Wladyslaw IV Waza (aka Ladislaus IV Vasa) King of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania 1632-1648
Born: June 9,1595, Lobzow, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (presently Poland)
Died: May 20, 1648, Merecz, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (presently Merkine, Lithuania)
Royal titles: Vladislaus Quartus Dei gratia rex Poloniae, magnus dux Lithuaniae, Russiae, Prussiae, Masoviae, Samogitiae, Livoniaeque, necnon Suecorum, Gothorum Vandalorumque haereditarius rex, electus magnus dux Moschoviae (English translation: Vladislaus IV by God's grace king of Poland, grand duke of Lithuania, Ruthenia, Prussia, Masovia, Samogitia, Livonia, and also hereditary king of the Swedes, Goths and Vandals, elected Grand Duke of Moscow.)
Summary. Wladyslaw managed to prevent the Commonwealth becoming embroiled in the bloody Thirty Years' War that ravaged Western Europe during his reign, and was fairly successful in defending the Commonwealth from invasion. He supported religious tolerance and carried out military reforms. His death marked the end of the Golden Age of the Commonwealth, as conflicts and tensions that Wladyslaw had failed to resolve led in 1648 to the greatest of the Cossack uprisings—the Chmielnicki Uprising—and to Swedish invasion ("The Deluge") of 1655. Some Polish historians claim that Wladyslaw had short temper and when angered, could act to take revenge without considering all consequences
Early days. He was the son of Sigismund III Vasa, King of Poland and his wife, Anna of Austria (aka Anna Habsburg). Sigismund III, grandson of Gustav I of Sweden, had succeeded his father to the Swedish throne in 1592, only to be deposed in 1599 by his uncle, subsequently Charles IX. The claims of Polish kings of the house of Vasa led to the Swedish War (1600-1629) and later to “The Deluge” of 1655. In 1610 Wladyslaw, aged 15, was elected Grand Duke of Muscovy by the boyars following the death of Boris Godunov. Wladyslaw held on to the title, without any real power, until 1634. He fought in many campaigns, including ones against Russians in 1617-1618, Ottomans in 1621 (Battle of Chocim) and Swedes in 1626-1629. During that time, as well as during his voyage in Europe under an assumed name Snopkowski (1624-1625) he learned the art of war. While not a military genius, and surpassed by famous Commonwealth contemporary hetmans like Stanisław Koniecpolski, Wladyslaw was known as a fairly skilful commander on his own.
King. Elected King in 1632 and crowned at the Wawel Cathedral in 1633 he promised an equal treatment of Protestants and Orthodox. In 1633/35 he nominated Krzysztof Radziwiłł (Calvinist) to the highest posts. Wladyslaw IV was in effect one of the most tolerant monarchs of his time. Wladyslaw IV was also patron of the arts: he sponsored many musicians and created the first amphitheater in the Warsaw castle, where during his reign dozens of operas and ballets were performed. Wladyslaw IV invested in decorative architecture ( like the famous Sigismund’s III Column in Warsaw erected in honor of his father, King of Poland) assembled an important collection of Italian and Flemish Baroque paintings, much of which was lost during the wars. In 1632 Tsar Michal Romanov broke the armistice and the Muscovite army (of approximately 34,500) began the siege of Smolensk. This ended in 1634 with the capitulation of the Muscovites and the Peace of Polyanov. The result confirmed the pre-war territorial status quo. Muscovy also agreed to pay 20,000 rubles in exchange for Wladyslaw's renunciation of all claims to the tsardom and return of the royal insignia. It was during that campaign that Wladyslaw IV started the modernization program of the Commonwealth army, emphasizing the usage of modern infantry and artillery. In 1633 Stanislaw Koniecpolski defeated the Turks (under Abaza Pasha) and the Tartars at Sasowy Rog and at Kamieniec Podolski. Chocim was successfully defended. In the resulting treaty, both countries agreed to curb the border raids by Cossacks and the Tatars, and to a joint suzerainty over Moldavia and Wallachia.
In 1635 Wladyslaw IV created a Committee for the Royal Navy. At the same time Muscovy bought the remains of Vasylyi Shumski for 10,000 rubles. Sweden, weakened by involvement in the Thirty Years' War, agreed to sign the Armistice of Sztumska Wies (Stuhmsdorf)favorable to the Commonwealth: Sweden returned the Prussian ports. Finally the Cossack rebellion under Ivan Sulima was suppressed and Sulima was executed. In 1637 the Warsaw Opera was opened. A Cossack rebellion led by Pawel Pawluk is suppressed and Pawluk was executed. In 1638 the Aryan school in Rakow was closed; the acceptance and use of foreign titles was banned. Wladyslaw IVand his wife left Poland (with the Sejm permission) for the spas in Baden (for health reason). 1640 brought Tartars incursion on eastern borderlands.
1645 negotiations with the Emperor Ferdinand III Habsburg in 1645 eventually ended with Habsburgs’ success and Polish failure. The Tartars again invaded Poland but were defeated in the battle of Ochmatow. In 1648 the Cossacks uprising under Chmielnicki (with Tartars support) started in the Ukraine- the Polish army was defeated at Zolte Wody. Wladyslaw IV died in 1648 of kidney infection. His heart and viscera were interred in the Chapel of St. Casimir of Vilnius Cathedral.
Marriages. In 1634 Wladyslaw asked pope Urban VIII for permission to marry a Protestant princess. The pope refused, and speed of this refusal Wladyslaw treated as an insult. Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor's proposal of marriage between Wladyslaw and Archduchess Cecilia Renata of Austria arrived to Warsaw somewhere during spring 1636. The marriage took place in 1637. After Cecilia's death in 1643, he married in 1646 the French duchess Louise Marie Gonzaga de Nevers. He had no heirs and was succeeded on the throne by his half brother and cousin Jan II Kazimierz. In addition to two legal wives he reportedly had several concubines and several illegitimate children.
Distinctions. 1615 King of Spain, Philip III Habsburg conferred upon Wladyslaw The Order of Golden Fleece 1625 Pope Urban VIII awarded him a title Defensor Fidei(Defender of the Faith).
This article uses, among others, material from the Wikipedia article "Wladyslaw IV Vasa" licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. :
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Poczet wladcow Polski (Michal Szuster; in Polish)
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