Stanisław Żółkiewski

Stanisław Żółkiewski (1547 – 1620) was a nobleman of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, magnate and military commander who took part in many campaigns both in the Commonwealth and on its southern and eastern border. He held a number of notable posts in the administration of the Commonwealth, including the castellan of L'viv (from 1590), voivod of the Kiev Voivodeship and Great Chancellor of the Crown (from 1618). Following 1588 he was also a Field Crown Hetman, in 1613 promoted to Grand Hetman of the Crown. During his lifetime he won major military victories against Muscovy, the Ottoman Empire and the Tatars. He was the first Christian European invader of Russia to seize Moscow, a distinction shared only with Napoleon.^[1]

Life

Żółkiewski attended schools in Lwów (now L'viv, Ukraine], was well read and spoke foreign languages. He was secretary to King Stefan Batory. In 1588 he commanded the right flank of Commonwealth forces in the battle of Byczyna, where he also received a knee wound, laming him for life.^[2] Between 1594 and 1596 he defeated the Cossack uprisng of Severyn Nalivaiko. In 1607 he defeated the Zebrzydowski's Rebellion in the battle of Guzów. In 1610 he achieved yet another significant victory in the battle of Klushino against the Tsardom of Russia. As an effect of his successful campaign, Żółkiewski seized Moscow and took the tsar Vasiliy Shuyskiy captive during the Dymitriads. He supported the election of Władysław IV Vasa for tsar and the idea of a liberal personal union between the Commonwealth and the Tsardom of Russia.

Since 1612 he was a teacher and tutor of Stanisław Koniecpolski, future hetman and military commander. Both in 1612 and 1617 he commanded military campaigns to Moldavia (Moldavian Magnate Wars) and Ukraine. Despite his old age (he was over 70), he continued his active service as a military commander until the very end.

Żółkiewski was killed on 7 October 1620 during the Commonwealth retreat after the battle of Cecora against the Turks in Moldova near the Prut river, during the Moldavian Magnate Wars. After the battle, his body was desecrated, his head cut off and sent to Constantinople as a war trophy. It was later bought by his widow, together with Żółkiewski's son who was taken captive during the battle. His body was buried in St Lawrence Church in Żółkiew (now Zhovkva, Ukraine), the town he founded. His death gave rise to a veritable legend about the Christian knight slain by the pagans in defense of the Holy Faith [Mikoś, 1996]. Żółkiewski's assets, including Żółkiew Castle, eventually passed through inheritance to Jakub Sobieski whose son Jan was another renowned commander in Polish history.

Works

• Początek i progres wojny moskiewskiej (On the Beginning and the End of the Muscovite War, also known as Beginning and Progress of the Muscovy War) - memoires describing his campaigns and diplomatic activity, written in the third person, is a concise account of a Polish-Muscovite War (1605-1618).

Notes

References

• Hetmani Rzeczypospolitej Obojga Narodów; Bellona, Warsaw, 1994 ISBN 8311082758
• Michael J. Mikoś, Polish Baroque and Enlightenment Literature: An Anthology. Ed. Michael J. Mikoś. Columbus, Ohio/Bloomington, Indiana: Slavica Publishers. 1996. 104-108. ISBN 0893572667 (contains short bio and "Satire III: On Burdens and Oppressions of Peasants in Poland." )