Therebellion of the city of Danzig (Gdańsk) was a revolt from December 1575 to December 1577 of the city against the outcome of the1576 Polish–Lithuanian royal election. The Polish throne was contested byStephen Báthory and the Holy Roman EmperorMaximillian II.
| Danzig Rebellion | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Principality of Transylvania |  Gdańsk Denmark–Norway | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Stephen BáthoryJan Zborowski | Johann Winkelbruch † | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Around 2,000 | Around 12,000 | ||||||
It began on 12 December 1575, when Emperor Maximillian was chosen as monarch by the Polish Senate, while the majority of theszlachta (nobility) had voted for Bathory. It ended on 16 December 1577.[1] Maximilian's II death in fall of 1576 weakened Danzig's position and made the conflict less about the recognition of the ruler than about Danzig's privileges. With neither side being able to defeat the other militarily, a compromise was reached, with economic as well as religious[2]privileges of the city being restored and recognized, in return for a large reparation and recognition of Bathory as Grand Duke of western Prussia. Danzig made its oath conditional on the removal of the Statute of the Karnkowski commission of 1569/70.[3]
On 20 July 1570, the Polish-Lithuanian kingSigismund II Augustus introducedKarnkowski Statutes, which partly reducedDanzig's special privileges[4][5] granted by earlier Polish kings after thePrussian Confederation cities recognized their rule in 1454.
In 1572, the throne of thePolish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was vacated when King Sigismund Augustus died without an heir andHenry III of France after a brief period as a Polish king returned to France.Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was anelective monarchy and (after theUnion of Lublin in 1569) in close union with Lithuania, meaning that Polish nobility (szlachta) could vote on who would become the next king. Cities had no vote; Danzig however was invited byprimate of Poland andinterrexJakub Uchański to cast a vote but declined to send a representative.[6] Members of theSenate (including most of the Polish episcopate led by Jakub Uchański) decided to electEmperor Maximilian II, against the will of majority ofnobility, which during theroyal election voted forAnna Jagiello (the last representative of the former Polish-LithuanianJagiellon dynasty) andStephen Báthory as her husband andde facto King. This led to some unrest in Poland.
The town whose economic privileges were reduced by the Karnkowski Statutes, wanted to use the situation to regain its preferential position within thePolish Crown. It also preferred Maximilian,[7] who looked more likely to support the towns' economic privileges, and who could also threaten serious economic repercussions (boycott by theHabsburgs). Thus the city, encouraged by its immense wealth and almost impregnable fortifications, as well as by the secret support ofDenmark-Norway[8] and Emperor Maximilian himself, had supported the latter's election.
On 1 May 1576, Stefan Bathory married King Anna Jagiello and was crowned byStanisław Karnkowski as King of Poland.Jakub Uchański andnuncioWincenty Laureo recognized Maximillian as a King, but soon they and others accepted the will of majority. When Stefan swore in all of existing rights ofRoyal Prussia andDuchy of Prussia,[9] and was recognized as a rightful ruler,[10] Danzig refused to follow along and still recognized Maximillian as King of Poland.[11]
The tensions grew as rioters looted and burned down anabbey inOliwa.[7] The abbey belonged to thebishop of Kujawy, Stanisław Karnkowski, who had under his jurisdiction the whole of PolishPomerania. TheSejm (parliament) of the Commonwealth did not approve higher taxes for the war. It did however approve abanicja (form of political exile and excommunication), confiscation of the city's property, arrest of its citizens, commercial blockade and rerouting of the important trade via the port ofElbląg (which however was immediately blockaded by Denmark-Norway's navy).[12][13]
In August 1576, Bathory led 2,000 (Polish soldiers and mercenaries fromTransylvania[14]) men toMalbork (Marienburg), from there Polish units took control of the area surrounding Gdańsk, capturing Grabina and Głowa, two strategically important villages, thereby blockading Danzig's port from the east and the south. The King left the army under the command ofHetmanJan Zborowski and most of the forces were stationed atTczew (Dirschau). In the west the main base was atPuck (Putzig), where there was a mercenary force led byErnest Weyher. While some Polishprivateer ships fought the Gdańsk and Danish-Norwegian fleets, for the most part the control of theBaltic Sea belonged to the Danzigers and their allies.[15] Soon after the fighting begun, Maximilian's II death (12 October 1576) was announced; this weakened Danzig's position and made the conflict less about the recognition of the ruler than about Danzig's privileges.[16]
With the coming of the spring of 1577, the fighting began anew. The Danzig army, led by the Germanmercenary commander Johann Winkelbruch (Hans Winckelburg von Kölln), was about 7,000-12,000 strong (including mercenaries, among them a Scottish regiment[17]), but with less than 1,000 cavalry. Winckelburg decided to crush the small army of Zborowski (who had about 2,000 men, half of them cavalry), but the Danzig army was utterly defeated by Zborowski in thebattle of Lubiszewo on 17 April 1577.[7][18]
After the battle, the Danzig forces retreated behind the walls, citizens pulled down trees and houses in front of fortifications[19][20] and asiege began. Reinforcement with King Batory arrived only in July.[15] During it King Stefan was using heated cannonballs[21] and turned back the flow of theRadunia river.[9] Bathory had about 11,000 men, and Danzig, about 10,000.[15] A surprise attack by the Danzigers managed to destroy two-thirds of the Polish artillery, vastly slowing the progress of the siege.[15] In September 1577[9] Danzig and Danish-Norwegian fleets started a blockade of Polish trade along Elbing and attacked its suburbs. Their troops that landed were soon pushed back by Bathory's Hungarian infantry underKacper Bekiesza, and the city council send a note thanking the King.[9][22]
However, after a few months, Stephen's army was unable to take the city by force. On 16 December 1577,[1] the siege ended and citizens swore loyalty to Stefan's representatives Eustachy Wołłowicz andAndrzej Firlej.[10][23] (Treaty of Malbork).[7]
The Gdańsk merchants had suffered a great deal from the blockade, especially because of lack of trade.[15] In the meantime, Bathory also wanted to end the siege, asIvan the Terrible ofMuscovy broke a three-year truce in the same year[24] and Muscovy tried to gain control of the eastern territories of the Commonwealth (Livonian War).[25]
The siege and all economic restrictions that were passed in the past two years were lifted in return for reparations and recognition of Bathory as the sovereign. Stefan forgave the city's rebellion and again turned Polish trade from Elbing to Danzig. The city, in turn, recognized him as ruler of Poland and promised to pay the large sum of 200,000złotys and an additional 20,000 repatriation to the abbey of Oliwa in five years.[26]
On 26 November 1585 the Karnkowski Statutes from 1570 were lifted,[27] and Danzig again became the most privileged city in the Commonwealth.
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