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Działalność wojskowa Krzysztofa Radziwiłła „Pioruna” w latach 1572–1579

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Łabędź P.

Zapiski Historyczne

2011

vol. 76

issue 1

23-40

Krzysztof Radziwiłł nicknamed “Piorun” (“the ~ underbolt”) (1547–1603) belonged to the leading Lithuanian magnates of the second half of the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th century. The last stage of his political career was the position of the Vilnius voivode (the highest secular senator’s office in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania) and the Grand Hetman of Lithuania. He built his career by obtaining high state offices and thanks to his military activity. The article describes the circumstances of his controversial promotion to Field Hetman of Lithuania (hetman polny litewski). The privilege for this position was to be issued shortly before the death of King Sigismund II Augustus. Enemies of the Radziwiłł Family (the Chodkiewicz Family, particularly Hrehory Chodkiewicz) accused the Radziwiłłs of forging this privilege. Nevertheless, “Piorun” became Field Hetman. Despite the controversial stages of Krzysztof Radziwiłł’s career what counted was his genuine involvement in the war with Muscovy (1558–1582), particularly in the years 1577–1579. The article shows the first stage (and the least known) of his career as the military head of fights against Muscovy in Livonia. At the same time, the article shows the subsequent stages of competition between the Radziwiłłs and Jan Chodkiewicz for preponderance in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Eventually, in 1578 the Radziwiłłs managed to get influence in Lithuania. The person who helped them to do it was Jan Zamoyski, whose significance at the court of King Stefan Batory (1576–1586) was rising. The end of the 1570s became a key moment in the public career of Krzysztof “Piorun” Radziwiłł. In the second half of the 1580s (after the death of his father in 1584) and in the 1590s he became the most influential Lithuanian magnate.

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1 Zapiski Historyczne

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Działalność wojskowa Krzysztofa Radziwiłła „Pioruna” w latach 1572–1579