Аннотация: Secularization of the Teutonic Order on the territory of Prussia in 1525. Historical Essay
Secularization of the Teutonic Order on the territory of Prussia in 1525. Historical Essay
By 1525, the Teutonic Order in Prussia was in a difficult historical situation.
On the one hand, enormous historical baggage was accumulated - collective and individual.
The Order, as a whole, showed the ability to fight, the ability to win, the ability to recover from losses, the ability to convert victories into useful results, the ability to create a state and organize life in the created state.
Individual members of the Order had such capacities as discipline, courage, perseverance, ability to act in an organized manner, relatively high intellectual level.
There were traditions and experience of interaction with the local population.
On the territory of the Order operated cities - participants of the Hanseatic League. Prussia was connected to a trading network spanning the North and Baltic Seas.
On the other hand, the Order was losing its historical appeal, territory, and sovereignty.
For a number of reasons in 1312 the known events with the Order of the Templars occurred (this Order was abolished, banned).
The Prussian Confederation, an organization of German cities and clergy established in 1440 to organize opposition in alliance with the Poles - to the Teutonic Order, revolted against the Teutonic Order in February 1454.
After the Thirteen Years 'War, the Teutonic Order was defeated. Under the terms of the Second Peace of Thorn (1466), Prussia was divided into the eastern and western part. Part of the territory became a province of Poland, the other part was under the authority of the Teutonic Order, however the Order itself became a vassal of Poland.
The establishment of the Prussian Confederation (1410), the revolt of the Confederation against the Teutonic Order (1454), the transition of a major Hanseatic (Prussian) cities into the Kingdom of Poland (as part of the "Royal Prussia") - all this allows to reasonably assume a great attraction of the Rech Pospolita compared to the Order.
Rzeczpospolita was a Christian state. Poland was dominated by the Catholic religion.
In 1515, Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I entered into a marriage Alliance with Sigismund I of Poland - Lithuania.
The foreign policy support for the Teutonic Order from the Pontifical See and from the Holy Roman Empire was weakened.
The gradual loss of attractiveness, the gradual loss of territory and sovereignty, weakening of foreign policy support of the Teutonic Order by the Holy See and by the Holy Roman Empire, the gradual loss of historical prospects...
Were such prospects, as the abolition, the ban of the Order according the "Templar model" and the assimilation of the population of the Order in the Rech Pospolita, real?
According to the Peace Treaty of Krakow (1525) Albert, the last Grand master of the Teutonic Order and the first Duke of Prussia, transformed Prussia, a territory under the rule of the Teutonic Order, into a Duchy under the supreme authority of the Poland.
The most important consequences of such transformations - a kind of legalization of Prussia as a standard European (secular) state, consolidation of the principle of the transition of power by inheritance (in the family of Albrecht). Then a reformation (Lutheranism) was easily introduced in Prussia.
The advice of competent "consultants" with a broad world view - Martin Luther and Melanhton - was crucial.
Another important consequence of the creation of the Duchy - Teutonic knights who lived in Prussia, were able to become the Prussian nobility.
The Teutonic Order, itself, was not abolished, was not banned. The capital of the order was moved to the town of Bad Mergentheim, located near Würzburg.
On the site of one organization - the Teutonic Order - two arose. The Prussian Duchy "stood out" from the Order.
An interesting example of foreign policy foresight, foreign policy game ahead of the curve, and building the potential for increased survival.
To some extent, the equivalent is the existence of two Chinas - the mainland one and the island (Taiwan). If there wiil be also a third China ("European") - an independent Hong Kong - it will be a new example of building the potential for increased survival.
The ideas (and practice) of reformation and secularization neutralized the risk of forced abolition, forced ban of the power of the Order in the territory of (eastern) Prussia. Those measures opened for many knights of the Teutonic order a new historical perspective.
However, the risks of absorption of the Duchy of Prussia by the Rech Pospolita remained. The Duchy managed to neutralize these risks at new historical stages...
September 8, 2019 20:25
Translation from Russian into English: September 10, 2019 03:17.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский 'Секуляризация Тевтонского ордена на территории Пруссии в 1525 году. Историческое эссе'.