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Outbreak of the Polish-Russian War (1609)

Type Event Region Europe Time 1609

In 1609, Polish King Sigismund III invaded Russia in the name of restoring order, protecting Catholics, and supporting False Dmitry II, formally star…

Timeline

  1. 1609Warsaw · Polish-Lithuanian CommonwealthPolish King Sigismund III exploited Russia's Time of Troubles and the forces of False Dmitry II, deciding with sejm support to send troops, claiming the goal was to restore order in Russia and expand Polish influence in Eastern Europe.
  2. 1609Smolensk · SmolenskPolish-Lithuanian forces crossed the border advancing toward Moscow and immediately besieged the strategic city of Smolensk; its defender Mikhail Shein resisted stubbornly, and the siege lasted until 1611 before the city fell, becoming the war's iconic battle.
  3. 1609–1610Moscow · MoscowThe foreign invasion further isolated Vasily IV's regime, and noble factions split into pro-Polish and anti-Polish camps; the war's opening foreshadowed Russia's descent into prolonged foreign occupation and civil war.

Sources