THE TERRITIRIES OF BUKOVINA IN THE MOLDAVIAN POLICY OF KING AUGUST II THE STRONG (1697–1699)

Abstract

The article researches the place and role of the territories of Chernivtsi and Khotyn Volosts in the foreign policy of the Polish king Augustus II the Strong towards Moldavia in 1697 –1699. The author focused on Polish-Moldavian relations and a number of questions that were not covered enough by historiography: territorial disputes about the northern Moldavian lands, the value of the historical territories of modern Buko- vyna in Moldavia’s military-political relations with Poland and Turkey, the consequences of the Treaty of Karlowitz for the population and economy of Chernivtsi and Khotyn Volosts. The research methods are based on the principles of historicism, objectivity, comprehensiveness and integrity, systematicity, as well as on methods of analysis and synthesis, historical-comparative and problem-chronological. The scientific novelty lies in a comprehensive study of Augustus II’s Moldavian policy in the territories of Northern Bukovyna bordering Poland at the beginning of his reign. It is established that the Northern Moldavian lands became a bargaining chip in Augustus II’s foreign policy towards Moldavia, since under the terms of the Treaty of Kar- lowitz Moldavia and Wallachia remained in the system of territories under the control of the Porte, and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth liberated the northern part of the Moldavia occupied during the war with the Ottomans in exchange for Kamianets and Podillia. As a result of the hostilities, the Khotyn fortress was destroyed and lost its role as an outpost on the Polish-Moldavian border. Awareness of the importance of the Bukovynian lands and the processes that took place here during this period is important for understanding the current situation. Results of the research are important for assessing the military-political situation around Bukovina in connection with the confrontation of Moldavia with the superior forces of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Ottoman Empire respectively.

Keywords: Bukovyna, Chernivtsi and Khotyn Volosts, Moldavia, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Ottoman Empire, Augustus II the Strong.