The Sejm of 1611 was a meeting of the
parliament of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. T ...
, which took place in
Warsaw
Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
between September 26 and November 9, 1611.
It was called to analyze the ongoing war with
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
(see
Polish–Muscovite War (1605–18) Polish–Muscovite War can refer to:
* Muscovite–Lithuanian Wars
* Polish–Muscovite War (1605–18)
* Smolensk War (1631–34)
* Russo-Polish War (1654–67)
{{Disambiguation ...
), and the recapture of the city of
Smolensk
Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River, west-southwest of Moscow.
First mentioned in 863, it is one of the oldest cities in Russia. It has been a regional capital for most of ...
(see
Siege of Smolensk (1609–11) Siege of Smolensk can refer to several battles:
* Siege of Smolensk (1502) during Muscovite–Lithuanian War (1500–1503)
*Siege of Smolensk (1514)
The siege of Smolensk of 1514 took place during the fourth Muscovite–Lithuanian War (1512†...
).
Marshal of the Sejm
The Marshal of the Sejm (, ) is the speaker (chair) of the Sejm, the lower house of the Polish Parliament. The office traces its origins to the 15th century. In modern Poland, the full title is Marshal of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland (). ...
was an official from
Lwow
Lviv ( or ; ; ; see #Names and symbols, below for other names) is the largest city in western Ukraine, as well as the List of cities in Ukraine, fifth-largest city in Ukraine, with a population of It serves as the administrative centre of ...
, Jan Swoszowski.
During the session, King
Sigismund III Vasa
Sigismund III Vasa (, ; 20 June 1566 – 30 April 1632
N.S.) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1587 to 1632 and, as Sigismund, King of Sweden from 1592 to 1599. He was the first Polish sovereign from the House of Vasa. Re ...
tried to promote a bill which introduced conscription, and to persuade the
envoys that the war with Russia should be continued. The Sejm ordered extra taxes, but this was not enough to finance military effort of the Commonwealth: also, the king appropriated some of the tax money, to cover the cost of Siege of Smolensk, for which he paid with his private funds. No money was sent to the Commonwealth garrison stationed in the
Moscow Kremlin
The Moscow Kremlin (also the Kremlin) is a fortified complex in Moscow, Russia. Located in the centre of the country's capital city, the Moscow Kremlin comprises five palaces, four cathedrals, and the enclosing Kremlin Wall along with the K ...
.
On October 16, a Russian delegation came to Warsaw, asking the Sejm to immediately send Duke
Wladyslaw to Moscow. On October 29, Crown
Hetman
''Hetman'' is a political title from Central and Eastern Europe, historically assigned to military commanders (comparable to a field marshal or imperial marshal in the Holy Roman Empire). First used by the Czechs in Bohemia in the 15th century, ...
Stanislaw Zolkiewski made a triumphant entry into Warsaw, marching along
Krakowskie Przedmiescie to the
Royal Castle. Zolkiewski led with him
Tsar
Tsar (; also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar''; ; ; sr-Cyrl-Latn, цар, car) is a title historically used by Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word '' caesar'', which was intended to mean ''emperor'' in the Euro ...
Vasili IV of Russia
Vasili IV Ivanovich Shuisky (, 12 September 1612) was Tsar of all Russia from 1606 to 1610, after the murder of False Dmitri I. His rule coincided with the Time of Troubles. He was the only member of Shuysky, House of Shuisky to become t ...
, his brothers Dmitry and Ivan, as well as Russian military commander
Mikhail Shein
Mikhail Borisovich Shein (, ) (late 1570s–1634) was a leading Russian general during the reign of Tsar Mikhail Romanov. Despite his tactical skills and successful military career, he ended up losing his army in a failed attempt to besiege Smol ...
and
Patriarch Philaret of Moscow
Feodor Nikitich Romanov (, ; 1553 – 1 October 1633) was a Russian boyar who after temporary disgrace rose to become patriarch of Moscow as Filaret (, ), and became de facto ruler of Russia during the reign of his son, Mikhail Feodorovich.
B ...
. Zolkiewski gave a speech and then presented the Russian officials to the Polish Senate.
References
1611 in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
Sejm of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
Poland–Russia relations
{{Poland-hist-stub