Diary of the Smolensk war of Władysław IV (1633-1634)

Abstract

Władysław IV Smolensk campaign is well described both in historical works and sources including diaries of Mikhail Borisovich Shein. One of these diaries now kept Riksarkivet in Stockholm describes military activities from the coming of relief force organized by Władysław IV in September 1633 to the Treaty of Polyanovka signed in June 1634. It contains previously unknown information about battles of Smolensk, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth troops march, complex relationships between hetmans, difficulties of army provisioning, officers and soldiers of various types of units. Thanks to the documents from the theatre of war we are able to reconstruct the structure of the officer cadre of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Muscovite forces. Also noteworthy are relations of Registered Cossacks comprised special units of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth that came to present in front of the king. The Diary mainly describes military activities until the surrender of Shein, leaving little space to describe the struggle on the Biała in spring 1634. That event is described in every detail in the diary of John Moskorzewski.