The Reformation in sixteenth-century Poland: a success story or a failure?

This discussion of the Reformation in Poland speculates on whether the ideas of Luther, Calvin, and/or certain more radical reformers could have won over sufficient support in the kingdom of Poland to displace the Roman Catholic Church. The role of Sigismund II Augustus, the last Jagiellonian monarch, in the disputes between the Catholic and Protestant parties is focused on. Despite the opportunity presented to him, this ruler rejected the chance to form a national church and reinforce his authority as king. The nobility retained a dominant role in Polish society. This meant that having secured their economic and social positions, many high-ranking converts reverted to Catholicism. It is argued that nobles who joined the civil 'Executionist movement' squandered the opportunity to modernize society and the state, helping ensure that the Reformation in Poland was destined to fail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]