Kulisy kapitulacji wielkopolskiego pospolitego ruszenia pod Ujściem w 1655 roku
Behind the scenes of capitulation of Polish troops near Ujscie in 1655

Summary/Abstract: There are numerous publications concerning a capitulation of Polish troops under command of Voivode of Poznan Krzysztof Opalinski and Voivode of Kalisz Andrzej Karol Grudzinski near a village Ujscie. A main goal of this decision was to defend the Greater Poland against Swedish army. These two magnate leaders till nowadays were considered as main actors of this treason and putting the Greater Poland under a protectorate of Karol X Gustaw, the king of Sweden. However, analysis of new sources presented in this article allows us to conclude that responsibility for the actions near Ujscie should be divided equally among all political fractions, including the one headed by Jan Kazimierz, the king of Poland. A main role in a deconstruction of a defence in the Greater Poland against Swedes was played by members of Leszczynski Family, who were not present in a camp near Ujscie, particularly by the general starosta of the Greater Poland and vice-treasurer of the Polish Crown, Boguslaw Leszczynski. After his desertion, Opalinski and Grudzinski had to overtake all preparations of the defence against Swedish invasion. Both of them tried to fulfil this task by gathering the most numerous troops possible in the area of river Notec. Unfortunately, most nobility indicated a fix number of soldiers, according to the size of their estate (Pol. piechota łanowa), and did not joined the army in person, what slowed down the whole mobilisation of the army. It seems that this attitude of nobility was the reason why Opalinski and Grudzinski were certain that no attempt or defence strategy has any sense and resulted in capitulation.

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