spheres of influence, Poland receives Northern and Central Asia. Polish army begins conquest of Tatars; their army uses advanced Renaissance weapons and tactics, they build forts from the Don river all the way to the Volga and eventually the Urals. Many Tatars are forced off their lands, the rest become vassals, their land is given to the Church, the Polish nobility and migrant settlers from Polish lands. Settlers become rich and successful and establish themselves as the middle class, the Polish economy grown as new trade routes are set up in the the Caspian Sea and into Siberia and Kazakhstan.

1569 - 1618

The last of the Polish-Lithuanian kings dies with no heir, to preserve the union the middle class take charge and create a republic. The Polish Commonwealth is formed, ruling all the land between Germany, the Urals, the White Sea, the Black Sea and Kazakhstan. The richest landowners, traders and professionals are given the noble title of Szlachta, they form regional councils, Sejmiks, and elect Princes who gather in Moscow, now a Polish city, to form the national parliament, the Sejm, and elect an Emperor. The new constitution guarantees various freedoms to all subjects although Roman Catholicism is the unique religion, and Polish is the unique language of government and trade. Economic reforms standardise trade, bring as much land into use as possible and create trade routes along rivers, roads and coasts stretching from Europe, the Middle East, Siberia and Central Asia.

1618 - 1648

The 30 Years War breaks out in Europe; the Commonwealth allies with Catholic forces and invades the German states of Pomerania and Silesia. These lands are annexed, spreading the Western border to the Oder river, the German nobility in these areas are expelled. Polish forces spread into Germany until the Commonwealth’s coastal regions come under attack from Sweden. The Poles are reluctant to spread their forces to thinly in case of an attack from hostile forces in Siberia and Central Asia, they wage a defensive war and successfully defend their territories.
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