Duchy of Warsaw

Name and political statute: Duchy or Grand Duchy

Since the origin, the French denomination Grand-Duché of Warsaw is usually used, whereas the denominations Polish (Księstwo), Latin (Ducatus) and German (Herzogtum) are translated literally like Duché and that the original French version of the Traité of Tilsit also uses this term. Frederic-Auguste Ier had the titles of king de Saxe and duke of Latin Warsaw (: Rex Saxoniae, Dux Varsoviae ).

During the great offensive of Napoleon against the Russia (1812), the duke gives up the capacity at the Council of Ministers and the Diète of the duchy which proclaims the restoration of the kingdom of Poland as well as the reunification with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The failure of the countryside of Russia obliges to return to the statutes of the duchy.

One can stress that, in fact, this State was vassal French Empire, Napoleon having the title of " protecteur".

Surface of the duchy

1806 - 1809

The territory of the duchy had already released in 1806 by a popular rising caused by a call from the Polish officers from Napoleon.

The first task of the new government is to supply the French troops which fight against the Russians in Prussia Orientale.

Under the Treated of Tilsit, the territorial limits of the duchy are specified. The grounds taken by Prussia in Poland, at the time of the divisions of 1793 and 1795, are set up in duchy of Warsaw, Russia keeping only Białystok, Bielsk and the north of the Polésie. Gdańsk becomes again a free city (theoretically under the joint of Prussia and Saxony, actually French protectorate, with garrisons Frenchwoman and Polish protection). The duchy of Warsaw has a surface of 101.500 km ² and counts an army of 45.000 men.

1809 - 1815

After the war against the Austria (1809) and the battles of Raszyn, the duchy increases part of the Galicie located at the west of the San. The surface of the duchy passes to 155.000 km ² and its population counts 4.300.000 inhabitants.

Government

Napoleon set up a government, composed Polish aristocrats, supervised by a French “Resident”.

In 1807, a force of 39.000 men is setting-up, divided into three armies of 13.000 men, entrusted to Józef Poniatowski, Józef Zajączek and Jan Henryk Dąbrowski.

In March 1809, the Diète begins its work.

From March 1813, the duchy is occupied by the Russians. The March 14th 1813, Warsaw becomes the seat of a provisional Supreme council of the tsar for the duchy of Warsaw, in which only two Poles sit. This Council is chaired by the Russian general Vassili Lanskoj who is also general governor of the duchy of Warsaw (until the June 9th 1815).

Presidents of the Council of Ministers:

Stanisław Małachowski (until the December 16th 1807)
Ludwik Gutakowski (of the December 16th 1807 with the March 25th 1809)
Stanisław Kostka Potocki (of the March 25th 1809 until in March 1813)

Chiefs of the armed forces of the duchy:

the prince Józef Poniatowski (until the October 19th 1813)
the general Paweł Sułkowski
the general Jan Henryk Dąbrowski

Constitution and civil code

Napoleon gave a Constitution and a Civil code French (Napoleon Code) to the duchy of Warsaw.

The constitution created a system Bicaméral chapeauté by a duke without capacity. The unit was controlled by the French Residents, the marshal Louis Nicolas Davout assisted by Etienne Vincent, Jean-Charles Serra and Louis Edouard Bignon.

The Constitution was much more liberal than the Constitution of May 3rd. It included/understood:

equality of all the Citoyen S in front of the law
abolition of the privileges of the Noblesse ( szlachta )
abolition of the Servage
the political rights are allotted to noble and to the middle-class men.

Well quickly the progressists owed déchanter. An article stipulated that the official religion is Roman Catholicism, another authorized all the worships but the introduction of the French civil code (Code Napoleon) allowed the divorce and created the civil wedding, which was violently criticized by the Church. Another article which abolished serfdom and recognized the quality of citizen to a peasant very quickly saw its limited range, the Minister for Justice making specify that the ground could belong only to Noble S and that the peasants were free only of their person.

However, the new Constitution and the new civil code finally made it possible to set up the conditions making it possible the Bourgeoisie to exist, to have access to the highest functions. Reforms are also introduced into the culture and teaching.

History

The duchy was a State very militarized and emptied its richnesses to support the effort of French war, on which its survival depended. In 1812, more than 100.000 Poles of the duchy fought against the Russians in the rows of the Napoleonean army. Moreover, the duchy was to carry the burden of a colossal French garrison.

In 1812, the Poles hoped that the duchy would be high with the row of kingdom and that the Lithuanian territories released by Napoleon would be related to the kingdom, allowing the restoration of the Union of Poland-Lithuania. Careful, Napoleon had not made a clear promise which would bind the hands to him. He completely controlled the Polish armed forces via Józef Poniatowski, which was Minister for the war of the so future duchy but Marshal of France.

The partition of the duchy

With the Congress of Vienna (1815), the territory of the duchy was divided into three parts:

Kingdom of Poland (or Royaume of the Congress) controlled by Russia (the tsar carries the title of king de Pologne) - 128.000 km ²,
Grand-duché of Poznań controlled by the Prussia (which becomes a Prussian province in 1849) - 29.000 km ²
the free Ville of Cracow (the republic of Cracow) placed under the protection of the three powers (in 1846 annexed by the Austria) - 1.164 km ²

See too

Department of the Duchy of Warsaw

Sources

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