 Bilingual Polish and Swedish memorial stone inStary Targ | |
| Type | Ceasefire |
|---|---|
| Signed | 16 (O.S.)/26 (N.S.) September 1629 |
| Location | Altmark (Stary Targ),Poland |
| Parties | |
The six-yearTruce of Altmark (orTreaty of Stary Targ,Polish:Rozejm w Altmarku,Swedish:Stillståndet i Altmark) was signed on 16 (O.S.)/26 (N.S.) September 1629 in the village of Altmark (Stary Targ), in Poland, by thePolish–Lithuanian Commonwealth andSweden, with helped byRichelieu's envoyCharnacé ending thePolish–Swedish War (1626–1629), and freeingGustavus to enter theThirty Years' War.[1][2][3]
The truce allowed Sweden to retain control ofLivonia. Sweden also evacuated most of theDuchy of Prussia but kept the coastal cities. Poland had other Swedish gains returned from the 1625 invasion. Most of Livonia north of theDaugava River was ceded to Sweden (Swedish Livonia), butLatgale, the southeastern area, remained under Polish rule. Sweden received the right to two third of all the shipping tolls at Polish ports, such as atGdańsk (Danzig) andElbląg (Elbing) and from theDuchy of Prussia, for six years. The shipping tolls financed Sweden's involvement in theThirty Years' War.[4]
The Truce of Altmark was signed shortly after Sweden had been defeated by Poland led byField Crown HetmanStanisław Koniecpolski andHoly Roman Imperial troops atTrzciana, which nearly lead to the capture of KingGustavus Adolphus of Sweden. Gustavus was wounded several times and was once saved by one of his men.[5]
The Polish Parliament (Sejm) did not impose new taxes to pay the soldiers of the imperial army fighting underHans Georg von Arnim-Boitzenburg and low morale made some of them mutiny or go over to Sweden. Several other countries intervened diplomatically, which eventually forcedSigismund III of Poland to enter the truce.[6]
In 1635, the truce was extended by theTreaty of Stuhmsdorf. Sweden gave up the Prussian ports, and Poland ceded most of Livonia withRiga but kept theLatgale region.
The most important result of the truce was that it solidified Sweden's position as the ruler of the northern part of theBaltic Sea down to theDaugava, includingRiga.[7]
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