Yan 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 won victories over the Tatars and Turks. The Polish ruler preserved the integrity of the kingdom for a while and did a lot to strengthen the supreme power, at least for the duration of his reign.
Some facts of life
Sobiesky Jan was born in 1629 in a castle near the city of Lvov. He came from a middle gentry family, whose representatives, however, managed to break into the highest circles thanks to successful and profitable marriages. The future king received an excellent education at the University of Krakow. He traveled extensively with his brother in Western European countries, where he learned several languages.
He is considered one of the most educated monarchs in the PolishLithuanian 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 went over to the side of the rightful king and fought with him.
Marriage
In 1665, he married Marysenka Zamoyska, a Frenchwoman who was at the court of King Louis XIV. The girl hoped that her husband would take the Polish throne. And for this she offered to use French help. She promised the government of her country that in the event of an alliance with her husband, the latter would assist the king in the fight against his longtime enemies - the Habsburgs.
Success
Sobieski Jan at that time claimed to be the Polish ruler. For this, he had a chance: in 1668 he became the great hetman - a position that is very important in the state-administrative structure of Poland. However, then he failed to achieve his goal, since the gentry preferred to put another prince in this place - his protege.
However, very soon, Sobieski Jan proved himself to be a talented military leader. In the 1660s, he repulsed the invasion of the Tatars, in 1673 he won a brilliant victory over the tours in the battle of Khotyn. The latter circumstance gave him popularity, which, together with French gold, contributed to his elevation, and subsequently to his election as the Polish king.
Foreign policy
Jan III Sobieski saw the return of the Podolsk lands to the Polish state as the main task of his reign. The fact is that in this area, many representatives of the gentry had their own possessions. Therefore, the loss of territories had an extremely negative impact not only on the economic, but also on the socio-political situation.
In 1675, he signed a secret treaty of alliance with the French government, which, however, pursued other goals. It was interested in stopping 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 considered only as a means to fight in the international arena. Therefore, King Jan Sobieski went to break with Versailles and rapprochement with the Austrian authorities to fight the common enemy - the Turks. The treaty was signed in 1683. And he assumed mutual assistance in the attack.
Big win
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 an ally in repelling another Turkish attack. He brought with him his own armed forces, and the combined army, however, was smaller than the Turkish one. However, it was in this battle that Sobieski's talent as a commander was especially manifested, who took command of the general forces and defeated the Turks.
He also made an attempt to free the Hungarianterritory. However, here he did not succeed. At the same time, contradictions began between him and the Austrian ruler. The fact is that the king wanted to expand the borders of the Commonwe alth to the Black Sea limits, but his campaigns ended in failure.
Last years of 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 fight the Ottomans with joint efforts. One of the most important directions in his policy was the desire to make Poland a strong centralized state.
He wanted to secure the throne for his son-heir, but met with opposition from France and England. Those 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 1696 in Warsaw in an atmosphere of civil strife.
