Bogusław Radziwiłł
| Bogusław Radziwiłł | ||
|
| ||
| Noble Family | Radziwiłł | |
| Coat of Arms | Trąby | |
| Parents | Janusz Radziwłł Elisabeth Sofie | |
| Consorts | Anna Maria Radziwiłł | |
| Children | with Anna Maria Radziwiłł Ludwika Karolina Radziwiłł | |
| Date of Birth | May 3, 1620 | |
| Place of Birth | Gdańsk | |
| Date of Death | December 31, 1669 | |
| Place of Death | Królewiec | |
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Prince Boguslaw Radziwill (1620-1669) was a Polish-Lithuanian magnate.
Owner of Bierże, Dubinki, Słuck and Kopyta. Great Chorazy of Lithuania since 1638, Koniuszy of Lithuania since 1648, Starost barski. Governor of Prussia (generalny gubernator Prus Elektorskich) since 1657. He held the title of Imperial Prince of the Holy Roman Empire.
Since several decades, the interests between Radziwłł family and the state (Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth) begun to drift apart, as Radziwłł were less and less satisfied with the magnatial status of the family and its immense wealth and began craving for more political power.
In 1654, during the Swedish invasion of Poland, known as The Deluge, together with his cousin Janusz Radziwiłł, he began negotiations with Swedish king Charles X Gustav of Sweden, aimed at breaking the Commonwealth and the Polish-Lithuanian union. They signed a treaty according to which Radziwiłłs were to rule over two sovereign principalities carved up from the lands of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which were to become a Swedish protectorate.
The Swedish defeat and eventual retreat from the territories of the Commonwealth abruptly ended the plans of Janusz and Bogusław. The earlier died in a castle besieged by forces loyal to the Commonwealth, while Bogusław retreated with his forces to Prussia, where he supported Friedrich Wilhelm against the Polish king. In the Battle of Prostki (October 8, 1656), Bogusław's forces were decimated by the Commonwealth forces under hetman Wincenty Gosiewski. Bogusław Radziwiłł himself was captured by the Tatars who initially enslaved him and wanted to transport him to Crimea. After fierce discussions with the Tatar commanders, he was handed over to Gosiewski.
Both Bogusław's and Janusz's lines of the Radziwiłl family became extinct by the next generation, and their only lasting achievement was to tarnish the Radziwiłł family name for years to come, their treason eclipsing the deeds of other Radziwiłłs like Michał Kazimierz Radziwiłł, who fought for the Crown and the Commonwealth against the Swedes.
Bogusław died in exile in Koenigsberg.