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{{Short description|1227 massacre of Piast-dynasty dukes in Gąsawa, Poland}}
]. The participants in discussion, before the massacre.]]
]. ], ], was caught in his bath but fled on horseback. The assailants caught up with him a few kilometers out of ].]] ]. Participants in discussion, before the massacre.]]
]. ], ], was caught in his bath but fled on horseback. The attackers caught up with him a few kilometers out of ].]]
]'s death]] ]'s death]]


The '''Gąsawa massacre''' ({{lang-pl|Zbrodnia gąsawska}}, literally "the crime in Gąsawa") was an attack upon a meeting of Polish ] dukes in 1227, which was being held near the village of ] in ], ]. As a result of the ambush the ] ] was assassinated, while Duke ] of ] was heavily wounded.<ref name="Jas"/> Because several of the victims were retiring for the night and taking a bath at the time of the attack, the event is sometimes known as the '''Bloodbath of Gąsawa''' (''krwawa łaźnia w Gąsawie'') in Polish historiography. The '''Gąsawa massacre''' ({{langx|pl|Zbrodnia gąsawska|lit=Gąsawa crime}}) was an attack on the night of 23 / 24 November 1227 during a council of Polish ] dukes which was being held near the village of ] in ], ]. The ], ], was assassinated, and Duke ] of ] was gravely wounded.<ref name="Jas"/><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j6wjAQAAIAAJ&q=%22Leszek+the+White%22+%2224+November+1227%22|title=The History of Polish Diplomacy: X – XX C|last=Biskup|first=Marian|date=2005|publisher=Sejm Publishing Office|isbn=978-83-7059-708-5|pages=44|language=en}}</ref>


At the time of the attack some of the victims were bathing in preparation for retiring for the night, and so the event is also known in Polish historiography as the '''Gąsawa bloodbath''' ({{langx|pl|krwawa łaźnia w Gąsawie}}).<ref name="Hist">{{cite web | url=http://www.wykop.pl/ramka/1330571/zjazd-gasawski-czyli-rozpad-piastowskiej-jednosci/ | title=Zjazd w Gąsawie czyli rozpad piastowskiej jedności? | publisher=HistMag.org | date=November 24, 2012 | accessdate=March 11, 2013 | author=Sałański, Marcin}}</ref>
⚫ While the direct responsibility for the attack is generally ascribed by historians to ],<ref name="Bart">{{cite book | title=Negotiations of Power in a Medieval Society: Ecclesiastical Authority and Secular Rulership in Little Poland, 1177--1320 | publisher=ProQuest | author=Bartos, Sebastian | year=2008 | pages=66}}</ref> there are many circumstances surrounding the crime which are controversial and remain unexplained. Świętopełk's aim was to make the ], which his ] held as regents of the Polish rulers, independent of Piast overlordship. The murder of Leszek the White, his suzerain, served his interests in that regard. However, several historians have pointed to Duke ],<ref name="Jas">{{cite book | title=Polska Piastow | publisher=Proszynski | author=Jasienica Pawel | authorlink=Pawel Jasienica | year=2007 | pages=174, 236 | isbn=9788374694797}}</ref> who shortly before the attack forged an alliance with Świętopełk, as the main instigator of the plot.<ref name="Glad">{{cite book | title=The Forgotten Crusaders: Poland and the Crusader Movement in the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries | publisher=Brill | author=Gladysz, Mikolaj | year=2012 | pages=209 | isbn=9789004185517}}</ref> Odonic's actual target would have been his uncle, Duke ], with whom Odonic had been involved in a long running feud over the control of ] (Wielkopolska). Under this hypothesis, Odonic <!-- who may or may have not been present personally at the meeting - sources are conflicted on this--> provided Świętopełk's men with information necessary for the success of the ambush, while the latter actually carried out the deed. Other historians have disputed this thesis, pointing out that Spindleshank was not harmed during the attack, that Odonic did not profit from the death of Leszek (with whom he had generally amicable relations) and that there is no record that contemporaries and the families of the slain held Odonic responsible. Rather, in this view, the blame was ascribed retroactively to Odonic several decades later, during fighting between Dukes of Silesia who were descendants of Henry, and those of Greater Poland, who were related to Odonic. A particularly puzzling fact is the absence of condemnation by ecclesiastical authorities (some of whom were present at the meeting) who generally reacted strongly to instances of regicide and took an active role in the political affairs of Poland at the time.<ref name="Labuda">{{cite journal | title=Śmierć Leszka Białego (1227) | author=Labuda, Gerard | authorlink=Gerard Labuda| journal=Roczniki Historyczne | year=1995 | volume=61 | pages=7-33}} Gerard Labuda describing the views of Józef Uminski.</ref>


== Motive ==
⚫ Whatever the exact circumstances of, or the responsibility for, the event, it is generally accepted that the crime contributed to the deepening of the ]. Świętopełk successfully cast off the control of Piast dukes over Gdańsk Pomerania and began using the title ''dux'' (rather than regent).<ref name="Glad"/> Piast control over this area was not re-established until the ] between ] and ] (perhaps ironically, a grandson of Odonic) in 1282.<ref name="Jas"> The death of Leszek the White undermined the authority and status of the "High Duke of Poland" (''principat'') who technically ruled over all the other regional Polish dukes, with the "seniorate" province of ]/] essentially becoming just another feudal area to be fought over. Poland, as a unified political entity, was not reestablished until the rule of ] or ] at the turn of the 13th and 14th century.
⚫ Responsibility for the attack is generally ascribed by historians to ].<ref name="Bart">{{cite book | title=Negotiations of Power in a Medieval Society: Ecclesiastical Authority and Secular Rulership in Little Poland, 1177–1320 | author=Bartos, Sebastian | year=2008 | page=66}}</ref> Świętopełk's aim was to make the ], which his ] held as regents of the Polish rulers, independent of Piast overlordship. The murder of Leszek the White, Świętopełk's ], thus served his interests. However, several historians have pointed to Duke ],<ref name="Jas">{{cite book | title=Polska Piastow | publisher=Proszynski | author=Jasienica Pawel | authorlink=Pawel Jasienica | year=2007 | pages=174, 236 | isbn=9788374694797}}</ref> who had forged an alliance with Świętopełk shortly before the attack, as the main instigator.<ref name="Glad">{{cite book | title=The Forgotten Crusaders: Poland and the Crusader Movement in the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries | publisher=Brill | author=Gladysz, Mikolaj | year=2012 | page=209 | isbn=9789004185517}}</ref> Odonic's actual target would have been his uncle, Duke ], with whom Odonic had been involved in a long-running conflict over control of ] (''Wielkopolska''). Under this hypothesis, Odonic <!-- who may or may have not been present personally at the meeting - sources are conflicted on this--> provided information necessary for a successful attack to Świętopełk's men, who actually did the deed.{{Citation needed|date=November 2019}}


Other historians have disputed this thesis, pointing out that Spindleshanks was not harmed in the attack, that Odonic did not profit from the death of Leszek (with whom he had had generally amicable relations), and that there is no record that contemporaries or the families of the slain held Odonic responsible. Rather, in this view, the blame was ascribed retroactively to Odonic several decades later, during fighting between Dukes of Silesia who were descendants of Henry, and those of Greater Poland, who were related to Odonic. A particularly puzzling fact is the absence of condemnation by ecclesiastical authorities (some of whom were present at the meeting), who at that time took an active role in Polish political affairs and tended to react strongly to regicides.<ref name="Labuda">{{cite journal | title=Śmierć Leszka Białego (1227) | author=Labuda, Gerard | authorlink=Gerard Labuda| journal=Roczniki Historyczne | year=1995 | volume=61 | pages=7–33}} Gerard Labuda describing the views of Józef Uminski.</ref>
⚫ ==References==

== Outcomes ==
⚫ Whatever the exact circumstances of, or the responsibility for, the event, it is generally accepted that the crime contributed to the deepening of the ]. Świętopełk successfully cast off the control of the Piast dukes over Gdańsk Pomerania and began using the title ''dux'' (rather than "regent").<ref name="Glad"/> Piast control over the area was not re-established until the ] (1282) between ] and ] (perhaps ironically, a grandson of Odonic).<ref name="Jas"/>

The death of ] undermined the authority and status of the "High Duke of Poland" (''principat''), who technically ruled over all the other regional Polish dukes; and the "seniorate" province of ]/] essentially became just another feudal area to be fought over. Poland, as a unified political entity, would not be re-established until the reign of ] or ] at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries.<ref name="Jas"/><ref name="Hist">{{cite web | url=http://www.wykop.pl/ramka/1330571/zjazd-gasawski-czyli-rozpad-piastowskiej-jednosci/ | title=Zjazd w Gąsawie czyli rozpad piastowskiej jedności? | publisher=HistMag.org | date=November 24, 2012 | accessdate=March 11, 2013 | author=Sałański, Marcin}}</ref>

⚫ == References ==
{{reflist}} {{reflist}}


{{coord missing|Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship}}
⚫ ]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gasawa massacre}}
]
] ]
] ]
] ]
]

⚫ ]
]

Revision as of 16:13, 27 October 2024

1227 massacre of Piast-dynasty dukes in Gąsawa, Poland
The Gąsawa Congress, by Matejko. Participants in discussion, before the massacre.
Death of Leszek the White, by Matejko. Leszek, High Duke of Poland, was caught in his bath but fled on horseback. The attackers caught up with him a few kilometers out of Gąsawa.
Monument at site of Leszek's death

The Gąsawa massacre (Polish: Zbrodnia gąsawska, lit. 'Gąsawa crime') was an attack on the night of 23 / 24 November 1227 during a council of Polish Piast dukes which was being held near the village of Gąsawa in Kuyavia, Poland. The High Duke of Poland, Leszek the White, was assassinated, and Duke Henry the Bearded of Silesia was gravely wounded.

At the time of the attack some of the victims were bathing in preparation for retiring for the night, and so the event is also known in Polish historiography as the Gąsawa bloodbath (Polish: krwawa łaźnia w Gąsawie).

Motive

Responsibility for the attack is generally ascribed by historians to Świętopełk of Pomerania. Świętopełk's aim was to make the Duchy of Gdańsk Pomerania, which his House of Sobiesław held as regents of the Polish rulers, independent of Piast overlordship. The murder of Leszek the White, Świętopełk's suzerain, thus served his interests. However, several historians have pointed to Duke Władysław Odonic, who had forged an alliance with Świętopełk shortly before the attack, as the main instigator. Odonic's actual target would have been his uncle, Duke Władysław Spindleshanks, with whom Odonic had been involved in a long-running conflict over control of Greater Poland (Wielkopolska). Under this hypothesis, Odonic provided information necessary for a successful attack to Świętopełk's men, who actually did the deed.

Other historians have disputed this thesis, pointing out that Spindleshanks was not harmed in the attack, that Odonic did not profit from the death of Leszek (with whom he had had generally amicable relations), and that there is no record that contemporaries or the families of the slain held Odonic responsible. Rather, in this view, the blame was ascribed retroactively to Odonic several decades later, during fighting between Dukes of Silesia who were descendants of Henry, and those of Greater Poland, who were related to Odonic. A particularly puzzling fact is the absence of condemnation by ecclesiastical authorities (some of whom were present at the meeting), who at that time took an active role in Polish political affairs and tended to react strongly to regicides.

Outcomes

Whatever the exact circumstances of, or the responsibility for, the event, it is generally accepted that the crime contributed to the deepening of the feudal fragmentation of Poland. Świętopełk successfully cast off the control of the Piast dukes over Gdańsk Pomerania and began using the title dux (rather than "regent"). Piast control over the area was not re-established until the Treaty of Kępno (1282) between Mściwój II of Pomerania and Przemysł II (perhaps ironically, a grandson of Odonic).

The death of Leszek the White undermined the authority and status of the "High Duke of Poland" (principat), who technically ruled over all the other regional Polish dukes; and the "seniorate" province of Kraków/Małopolska essentially became just another feudal area to be fought over. Poland, as a unified political entity, would not be re-established until the reign of Wenceslaus III or Władysław the Elbow-high at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries.

References

  1. ^ Jasienica Pawel (2007). Polska Piastow. Proszynski. pp. 174, 236. ISBN 9788374694797.
  2. Biskup, Marian (2005). The History of Polish Diplomacy: X – XX C. Sejm Publishing Office. p. 44. ISBN 978-83-7059-708-5.
  3. ^ Sałański, Marcin (November 24, 2012). "Zjazd w Gąsawie czyli rozpad piastowskiej jedności?". HistMag.org. Retrieved March 11, 2013.
  4. Bartos, Sebastian (2008). Negotiations of Power in a Medieval Society: Ecclesiastical Authority and Secular Rulership in Little Poland, 1177–1320. p. 66.
  5. ^ Gladysz, Mikolaj (2012). The Forgotten Crusaders: Poland and the Crusader Movement in the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries. Brill. p. 209. ISBN 9789004185517.
  6. Labuda, Gerard (1995). "Śmierć Leszka Białego (1227)". Roczniki Historyczne. 61: 7–33. Gerard Labuda describing the views of Józef Uminski.

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