Bohdan Khmelnytsky

Bohdan Zenobi Chmielnicki (c. 1595 - August 16, 1657) also Khmelnytsky or Khmelnitsky

Born in Chigirin, Ukraine he was a Zaporizhzhya (Zaporozhian) Cossack hetman, noted for his revolt against Poland which began in 1648. It was the start of a series of campaigns that temporarily freed Ukraine from Polish domination. Success at at Zolte Wody, Korsun and Pilawce lead to Chmielnicki being paid-off by the Polish king and gained numerous privileges for the Cossacks at the Treaty of Zborov. However when hostilities resumed Chmielnicki's forces suffered a massive defeat in 1651 at the Battle of Beresteczko and were forced at Bila Tserkva to accept a losers treaty. A year later the cossacks had their revenge at the Battle of Batoh, after which Chmielnicki had all the high-ranking captives murdered . The Ukraine was still perilously weak and in 1654, Chmielnicki persuaded the Cossacks to ally with the Russian czars at the Treaty of Pereyaslavl, a treaty that had poor results for the Ukraine after Chmielnicki's death (Treaty of Andrusov in 1667).