Interpretive scene of a river plain, distant town and marching column under a storm sky.

The Commonwealth under siege

Potop

1655–1660

Swedish forces entered the Commonwealth in the summer of 1655. Years later, Sienkiewicz and Hoffman told the story of that war.

Explore the story

AI illustration

Imagined landscape of the 1655 invasion; smoke is an animation effect.

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The beginning

Swedish forces enter the Commonwealth

Swedish troops crossed the border on 21 July 1655. Over the following months they occupied much of the country. The war lasted until the Peace of Oliva in 1660.

History

Detail of Nicolas Sanson’s 1655 map of the states of the Polish Crown. — Map: Nicolas Sanson · Engraver: Johannes Somer · 1655 · Public domain · BnF

Timeline / 1655

The first months

Full timeline

VII 1655Russian offensive threatens Lithuania
21 VII 1655Swedish army crosses the border
24 VII 1655 – 25 VII 1655Capitulation at Ujście (1655)
18 VIII 1655 – 20 X 1655Capitulation of Kėdainiai (1655)

History, novel, film

What happened, and what did the stories add?

01HistoryEvents and people recorded in the sources.1655–1660 02NovelSienkiewicz turns history into a story.1884–1886 03FilmHoffman brings the novel to the screen.1974

HistoryWhat sources sayNovelSienkiewiczFilmHoffman

Example: the siege of Jasna Góra

Jasna Góra. From sources to screen.

What do we know about the siege of 1655? How did Sienkiewicz describe it, and how did Hoffman film it? Read the documents alongside scenes from the book and film.

Compare the three views

Follow the story

Battles and sieges People Places Map Sources

Epilogue

1660

Peace of Oliva

The treaty concluded on 3 May 1660 in the monastery at Oliva ended the war between the Commonwealth and Sweden; Sweden returned Royal Prussia but kept the greater part of Livonia.

Read about the treaty