A Wisdom Archive on Confederated Sejm

Polish Constitution of May 3 1791 - Background. The May 3rd Constitution was a response to the increasingly perilous situation of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, only a century and a half earlier a major European power and indeed the largest state on the continent. Already two centuries before the May 3rd Constitution, King Zygmunt III's court preacher, the Jesuit Piotr Skarga, had famously condemned the individual and collective weaknesses of the Commonwealth's citizens. Likewise, in the same period, writers ...

Read more here: » Polish Constitution of May 3 1791: Encyclopedia II - Polish Constitution of May 3 1791 - History

Szlachta - Etymology. The Polish word "szlachta" (meaning the "gentle class" or "noble class", an untranslatable term essentially encompassing the idea of gentility or nobility of blood, and treating the English words gentry and nobility as roughly coterminous: a specific nobleman was a "szlachcic," a noblewoman was a "szlachcianka"). Early Polish historians thought it may derive from the name of the legendary proto-Polish chief, Lech, mentioned in Polish and Czech writings. "Szlachta" is thought by some simply t ...

Read more here: » Szlachta: Encyclopedia II - Szlachta - History

The Polish nobility differed in many respects from the nobility of other countries. The most important difference was that, while in most European countries the nobility lost power as the ruler strove for absolute monarchy, in Poland the reverse process occurred: the nobility actually gained power at the expense of the king, and the political system evolved toward a partial democracy (and eventually, anarchy). Poland's nobility were also more numerous than those of all other European countries, they formed some 8-10% of the population ...

Read more here: » Szlachta: Encyclopedia II - Szlachta - Szlachta culture

Partitions of Poland - Prelude. One could characterise Poland-Lithuania before the partitions as already not a completely sovereign state: in modern terms it would be a Russian satellite state, with Russian Emperors effectively choosing Polish kings. During the reign of Władysław IV (1632-48), the liberum veto had evolved. This policy of parliamentary procedure was based on the assumption of the political equality of every "gentleman", with the corollary that unanimous consent was required for all measures. A s ...

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Komisja Edukacji Narodowej - The Beginning. The commission was formally created on October 14, 1773. Its main organiser and chief figure was a Catholic priest Hugo Kołłątaj. Initially the body was formed of 4 senators and 4 members of Sejm, half of them representing the eastern voivodships of Poland (former Grand Duchy of Lithuania). The first head of the KEN was Prince Bishop Michał Jerzy Poniatowski. Although other members were mostly magnate politicians, the factual creators of the body were prominent writ ...

Read more here: » Komisja Edukacji Narodowej: Encyclopedia II - Komisja Edukacji Narodowej - History

The Polish Constitution of May 3, 1791 (Polish: Konstytucja Trzeciego Maja) is claimed to be Europe's first modern codified national constitution as well as the second oldest constitution in the world. It was instituted by the Government Act (Polish: Ustawa rządowa) adopted on that date by the Sejm (parliament) of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. It was designed to redress long-standing political defects of the federative Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and its Golden Liberty. The Constitution introduced political equ ... Including:

• Polish Constitution of May 3 1791 - History
• Polish Constitution of May 3 1791 - Background
• Polish Constitution of May 3 1791 - Drafting and Adoption
• Polish Constitution of May 3 1791 - The fall
• Polish Constitution of May 3 1791 - Legacy
• Polish Constitution of May 3 1791 - Features
• Polish Constitution of May 3 1791 - Notes

Read more here: » Polish Constitution of May 3 1791: Encyclopedia - Polish Constitution of May 3 1791

Komisja Edukacji Narodowej (KEN, Polish: "Commission of National Education," a kind of National Board of Education) was the central educational authority in Poland, created by the Sejm and king Stanisław August Poniatowski on October 14, 1773. Because of its vast authority and autonomy, it is considered the first ministry of education in history. The basic reason for creation of the commission was that in Poland education was almost entirely controlled by the Jesuits. Although the Jesuit schools were fairly efficient an ... Including:

• Komisja Edukacji Narodowej - History
• Komisja Edukacji Narodowej - The Beginning
• Komisja Edukacji Narodowej - Early period 1773-1780
• Komisja Edukacji Narodowej - Second phase 1781-1788
• Komisja Edukacji Narodowej - Third phase 1788-1794
• Komisja Edukacji Narodowej - Effects

Read more here: » Komisja Edukacji Narodowej: Encyclopedia - Komisja Edukacji Narodowej

The Warsaw Confederation (January 28, 1573), an important development in the history of Poland, is considered the formal beginning of religious freedom in Poland. While it did not prevent all conflict based on religion, it did make the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth a much safer and more tolerant place than most of contemporaneous Europe, especially during the subsequent Thirty Years' War. Religious tolerance in Poland had had a long tradition and had been de facto policy in the reign of the recently deceased King Zygmun ... Including:

• Warsaw Confederation - Reference

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A confederation is an association of sovereign states, usually created by treaty but often later adopting a common constitution. Confederations tend to be established for dealing with critical issues, such as defence, foreign affairs, foreign trade, and a common currency, with the central government being required to provide support for all members. A confederation, in modern political terms, is usually limited to a permanent union of sovereign states for common action in relation to other states^Including:

• Confederation - Confederation vs. federation
• Confederation - Confederation as an event
• Confederation - Confederation day
• Confederation - List of entities considered to be confederations
• Confederation - Fictional confederations

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A constitution is a system, often codified in a written document, which establishes the rules and principles by which an organization is governed. In the case of nation states, this term refers specifically to a national constitution, which defines its nation's fundamental political principles and establishes the power and duties of each government. Most national constitutions also guarantee certain rights to the people. Historically, before the evolution of modern codified national constitutions, the term constitution could be ... Including:

• Constitution - Etymology
• Constitution - General features
• Constitution - Governmental constitutions
• Constitution - Key features
• Constitution - Constitutional courts
• Constitution - History and development

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Commonwealth - Great Britain. The Commonwealth of England was the official name of the political unit (de facto military rule in the name of parliamentary supremacy) that replaced the kingdoms of Scotland and England (after the English Civil War) under the rule of Oliver Cromwell and his successors from 1649 to 1660. It formed the first republic in the English-speaking world, though this quickly devolved into a pseudo-monarchy. The Cromwellian Commonwealth is sometimes referred to as the Old Commonwealth in a British context. < ...

Read more here: » Commonwealth: Encyclopedia II - Commonwealth - National