Prince Janusz Radziwiłł, also known as Janusz the Second or Janusz the Younger (, 2 December 1612 – 31 December 1655) was a
noble
A noble is a member of the nobility.
Noble may also refer to:
Places Antarctica
* Noble Glacier, King George Island
* Noble Nunatak, Marie Byrd Land
* Noble Peak, Wiencke Island
* Noble Rocks, Graham Land
Australia
* Noble Island, Gr ...
and magnate in the
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, also referred to as Poland–Lithuania or the First Polish Republic (), was a federation, federative real union between the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...
. Throughout his life he occupied a number of posts in the state administration, including that of
Court Chamberlain of Lithuania (from 1633),
Field Hetman of Lithuania (from 1646) and
Grand Hetman of Lithuania (from 1654). He was also a
voivode
Voivode ( ), also spelled voivod, voievod or voevod and also known as vaivode ( ), voivoda, vojvoda, vaivada or wojewoda, is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe in use since the Early Mid ...
of
Vilna Voivodeship (from 1653), as well as a
starost
Starosta or starost (Cyrillic: ''старост/а'', Latin: ''capitaneus'', ) is a community elder in some Slavic lands.
The Slavic root of "starost" translates as "senior". Since the Middle Ages, it has designated an official in a leadersh ...
of
Samogitia
Samogitia, often known by its Lithuanian language, Lithuanian name ''Žemaitija'' (Samogitian language, Samogitian: ''Žemaitėjė''; see Samogitia#Etymology and alternative names, below for alternative and historical names) is one of the five ...
,
Kamieniec,
Kazimierz and
Sejwy. He was a protector of the Protestant religion in Lithuania and sponsor of many Protestant schools and churches.
For several decades, the interests between the
Radziwłł family and the state (
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, also referred to as Poland–Lithuania or the First Polish Republic (), was a federation, federative real union between the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...
) had begun to drift apart, as the Radziwiłłs increased their magnate status and wealth. Their attempts to acquire more political power in the
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a sovereign state in northeastern Europe that existed from the 13th century, succeeding the Kingdom of Lithuania, to the late 18th century, when the territory was suppressed during the 1795 Partitions of Poland, ...
culminated in the doings of Janusz Radziwiłł, who is remembered in
Polish historiography as one of the Grand Duchy nobles responsible for the end of the
Golden Age of the Commonwealth.
In his times he was one of the most powerful people in the Commonwealth, often described as a ''de facto'' ruler of the entire
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a sovereign state in northeastern Europe that existed from the 13th century, succeeding the Kingdom of Lithuania, to the late 18th century, when the territory was suppressed during the 1795 Partitions of Poland, ...
. During the
Deluge
A deluge is a large downpour of rain, often a flood.
The Deluge refers to the flood narrative in the biblical book of Genesis.
Deluge or Le Déluge may also refer to:
History
*Deluge (history), the Swedish and Russian invasion of the Polish-L ...
, the Swedish invasion of Poland-Lithuania during the
Second Northern War
The second (symbol: s) is a unit of time derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes, and finally to 60 seconds each (24 × 60 × 60 = 86400). The current and formal definition in the International System of ...
, he sided with the Swedish king signing the
Treaty of Kėdainiai and the
Union of Kėdainiai. This move however antagonised him with most of other nobles, including members of his own family. His forces were eventually defeated in battle and he himself died in a besieged castle at
Tykocin
Tykocin (; ) is a small town in north-eastern Poland, with 2,010 inhabitants (2012), located on the Narew river, in Białystok County in the Podlaskie Voivodeship. It is one of the oldest towns in the region, with its historic center designated a ...
.
Early life
He was born on 2 December 1612 in
Papilys (Popiela).
[Wisner (2000), p. 8] He was heir to one of the most powerful of princely
Polish–Lithuanian families, the
Radziwiłł family
The House of Radziwiłł (; ; ; ) is a Polish princely family of Lithuanian origin, and one of the most powerful magnate families originating from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and later also prominent in the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland. Pa ...
.
In September 1628 he departed for a four-year-long voyage, primarily in Germany and the Netherlands, returning to the Commonwealth's capital of Warsaw by autumn 1632.
[Wisner (2000), pp. 26–35] Soon afterward the new king of the Commonwealth,
Władysław IV Vasa
Władysław IV Vasa or Ladislaus IV (9 June 1595 – 20 May 1648) was King of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania and claimant of the thrones of Monarchy of Sweden, Sweden and List of Russian monarchs, Russia. Born into the House of Vasa as a prince ...
, sent him with a diplomatic mission to the Netherlands and England.
[Wisner (2000), pp. 35–36] As a reward, he received his first governmental office, becoming the
podkomorzy (Court Chamberlain) of Lithuania in early 1633.
[Wisner (2000), p. 37] He took part in the
Smolensk War
The Smolensk War (1632–1634) was a conflict fought between the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and Russia.
Hostilities began in October 1632 when Russian forces tried to capture the city of Smolensk. Small military engagements produced mix ...
in 1634, through he primarily accompanied the king, and did not participate actively in major combats.
[Wisner (2000), pp. 42–43] He became a regular part of Władysław IV Waza's company, spending much time at the royal court over the next five years.
In 1635 he became the
starost
Starosta or starost (Cyrillic: ''старост/а'', Latin: ''capitaneus'', ) is a community elder in some Slavic lands.
The Slavic root of "starost" translates as "senior". Since the Middle Ages, it has designated an official in a leadersh ...
of
Kamieniec, and in 1638,
Kazimierz Dolny
Kazimierz Dolny () is a small historic town in eastern Poland, on the right (eastern) bank of the Vistula river, from Lublin, in Puławy County, Lublin Voivodeship. Historically it belongs to Lesser Poland, and in the past it was one of the most i ...
(near Lublin).
[Wisner (2000), p. 51] Since 1636 he administered his family's estates, through not very efficiently, which he admitted himself.
He also attended most of the
Sejm
The Sejm (), officially known as the Sejm of the Republic of Poland (), is the lower house of the bicameralism, bicameral parliament of Poland.
The Sejm has been the highest governing body of the Third Polish Republic since the Polish People' ...
(Commonwealth's parliament) sessions.
[Wisner (2000), p. 57]
He married a Katarzyna Potocka on 2 February 1638. He was a Calvinist, and his wife, Catholic, though this did not cause significant difficulties.
[Wisner (2000), p. 54] They had three children, though only their daughter Anna Maria, born in 1640, survived to adulthood.
[Wisner (2000), p. 55] Katarzyna died on 21 November 1642.
[Wisner (2000), p. 56] In 1645 he married
Maria Lupu, daughter of a
Moldavia
Moldavia (, or ; in Romanian Cyrillic alphabet, Romanian Cyrillic: or ) is a historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester River. An initially in ...
n
voivod Vasile Lupu
Lupu Coci, known as Vasile Lupu (; 1595 – 1661), was the voivode of Moldavia between 1634 and 1653. He was of Albanian and Greek origin. Lupu had secured the Moldavian throne in 1634 after a series of complicated intrigues and managed to h ...
.
[Wisner (2000), p. 75]
Rise to power

The death of his father in 1641 made him one of the wealthiest magnates in the entire Commonwealth.
[Wisner (2000), p. 67] In 1646 he became a member of the
senate of Poland
The Senate () is the upper house of the Parliament of Poland, Polish parliament, the lower house being the Sejm of the Republic of Poland, Sejm. The history of the Polish Senate stretches back over 500 years; it was one of the first constituent ...
, as he an important office that granted him this privilege: in April that year, he became the
Field Hetman of Lithuania.
Later, in November, he also received another prestigious title, that of a
starost
Starosta or starost (Cyrillic: ''старост/а'', Latin: ''capitaneus'', ) is a community elder in some Slavic lands.
The Slavic root of "starost" translates as "senior". Since the Middle Ages, it has designated an official in a leadersh ...
of
Samogitia
Samogitia, often known by its Lithuanian language, Lithuanian name ''Žemaitija'' (Samogitian language, Samogitian: ''Žemaitėjė''; see Samogitia#Etymology and alternative names, below for alternative and historical names) is one of the five ...
.
[Wisner (2000), p. 71] In 1648 he was elected to the
Lithuanian Tribunal.
[Wisner (2000), p. 87] Later that year, the Commonwealth suffered two drastic events: death of king Władysław (succeeded by
John II Casimir Vasa
John II Casimir Vasa (; ; 22 March 1609 – 16 December 1672) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1648 to his abdication in 1668 as well as a claimant to the throne of Sweden from 1648 to 1660. He was the first son of Sigis ...
), and the beginning of the
Khmelnytsky Uprising
The Khmelnytsky Uprising, also known as the Cossack–Polish War, Khmelnytsky insurrection, or the National Liberation War, was a Cossack uprisings, Cossack rebellion that took place between 1648 and 1657 in the eastern territories of the Poli ...
. In February 1649 he commanded the Commonwealth forces in the victorious
Battle of Mazyr,
[Wisner (2000), pp. 112–113] and in July, at
Battle of Loyew.
[Wisner (2000), pp. 121–123] Fighting resumed in 1651, and Radziwiłł was once again victorious, commanding the Lithuanian forces at the
Second Battle of Loyew in July,
[Wisner (2000), pp. 142–143] capture of
Kiev
Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...
on 4 August,
[Wisner (2000), p. 145] and the
Battle of Bila Tserkva in September.
[Wisner (2000), p. 150]
In 1652 a
liberum veto
The ''liberum veto'' (Latin for "free veto") was a parliamentary device in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It was a form of unanimity voting rule that allowed any member of the Sejm (legislature) to force an immediate end to the current s ...
was invoked in the
Sejm
The Sejm (), officially known as the Sejm of the Republic of Poland (), is the lower house of the bicameralism, bicameral parliament of Poland.
The Sejm has been the highest governing body of the Third Polish Republic since the Polish People' ...
by
Władysław Siciński, forcing it to disband. Some historians have speculated that Siciński might have acted on orders from Janusz Radziwiłł, through Wisner observed there is no evidence to support this theory.
[Wisner (2000), p. 153]
In 1653 the Cossacks allied themselves with Russia, and in turn, Russian forces invaded the Commonwealth from the east. In March that year Janusz received the office of
voivode of Wilno.
[Wisner (2000), pp. 157–158] On 17 June 1654 Janusz was elevated from the Field Hetman position to the
Grand Hetman of Lithuania.
[Wisner (2000), p. 162] Despite the nominations, relations between him and the king have been worsening.
In late August 1654 Janusz Radziwiłł defeated
invading Russians at the
Battle of Shklow, but this was his last victory.
[Wisner (2000), pp. 169–170] Days later he was defeated by the Russians at the
Battle of Shepeleviche.
[Wisner (2000), pp. 171–172] The following winter Lithuanian counter-offensive proved unsuccessful; with the inconclusive
Siege of Mahylyow.
[Wisner (2000), pp. 180–183]
Union with Sweden
Janusz Radziwiłł trust in the
Poles
Pole or poles may refer to:
People
*Poles (people), another term for Polish people, from the country of Poland
* Pole (surname), including a list of people with the name
* Pole (musician) (Stefan Betke, born 1967), German electronic music artist
...
was damaged during the
Battle of Vilnius in 1655 when he, being the
Great Hetman of the
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a sovereign state in northeastern Europe that existed from the 13th century, succeeding the Kingdom of Lithuania, to the late 18th century, when the territory was suppressed during the 1795 Partitions of Poland, ...
, had to defend the Grand Duchy's capital
Vilnius
Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...
from the approaching
Tsardom of Russia
The Tsardom of Russia, also known as the Tsardom of Moscow, was the centralized Russian state from the assumption of the title of tsar by Ivan the Terrible, Ivan IV in 1547 until the foundation of the Russian Empire by Peter the Great in 1721.
...
forces. When a large Russian army approached Vilnius (at least 41,000 men
), Janusz Radziwiłł could muster just 5,000 to 7,000 men. The morale was further damaged by the order of king
John II Casimir Vasa
John II Casimir Vasa (; ; 22 March 1609 – 16 December 1672) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1648 to his abdication in 1668 as well as a claimant to the throne of Sweden from 1648 to 1660. He was the first son of Sigis ...
to royal troops (about 5,000 men) to retreat to
Marienburg.
City residents began hasty evacuations. Most valued treasures, including the coffin of
Saint Casimir, main books of
Lithuanian Metrica, and valuables from
Vilnius Cathedral
The Cathedral Basilica of St Stanislaus and St Ladislaus of Vilnius, also known as Vilnius Cathedral is the main Catholic cathedral in Lithuania. It is situated in Vilnius Old Town, just off Cathedral Square. Dedicated to the Christian saints ...
, were transported outside the city.
Janusz Radziwiłł took up defensive position on the northern shore of the
Neris
The river Neris () or Vilija (, ) rises in northern Belarus. It flows westward, passing through Vilnius (Lithuania's capital) and in the south-centre of that country it flows into the Nemunas (Neman) from the right bank, at Kaunas, as its ma ...
river near the present-day
Green Bridge to cover the evacuations.
The battle started around 6 a.m. on 8 August 1655
[ and lasted the whole day. The Lithuanians managed to capture three Russian flags.][ At night, the Lithuanian army split into two groups that retreated to ]Vilkaviškis
Vilkaviškis () is a city in southwestern Lithuania, the administrative center of the Vilkaviškis District Municipality. It is located northwest from Marijampolė, at the confluence of and rivers.
The city got its name from the Vilkauj ...
and to Kėdainiai
Kėdainiai () is one of the oldest List of cities in Lithuania, cities in Lithuania. It is located north of Lithuania's second largest city Kaunas on the banks of the Nevėžis River. Kėdainiai were first mentioned in the 1372 Livonian Chronicle ...
.[ The ]garrison
A garrison is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a military base or fortified military headquarters.
A garrison is usually in a city ...
of the Vilnius Castle Complex surrendered two days later. The invading forces plundered the city and murdered its inhabitants for several days. A fire consumed part of the city. Tsar Alexis of Russia
Alexei Mikhailovich (, ; – ), also known as Alexis, was Tsar of all Russia from 1645 until his death in 1676. He was the second Russian tsar from the House of Romanov.
He was the first tsar to sign laws on his own authority and his council ...
arrived to the city on 14 August. The city was so badly devastated that he could not find suitable accommodations in the city and instead built a large tent in .[
With the war against Russia still ongoing, the Commonwealth suddenly had to face a new enemy. In June 1655 Swedish forces started to advance across the northern territories of the Commonwealth.][Wisner (2000), pp. 190–191] The Swedish invasion of Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, part of the Second Northern War
The second (symbol: s) is a unit of time derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes, and finally to 60 seconds each (24 × 60 × 60 = 86400). The current and formal definition in the International System of ...
, is known in Lithuanian history as the Deluge
A deluge is a large downpour of rain, often a flood.
The Deluge refers to the flood narrative in the biblical book of Genesis.
Deluge or Le Déluge may also refer to:
History
*Deluge (history), the Swedish and Russian invasion of the Polish-L ...
. Together with his cousin Bogusław Radziwiłł
Bogusław Radziwiłł (; 3 May 1620 – 31 December 1669) was a Polish princely magnate and a member of the Polish-Lithuanian ''szlachta'', or nobility. He was of the Radziwiłł magnate family. By birth he was an Imperial Prince of the ...
, Janusz began talks with Swedish king Charles X Gustav of Sweden
Charles X Gustav, also Carl X Gustav (; 8 November 1622 – 13 February 1660), was King of Sweden from 1654 until his death. He was the son of John Casimir, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Kleeburg and Catherine of Sweden. After his father's ...
, discussing how to reverse the Union of Lublin
The Union of Lublin (; ) was signed on 1 July 1569 in Lublin, Poland, and created a single state, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, one of the largest countries in Europe at the time. It replaced the personal union of the Crown of the Kingd ...
which created the Commonwealth. Janusz first declared the Grand Duchy
A grand duchy is a country or territory whose official head of state or ruler is a monarch bearing the title of grand duke or grand duchess.
Prior to the early 1800s, the only Grand duchy in Europe was located in what is now Italy: Tuscany ( ...
a Swedish protectorate in the Treaty of Kėdainiai on 17 August 1655, then the brothers signed another treaty on 20 October according to which the Swedish–Lithuanian union was founded, and in which Radziwiłł's were to rule a part of the Grand Duchy.[Peter Paul Baje]
Short history of the Radziwill Family
Janusz was not alone in abandoning the Polish side; many Polish nobles, such as Deputy Chancellor of the Crown Hieronim Radziejowski
Hieronim Radziejowski (1612 — 8 August 1667) was a Polish szlachcic, noble, politician, diplomat, scholar and a military commander. He was the starost, governor of Sochaczew since 1643 and Deputy Chancellor of the Crown, Vice-Chancellor of the ...
and Grand Treasurer of the Crown Bogusław Leszczyński, believing that John II Casimir was a weak king or a Jesuit
The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
-king, encouraged Charles Gustav to claim the Polish crown. John II Casimir had few friends among the Polish szlachta, as he openly sympathized with Austria
Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
and showed disregard and contempt for the Commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...
. Poznań Voivode Krzysztof Opaliński surrendered Greater Poland
Greater Poland, often known by its Polish name Wielkopolska (; ), is a Polish Polish historical regions, historical region of west-central Poland. Its chief and largest city is Poznań followed by Kalisz, the oldest city in Poland.
The bound ...
to Charles Gustav, and soon other voivodes followed.
Although much of the Commonwealth, including Warsaw
Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
, Kraków
, officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
, and the western portions of the Grand Duchy, were taken by the Swedes, King John II Casimir and his allies were able to regain power after a few years starting with the Jasna Góra resistance and the Tyszowce Confederation. The Swedish defeat and eventual retreat from the territories of the Commonwealth spelled an abrupt end for the plans of Janusz and Bogusław.[ Janusz died in ]Tykocin
Tykocin (; ) is a small town in north-eastern Poland, with 2,010 inhabitants (2012), located on the Narew river, in Białystok County in the Podlaskie Voivodeship. It is one of the oldest towns in the region, with its historic center designated a ...
, besieged by loyal Commonwealth forces (desperate Swedish defenders later blew themselves up).
Legacy
Janusz Radziwiłł is ill-remembered in Polish popular culture, particularly due to the negative portrayal of his supposed treason and alliance with Swedes during the Deluge by Polish 19th century Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...
winner, Henryk Sienkiewicz
Henryk Adam Aleksander Pius Sienkiewicz ( , ; 5 May 1846 – 15 November 1916), also known by the pseudonym Litwos (), was a Polish epic writer. He is remembered for his historical novels, such as The Trilogy, the Trilogy series and especially ...
. Sienkiewicz, in his Trilogy
A trilogy is a set of three distinct works that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, and video games. Three-part works that are considered components of ...
, wrote about Radziwiłł's death: ''"Earthly ruin, a fallen soul, darkness, nothingness-that is all he managed to attain as a reward for service to himself"''.[
In Lithuania Janusz Radziwiłł (Jonušas Radvila) is remembered favourably as prominent patron of Lithuanian press and defender of Lithuanian interest.
Janusz Radziwiłł (1612–1655) is portrayed prominently as ]Hetman
''Hetman'' is a political title from Central and Eastern Europe, historically assigned to military commanders (comparable to a field marshal or imperial marshal in the Holy Roman Empire). First used by the Czechs in Bohemia in the 15th century, ...
by Władysław Hańcza
Władysław Hańcza (18 May 1905 – 19 November 1977) was a Polish actor and theatre director.
Education and debut
In 1924, he graduated high school in his hometown of Łódź. Afterwards he studied philosophy and Polish philology at the Adam Mi ...
, in the movie-epic '' The Deluge'' by Jerzy Hoffman
Jerzy Julian Hoffman (; born 15 March 1932) is a Polish director, screenwriter, and producer. He received the Polish Academy Life Achievement Award in February 2006.
Hoffman is best known for his works in ''The Deluge (film), The Deluge'' (1974) ...
.
References
;In-line:
;Bibliography:
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Radziwill, Janusz 1612-1655
1612 births
1655 deaths
People from Panevėžys County
Secular senators of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
Polish people of the Russo-Polish War (1654–1667)
Polish Calvinist and Reformed Christians
Field Hetmans of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Great Hetmans of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Lithuanian Calvinist and Reformed Christians
Janusz 1612
17th-century Lithuanian nobility
Polish military personnel of the Khmelnytsky Uprising
Voivode of Vilnius