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Revision as of 21:47, 19 October 2002 by JohnOwens (talk | contribs) (minor typos)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Bohdan Zenovii Khmelnytsky (c. 1595 - August 6, 1657) also Bohdan Zenobi Chmielnicki (Polish) or Khmelnitsky (Russian)
Born in Chigirin, Ukraine he was a Zaporizhzhya (Zaporozhian) Cossack hetman, noted for his revolt against Poland which began in 1648. It was the start of a series of campaigns that temporarily freed Ukraine from Polish domination. Successes at at Zolte Wody, Korsun and Pilawce led to Chmielnicki being paid-off by the Polish king and gained numerous privileges for the Cossacks at the Treaty of Zborov. However when hostilities resumed Chmielnicki's forces suffered a massive defeat in 1651 at the Battle of Beresteczko and were forced at Bila Tserkva to accept a loser's treaty. A year later the cossacks had their revenge at the Battle of Batoh, after which Chmielnicki had all the high-ranking captives murdered . The Ukraine was still perilously weak and in 1654, Chmielnicki persuaded the Cossacks to ally with the Russian czars at the Treaty of Pereyaslavl, a treaty that had poor results for the Ukraine after Chmielnicki's death (the Polish-Muscovite Treaty of Andrusov in 1667).