Siła złudzeń — informacje o szwedzkich „zwycięstwach” w Rosji i o bitwie połtawskiej dochodzące do obozu króla Stanisława (sierpień 1708—wrzesień 1709 roku)
The power of delusions — reports on Swedish “victories” in Russia and about the Battle of Poltava reaching Polish royal camp (August 1708—September 1709)

Summary/Abstract: Often enough in historical literature the following phenomena have been stressed: misinformation of public opinion, disseminating hearsay, and last but not least, stubborn dismissal of reports inconvenient to their recipients and deluding oneself that another news should bring a completely different state of affairs. Those characteristic phenomena are clearly visible when one looks into the process of receiving information regarding an unprecedented defeat suffered by the Swedish army of King Charles XII near Poltava in 1709. The supporters of Stanisław Leszczyński, who was allied with the Swedes, along with Swedish officers belonging to his entourage for the lengthy period denied the veracity of the reports and accepted any hearsay regarding Tsar Peter I’s alleged defeat at its face value.

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