Swedish Lithuania

Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Storfurstendömet Litauen (sv)
Magnus Ducatus Lituaniæ (la)
1655–1657
Coat of arms of Swedish Lithuania
Coat of arms
Swedish Empire (dark green) in 1655–1657 with Lithuania (light green) as its protectorate. Diagonal lines represent territories occupied by the Tsardom of Russia.
Swedish Empire (dark green) in 1655–1657 with Lithuania (light green) as its protectorate. Diagonal lines represent territories occupied by the Tsardom of Russia.
StatusProtectorate of the Swedish Empire
CapitalKėdainiai (de facto)
Common languagesSwedish, Polish, Lithuanian, Ruthenian, (Latin as lingua franca)
Religion
Lutheranism (officially)
King / Grand Duke 
• 1655–1657
Charles X Gustav
Viceroy 
• 1655–1657
Bengt Skytte
LegislatureCouncil
History 
• Conquered by Sweden
1655
• Treaty of Kėdainiai
17 August 1655
• Union of Kėdainiai
20 October 1655
• Disestablished
1657
Preceded by		Succeeded by
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
Today part ofLithuania
Belarus
Poland

Swedish Lithuania, officially known as the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Swedish: Storfurstendömet Litauen, Latin: Magnus Ducatus Lituaniæ), was a dominium directum protectorate of the Swedish Empire under the rule of King Charles X Gustav in accordance with the Union of Kėdainiai. It de facto existed as an unrecognised entity by neighbouring powers from 1655 until 1657 when it was terminated and fully reincorporated into the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Swedish occupation

Jonušas Radvila was one of the main initiators of the Swedish–Lithuanian negotiations.

In 1654, the Tsardom of Russia launched its invasion against the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, which resulted in huge swathes of the territory falling into the hands of the Russian army. Noting the weak military performance of the Commonwealth, the Swedish Empire sought to take advantage of the political turmoil and occupy parts of the Polish–Lithuanian state: Sweden wanted to make Lithuania a permanent part of its imperial domain as the territory was strategically important in securing the Baltic Sea from Russia. In the summer of 1655, the Swedish army invaded Western Poland and began threatening to do the same to Lithuania. After learning about King John II Casimir fleeing the country, Lithuanian magnate Janusz Radziwiłł and other members of the Lithuanian nobility began considering negotiations with Sweden. This decision was also influenced by separatist religious motives as it was strongly supported by the Lithuanian Protestant elite. After Sweden's occupation of northwestern Lithuania, commander Zygmunt Przyjemski informed King Charles X Gustav that Poland was willing to formally cede Lithuania to Sweden in exchange for peace – this proposal was rejected.

Establishment

Treaty of Kėdainiai

On 17 August 1655, feeling betrayed by the lack of military assistance against Muscovy and the Polish surrender at Ujście, Grand Hetman Jonušas Radvila decided to accept Swedish protection and convened more than 400 Lithuanian nobles for the signing of the Treaty of Kėdainiai.:12 Such course of action might have also been facilitated by past grievances: in a letter dated 7 April 1655, Jonušas Radvila claimed that Poland had violated the Union of Lublin before, citing the loss of Ukraine and noting that this breach will always be remembered. The treaty laid out certain conditions – the Lithuanian nobility wanted Sweden to protect Lithuania from Moscow, guarantee the country's neutrality in the conflict, political and religious freedoms. Sweden conceded most of the demands, except for matters of sovereignty, as they agreed that the Lithuanian nobility should have a say in matters concerning war and peace, but demurred on securing Lithuania the right to its own separate parliament. The Swedish also avoided directly participating in the conflict with the Tsardom of Russia because, in reality, they didn’t have enough manpower in Swedish Livonia to properly assist Lithuania in case of need. Despite this, Sweden promised Lithuania that it would help them in reclaiming their lost territory.

Union of Kėdainiai

Kėdainiai Manor was where the Union of Kėdainiai was signed.

On 20 October 1655, over 1,000 nobles, mostly from Samogitia, gathered at the Kėdainiai Manor, signed the Union of Kėdainiai on behalf of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, dissolved the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and solemnly declared the establishment of a personal union with the Swedish Empire. The Swedish side was represented by Lord High Treasurer Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie and Governor Bengt Skytte, with the latter also holding the position of viceroy. King of Sweden Charles X Gustav became Grand Duke of Lithuania.:185:14 Following this, another act was signed by which the Lithuanian nobility pledged its loyalty to the Swedish Crown. On 23 October 1655, the Lithuanian Advisory Council was inaugurated.:125 Swedish Lithuania was set up as a dominicum directum with Jonušas Radvila being promised exceptional rights to certain estates. It is known that both Jonušas and Boguslavas Radvila (Bogusław Radziwiłł) initially wanted to acquire the Lithuanian territories of Minsk, Navahrudak, Brest Voivodeships and Volkovysk, and Grodno Counties, primarily comprising the territory of present-day Belarus, as well as the Polish Podlaskie Voivodeship. Meanwhile, ethnic Lithuania were to remain under the direct rule of Sweden. Jonušas Radvila also hoped to become an uncrowned ruler of the entire Swedish protectorate, but his endeavour was unsuccessful.

Seeking to improve Sweden’s reputation among the Lithuanian peasantry and secure a greater political advantage over the Lithuanian nobility, Gabriel De la Gardie was entrusted with assuring them the abolition of serfdom. However, this ultimately did not help to improve their relations with the peasantry as they were left with the burden of supplying significant resources to the Swedish forces and their military effort. The Swedish administration began confiscating estates from nobles who did not recognise their authority and set the tax rate to 110 000 thaler – many who refused or were unable to pay them were killed, arrested or deported to Sweden with their property being destroyed. The Livonian field army of 7,200 men:91 were moved into the country, with Šiauliai serving as the chief military headquarters and garrisons being stationed across Lithuania proper, including several regiments in Skirsnemunė.:60 On 17 January 1656, De la Gardie was officially appointed Governor-General of Samogitia as well as the remaining Lithuania held by the Empire.:12 For military purposes, Swedish cartographer Georg von Schwengeln and field marshal Erik Dahlbergh have produced a detailed map of the Kaunas region and southern Samogitia.

Disestablishment

As time passed, some layers of society, namely the minor nobility and peasantry, began to withdraw their support for Swedish rule. This was mostly a consequence of the Swedish administration introducing heavy taxation and its inability to control the brutality of its own army in the region. Baron Samuel von Pufendorf denied this to be the true cause of the unrest, claiming that Jesuits and other Catholics who opposed Protestant rule were the actual culprits behind the hostility.:66 In the spring of 1656, certain segments of nobility in Lithuania began revolting against the Swedish. On 6 December 1656, in response to the Polish–Russian peace treaty, King Charles X Gustav gathered a broad coalition of representatives from Lithuania, Prussia, Brandenburg, Transilvania, the Cossacks and signed the Treaty of Radnot, outlining the final partitions of the entire Commonwealth. The envisioned plan was never carried out, however, due to developments on the ground and feuds over assigned spheres of influence. The tide of the conflict turned at the Battle of Prostki, with the Polish decisive victory against the Swedish Empire. On 24–26 January 1657, after prolonged sieges, the Lithuanian–Polish forces captured Biržai and Tykocin Castles, making Sweden and its allies lose control over their strongholds.:27 Nonetheless, the fighting persisted and Sweden continued to actively conduct policy in Lithuania until the end of 1657.:16 Boguslavas Radvila – who emerged as the factual leader of the Lithuanian Calvinists after the passing of his cousin – commanded the Swedish forces against Poland, faced trial and was exiled to Königsberg. In 1660, with the signing of the Treaty of Oliva, Sweden formally renounced all of its claims in Poland–Lithuania.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Kontljarchuk, Andrej (2006). In the Shadows of Poland and Russia: The Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Sweden in the European Crisis of the mid-17th Century. Huddinge: Södertörns högskola. ISBN 978-91-89315-63-1, ISSN 1652-7399, ISSN 1653-2147.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Meilus, Elmantas (2013). "LDK istorija: Kėdainių unija – nuo Lenkijos prie Švedijos" [History of GDL: Union of Kėdainiai — from Poland to Sweden] (in Lithuanian). 15min. Archived from the original on 31 August 2013. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  3. 1 2 Bumblauskas, Alfredas (2005). Senosios Lietuvos istorija (1009–1795) [History of Medieval Lithuania] (in Lithuanian). Vilnius: R. Paknio leidykla. p. 307. ISBN 978-9986-830-89-4.
  4. ↑ Sanberg, Per (1938). Fördraget i Kedainiai mellan Sverige och Litauen 1655. Planerna på en svensk-litauisk union [Treaty of Kėdainiai between Sweden and Lithuania 1655. Plans for a Swedish–Lithuanian union] (in Swedish). Baltisk revy: en årsbok. Lund, pp. 42–51.
  5. ↑ Isacson, Claes-Göran (2004). Karl X Gustavs krig – Fälttågen i Polen, Tyskland, Baltikum, Danmark och Sverige 1655-1660 [Charles X Gustav's War — Campaigns in Poland, Germany, the Baltics, Denmark and Sweden 1655–1660] (in Swedish). Historiska Media. p. 44. ISBN 978-91-85057-25-2. "Prziemski meddelade Karl X Gustav att Johan II Kasimir var villig att avsäga sig alla krav på den svenska kronan och dessutom överlämna Litauen till Sverige. Karl X Gustav avslog förslaget, vilket han förmodligen ångrade under de kommande åren, då kriget blev allt tyngre att föra. [Przyjemski informed Charles X Gustav that Johan II Casimir was willing to renounce all claims to the Swedish crown and absolutely surrender Lithuania to Sweden. Charles X Gustav rejected the proposal, which he probably regretted in the coming years when the war became increasingly difficult to wage.]"
  6. 1 2 3 Praleika, Aidanas. "Kėdainių unija – nevykusi LDK ir Švedijos santuoka" [Union of Kėdainiai — a failed marriage between GDL and Sweden] (in Lithuanian). Alfa.lt. Archived from the original on 11 September 2019. Retrieved on 11 April 2023.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Fredholm von Essen, Michael (2021). Charles X’s Wars: Volume 1 – Armies of the Swedish Deluge, 1655–1660. Century of the Soldier. Warwick: Helion & Company. ISBN 978-1-80451-852-6.
  8. ↑ Ivonina, Lyudmila (2025). На перепутье политики: Януш Радзивилл и Кейданская уния со Швецией 1655 [At the Crossroads of Politics: Janusz Radziwiłł and the Union of Kėdainiai with Sweden in 1655] (in Russian, abstract available in English). Caurus. 4 (1): 37–45. p. 41.
  9. ↑ Gerner, Kristian & Karlsson, Klas-Göran (2000). Sverige och Polen i historiskt perspektiv. Bortom stereotyper [Sweden and Poland in Historical Perspective. Beyond Stereotypes] (in Swedish). 20: 15–27. p. 21. S2CID 193906737.
  10. ↑ Pociūnas, Arvydas, et al. (2015). Abiejų Tautų Respublikos karai su Švedija XVII amžiuje [The Wars of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth With Sweden in the 17th Century] (in Lithuanian). p. 46. ISBN 978-609-412-082-4.
  11. ↑ Stanisław Kutrzeba: Historia ustroju Polski w zarysie, Tom drugi: Litwa. Lwów i Warszawa: 1921, s. 88.
  12. ↑ Vyšniauskas, Marius (2021). Jonas Kazimieras Vaza – žmogus, pražudęs respubliką [John II Casimir Vasa – The Man Who Ended the Republic] (in Lithuanian). Lituanistica. p. 59. ISSN 0134-3106.
  13. ↑ Šapoka, Adolfas (1990). 1655 metų Kėdainių sutartis, arba švedai Lietuvoje 1655–1656 metais [The Treaty of Kėdainiai of 1655 or Swedes in Lithuania in 1655–1656] (in Lithuanian). Vilnius: Mokslas. p. 46. ISBN 978-5-420-00654-2.
  14. ↑ Terleckas, Vladas (2009). Lietuvos istorijos klastojimo ir niekinimo iššūkiai [The Challenges of Falsification and Denigration of Lithuanian History] (in Lithuanian). p. 138. ISBN 978-9955-800-99-6.
  15. 1 2 Dundulis, Bronius (1977). Švedų feodalų įsiveržimai į Lietuvą XVII–XVIII a. [Invasions of Swedish Feudal Lords Into Lithuania in the 17th–18th Centuries] (in Lithuanian, abstract available in Russian). Vilnius: Mokslas.
  16. ↑ Černius, Remigijus (2006). XVII a. vidurio Lietuvos Didžiosios Kunigaikštystės žemėlapiai, Lietuvos Didžiosios Kunigaikštystės istorinės vėliavos ir žemėlapiai [Mid-17th Century Maps of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Historical Flags and Maps of the Grand Duchy Of Lithuania] (in Lithuanian). Vilnius: Lithuanian National Museum of Art. p. 56. ISBN 978-9986-669-55-5.
  17. ↑ "Kėdainių sutartis" [Treaty of Kėdainiai] (in Lithuanian). Istorija Tau.
  18. ↑ "1656 12 06 Radnót sutartimi Švedija, Prūsija ir kt. sutarė pasidalyti Abiejų Tautų Respubliką" [On 6 December 1656, Sweden, Prussia and others decided to partition the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth by signing the Treaty of Radnot] (in Lithuanian). Delfi. Archived from the original on 27 December 2025. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  19. ↑ Bagińska, Elżbieta (2020). Boguslavo Radvilos įvaizdis pagal jo privatų dienoraštį – šeima, artimieji, klientai [Boguslavas Radvila’s image based on his private diary – family, relatives, clients]. In (Eds.), Lietuvos istorijos metraštis [The Year-Book Of Lithuanian History] (in Lithuanian, abstract available in English). Vilnius: Lithuanian Institute of History. 1: 65–87. p. 67.  ISSN 0202-3342, e-ISSN 2538-6549.
  20. ↑ Matulevičius, Algirdas, Tyla, Antanas. "Boguslavas Radvila" (in Lithuanian). Universal Lithuanian Encyclopedia.
  21. ↑ Sužiedėlis, Saulius (2011). Historical Dictionary of Lithuania. Plymouth: Scarecrow Press. p. 7. ISBN 978-0-8108-7536-4.