1656 - Political Events

Political Events

England and Spain go to war (see Jamaica, 1655). The English capture some Spanish treasure ships off Cádiz September 9 (see 1657).

Oliver Cromwell's Third Parliament convenes September 17. England has had no Parliament since January of last year, and Cromwell's son-in-law Charles Fleetwood has helped him govern the realm, resisting efforts to make Cromwell king.

Russian forces seize the Swedish fortresses of Dinaburg and Kokengausen on the Zapadnaya Dvina, renaming the latter fortress Czarevich-Dmitriev; hostilities will continue until 1660 (see 1661). The Swedish army of Karl X Gustav defeats the Poles in the 3-day Battle of Warsaw July 29 to 31 in the First Northern War, whereupon Russia, Denmark, and the Holy Roman Empire declare war on Sweden, whose ally Brandenburg deserts her. The Transylvanian prince György Rákóczi II has joined Karl Gustav in hopes of deposing Poland's Jan II Casimir and being elected Polish king; his defiance of the Ottoman Turks who hold sovereignty over Transylvania results in an order to some other Ottoman vassals, the Crimean Tatars, to drive Rákóczi's forces out of Poland (see 1657). Poland recognizes the sovereignty of the Elector of Brandenburg over East Prussia.

Portugal's João IV dies at Lisbon November 6 at age 53 after a reign of nearly 16 years. Having regained the nation's independence after 60 years of Spanish rule, he is succeeded by his 13-year-old son, who has been paralyzed since age 3 but will reign until 1667 as Afonso VI, the second Braganza (Bragança) king (his mother will serve as regent until 1662).

Dutch forces take the Sinhalese port of Colombo from the Portuguese.