King John III of Poland and the Turkish Aspects of his Foreign Policy

Authors : Zbigniew WOJCIK

Pages : 659-674

View : 20 | Download : 9

Publication Date : 1980-10-20

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :King John III Sobieski is one of the best known and greastest Polish rulers. The great battle of Vienna in 1683, when united Polish and Austro - German armies under the command-in-chief of Sobieski crushed the Turkish army, brougth Poland and especially her king immortal fame. In historical consciousness of the Poles Sobieski is a national hero and at the same time conqueror of the Turks. But a question arises-was he always a foe of Turkey? Let us try to answer this question. He was like all Polish kings in 16-18th centuries especially after 1572, the year of the extinction of Jagiellonian dynasty, an elective monarch not a hereditary one. `This prince was descended of a noble and ancient family, the none of the most considerable nor richest in the kingdom` - wrote about his election the aulic physycian to him, Irishman Bernard O`Connor, the author of a very valuable and interesting book entitled `The History of Poland` published in London in 1698.
Keywords : King John III of Poland, Poland Foreign Policy, 1683 The Great Battle of Vienna, Poland New Age Policy