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In the 15th century, the states of Prussia saw the rapid economic development of their cities. However this was not followed by an increase in their political influence. The rule of the Teutonic Knights was seen as more and more anachronistic -- taxes (funt customs) and the system of grain licences (every trader had to pay large fees for the privilege of trading grain) were hindering economic development in the province. At the same time the gentry wanted a bigger say in the running of the country, and were looking enviously at neighbouring Poland, where nobles enjoyed wider privileges. The Teutons were also accused of violating the few existing privileges of the gentry and the cities. Craftsmen were discontented because of competition from so-called partacze, that is artisans settled by the Teutons near their castles. Kashubians, Poles, Germans and Prussians were slowly melting into one nation, and as national differences disappeared, the common goals of all the ethnic and social groups of Prussia became more prominent.
The western part of Prussia, called Pomerania, where the main city of Gdansk was situated, was originally captured by Duke Boleslaus I of Poland, and until conquest by Teutons was part of Polish kingdom , and some links to Poland were still present and actually increasing with strong cultural and trading contacts, and marriages between the elite families of Kraków, Gdansk, and Torun. Kraków was a Hanseatic League city as well and had many German craftmen and inhabitants at that time. Many Prussians - both Poles and Germans - taught and studied at the Jagiellonian University of Krakow.
Note: The following is from a book by Marian Biskup, "Wojna trzynastoletnia" (The Thirteen Years War), plus some other information.
The memory of the Polish roots of Pomerania by later developing Polish nationals wasn't an important reason for starting the uprising, but it became more important later.
There was a long tradition of resistance against the Teutonic Knights in Prussia. In 1397 Prussian knights had founded a secret organisation called Eidechsenbund (The Band of Lizards), with more or less anti-Teutonic goals, but since that organisation had not included the urban population, it failed. After victory by the Polish and Lithuanian forces at the Battle of GrunwaldFor the 1914 battle at the same location, refer to Battle of Tannenberg (1914 The Battle of Grunwald took place on July 15 1410 between the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania on one side (estimated 39,000 troops), and the Teutonic Knights during the Great War 1409-1411 , the Prussian states eagerly pledged allegiance to King Wladyslaw Jagiello, but they quickly returned to Teutonic rule after the Poles were unable to conquer Marienburg ( MalborkMalbork (pronounce: Media:Malbork. ogg|['malbork]]], German Marienburg is a town in northern Poland in the Zulawy region, with 39,000 inhabitants (1998), capital of Malbork County. Situated in the Pomeranian Voivodship since 1999, previously in Elblag Voi). A clause in the peace treaty stated that it was guaranteed by the Prussian states, which would gain the right to defy the Teutonic Order if it broke the treaty. In the succeeding wars the Prussian states opposed any conflict, and pushed the Grand Masters of the Order to make peace.
On February 21February 21 is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 313 days remaining, 314 in leap years. Events 362 Athanasius returns to Alexandria 1431 The trial of Joan of Arc begins. 1743 The premiere in London of George Frideric Handel's o 1440For alternative meanings, see number 1440. Events Itzcoatl, Aztec ruler of Tenochtitlan dies and is succeeded by Moctezuma I. End of term for Regent of Sweden Karl Knutsson Bonde. Births January 22 Ivan III, grand duke of Moscow (+ 1505) Deaths Itzcoatl, a group made up of individuals from the Prussian cities, gentry and clergy, formed the Prussian Confederation. The main contributors were from the gentry of Culmer Land, from Thorn, Culm and from the Hanseatic cities of Elbing and Danzig. Grand Master Paul Russdorf was seen to approve the existence of the Confederacy, but his successor, Conrad von Erlichhausen tried to destroy it. His policy was followed by Ludvig von Erlichhausen .
In 1452 the Prussian Confederation asked Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor, for mediation in their conflict with the Teutonic Order. On December 5 1453, the Emperor, apparently not caring to listen to all the arguments of the Confederacy, banned it and ordered it to obey the Teutonic Order. Faced with that situation the Prussians sent envoys to Poland -- although the Prussian confederacy, under the influence of Torun and the Pomeranian and Chelmno Land gentry had already sought contact with Poles. They receive support, especially from Greater Poland and from the party of Queen Sophia Holszanska (mother of the King of Poland, Casimir IV). The Cardinal Bishop of Kraków, Zbigniew Olesnicki (former regent of Poland during the reign of Ladislaus III of Poland and Hungary), opposed this support and tried to prevent war. In January 1454 the Prussians asked the Polish King to incorporate Prussia into Poland. The King asked the Prussian Confederacy for a more formal petition.
On February 4 1454, the Secret Council of the Prussian Confederacy sent a formal act of disobedience to the Grand Master. Two days later the Confederacy started its rebellion and soon almost all Prussia, except for Marienburg, Stuhm and Konitz (Conitz) or Chojnice, were free from Teutonic rule. Most of the captured castles were immediately destroyed. On February 10 1454, the Confederacy sent an official delegation to Poland, headed by Johannes von Baysen , called Jan Bazynski by the Poles. By February 20 the delegates were in Kraków and asked Casimir IV, to bring Prussia into the Polish kingdom. After negotiating the exact conditions of incorporation, the King agreed and on March 6 1454 delegates of Prussian Confederation stated that whole of Prussia pledged allegiance to the Polish King. On the same day, the King agreed to all the conditions of the Prussian delegates -- for instance Torun demanded the destruction of the Polish city of Nieszawa -- giving wide privileges to the Prussian cities and gentry. Three days later, Johannes von Baysen (Jan Bażyński) became the first Polish governor of Prussia. After April 15 most of the Prussian states, with the exception of the Bishopric of Ermeland, pledged allegiance to their new ruler. Poland sent the Grand Master a declaration of war, predated to February 22. When the war started everybody expected it to be over quickly, on both sides.
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