Hermann Jakob Czernin von Chudenitz’ Diplomatic Mission in Warsaw in 1695. A Contribution towards the Travel Arrangements of Imperial Diplomats (original) (raw)
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This paper examines the previously unknown diplomatic mission of Hermann Jakob Count Czernin von Chudenitz in Warsaw in 1695. Neither Polish nor Czech nor Austrian historians paid any attention to it. Based on this, however, it is possible to demonstrate perfectly how tense the relations between Emperor Leopold I and the Polish King John III Sobieski, who, at the end of their lives, were officially allies in the Holy League. The author first briefly introduces this mission and then, using it as an example, attempts to show how the travels of the imperial ambassadors of that time were organised and also unveils other additional aspects of the diplomatic service. Above all he reconstructed the court of Count Czernin, who was surrounded by over 80 people, and also located the place of his accommodation in Warsaw and showed which apartment the Count possessed as an ambassador. Finally, he examined the question of the financial costs of this stay, and documented the fact that the ambassador had to pay many expenses from his own pocket, and that this mission had cost him cca. 50,000 guldens. U p till now neither in the Czech nor in the Polish nor in the Austrian historiography has any work in regard to the diplomatic mission of Hermann Jakob Czernin von Chudenitz to Poland in 1695 originated. In the Czech environment this is not surprising, because until recently almost no one there was actually dealing with the diplomacy of the early modern period and this situation has only improved during the last five years by the publication of the results of the systematic research work that was carried 1 This study originated as a part of the solution of the GA ČR's standard project No. 13–12939S entitled Bohemian and Moravian Nobility in the Habsburg Diplomatic Service (1640–1740). At this point I would like to note that the final form of this study originated with the assistance of several friends and colleagues. The results of his research of personal correspondence from the 1690's were kindly provided to me by Petr Maťa from Vienna, for which I thank him very much. I am also grateful to Vítězslav Prchal (for the data obtained from the Viennese archives concerning the funding of Czernin's mission) and to both the reviewers of this article (for the other recommended literature).
EASTERN EUROPEAN HISTORY REVIEW, 2021
Il Comitato redazionale e scienti co è lieto di presentare al pubblico la rivista scienti ca Eastern European History Review. Con un carattere internazionale e interdisciplinare, una cadenza annuale e una fruibilità open access la rivista focalizza i propri interessi sulle dinamiche occorse nell'Europa Orientale durante tutta l'età moderna (XIV-XIX). Eastern European History Review è espressione del Centro Studi dell'Università della Tuscia CESPoM (Centro Studi sull'età dei Sobieski e della Polonia Moderna) nato nel per intuizione del Prof. Gaetano Platania, Direttore Emerito della Rivista. L'iniziativa editoriale che presentiamo nasce dall'evidente mancanza in Italia di una rivista scienti ca relativa alla storia dell'Europa centro-orientale in Età Moderna, nonostante la penisola abbia giocato un ruolo fondamentale per la Storia e la Cultura di una parte integrante del continente, a torto considerata come lontana e periferica. Consapevoli di questo, il Comitato ha posto quale obiettivo primario della Eastern European History Review quello di off rire uno spazio di ri essione e di discussione su temi che appartengono alla storia dell'Europa centro-orientale, e insieme alle relazioni-politiche e culturali-che questa vasta area del Vecchio Continente ha avuto con l'occidente d'Europa, e l'Italia in particolare, incoraggiando il dialogo tra studiosi e esperti di settore, e tra diff erenti approcci della ricerca scienti ca. Il Comitato Redazionale e Scienti co EASTERN EUROPEAN HISTORY REVIEW: THE JOURNAL e Editorial and Scienti c Board are proud delighted to present the Eastern European History Review under the aegis of Sette Città Editore. e Eastern European History Review is an international and interdisciplinary annually online and open access peer-reviewed journal about studies on Ceantral and Eastern Europe in the Modern Age (XIV-XIX). e Journal is also the expression of the Study Center CESPoM (Centro Studi sull'età dei Sobieski e della Polonia Moderna-Center Study on the Age of Sobieski and Modern Poland) of the University of Tuscia, born in , from an idea of Prof. Gaetano Platania, today Director Emeritus of this journal. It publishes articles with signi cant approaches and original interpretations in all research elds concerning Central and Eastern Europe, with speci c attention to the History sciences. e editorial initiative we present comes from the obvious lack of a journal, in Italy, concerning the history of Central and Eastern Europe during the Modern Age, this despite its fundamental role in the history and culture of that part of the continent, wrongly considered distant and peripheral. Quite the contrary is true, in fact. Main objective of the journal is to create a space for re ection and discussion on topics pertaining to Central and Eastern Europe, but also relations with Continental Europe, encouraging dialogue between scholars and experts in the eld, and between diff erent approaches of scienti c research.
Eastern European History Review, 2021
Despite numerous publications regarding the journey of prince Władysław Waza to Western Europe (Czech, Austria, Germany, Netherlands, Italy) in 1624-1625, the topic still awaits its fully elaborated monography. One of the issues requiring in-depth reflection is the broadly understood diplomatic dimension of young Vasa’s peregrination. The prince, travelling incognito, was officially a member of Albrycht S. Radziwiłł’s diplomatic entourage. This arrangement caused many problems with regard to diplomatic and ceremonial procedures in the ambassador-prince-host court triangle. The aim of this article is to present relations in said arrangement, especially those related with preponderance during entries, stay and ceremonies taking place at the courts visited by the embassy. The analysis will be conducted primarily from the perspective of the role and functions of the ambassador. Therefore, its important component will also be the description of the political dimension of the journey, which will show Albrecht S. Radziwiłł's activities in this area, including relations and talks with the rulers visited, the political elite and ambassadors present at a given court.
Res Gestae. Czasopismo historyczne Vol. 6, 2018, s. 186-196., 2018
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The Travels of Joseph II in Hungary, Transylvania, Slavonia and the Banat of Temesvar, 1768–1773.
Joseph II is often considered to be a much travelled emperor. While his travels abroad under the pseudonym of Count Falkenstein have been widely studied, his tours within his own realms are much less researched. Rather than pursuing Romantic adventures, his principal aim was to learn about the political, military and social conditions of his realm and its inhabitants. The purpose of this contribution is to analyse the travels Joseph II undertook in Hungary, Transylvania, Slavonia and the Banat between 1768 and 1773. With the help of examples, the article explores how the various experiences Joseph II had during his visits influenced his ideas, his reform policy and ultimately his practice of rule.
Legatio: The Journal for Renaissance and Early Modern Diplomatic Studies 2, 2018
The attempt of the paper is to illustrate the reasons of fiasco of papal legation of Clement IX in matter of John Casimir Vasa’s abdication (1668) and of the subsequent royal election (1669). The paper examines the origins of the whole diplomatic project of papal legation to Poland-Lithuania, the Primate’s attitude and political games towards to it, the ceremonial problematics regarding the papal diplomatic presence during the events of royal abdication and of the election, as well as the circumstances of the final resignation from the papal legation project. The idea of a papal intervention, by sending a legate a latere to a shaken by internal conflicts and threat of royal abdication and new interregnum Poland-Lithuania, was born in the early spring of 1668. It was John Casimir Vasa to suggest that it would be beneficial if a high-ranked papal representative came to the Commonwealth as a neutral mediator. After the arrival of the official information regarding the decision of royal abdication to Rome, cardinal Virginio Orsini, repurposed the idea of sending a legate to Poland-Lithuania. This project was then seriously considered by Clement IX and consulted with apostolic nuncios in Warsaw (Galeazzo Marescotti) and in Wien (Antonio Pignatelli). The ceremonial aspect of the papal diplomats’ participation in the above-mentioned events seems to be crucial for the position of Primate Mikołaj Prażmowski, refusing to comply with the precedence rules traditionally granted to the representatives of the Holy See. Instead, Prażmowski emphasized the qualification of the Archbishops of Gniezno as papal legati nati. Basing on the diplomatic dispatches of the apostolic nuncios and on their instructions, I would like to show the problematic relations of the Primate with papal diplomats in Poland-Lithuania, as well as to explain the origins of his negative attitude towards the unrealised papal legation.
LEGATIO: THE JOURNAL FOR RENAISSANCE AND EARLY MODERN DIPLOMATIC STUDIES, 2018
Researchers of the sixteenth-century European diplomacy discuss diplomatic networks and daily life activities of ambassadors conditioned by the development of residential diplomacy. At the same time, historians of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth study diplomatic phenomena of a different kind since a resident mission system was not developed in Poland-Lithuania. The practice of temporary legations persisted and led to the development of distinctive features of envoys’ diplomatic activities during their missions. It also is possible to see different circumstances when looking into the question of the professionalization of Polish-Lithuanian diplomats and their personal qualities relevant to their diplomatic missions. The study of this problem reveals that, in the case of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, a relatively strong patron-client relationship occurred as well as close links between the patronage system and organisation of diplomatic activities. Research into the practice of assigning envoys to diplomatic missions makes it possible to establish that almost all lower-rank envoys between the mid- and last decade of the sixteenth century were clients of the Radziwill family, dominating the political life of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania at that time. One of the main tasks of the Radziwill clients nominated as diplomatic envoys was to supply information to their patrons. At the same time, we can also see an attempt to control diplomatic communications with foreign countries. This group of Radziwill clients, who performed various diplomatic missions, is the subject of the analysis presented in this article. I try to determine here the reasons for appointing particular clients as foreign envoys and see how their diplomatic functions influenced their future careers
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