Swedish Invasion of Poland (The Deluge)

Timeline

1. 1655Northwestern Polish border · PolandIn July 1655, Swedish King Charles X Gustav led about 50,000 elite troops across the border into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from the directions of Pomerania and Silesia. Polish forces were unprepared, many units surrendered without a fight, and a large number of Polish nobles defected to Sweden, known in history as the 'Treason of Warsaw'.
2. 1655Warsaw · PolandIn September 1656, Swedish forces occupied the Polish capital Warsaw bloodlessly, then captured the old capital Kraków. Polish King John II Casimir was forced to flee into exile in Silesia, and most of central Poland quickly fell into Swedish hands.
3. 1655Częstochowa · PolandSwedish forces besieged the Jasna Góra monastery in Częstochowa; the defenders, outnumbered, successfully held out for 40 days and forced the Swedes to lift the siege. This battle became a symbol of the Polish national spirit, inspiring noble and peasant uprisings everywhere. The Polish king subsequently swore an oath at Lublin, calling on all subjects to resist the invaders.
4. 1656Various parts of Poland · PolandIn early 1656, the Polish king returned home, resistance forces grew stronger everywhere, and the Polish army joined with Crimean Tatar allies in a counteroffensive. Russia took the opportunity to sign the Truce of Vilna with Poland (November 1656) to jointly oppose Sweden. The Deluge ultimately ended with the 1660 Treaty of Oliva, and Sweden withdrew from most of Poland's territory.