Stefan Czarniecki was a Polish nobleman, general and military commander. In his career, he rose from a petty nobleman to a magnate holding one of the highest offices in the Commonwealth, something that was unprecedented in the Commonwealth's history. On 22 July 1664 he received the office of the Voivode of Kijów and on 2 January 1665, a few weeks before his death, he was given the office of Field Hetman of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom. He is remembered as an accomplished military commander, and regarded as a Polish national hero. His status in Polish history is acknowledged by a mention of his name in the Polish national anthem.
The Deluge was a series of mid-17th-century military campaigns in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. In a wider sense, it applies to the period between the Khmelnytsky Uprising of 1648 and the Truce of Andrusovo in 1667, comprising the Polish theatres of the Russo-Polish and Second Northern Wars. In a stricter sense, the term refers to the Swedish invasion and occupation of the Commonwealth as a theatre of the Second Northern War (1655–1660) only; in Poland and Lithuania this period is called the Swedish Deluge, or less commonly the Russo–Swedish Deluge due to the simultaneous Russo-Polish War. The term "deluge" was popularized by Henryk Sienkiewicz in his novel The Deluge (1886).
The Northern War of 1655–1660, also known as the Second Northern War, First Northern War or Little Northern War, was fought between Sweden and its adversaries the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (1655–60), the Tsardom of Russia (1656–58), Brandenburg-Prussia (1657–60), the Habsburg monarchy (1657–60) and Denmark–Norway. The Dutch Republic waged an informal trade war against Sweden and seized the colony of New Sweden in 1655, but was not a recognized part of the Polish–Danish alliance.
The siege of Jasna Góra took place in the winter of 1655 during the Second Northern War, or 'The Deluge' – as the Swedish invasion of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth is known. The Swedes were attempting to capture the Jasna Góra monastery in Częstochowa. Their month-long siege, however, was unsuccessful, as a small force consisting of monks from the Jasna Góra monastery led by their Prior and supported by local volunteers, mostly from the szlachta, fought off the numerically superior Germans, saved their sacred icon, the Black Madonna of Częstochowa, and, according to some accounts, turned the course of the war.
The siege of Warsaw took place between April 24 and July 1, 1656. Swedish Empire forces had occupied the Polish capital without fighting in early September 1655. In late April 1656, Poles and Lithuanians began the siege, with the purpose of recapturing their capital. They were successful, but later lost the city for a second time after a battle held on July 28–30, 1656.
Koldinghus is a Danish royal castle in the town of Kolding on the south central part of the Jutland peninsula. The castle was founded in the 13th century and was expanded since with many functions ranging from fortress, royal residency, ruin, museum, and the location of numerous wartime negotiations.
The Dano-Swedish War of 1657–1658, known in Denmark as the First Karl Gustav War in Norway as Krabbes Feud and in Sweden as Karl Gustav's First Danish War, was a conflict between Sweden and Denmark–Norway during the Northern War of 1655–1660. In 1657, Charles X of Sweden and his Swedish army were Fighting in the Poland. Frederick III of Denmark-Norway saw an opportunity to recover the territories it lost in 1645 and attacked Sweden. The outbreak of war with Denmark provided Charles with an excuse to withdraw from the Polish campaign and move against Denmark.
Triangle Region Denmark is a cooperation consisting of seven Danish municipalities on the Danish peninsula of Jutland and the island of Funen: Billund, Fredericia, Haderslev, Kolding, Middelfart, Vejen and Vejle.
The Assault on Copenhagen also known as the Battle of Copenhagen on 11 February 1659 was a major engagement during the Second Northern War, taking place during the Swedish Siege of Copenhagen.
The Battle of Warka occurred on April 7, 1656 between the forces of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, commanded by Stefan Czarniecki, and the forces of the Swedish Empire, commanded by Frederick VI, Margrave of Baden-Durlach. Lasting about two hours, the battle ended in a Polish victory.
The Battle of Chojnice, also known as the Battle of Konitz, was a surprise nighttime attack followed by a run-and-chase battle during The Deluge.
The siege of Kraków was one of the battles during the Swedish invasion of Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Lasting for two and a half weeks, it started on September 25 and ended on October 13, 1655. The capitulation treaty was signed on October 17, and Polish troops marched out of the city two days later. The city's defense was led by Kiev's castellan Stefan Czarniecki, while Swedish forces were commanded by King Charles Gustav and Arvid Wittenberg.
The Dano-Swedish War of 1658–1660 was a war between Denmark–Norway and Sweden, with the former backed by the Dutch Republic and Poland. It is known in Denmark as the Second Karl Gustav War, in Norway as Bjelkes Feud in Sweden as Karl Gustav's Second Danish War, and in the Netherlands as the Swedish-Dutch War.
Events from the year 1658 in Denmark.
The Battle of Nyborg took place between Sweden and the combined forces of Denmark, Dutch naval forces under Michiel de Ruyter, troops of Brandenburg-Prussia, and Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth forces under Stefan Czarniecki. The battle was engaged on 14 November 1659 at Nyborg on the Danish island of Funen. Nyborg was the final major battle of the Dano-Swedish War of 1658 to 1660.
The siege of Toruń was one of the battles during the Swedish invasion of Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It started on 2 July 1658 and ended on 30 December 1658. Swedish garrison capitulated and Toruń returned to Polish hands.
The Battle of Kolding on January 9, 1644 was the opening engagement of the Torstenson War between the Swedish Empire and Denmark-Norway. The battle was primarily a cavalry engagement between Swedish and Danish cavalry near the Danish seaport of Kolding. The encounter was part of the wider Thirty Years' War, which saw heavy fighting in Central Europe. The Danish army made a defensive stand only to be overrun by the advancing Swedes. It was a decisive victory for the Swedish forces and by the end of January the Jutland peninsula was a Swedish possession.
The Siege of Fredriksodde, also known as the Storming of Fredriksodde, was a successful Swedish siege of the fortress and town of Fredriksodde in 1657 during the Dano-Swedish War of 1657–1658. The siege and the subsequent capture of the fortress by Swedish forces completed the Swedish conquest of Jutland.
The siege of Kronborg was a Swedish siege of the Danish stronghold Kronborg from 16 August to 6 September 1658, during the Dano-Swedish War of 1658–1660. The siege ended with a Swedish victory.
Torstensson's Jutland campaign occurred from 1643 to 1644 and began when Lennart Torstensson led 16,000 men into Holstein, later invading Jutland where he and Robert Douglas defeated a 1,400 strong cavalry force under Friedrich von Buchwald. Later, Torstensson had further success, capturing Kolding and later Snoghøj where thousands of Danish soldiers defected into Swedish service, while their commander fled over to the Danish with the rest of the forces.
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth 
Denmark–Norway 
Swedish Empire 
