Editing East Prussia (section)

== Background ==
[[File:Image-Prussia ethnicity.JPG|thumb|left|Ethnic settlement in East Prussia by the 14th century]]
At the instigation of Duke [[Konrad I of Masovia]], the [[Teutonic Knights]] took possession of [[Prussia (region)|Prussia]] in the 13th century and created a [[Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights|monastic state]] to administer the conquered [[Old Prussians]]. Local Old-Prussian (north) and Polish (south) toponyms were gradually Germanised. The Knights' expansionist policies, including occupation of Polish Pomerania with Gdańsk/Danzig and western Lithuania, brought them into conflict with the [[Kingdom of Poland (1385–1569)|Kingdom of Poland]] and embroiled them in several wars, culminating in the [[Polish-Lithuanian-Teutonic War]], whereby the united armies of Poland and [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania|Lithuania]], defeated the Teutonic Order at the [[Battle of Grunwald]] in 1410. In 1440 the anti-Teutonic [[Prussian Confederation]] was founded, and various cities and nobles of the region joined it.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Górski |first=Karol |title=Związek Pruski i poddanie się Prus Polsce: zbiór tekstów źródłowych |year=1949 |publisher=Instytut Zachodni |location=Poznań |language=pl |pages=XXXI, XXXVII–XXXVIII }}</ref> In 1454 upon the Confederation's request King [[Casimir IV of Poland]] signed the act of incorporation of the entire region to Poland.<ref>Górski, p. 54</ref> The Teutonic Knights' defeat was formalised in the [[Second Peace of Toruń]] in 1466 ending the [[Thirteen Years' War (1454–66)|Thirteen Years' War]]. The restoration of Pomerania/[[Pomerelia]] to Poland was confirmed, and [[Warmia]] also was confirmed part of Poland,<ref>Górski, pp. 88–90, 99, 206–207, 217</ref> with both co-forming the larger Polish provinces of [[Royal Prussia]] and [[Greater Poland Province, Crown of the Kingdom of Poland|Greater Poland]]. The remainder of historic Prussia also became a part of "one and indivisible" Kingdom of Poland as a [[fief]] and [[protectorate]] held by the Teutonic Knights.<ref>Górski, pp. 96–97, 214–215</ref> 1466 and 1525 arrangements by kings of Poland were not verified by the [[Holy Roman Empire]], as well as the previous gains of the [[Teutonic Knights]], were not verified.
[[File:AGAD Stany pruskie oddaja swe ziemie krolowi polskiemu Kazimierzowi Jagiellonczykowi i koronie polskiej.jpg|thumb|Act of incorporation of the region into the Kingdom of Poland, 1454]]

The Teutonic Order lost eastern Prussia when Grand Master [[Albert, Duke of Prussia|Albert of Brandenburg-Ansbach]] converted to [[Lutheranism]] and secularized the Prussian branch of the Teutonic Order in 1525. Albert established himself as the first duke of the [[Duchy of Prussia]] and a [[vassal]] of the Polish crown by the [[Prussian Homage]]. [[Walter von Cronberg]], the next Grand Master, was [[Enfeoffment|enfeoffed]] with the title to Prussia after the [[Diet of Augsburg]] in 1530, but the Order never regained possession of the territory. In 1569 the [[House of Hohenzollern|Hohenzollern]] [[prince-elector]]s of the [[Margraviate of Brandenburg]] became co-regents with Albert's son, the feeble-minded [[Albert Frederick, Duke of Prussia|Albert Frederick]].

The Administrator of Prussia, the grandmaster of the Teutonic Order [[Maximilian III, Archduke of Austria|Maximilian III]], son of emperor [[Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor|Maximilian II]] died in 1618. When Maximilian died, Albert's line died out, and the Duchy of Prussia passed to the Electors of Brandenburg, forming [[Brandenburg-Prussia]]. Taking advantage of the [[Deluge (history)|Swedish invasion of Poland in 1655]], and instead of fulfilling his vassal's duties towards the Polish Kingdom, by joining forces with the Swedes and subsequent treaties of [[Treaty of Wehlau|Wehlau]], [[Treaty of Labiau|Labiau]], and [[Treaty of Oliva|Oliva]], Elector and Duke [[Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg|Frederick William]] succeeded in revoking the king of Poland's sovereignty over the Duchy of Prussia in 1660. There was strong opposition to the separation of the region from Poland, especially in [[Kaliningrad|Königsberg]] ({{langx|pl|link=no|Królewiec}}).<ref name=jm>{{cite magazine |last=Małłek |first=Janusz |year=1992 |title=Polityka miasta Królewca wobec Polski w latach 1525–1701 |magazine=Komunikaty Mazursko-Warmińskie |language=pl |issue=3–4 |pages=254–255 }}</ref> A confederation was formed in the city to maintain Poland's sovereignty over the city and region.<ref name=jm/> The Brandenburg Elector and his army, however, entered the city and abducted and imprisoned the leader of the city's anti-Elector opposition [[Hieronymus Roth]].<ref name=jm/> In 1663, the city burghers, forced by Elector Frederick William, swore an oath of allegiance to him, however, in the same ceremony they still also pledged allegiance to Poland.<ref name=jm/> The [[Absolutism (European history)|absolutist]] elector also subdued the noble estates of Prussia.

Although Brandenburg was a part of the [[Holy Roman Empire]], the Prussian lands were not within the [[Holy Roman Empire]] and were with the administration by the [[Teutonic Order]] grandmasters under jurisdiction of the Emperor. In return for supporting Emperor [[Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor|Leopold I]] in the [[War of the Spanish Succession]], Elector [[Frederick I of Prussia|Frederick III]] was allowed to crown himself "[[King in Prussia]]" in 1701. The new kingdom ruled by the [[House of Hohenzollern|Hohenzollern dynasty]] became known as the [[Kingdom of Prussia]]. The designation "[[Kingdom of Prussia]]" was gradually applied to the various lands of Brandenburg-Prussia. To differentiate it from the larger entity, the former Duchy of Prussia became known as ''Altpreußen'' ("Old Prussia"), the province of Prussia, or "East Prussia".

Approximately one-third of East Prussia's population died in the [[Great Northern War plague outbreak]] and [[famine]] of 1709–1711,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://oll.libertyfund.org/index.php?option=com_staticxt&staticfile=show.php%3Ftitle=274&chapter=38099&layout=html |title=A Treatise on Political Economy |access-date=3 November 2007 |archive-date=12 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220512210537/https://oll.libertyfund.org/index.php?option=com_staticxt&staticfile=show.php%3Ftitle=274&chapter=38099&layout=html |url-status=dead }}</ref> including the last speakers of [[Old Prussian language|Old Prussian]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://donelaitis.vdu.lt/prussian/princip.htm |title=LINGUISTIC PRINCIPLES OF THE RECOVERY OF OLD PRUSSIAN |access-date=8 December 2016 |archive-date=7 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107204058/http://donelaitis.vdu.lt/prussian/princip.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> The plague, probably brought by foreign troops during the [[Great Northern War]], killed 250,000 East Prussians, especially in the province's eastern regions. Crown Prince [[Frederick William I of Prussia|Frederick William I]] led the rebuilding of East Prussia, founding numerous towns. In 1724, Frederick William I prohibited [[Polish people|Poles]], [[Samogitians]] and Jews from settling in Lithuania Minor, and initiated German colonization to change the region's ethnic composition.<ref>{{cite book |last=Kętrzyński |first=Wojciech |author-link=Wojciech Kętrzyński |year=1882 |title=O ludności polskiej w Prusiech niegdyś krzyżackich |language=pl |location=Lwów |publisher=[[Ossolineum|Zakład Narodowy im. Ossolińskich]] |pages=615–616 }}</ref> Thousands of Protestants expelled from the [[Archbishopric of Salzburg]] were allowed to settle in depleted East Prussia. In 1756 [[Russian Empire|Russia]] decided to go to war with the Kingdom of Prussia and annex the territory, which was then to be offered to Poland as part of a territorial exchange desired by Russia,<ref>{{cite book |last=Ciesielski |first=Tomasz |editor-last=Gieszczyński |editor-first=Witold |editor-last2=Kasparek |editor-first2=Norbert |year=2010 |title=Wielkie wojny w Prusach. Działania militarne między dolną Wisłą a Niemnem na przestrzeni wieków |language=pl |location=Dąbrówno |page=118 |chapter=Prusy Wschodnie w trakcie polskiej wojny sukcesyjnej i wojny siedmioletniej |isbn=978-83-62552-00-9 }}</ref> however, ultimately Russia only occupied the region for four years during the [[Seven Years' War]] before withdrawing in 1762 and did not make Poland an offer of territorial exchange.