Ukrainian Cossack Uprising

1648

Bohdan Khmelnytsky led Ukrainian Cossacks, peasants, and Crimean Tatar allies in a massive rebellion against Polish Catholic rule. The revolt convulsed eastern Europe, massacred Jewish communities, and established a semi-autonomous Cossack Hetmanate that would eventually seek Russian protection. Polish power cracked irreparably, and the struggle over Ukraine's allegiance between Russia and Poland defined the region's politics for centuries.