Britannica Sources used in this answer

What happened to Warsaw during the Swedish invasion of 1655–56?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

During the Swedish invasion of 1655–56, which was part of the First Northern War, Warsaw suffered significant devastation.2

Following a swift advance into Poland-Lithuania, Swedish forces and their Brandenburg allies engaged the Polish-Lithuanian army near the city in July 1656. After defeating the forces of King John II Casimir Vasa at the Battle of Warsaw, the Swedish-Brandenburg army marched into the capital. Although they occupied the city, their forces were insufficient to maintain control, and they were eventually forced to withdraw. This period of conflict severely impacted the city, which had only recently become the capital of the Polish state in 1611.12