The book discusses the attitude of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth nobility to the Cossack problem in the second half of the 17th century. The chronological framework of the work is the period between the outbreak of the Khmelnytsky uprising up to the ratification of the Hadiach union by the sejm of the Commonwealth. The choice of this period made it possible to thoroughly analyze one of the key research subjects of the work, i.e. the evolution of views and attitudes among the nobility regarding the Cossack issue, and the factors affecting this process In the beginning of the book, I mostly concentrate on the determination of the nobility’s views concerning the motives for Cossacks’ armed revolt against the Commonwealth, which substantially affected the evaluation of the character of the uprising. Chapter two presents the main projects of solving the Cossack problem promoted by the contemporary Commonwealth authorities. Chapter three includes a discussion on the nobility’s attitude to the Cossack problem in the 1650–1654 period. Chapter four presents the circumstances which led to the Union of Hadiach, and opinions on that union prevalent among the nobility. It also discusses the main problems connected with the ratification of ghat agreement at the 1659 sejm.
Ukraine was incorporated to the Crown (the Kingdom of Poland) under the Act of Union of Lublin, establishing the Commonwealth of Two Nations. The article presents the most important causes of the process of Ukraine’s gradual separation from the Commonwealth. It points out the role of Cossacks and also deals with the religious issues in the 17th century. It shows the causes of the Cossack Uprisings including the most significant one from 1648, as well as the politics of its leader, Bohdan Chmielnicki, who used to oscillate between Poland and Moscow.
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