Biskup Józef Giedroyć i duchowieństwo Litwy w służbie Napoleona w 1812 roku
Bishop Józef Giedroyc and Clergy of Lithuania in the Service of Napoleon in 1812

Summary/Abstract: This article focuses on the activity of bishop Józef Giedroyć during the war of 1812, and analyzes the attitude of Catholic clergy of Lithuania towards Napoleon and the idea of reconstruction of Polish Kingdom. When Second Polish War started, Polish and Lithuanian clergy had no doubts if to support the French emperor, who created possibility to rebuild their homeland. In 1812, despite the ongoing crisis in relations between Napoleon and pope Pius VII, the Catholic Church in Duchy of Warsaw and in Lithuania supported the war with Russia because of patriotic motives. Despite excesses and even common banditism in first days of the campaign against Russia, the Lithuanian clergy headed by bishops quickly entered the administrative activity of Napoleonic Lithuania. They were involved in restoring the order after peasant uprisings. Catholic clergy participated in all of the anniversaries and key events in campaign against Russia that were solemnly celebrated in Vilnius and other cities. The clergy supported the war effort, hoping, like the rest of society, for restitution of the Polish Kingdom. All hopes were shattered by defeat of Napoleon in Russia.

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