Prince
Adam Jerzy Czartoryski (also known, in English, as
Adam George Czartoryski; January 14, 1770 – July 15, 1861) was a Polish
nobleSzlachta is the noble class in the Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the increasingly polonized territories under their control . The nobility arose in the late Middle Ages and existed through the 18th century and into the 20th century...
,
statesmanA statesman or stateswoman or statesperson is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term...
and author. He was the son of Prince
Adam Kazimierz CzartoryskiPrince Adam Kazimierz Czartoryski was a Polish-Lithuanian noble, writer, literary and theater critic, and statesman.-Life:He was the son of Prince August Aleksander Czartoryski, voivode of the Ruthenian Voivodship, and Maria Zofia Sieniawska...
and
Izabela FlemingPrincess Izabela Czartoryska was a Polish noble lady, writer, art collector, and founder of the first Polish museum, the Czartoryski Museum in Kraków.-Life:...
(though he was rumored to have been the fruit of a liaison between Izabela and Russian
ambassadorAn ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents their country. They are usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization, to serve as the official representative of their country....
to Poland, Nikolai Repnin).
Czartoryski was known in Russia as the Russian Imperial Minister of Foreign Affairs and was rumored to have been a lover of
Louise of BadenElizabeth Alexeievna was the wife of emperor Alexander I of Russia.-Princess of Baden:...
, Empress consort to
Alexander I of RussiaAlexander I of Russia , also known as Alexander the Blessed served as Emperor of Russia from 23 March 1801 to 1 December 1825 and Ruler of Poland from 1815 to 1825, as well as the first Russian Grand Duke of Finland and Lithuania.He was born in Saint Petersburg to Grand Duke Paul Petrovich, later...
.
Czartoryski holds the distinction of having headed, at different times, the governments of two mutually hostile countries. He was
de facto Chairman of the Russian Council of Ministers (1804-6), and President of the Polish National Government during the
November 1830 UprisingThe November Uprising —also known as the Cadet Revolution—was an armed rebellion against the rule of the Russian Empire in Poland and Lithuania. The uprising began on November 29, 1830 in Warsaw when a group of young non-commissioned officer conspirators from the Imperial Russian Army's...
against Imperial Russia.
Travels
Czartoryski was born in
WarsawWarsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River roughly from both the Baltic Sea coast and the Carpathian Mountains. Its population as of 2009 was estimated at 1,709,781, and the Warsaw metropolitan area at approximately 2,785,000...
, and after a careful education at home by eminent specialists, mostly
FrenchFrench people can refer to:* The legal residents and citizens of France, regardless of ancestry. For a legal discussion, see French nationality law.* People whose ancestors lived in France or the area that later became France....
, he went abroad in 1786. At
GothaGotha is a town in Thuringia, within the central core of Germany. It is the capital of the district of Gotha.- History :The town has existed at least since the 8th century, when it was mentioned in a document signed by Charlemagne as Villa Gotaha . Its importance derives from having been chosen in...
, Czartoryski heard
Johann Wolfgang von GoetheJohann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German writer and polymath. Goethe's works span the fields of poetry, drama, literature, theology, philosophy, humanism and science. Goethe's magnum opus, lauded as one of the peaks of world literature, is the two-part drama Faust...
read his
Iphigeneia in TaurisIphigeneia in Tauris is a drama by the playwright Euripides, written sometime between 414 BC and 412 BC. It has much in common with another of Euripides's plays, Helen, and is often described as a romance, a melodrama or an escape play.-Background:Years before the time period covered by the play,...
and made the acquaintance of the dignified
Johann Gottfried HerderJohann Gottfried von Herder was a German philosopher, theologian, poet, and literary critic. He is associated with the periods of Enlightenment, Sturm und Drang, and Weimar Classicism.-Biography:...
and "fat little
Christoph Martin WielandChristoph Martin Wieland was a German poet and writer.- Biography :He was born at Oberholzheim , which then belonged to the Free Imperial City of Biberach an der Riss in the south-east of the modern-day state of Baden-Württemberg...
."
In 1789 Czartoryski visited Great Britain with his mother and was present at the trial of
Warren HastingsWarren Hastings was the first Governor-General of Bengal, from 1773 to 1785. He was famously accused of corruption in an impeachment in 1787, but was acquitted in 1795. He was made a Privy Councillor in 1814.-Life:...
. On a second visit in 1793 he made many acquaintances among the British
aristocracyAristocracy is a form of government, in which a few of the most prominent citizens rule. This may be a hereditary elite, or it may be by a system of cooption where a council of prominent citizens add leading soldiers, merchants, land owners, priests, and lawyers to their number...
and studied the British
constitutionA constitution is a set of rules for government—often codified as a written document—that establishes principles of an autonomous political entity. In the case of countries, this term refers specifically to a national constitution defining the fundamental political principles, and establishing the...
.
In the interval between these visits, he fought for his country during the war of the second partition and would subsequently also have served under
Tadeusz KościuszkoAndrzej Tadeusz Bonawentura Kościuszko was a Polish-Lithuanian military leader. He is a national hero in Poland, Belarus, Lithuania, and the United States...
, had he not been arrested on his way to Poland at
BrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the de facto capital city of the European Union and the largest urban area in Belgium...
by the
AustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.3 million people in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west...
n government in the service of
Francis II, Holy Roman EmperorFrancis II was the last Holy Roman Emperor, ruling from 1792 until 6 August 1806, when he dissolved the Empire after the disastrous defeat of the Third Coalition by Napoleon at the Battle of Austerlitz...
. After the third partition of Poland the Czartoryski estates were confiscated, and in May 1795 Adam and his younger brother Constantine were summoned to
Saint PetersburgSaint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city's other names were Petrograd and Leningrad...
.
Russian service
Later in 1795, the two brothers were commanded to enter the Russian service, Adam becoming an officer in the horse, and Constantine in the foot guards.
Catherine the GreatCatherine II , also known as Catherine the Great, born . She was Empress of Russia from until . Under her direct auspices the Russian Empire expanded, improved its administration, and continued to modernize along Western European lines...
was so favorably impressed by the youths that she restored them part of their estates, and in early 1796 made them gentlemen-in-waiting.
Adam had already met
Grand Duke AlexanderAlexander I of Russia , also known as Alexander the Blessed served as Emperor of Russia from 23 March 1801 to 1 December 1825 and Ruler of Poland from 1815 to 1825, as well as the first Russian Grand Duke of Finland and Lithuania.He was born in Saint Petersburg to Grand Duke Paul Petrovich, later...
at a ball at Princess Golitsyna's, and the youths at once conceived a strong "intellectual friendship" for each other. On the accession of Tsar
Paul IPaul was the Emperor of Russia between 1796 and 1801.-Childhood:Paul was born in the Palace of Empress Elisabeth in St Petersburg. He was the son of Elizabeth's heir, her nephew, the Grand Duke Peter, later Emperor Peter III, and his wife, the Grand Duchess Catherine, later Empress Catherine II...
, Czartoryski was appointed adjutant to Alexander, now
TsarevichTsarevich is a Slavic term for the Tsar's son. Under the Pauline house law, the term was discontinued. The tsar's eldest son , came to be called Tsesarevich...
, and was permitted to revisit his Polish estates for three months.
At this time the tone of the Russian court was extremely liberal. Humanitarian enthusiasts like Pyotr Volkonsky and Nikolay Novosiltsev possessed great influence.
Diplomacy
Throughout the reign of Paul I, Czartoryski was in high favor and on terms of the closest intimacy with the Tsar, who in December 1798 appointed him ambassador to the court of
Charles Emmanuel IV of SardiniaCharles Emmanuel IV was King of Sardinia from 1796 to 1802.-Biography:Charles Emmanuel was born in Turin, the eldest son of King Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia and of his wife Infanta Maria Antonietta of Spain.From his birth until his own succession to the throne of Sardinia in 1796 Charles...
. On reaching Italy, Czartoryski found that that monarch was a king without a kingdom, so that the outcome of his first diplomatic mission was a pleasant tour through Italy to
NaplesNaples in Italy, is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples. The city is known for its rich history, art, culture, architecture, music and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,800 years old...
, the acquisition of the
Italian languageItalian is a Romance language spoken by about 60 million people in Italy, and by a total of around 70 million in the world. In Switzerland, Italian is one of four official languages. It is also the official language of San Marino, as well as the primary language of Vatican City...
, and a careful exploration of the antiquities of Rome.
In the spring of 1801 the new tsar,
Alexander IAlexander I of Russia , also known as Alexander the Blessed served as Emperor of Russia from 23 March 1801 to 1 December 1825 and Ruler of Poland from 1815 to 1825, as well as the first Russian Grand Duke of Finland and Lithuania.He was born in Saint Petersburg to Grand Duke Paul Petrovich, later...
, summoned his friend back to Saint Petersburg. Czartoryski found the Tsar still suffering from remorse at his father's
assassinationAn Assassination is the targeted killing of a public figure.Assassinations may be prompted by ideological, political, or military reasons. Additionally, assassins may be motivated by financial gain, revenge, personal public recognition, or mental illness....
, and incapable of doing anything but talk religion and politics to a small circle of friends. To all remonstrances, he only replied, "There's plenty of time." The Senate did most of the current business; Pyotr Vasilyevich Zavadovsky, a pupil of the Jesuits, was minister of education.
Foreign minister
Tsar Alexander appointed Czartoryski curator of the
Vilna AcademyVilnius University , is one of the oldest universities in both the Baltic states and Europe...
(April 3, 1803) so that he might give full play to his advanced ideas. Czartoryski was, however, unable to devote much attention to education, for from the beginning of 1804, as foreign-affairs adjunct, he had exercised practical control of Russian
diplomacyDiplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states. It usually refers to international diplomacy, the conduct of international relations through the intercession of professional diplomats with regard to issues of peace-making, trade, war,...
. His first act had been to protest energetically the murder of Louis-Antoine-Henri de Bourbon-Condé (March 20, 1804) and insist on an immediate rupture with the government of the
French RevolutionThe French Revolution was a period of political and social upheaval and radical change in the history of France, during which the French governmental structure, previously an absolute monarchy with feudal privileges for the aristocracy and Catholic clergy, underwent radical change to forms based...
, then under
First ConsulFirst Consul was a title used by Napoleon Bonaparte following his seizure of power in France. When he overthew the government on 18 Brumaire in 1799 he replaced the Directory with the Consulate, with him at the head as First Consul.-History of the term:...
Napoléon Bonaparte.
On June 7, 1804, the French minister,
Gabriel Marie Joseph, comte d'HédouvilleGabriel-Marie-Théodore-Joseph, comte d'Hédouville was a French soldier and diplomat.-Early life:...
, left St. Petersburg; and on August 11 a note dictated by Czartoryski to Alexander was sent to the Russian minister in London, urging the formation of an anti-French coalition. It was also Czartoryski who framed the Convention of November 6, 1804, whereby Russia agreed to put 115,000, and Austria 235,000, men in the field against Napoleon.
Finally, in April 1805 he signed an offensive-defensive alliance with
George IIIGeorge III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
's
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
.
But Czartoryski's most striking ministerial act was a memorial written in 1805, otherwise undated, which aimed at transforming the whole map of Europe: Austria and
PrussiaPrussia was a historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries this state had substantial influence on German and European history...
were to divide Germany between them. Russia was to acquire the
DardanellesThe Dardanelles , formerly known as the Hellespont, is a narrow strait in northwestern Turkey connecting the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara. It is one of the Turkish Straits, along with its counterpart the Bosporus. It is located at approximately...
, the Sea of Marmora, the
BosporusThe Bosphorus or Bosporus , also known as the Istanbul Strait , is a strait that forms part of the boundary between the European part of Turkey and its Asian part . It is one of the Turkish Straits, along with the Dardanelles...
with
ConstantinopleConstantinople was the imperial capital of the Roman Empire , the Byzantine/Eastern Roman Empire , the Latin Empire , and the Ottoman Empire...
, and
CorfuCorfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands, and its northern part lies off the coast of Sarandë, Albania from which it is separated by straits varying in breadth from 3 to 23 km , including one near ancient Butrint, while its southern part lies...
. Austria was to have
BosniaHistorically and geographically, the region known as Bosnia lies mainly in the Dinaric Alps, ranging to the southern borders of the Pannonian plain, with the rivers Sava and Drina marking its northern and eastern borders...
,
WallachiaWallachia or Walachia is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians...
and
Ragusa=* Ragusa , a city in Sicily.* Ragusa Ibla, historic quarter of the sicilian city.* Marina di Ragusa, a village and frazione of the comune of Ragusa.* Province of Ragusa, Italy, one of the administrative division of Sicily....
.
MontenegroMontenegro , is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast, Kosovo to the east and Albania to the south...
, enlarged by
MostarMostar is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the biggest and the most important city in the Herzegovina region and the center of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation. Mostar is situated on the Neretva river and is the fifth-largest city in the country...
and the
Ionian IslandsThe Ionian Islands are a group of islands in Greece. They are traditionally called "Eptanisa", i.e...
, was to form a separate state. The United Kingdom and Russia together were to maintain the equilibrium of the world. In return for their acquisitions in Germany, Austria and Prussia were to consent to the creation of an autonomous Polish state extending from Danzig (
GdańskGdańsk, also known by its German name Danzig , is a city on the Baltic coast in northern Poland, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area....
) to the sources of the
VistulaThe Vistula , is the longest and one of the most important rivers in Poland at 1,047 km in length. The watershed area of the Vistula is 194,424 km² , of which 168,699 km² The Vistula , is the longest and one of the most important rivers in Poland at 1,047 km (651 miles) in...
, under the protection of Russia. This plan presented the best guarantee, at the time, for the independent existence of Poland. But in the meantime Austria had come to an understanding with England about subsidies, and war had begun.
Chief minister
In 1805 Czartoryski accompanied Alexander to Berlin and to Olmütz (Olomouc,
MoraviaMoravia is a historical region in central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, one of the former Czech lands. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region.-Geography:...
) as chief minister. He regarded the Berlin visit a blunder, chiefly due to his distrust of Prussia; but Alexander ignored his representations, and in February 1807 Czartoryski lost favor and was superseded by
Andrei BudbergCount Andrei Yakovlevich Budberg was a Russian diplomat who served as Foreign Minister in 1806-07.His ancestors moved to Russia in the 16th century from Westphalia. Budberg was born in Riga and entered the military service in 1759. He participated in the Russo-Turkish war 1768-1774. In 1783...
.
But, though no longer a minister, Czartoryski continued to enjoy Alexander's confidence in private, and in 1810 the Tsar candidly admitted to Czartoryski that his policy in 1805 had been erroneous and he had not made a proper use of his opportunities.
That same year, Czartoryski left Saint Petersburg forever; but the personal relations between him and Alexander were never better. The friends met again at
KaliszKalisz is a city in central Poland with 107,910 inhabitants , the capital city of Kalisz Region. Situated on the Prosna river in the southeastern part of the Greater Poland Voivodeship, the city forms a conurbation with the nearby towns of Ostrów Wielkopolski and Nowe Skalmierzyce...
(
Greater PolandGreater Poland or Great Poland, Polish Wielkopolska is a historical region of west-central Poland. Its chief city is Poznań...
) shortly before the signing of the Russo-Prussian alliance on 20 February 1813, and Czartoryski was in the Tsar's suite at Paris in 1814, and rendered him material services at the
Congress of ViennaThe Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by the Austrian statesman Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from November, 1814 to June, 1815. Its objective was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic...
.
Later career
Everyone thought that Czartoryski, who more than any other man had prepared the way for the
Congress KingdomCongress Poland , officially and formally Kingdom of Poland and informally known as Russian Poland was a constitutional personal union of the Russian Empire created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna, replaced by the Central Powers in 1915 with the Kingdom of Poland...
, and had designed the
Constitution of the Kingdom of PolandThe Constitution of the Kingdom of Poland was granted to the 'Congress' Kingdom of Poland by tsar of Russia and king of Poland Alexander I of Russia, who was obliged to issue a constitution to the newly recreated Polish state under his domain as specified by the Congress of Vienna...
, would be
its first namiestnikNamestnik of the Kingdom of Poland was the title of the deputy of the King of Poland—i.e., of the deputy of the Tsar of Russia, who styled himself "King of Poland" under Congress Poland...
, or viceroy, but he was content with the title of senator-palatine and a share in the administration.
In 1817 he married Anna Sapieżanka. The wedding led to a duel with his rival, Ludwik Pac.
On his father's death in 1823, Czartoryski retired to his ancestral castle at Puławy; but the November 1830 Uprising brought him back to public life. As president of the provisional government, he summoned (December 18, 1830) the
SejmIn politics, a diet is a formal deliberative assembly. The term is derived from Medieval Latin dietas, and ultimately comes from the Latin dies, "day". The word came to be used in this sense because assemblies met on a daily basis which is reflected in the German language use of Tagung and -tag...
of 1831, and, after the end of Chlopicki's dictatorship, was elected chief of the supreme council (
Polish National GovernmentPolish National Government of 1831 was a Polish supreme authority during November Uprising against Russian occupation of Poland. It was created by the decree of the Sejm of the Congress Poland on 29 January 1831 to assume the competences of the Polish head of state in the aftermath of another...
) by 121 out of 138 votes (January 30, 1831).
On September 6, 1831, his disapproval of the popular excesses at Warsaw caused him to resign from the government after having sacrificed half his fortune to the national cause. Throughout the Uprising, he did not live up to his great reputation.
Yet the sexagenarian statesman showed great energy. On August 23, 1831, he joined
ItalianItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
General
Girolamo RamorinoGeneral Girolamo Ramorino was born in Genoa, in northern Italy.-Career:In the Napoleonic Wars, he fought under Napoleon in Russia.He later took part in the 1821 Piedmont uprising in Italy....
's army corps as a volunteer, and subsequently formed a confederation of the three southern provinces of
KaliszKalisz is a city in central Poland with 107,910 inhabitants , the capital city of Kalisz Region. Situated on the Prosna river in the southeastern part of the Greater Poland Voivodeship, the city forms a conurbation with the nearby towns of Ostrów Wielkopolski and Nowe Skalmierzyce...
,
SandomierzSandomierz is a city in south-eastern Poland with 25,714 inhabitants .Situated in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship , previously in Tarnobrzeg Voivodeship...
and
KrakówKraków , in English also spelled Krakow or Cracow and pronounced
, is one of the largest and oldest cities in Poland and a popular tourist destination. Its historic centre was inscribed on the list of World Heritage Sites as the first of its kind...
. At war's end, when the Uprising was crushed by the Russians, he was sentenced to death, though the sentence was soon commuted to
exileExile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened by prison or death upon return...
.
On February 25, 1832, in the United Kingdom, he founded a
Literary Association of the Friends of PolandLiterary Association of the Friends of Poland – British organization of solidarity with Poles, founded February 25 1832 in United Kingdom by Prince Adam Jerzy Czartoryski under the presidency of the Scottish poet Thomas Campbell....
.
Czartoryski emigrated to France, where he resided in Paris'
Hôtel LambertHôtel Lambert is an hôtel particulier on Quai Anjou on the eastern tip of the Île Saint-Louis, Paris IVème; the name Hôtel Lambert was a sobriquet that designated a nineteenth-century political faction of Polish exiles, who gathered there....
—a prominent Polish-émigre political figure, head of a political faction accordingly called the
Hôtel LambertHôtel Lambert is an hôtel particulier on Quai Anjou on the eastern tip of the Île Saint-Louis, Paris IVème; the name Hôtel Lambert was a sobriquet that designated a nineteenth-century political faction of Polish exiles, who gathered there....
.
He died at his country residence at
MontfermeilMontfermeil is a commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located . from the center of Paris.Montfermeil is famous as the location of Thénardier's inn in Les Misérables. It has made the headlines due to troubles in its social estate called "les Bosquets".-Transport:Montfermeil is...
, near
MeauxMeaux is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located east-northeast from the center of Paris. Meaux is a sub-prefecture of the department and the seat of an arondissement...
, on July 15, 1861. He left two sons, Witold (1824-65) and Władysław Czartoryski (1828-94), and a daughter Izabela, who in 1857 married Jan Działyński.
Proposed federation
Between the November and
January UprisingThe January Uprising was an uprising in the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth against the Russian Empire...
s, in 1832–61, Czartoryski supported the idea of resurrecting an updated
Polish-Lithuanian CommonwealthThe Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was formed by the union of the Kingdom of Poland and Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1569. The new Commonwealth was one of the largest and most populous countries of 16th and 17th-century Europe....
on
federationA federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government...
principles.
The visionary statesman and former friend, confidant and
de factoDe facto is a Latin expression that means "by [the] fact". In law, it is meant to mean "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but without being officially established"...
foreign ministerA minister for foreign affairs, or foreign minister, is a governmental cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign nation. The ministry for foreign affairs is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government ; it is often granted to...
of Russia's
TsarTsar or czar , occasionally spelled csar or Tzar in English, is a Slavic term with Bulgarian origins used to designate certain monarchs...
Alexander IAlexander I of Russia , also known as Alexander the Blessed served as Emperor of Russia from 23 March 1801 to 1 December 1825 and Ruler of Poland from 1815 to 1825, as well as the first Russian Grand Duke of Finland and Lithuania.He was born in Saint Petersburg to Grand Duke Paul Petrovich, later...
acted as the "uncrowned king and unacknowledged foreign minister" of a nonexistent Poland.
He had been disappointed in the hopes that he had reposed, as late as the Congress of Vienna, in
Alexander'sAlexander I of Russia , also known as Alexander the Blessed served as Emperor of Russia from 23 March 1801 to 1 December 1825 and Ruler of Poland from 1815 to 1825, as well as the first Russian Grand Duke of Finland and Lithuania.He was born in Saint Petersburg to Grand Duke Paul Petrovich, later...
willingness to undertake reforms, and the distillation of some years' subsequent study and thought was Czartoryski's book, completed in 1827 but published only in 1830,
Essai sur la diplomatie (Essay on Diplomacy). This book is, according to the historian
Marian Kamil DziewanowskiMarian Kamil Dziewanowski was a historian of Poland, Russia and modern Europe.-Life:...
, indispensable to an understanding of the Prince's many activities conducted in France's capital following the ill-fated Polish November 1830 Uprising. Czartoryski wanted to find a place for Poland in the Europe of the time. He sought to interest western Europeans in the adversities of a stateless nation that was nevertheless an indispensable part of the European structure.
Pursuant to the Polish motto, "
For our freedom and yoursFor our freedom and yours is one of the unofficial mottos of Poland. It is commonly associated with the times when Polish soldiers, exiled from the partitioned Poland, fought in various independence movements all over the world...
", Czartoryski connected Polish efforts for independence with similar movements of other subjugated nations in Europe and in the East as far as the
CaucasusThe Caucasus or Caucas is a geopolitical region between at the border of Europe and Asia. It is home to the Caucasus Mountains, including Europe's highest mountain ....
. Thanks to his private initiative and generosity, the émigrés of a subjugated nation conducted a foreign policy often on a broader scale than had the old independent Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
Of particular interest are Czartoryski's observations, in the
Essay on Diplomacy, regarding Russia's role in the world. He wrote that, "Having extended her sway south and west, and being by the nature of things unreachable from the east and north, Russia becomes a source of constant threat to Europe." He argued that it would have been in Russia's interest, instead, to have surrounded herself with "friend[s rather than] slave[s]." Czartoryski also identified a future threat from Prussia and urged the incorporation of
East PrussiaEast Prussia is the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 1772–1829 and 1878–1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia...
into a resurrected Poland.
Above all, however, he aspired to reconstitute — with French, British and
TurkishTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey
, is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in Western Asia and Thrace in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe...
support — a Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth federated with the Czechs, Slovaks,
HungariansHungary , in English officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. Its capital is Budapest. Hungary is a member of OECD, NATO, EU, V4 and is a Schengen state...
, Romanians and all the
South SlavsThe South Slavs are a southern branch of the Slavic peoples that live mainly in the Balkans. Geographically, the South Slavs are native to the southern Pannonian Plain, the eastern Alps and the Balkan peninsula and they speak South Slavic languages...
of the future Yugoslavia. Poland, in his concept, could have mediated the conflicts between Hungary and the Slavs, and between Hungary and Romania.
Czartoryski's plan seemed achievable during the period of national revolutions in 1848-49 but foundered on lack of western support, on Hungarian intransigence toward the Czechs, Slovaks and Romanians, and on the rise of German
nationalismNationalism is an ideology, a sentiment, a form of culture, or a social movement that focuses on the nation. It is a type of collectivism emphasizing the collective of a specific nation...
." "Nevertheless", concludes Dziewanowski, "the Prince's endeavor constitutes a [vital] link [between] the 16th century Jagiellon [federative prototype] and Józef Piłsudski's federative-
PrometheistPrometheism was a political project initiated by Poland's Józef Piłsudski. Its aim was to weaken Tsarist Russia and its successor state, the Soviet Union, by supporting nationalist independence movements of the major non-Russian peoples that lived within the borders of Russia and the Soviet...
program [that was to follow after World War I]."
Works
Czartoryski's principal works, as cited in the 1911
Encyclopedia Britannica, are
Essai sur la diplomatie (Marseilles, 1830);
Life of J. U. NiemcewiczJulian Ursyn Niemcewicz was a Polish poet, playwright and statesman. He was a leading advocate for the Constitution of May 3, 1791.-Life:...
(Paris, 1860);
Alexander I. et Czartoryski: correspondence ... et conversations (1801-1823) (Paris, 1865);
Memoires et correspondence avec Alex. I., with preface by C. de Mazade, 2 vols. (Paris, 1887); an English translation,
Memoirs of Czartoryski, &c., edited by A. Gielguch, with documents relating to his negotiations with Pitt, and conversations with Palmerston in 1832 (2 vols., London, 1888).
Popular culture
Czartoryski makes a
cameo appearanceA cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television. Short appearances by film directors, politicians, athletes, musicians, and other celebrities are common. These roles are generally small, and...
in volume 3 of
Leo TolstoyLeo Tolstoy, or Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy , was a Russian writer widely regarded as among the greatest of novelists. His masterpieces War and Peace and Anna Karenina represent in their scope, breadth and vivid depiction of 19th-century Russian life and attitudes, the peak of realist...
's novel,
War and PeaceWar and Peace , a Russian novel by Leo Tolstoy, is considered one of the world's greatest works of fiction. It is regarded, along with Anna Karenina , as his finest literary achievement....
, at an Allied Council conference that takes place at Olmütz (Olomouc,
MoraviaMoravia is a historical region in central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, one of the former Czech lands. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region.-Geography:...
) on November 18, 1805, just before the
Battle of AusterlitzThe Battle of Austerlitz also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, was one of Napoleon Bonaparte's greatest victories, effectively destroying the Third Coalition against the French Empire...
.
See also
- Władysław Czartoryski
- Hôtel Lambert
Hôtel Lambert is an hôtel particulier on Quai Anjou on the eastern tip of the Île Saint-Louis, Paris IVème; the name Hôtel Lambert was a sobriquet that designated a nineteenth-century political faction of Polish exiles, who gathered there....
- Union of National Unity
Związek Jedności Narodowej was a secret organization formed by followers of Prince Adam Jerzy Czartoryski. A liberal-aristocratic fraction of the Polish Great Emigration, come into being on January 21, 1833....
- Międzymorze
Międzymorze was a project pursued after World War I by Józef Piłsudski, of a Polish-led federation of Central and Eastern European countries...
- List of Poles
External links
- "Czartoryski, Prince Adam Georg" at the Jewish Encyclopedia
The Jewish Encyclopedia was an encyclopedia originally published between 1901 and 1906 by Funk and Wagnalls. It contained over 15,000 articles in 12 volumes on the history and then-current state of Judaism and the Jews as of 1901...