Republic vs. Autocracy: Poland-Lithuania and Russia, 1686-1697

The East European rivals - the Commonwealth, Russia, changing mutual perceptions professionals and amateurs at the game of diplomacy - the Commonwealth, Russia, gathering information the Russian residency in Poland - residents, their staffs and living conditions, dispatches from the residents, communications problems, gathering information, the residents' influence on policy-makers in the Kremlin, evaluation of the Russian residents, Polish appraisals of the Russian residents the Polish residency in Moscow - the Polish-Lithuanian ambassador to Moscow and his staff, relations with aristocrats and bureaucrats, sources of information, evaluation of the Polish resident the Ukrainian paradox - the Cossacks, Polish influence, role of the clergy, the union of Hadiach, the Commonwealth and Ukraine, Muscovy and Ukraine the Solomon affair the allure of a separate peace - the Ottomans and the Moldavian "Third Turk", the Belevich mission to Moscow, Dowmont and Ukraintsev - strained meetings in Moscow Tsar Peter and the election of August II.