Lithuania and Poland lived together four hundred years. Two states were joined by the state’s organization, common ruler and parliament (from 1569), family’s ties, language and customs, intellectual like, Catholic religion and Church’s organization. Although Lithuania’s position was not relevant to Poland, the king lived in Poland, Polish nobility was predominant in the parliamental life, further more the Polish culture was much more richer. Lithuania and Poland two– sied state model was not only unique but also constant, strong and even attractive. That is way Poland–Lithuania union survived for a long period and it is worth of international attention. But it still is a domain of the Polish historiography wich seeks to give answers for all questions concerning the union’s stages: Krėva treaty in 1385; union of Liublin in 2569 and reforms in 1791, and the end of the union too.
Historians had different opinions about the Krėva trety’s reasons. Some of them (A. Prochaska, F. Koneczny, H. Paszkiewicz, O. Halecki) emphasised the Polish nobility’s attempts to rule Haličas–Volyn territory which was also desirable by Hungary and Lithuania. Until 1370 Poland was looking for a union with Hungary against Lithuania, later-with Lithuania against Hungary. As a consequence the Krėva treaty was signed in 1385. Other historians (H. Łowmiański, J. Bardach, J. Ochmański) sow the growing treat of the Teutonic Order for Lithuania and late christianization problems resulting in the union with Poland. This very opinion became an unquestionable truth. Jogaila’s promise „terras suas... Coronae regni Poloniae perpetuo applicare“ made a ground for many debates. Historians separated. Some of them thought that it was Jogaila and Polish nobility’s incorporational policy. A. Lewicki and his follower F. Koneczny developed this incorporational theory in 1893 and it was undertaken by the majority of Polish historians. But the disputes concerned only its duration: A. Lewicki, L. Kołankowski, H. Łowmiański spoke about 1446, S. Kutrzeba, O. Halecki about 1401, J. Bardach mentioned 1398 and F. Koneczny – 1392. Anouther group of Polish historians – H. Paszkiewicz, A. Vetulani, J. Adamus and from 1937 O. Halecki emphasised the dependence of the Grand Duke of Lithuania on the Polish king.
There were no big debates on the reasons of Liublinas’union: growing political activity of the Lithuanian nobility and its attemps to have equal rights with the Polish nobility, war among Lithuania and Moscow and hope for the Polish nobility to realise old state right, e.i. „executional attempt“ and finally, dominance and attractiveness of Polish culture.
There were no arguments on the time when the union became not kingdom but real – parliamential. It happened in 1569. But it was not clear whether this union proclaimed unitarian state of Poland and failure of the Lithuania state or created a federation of two states. O. Balcer, V. Konopcziński, S. Kosciałkowski, K. Chodynicki and H. Łowmiański sow it as the end of the Lithuania state. S. Kutrzeba, O. Halecki, L. Kołankowski and J. Bardach a merge of two states and two nations.
Specialists of the Enlightenment were seeking for the features of Lithuania statehood even in the 18th century. They found functions of Lithuania statehood, at first existence of the separate state institutions, chancellor, marshal, treasury and army, also law, courts’system, Lithuanians parliamentarism. They considered, however, the reforms of the end of the 17th century as an abolishment of the Lithuania statehood. „Bilateral obligation“ signed on October 20th, 1791 acknowledged the central offices to be in Warszaw, giving for Lithuanians only participants’ status. It still was the Polish compromise on the unions’s question. But it never came into being. The existence of Poland–Lithuania state and also union was coming to an end. |
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