From Żurawno to Grodno: Jan III Sobieski and the Ottoman Threat
Author(s)
Date Issued
2025
Type
article
Start Page
189
End Page
210
Journal
Abstract
The article examines the evolution of Jan III Sobieski’s foreign policy from the Truce of Żurawno (1676) to the Diet of Grodno (1679-1680), contextualising it within the geopolitical tensions of Central and Eastern Europe and the diplomatic initiatives of Pope Innocent XI. It argues that Sobieski’s initial accommodation with the Ottoman Empire, often viewed as a departure from Poland’s traditional role as “Christianity’s bulwark”, was driven by pragmatic political considerations and influenced by French strategy and the Jaworów agreements. Drawing on correspondence held in the Vatican Archives, the study highlights the Holy See’s efforts to forge a unified Christian front against Ottoman expansion while navigating Franco-Imperial rivalry and Muscovy’s complex stance. It traces the shift in Polish policy from alignment with France to rapprochement with the Habsburg Empire, culminating in the resolutions of the Grodno Diet and the subsequent 1683 alliance. The conclusions illustrate how this alliance was shaped not only by long-term diplomatic strategies but also by the pressing context of the imminent Ottoman threat to Vienna, which necessitated urgent collective action.
Subjects
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Name
EEHR 8-2025 Alessandro Boccolini.pdf
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368.54 KB
Format
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