The Polish-Lithuanian Monarchy in European Context, C.1500-1795 [Hardcover]

The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is often considered an 'aberration' where monarchy was reduced by the nobility to impotence, and which was consequently partitioned. However, historians' reappraisal of monarchy in early modern Europe calls for a reconsideration of the extent of Polish-Lithuanian 'divergence'. The essays of this collection assess the institution and idea of monarchy in one of Europe's largest and most neglected states. It will appeal to all those interested in early modern history.Preface Notes on the Contributors Pronunciation Guide Maps Gazetteer Glossary Chronology of Polish-Lithuanian Monarchs Genealogical Table Introduction; R.Butterwick The Polish-Lithuanian Monarchy in International Context; R.J.W.Evans The Development of Monarchies in Western Europe, c.1500-1800; I.Green The Formation of the Polish-Lithuanian Monarchy in the Sixteenth Century; A.Bues The Grand Dukes and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the Sixteenth Century: Reflections on the Lithuanian Political Nation and the Union of Lublin; J.Kiaupiene Nobles, Burghers and the Monarchy in Poland-Lithuania: The Case of Royal Prussia, 1545-1772/932; K.Friedrich Polish Views on European Monarchies; A.Grzeskowiak-Krwawicz The Szlachta and the Monarchy: Reflections on the Struggle inter maiestatem ac libertatem ; J.Lukowski Obsequious Disrespect: The Problem of Royal Power in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Under the Vasas, 1587-1668; R.I.Frost The Functioning of the Monarchy During the Reigns of the Electors of Saxony, 1697-1763; M.Markiewicz The Enlightened Monarchy of Stanislaw August Poniatowski, 1764-1795; R.Butterwick A Guide to Further Reading Index

'...accessible to the general reader...a rich and readable volume of scholarship...' - Robert E. Jones, International History Review