HIST362: Modern Revolutions

The French Revolution and Napoleonic ascension also significantly affected Poland and Lithuania. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, established in 1569, was one of the most populated areas in Europe. It was established as a semi-federal/confederal, aristocratic government. The Commonwealth operates by sharing authority between the central and local governments. It combined ideas of democracy and constitutional monarchy and limited the monarch's power via the asserted power of the aristocracy – similar to the Magna Carta in England. The Commonwealth, established between the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, covered much of eastern Europe, including Latvia, parts of Ukraine and Estonia, and Belarus. Although officially a partnership, Poland maintained the majority of power in the Commonwealth. While it eventually degraded into partial anarchy, the Commonwealth, at its apex, stood against the Russian, Ottoman, and Swedish empires. The first century of the Commonwealth was its most successful—many historians call it a Golden Age. The Parliament was powerful and could keep it out of the Thirty Years War that ravaged Europe in the 17th century. The Enlightenment also significantly affected the Commonwealth. The ideas of constitutionalism, human rights, and universal education predominated intellectualism in the Commonwealth. These ideas spread throughout Europe and greatly impacted the ideology of government that characterized early modern revolutions. Listen to this article about the Polish Enlightenment until 4:01. Consider how the ideas of the Polish Enlightenment influenced beliefs about revolution in the late 18th century.