Jan 3 Sobieski, whose biography (short) is the subject of this review, was the Polish king, the Lithuanian prince, and also held a number of important political and administrative posts and positions. He also became famous as a talented military leader who triumphed over the Tatars and Turks. The Polish ruler kept the whole kingdom for a while and did a lot to strengthen the supreme power, at least during his reign.
Some facts of life
Sobieski Jan was born in 1629 in a castle near the city of Lviv. He came from an average family, whose representatives, however, managed to break out into higher circles thanks to successful and profitable marriages. The future king received an excellent education at the University of Cracow. He traveled a lot with his brother to Western European countries, where he learned several languages.
He is considered one of the most educated monarchs in the Polish-Lithuanian dynasty. Sobieski Jan went as part of a delegation to the Ottoman Empire, where he got acquainted with the structure of this state and learned the Turkish language. In 1655, during the Swedish invasion of the country, he first joined the pro-Swedish party. However, he soon sided with the rightful king and fought with him.
Marriage
In 1665, he married Marysenka Zamoyskaya, a Frenchwoman who was at the court of King Louis XIV. The girl was counting on her husband to take the Polish throne. And for this, she suggested using French help. She promised the government of her country that in the event of an alliance with her spouse, the latter would assist the king in the fight against his long-standing opponents - the Habsburgs.
Success
Sobieski Jan at this time claimed to become a Polish ruler. He had chances for this: in 1668 he became a great hetman - a position that is very important in the state and administrative structure of Poland. However, then he failed to achieve his goal, as the gentry preferred to put another prince in this place - his protege.
Soon, however, Sobieski Jan perfectly established himself as a talented military leader. In the 1660s, he repelled the invasion of the Tatars, in 1673 he won a brilliant victory over the rounds at the Battle of Khotin. The latter circumstance gave him popularity, which, together with French gold, contributed to his elevation, and subsequently his election as the Polish king.
Foreign policy
Jan III Sobieski saw the main objective of his reign as the return of Podolsk lands to the Polish state. The fact is that in this area many representatives of the gentry had their possessions. Therefore, the loss of territories extremely negatively affected not only the economic, but also the socio-political situation.
In 1675, he signed a secret union treaty with the French government, which, however, pursued other goals. It was interested in ending hostilities against the Ottoman Empire, focusing on the fight against its main enemy - the Habsburgs. This position caused displeasure in Poland, which the French ruler saw only as a means to fight in the international arena. Therefore, King Jan Sobieski went to break with Versailles and to rapprochement with the Austrian authorities to fight the common enemy - the Turks. The contract was signed in 1683. And he assumed mutual assistance in the attack.
Major victory
In the same year, the Polish king, in accordance with the terms of the agreement, hastened to the capital of the Austrian state to help the ally repel another Turkish attack. He brought his own armed forces with him, and the combined army, however, was smaller than the Turkish one. However, it was precisely in this battle that the military leadership talent of Sobieski manifested itself especially, which took command of the general forces and defeated the Turks.
He also made an attempt to free the Hungarian territories. However, he did not succeed here. Then, contradictions began between him and the Austrian ruler. The fact is that the king wanted to expand the borders of the Commonwealth to the Black Sea, but his campaigns ended in failure.
The last years of the reign
Another significant event of his reign was the signing of the "Eternal Peace" with Russia in 1686. The king agreed to this treaty in order to jointly fight the Ottomans. One of the most important directions in his policy was the desire to make Poland a strong centralized state.
He wanted to consolidate the throne for his heir son, but met with opposition from France and England. They were not interested in the emergence of a new strong power on the European continent. Sobieski also contributed to the strengthening of the Polish army, strengthening it with Lithuanian forces. However, these measures did not lead to the desired result. And the king died in Warsaw in 1696 in an atmosphere of civil strife.