# Silent Sejm (1717)

URL: https://poland-history.com/timeline/1717-silent-sejm
Location: Warsaw
Categories: main-event

Under Russian mediation, a one-day Sejm limited the Saxon army and the size of the Commonwealth's army, marking the start of Russian dominance. Within the broader Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth period: The Commonwealth of Both Nations elected its kings and prized noble liberty and religious tolerance. It won famous victories but was weakened by wars with Sweden, Russia, the Ottomans and the Cossacks, and by political paralysis. At this point in the timeline (1 February 1717), the governing authority was Augustus II the Strong (King of Poland). Elector of Saxony whose entry into the Great Northern War brought devastation and Russian influence to the Commonwealth. Silent Sejm mattered because it altered the structure of power and the direction of Polish statehood. The event is placed here so readers can follow it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion and culture across Polish history.

## Why it matters
Silent Sejm mattered because it altered the structure of power and the direction of Polish statehood.

Ruler at the time: [Stanisław I Leszczyński](https://poland-history.com/rulers/stanislaw-i-leszczynski)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Silent Sejm](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Sejm)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Silent Sejm](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Silent+Sejm)
- [Wikipedia — Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish%E2%80%93Lithuanian_Commonwealth)