treaty of Radnot

The Treaty of Radnot was a bilateral treaty signed on 6 December 1656 during the Second Northern War in Radnot in Transylvania (now Iernut in Romania) between Charles X Gustav of the Swedish Empire and George II Rákóczi, Prince of Transylvania. Sometimes, a wider set of agreements concluded in December 1656 between Sweden and its allies is "collectively called the Treaty of Radnot".

Faced with strongly successful Polish resistance to the Swedish invasion, King Charles X Gustav suggested that his adversary be partitioned among Sweden and its allies. The treaty divided the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth between Sweden and Transylvania, and also reserved territories for the Cossack Hetmanate in modern Ukraine, and Lithuanian magnate Bogusław Radziwiłł in modern Belarus.

The treaty partially reiterated agreements Sweden had previously concluded with its other allies, and added new provisions for the remaining territories:

Charles X Gustav of Sweden was to receive Royal Prussia, Kuyavia, northern Masovia, Samogitia, Courland and Inflanty.

Bogusław Radziwiłł was to receive the Nowogródek Voivodeship.

Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg, as previously stipulated by the Treaty of Marienburg (25 June 1656 N.S.), was to receive the voivodeships of Poznań (Posen, Posnaniensis), Kalisz (Kalisch, Calissiensis), Sieradz (Siradiensis), and Łęczyca (Lancicz, Lanciciensis) in the Greater Poland Province.

George II Rákóczi of Transylvania was to receive southern Polish territories, mostly the Lesser Poland Province (including Kraków) and the remainder of the Greater Poland Province, as well as the title "King of Poland".

Sweden "had reserved Ukraine for the Cossacks, or whatever else may be agreed upon with them" in Article 6. Its territory was not explicitly defined, except that it was to include everything of the Lesser Poland Province not claimed by Rákóczi. Article 7 revealed a disagreement between Transylvania and Sweden: Rákóczi desired the Western Bug as his eastern border, while Charles wanted to reserve "both banks of the Bug for a distance of two miles towards Warsaw, and all of Podlachia" for the Cossacks, who desired to extend their territory up to the Vistula. However, the negotiators could not agree on this matter, so "that point has been reserved for future friendly negotiations".

One of the main results of the treaty was that George II Rákóczi invaded the Commonwealth in January 1657 with various allies, including the Cossacks. The changing geopolitical situation prevented the treaty from ever being fully implemented, as the Commonwealth recovered and repulsed the invaders. The treaty is seen as a precursor to the 18th-century partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.