The Kingdom of Poland: constitution, economy, schools and culture
In 1815 the Congress of Vienna (the meeting of Europe's great powers after Napoleon's defeat) created the Kingdom of Poland, often called Congress Poland. Its king was the tsar of Russia, who was represented in Warsaw by a viceroy. The grand duke Constantine commanded the army.
- System: a written constitution, one of the most liberal of its time. A two-chamber parliament, the Sejm, made laws, but it met only for short sessions and the king could ignore much of it. Poles held the offices, and Polish was the official language.
- Army: a separate Polish army with Polish officers.
- Economy: the finance minister Lubecki repaired the budget, set up the Polish Bank (1828), and helped mines, factories and canals. Textile making grew.
- Schools and culture: the University of Warsaw (1816), many schools, and learned societies. Poets, scientists and artists worked in Polish.
Causes of the November Uprising
Many causes joined together.
- Broken constitution: from 1819 there was censorship, the secret police watched people, and the open debates of the Sejm were limited. The tsar ruled more and more like an autocrat.
- Secret groups: young officers, students and others formed secret societies that dreamed of full independence.
- Examples from abroad: in the July Revolution of 1830 in France and then in Belgium, people won rights by revolt.
- Threat to the army: the tsar planned to send the Polish army to crush these revolutions. Soldiers did not want that.
On the night of 29 November 1830 cadets of the Warsaw officer school, led by Piotr Wysocki, attacked the Belweder palace and the arsenal. Warsaw's people joined them.
Course and character of the fighting
The first leaders hoped to talk with the tsar. On 25 January 1831 the Sejm declared that the tsar was no longer king of Poland, and war became certain. In February the Russian army entered. The Poles fought a regular war between two armies, not a guerrilla war. The Battle of Grochow (February 1831) was bloody and close. At Ostroleka (May 1831) the Poles were beaten.
Why did the Poles struggle? The Russian army was much bigger. Other powers did not help, however much they sympathised. The leaders disagreed, and most peasants had not been promised land, so the rising did not become a mass movement. Cholera also spread through both armies. Warsaw fell on 8 September 1831.
Results of the uprising
The defeat was heavy.
- The Organic Statute of 1832 replaced the constitution. The Sejm and the Polish army were dissolved, and the kingdom was tied more tightly to Russia.
- The University of Warsaw and many schools were closed. Estates of the rebels were taken.
- Thousands of officers, writers and politicians left. This is the Great Emigration, mostly to France. In exile poets like Mickiewicz wrote works that kept the dream of freedom alive.
- The uprising showed that bravery was not enough without foreign help and without bringing the peasants in. It also became a symbol, with the slogan "for our freedom and yours".
Key formulas and definitions
- 1815: Congress of Vienna creates the Kingdom of Poland
- 29 November 1830: uprising starts in Warsaw
- 25 January 1831: Sejm dethrones the tsar
- February 1831: Battle of Grochow
- 8 September 1831: Warsaw falls
- 1832: Organic Statute, end of constitution and army
Worked examples
1. Name two things the Kingdom of Poland had that were its own in 1815.
For example its own constitution and Sejm (parliament), its own army, Polish as the official language, and its own schools and university.
2. Give two causes of the uprising.
The tsar broke the constitution (censorship, secret police), and the news of the 1830 revolutions in France and Belgium encouraged rebels. The plan to send the Polish army against those revolutions also pushed young officers to act.
3. Who started the uprising and where?
Young officers and cadets, led by Piotr Wysocki, started it in Warsaw on the night of 29 November 1830.
4. Give two reasons why the uprising was defeated.
The Russian army was much larger, and no foreign state helped. Also, the leaders disagreed and the peasants were not drawn in.
5. What changed for the Kingdom of Poland in 1832?
The Organic Statute replaced the constitution. The Sejm and the Polish army were dissolved.
6. What was the Great Emigration and why does it matter?
It was the move abroad (mainly to France) of thousands of Polish officers, writers and politicians after the defeat. In exile they kept Polish culture and the hope for freedom alive.
Common mistakes
- Thinking the Kingdom of Poland was fully independent. It had a constitution and its own army, but its king was the tsar of Russia.
- Mixing up the November Uprising (1830-31) with the January Uprising (1863). They are different, and later.
- Saying the uprising started because of one event only. It was a long build-up of causes plus one spark.
- Thinking the war was a guerrilla war. In 1831 two regular armies fought set battles.