Battle of Poltava

[cyppok]

Yea great, we got Russian domination instead. Gerroff mah land all of you!

Inevitable after religious "reforms" of 1596-97. If you notice there was a large scale revolt every 5-7 years until Khmelnitsky, and small ones that aren't mentioned probably happened more often. I also find the three-religous unia a bit funny because at the time of the 'edict' Poland did not control the territories.

The smartest thing that could have been done was to elect one of the Prussian monarchs as a hereditary monarch (prior to 1650s') it would have amalgamated East-Prussia since that branch died out and thats' how Brandenburg-Prussia got formed. (hopefully I m right on the time line)

August might have blundered in not getting Pomerania for Poland or Saxony, and letting it strengthen Prussia towards the end or even dividing it in half or something.

If the Swedes negotiated and peaced Russia out of the war there was a chance for them to survive. But Karl was ignoring the realities on the ground after a while.

Also it kind of didn't help that Poland kept electing leaders from the outside or weak with limited support. The religious issue bordered on idiotic btw, there was no "live and let live philosophy".