Annalistic sources depict the Polish King Stephen Batory as one of the most consistent and determined opponents of Tsar Ivan the Terrible in the Livonian War (1558-1583). Largely thanks to his efforts and the gift of leadership of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, it was possible to nullify all the successes of the Russian troops and impose on Moscow a difficult treaty, which deprived the country of access to the sea for more than a hundred years.
Origin
The Batoriev clan is one of the most ancient Hungarian dynasties. The first information about these tycoons from the city of Chaumier dates back to the 11th century. In addition to Stephen himself (on the Hungarian motive - Istvan), the princes of Transylvania left their mark in history: Zhigmond, Krishtof and Istvan - the father of the future king of the Commonwealth. Elizabeth or Erzbet Bathory left behind bad fame. She holds the sad record for the highest number of documented murders ever committed by a woman. For 25 years, she personally sent about seven hundred people to the next world.
early years
Very little information is left about Stefan Batory's childhood. We can only assume that his upbringing was not much different from what the representatives of noble dynasties gave their offspring. He was born on September 27, 1533, when his father, Istvan, was acting as the Hungarian palatine - actually the second person after the king. It is known that at the age of 16, Stefan studied at the University of Padua, but, apparently, science was of little interest to him. Already in his youth, Bathory shows a penchant for military affairs.
In the service of the emperor
In the XVI century, Hungary, experiencing a constant threat of attack from the Turks, is increasingly drawn into the sphere of influence of the Holy Roman Empire. Its ruler Ferdinand from 1526 bore the title of Hungarian king. It was to him that Stefan Batory served. Europe, split by contradictions between the largest states, experienced difficult times in those years. In addition to the Reformation, covering more and more territories, it was necessary to constantly defend itself from the zenith of the power of the Ottoman Empire. It was in the army of Emperor Ferdinand that Stefan first encountered the Turks. However, the young warrior had to face the monarch ingratitude. In 1553 he was captured. The emperor refused to pay a ransom for him.
Change of sovereign
As a result of numerous victories, the Turks were able to create a kingdom dependent on the Ottoman Empire in parts of Hungarian territory. On the throne was a Turkish protege Janos Zapolyai. After Ferdinand refused to pay the ransom, Bathory offered Janos his services. He, who needed noble and strong supporters, agreed.
But the military craft of Batory was left for a while. He received the post of Ambassador of Zapolyaye. One of his diplomatic missions was sent to Vienna, and there he fell directly into the hands of Ferdinand. Since it was impossible to execute the ambassador, the emperor put him under house arrest, in which Bathory spent two years. During this time, he improved the knowledge gained at the university: he read a lot, especially the works of ancient historians.
Conquest in Transylvania
The emperor still had to free his captive. On his return to Transylvania, Bathory discovered that the local nobility was sympathetic to him. He did not waste time in vain and established close relationships with many influential people. It helped a lot a few years later.
Janos Zapolye had no children, so the question of succession to the throne was very acute. The prince reacted negatively to the growing popularity of Batory and even suspected him of treason. After much deliberation, he decided to appoint Treasurer Caspar Bekesh as his successor. But after the death of the prince in 1571, the nobility unanimously demanded that Bekesh renounce his rights. Stefan Batory was elected Prince. The treasurer tried to resist and even organized several uprisings, but in 1575 Bathory finally defeated his troops and confiscated all possessions.
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
In the neighboring state, formed as a result of the union between Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, an interesting system of substitution of the throne was established. Local pans did not want to establish the power of one dynasty, so elections were held after the death of one king. For the first time, Bathory thought about the possibility of taking the Polish throne in 1573, but the French prince Heinrich Valois won the election. But he could not resist the throne: the self-rule of the nobility, a different culture and the difficult political situation in France became the reasons why Henry in 1575 secretly left the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The gentry was forced to announce new elections.
King of the Commonwealth
After the flight of Henry, three powerful monarchs claimed the Polish throne: Emperor Maximilian, Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible and Stefan Batory. Poland, having suffered heavy losses in the Livonian war, needed a leader capable of breaking the chain of failures. The candidacy of Grozny was part of the nobility, since his election made further hostilities pointless. But the Polish Senate opted for Maximilian. The gentry opposed this, realizing that the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth risks losing its independence under the scepter of the emperor. As a result of an agreement between the Senate and the gentry in 1576, Stefan Batory was elected to the Polish throne with the condition to marry the sister of the former king Sigismund.
The bathhouse immediately showed a sharp temper. The tycoons who took advantage of the period of non-cannibalism to strengthen their power did not want to reckon with the opinion of the king. King Stefan Batory, using the support of the middle and small nobility, led a decisive attack on the power of the magnates. Immediately after accession to the throne, he invaded the city of Bansk, where the local nobility especially persistently sought the election of Maximilian. The most stubborn opponents of the king were executed.
Reforms of Stephen Bathory
The new king sought to introduce the Commonwealth into European science. On his initiative, the Vilnius Academy was opened in 1578. The bathhouse contributed to the spread of collegiums of the Jesuit Order in the country, famous for their organizational skills, as well as successes in the dissemination of education.
Another important undertaking of the king was the creation of the organization of Zaporozhye Cossacks. He endowed them with lands, allowed them to choose the hetman on their own, leaving the right to entrust him with powerful insignia. The Cossack army subsequently formed an important part of the troops of Stephen Batory.
Foreign policy
The Livonian War inherited from King Sigismund Bathory. Ivan the Terrible, annoyed by his defeat, did not want to make peace. The army created as a result of Batoria's reforms quickly showed the Russian Tsar his mistake. Already in 1577, the king recaptured Dinaburg and Wenden, and then Polotsk and Velikiye Luki, transferring the war to Russian territories. A special page in military history was the siege of Pskov by King Stefan Batory. His capture would open the way to the inner regions of the Moscow kingdom, but the heroic resistance of the city’s defenders thwarted the king’s plans to quickly end the war on his terms. While Stefan Batory stayed near Pskov, Ivan the Terrible took an unexpected diplomatic step. He invited as an intermediary the papal legate Antonio Posevino. In 1582, Stefan Bathory signed the Yam-Zapolsky treaty, according to which Russia ceded all the occupied lands in Livonia, but retained the original Russian cities.
Last years and death
At the end of his reign, Bathory was engaged in strengthening the Lithuanian borders and even planned to move the capital to Vilna. At the same time, he worked to create a large anti-Turkish coalition, but when the troops were assembled and were ready to march, the king suddenly died. This happened on December 12, 1586.
The death of Batoria on the eve of such an important event aroused rumors in society about his violent death. An autopsy was performed to establish the truth - the first in Eastern Europe. However, it was not possible to prove the poisoning.