Historical calendar: anniversary of the Catholic nobility's establishment of the Radom Confederation, which opposed the intentions of the Innovators.
Today in our calendar we will look at the scenes of this event and its consequences.
It was a long tradition to address the question of the equality of innoisseurs by the ecclesiastical powers. Since the Andrusz truce of 1667, Russia has become the protector of the Orthodox people of the Republic, and since the 1930s, the demands to support dissidents and dissidents have become a compulsory point of all Russian-Prussian treaties concerning the Polish cause, due to the fact that under the appearance of concern for freedom of religion, it was possible to interfere in Polish interior affairs.
Already during the coronation parliament of 1764, Russian MP Nikolai Repnin called for full equality for Orthodox and Protestant believers. The King did not formally support his request, for he did not want to completely alienate the Catholic nobility; he committed himself to back Russian plans, which in the most utmost case predicted the outbreak of civilian war.
The dissident case returned in 1766, erstwhile Russian diplomacy developed a ready-made draft constitution that provided for equality and pressed for its adoption. The parliament refused to accept this, which sparked another Russian army intervention. Under their cover, Repnin applied, most likely the first in the past of Poland, the method of management by the crisis.
This is due to the fact that he established 2 Innower confederations – Toruń for the Crown and Słuka for Lithuania. In consequence to these actions, Catholics established their own confederation in Radom on 23 June 1767. Both Catholics, defending “faith and freedom” as well as heretics and schismatists demanding the extension of their rights, were allowed to be played like small children to a Russian diplomat who in cold blood utilized a spiritual conflict to push the interests of his court.
Repnin has even implemented the maxim “share and rule”. Among another things, he deliberately set up a radomian against the king, who was called the "Boy" to feel a threat to his throne, even more powerfully hung in the Petersburg handle. This was not hard erstwhile Poniatowski proposed, among others, the creation of a Catholic synod independent from Papacy in the Republic, i.e. de facto, postulated the establishment of a Protestant national church.
The leading confederation of Radom magnates specified as Karol “Mr Kochanku” Radziwiłł, after consulting Repnin, asked Catherine II to reconstruct the erstwhile laws and order. The situation became curiosity when, at any point, the Confederates against the Innoreans began to be urged by Repnin to give their consent to equality of religion.
Tied in the fall of 1767 under the confederation node of the alleged Seym Repninowski, he conducted “reforms” under the cover of 40,000 Russian corps. The erstwhile primate of Poland Władysław Lubieński, who opposed equality, the Russians poisoned. He was replaced by completely obedient orders from St. Petersburg Gabriel Podoski – a womanizer, atheist and mason.
In order to terrorise any of the reluctant Members, Repnin conducted arrests and exports into Russia of the leaders of the patriotic wing of the Radom Confederacy – Bishop of Kajetan Sołtyk, Bishop of Józef Załuski, Hetman of the Crown of Wacław Rzewuski and his boy Seweryn. The function of the king himself in this event is unclear. According to any sources, he personally reported the above to Repnin, considering them as damaging to Russian interests.
The fact is that shortly after the arrests, Poniatowski, as if nothing at all, did on October 22, 1767, a review of the Czarski troops during their maneuvers at Warsaw. This proves that he supported these actions and did not even symbolically defy the Moscals.
After pacification of patriots, the basic constitutional principles of the Republic of Poland, the alleged cardinal laws, which were to be guaranteed by Tsarica Catherine, were edited. Cardinal's rights consisted of: free election, veto liberal, the anticipation of declaring obedience to the king in the form of confederacy and the exclusive right of nobility to hold offices and property on land. On February 24, 1768, Poland signed with Russia the alleged treatise of perpetual relationship by which it became de jure Russian protectorate.
The Repninowski Sejm granted full political rights to dissidents, although it besides guaranteed the privileged position of the Catholic Church. Also, the rule of majority voting on land Sejmes was introduced, not crucial from the Russian point of view. During the meeting, Stanisław August cried and then fainted as any MPs tried to convince him to break the politics of clientelism towards Russia.
In his letter to Repnin, he wrote about the effects of Nikita Panin, 1 of the chief counselors of the czarica: “with its free voice, and with specified cardinal rights, Poland will stay forever, with its interior powerlessness, political zero for us.”
Previous entry from our calendar is available Here.
