Stephen Báthory

This time, the Protestants seemed to obtain a complete victory.

The choice fell on Stephen Báthory, Prince of Transylvania, an able warrior and a well-known friend of the Reformation.

Among the twelve magnates that were sent to him to announce his election, there were eleven Protestants.

But they had made a double mistake in imposing upon the newly elected prince too burdensome an election agreement, pacta conventa, and in imposing upon him also the obligation of marrying the sister of Sigismund Augustus, Anna Jagiellonska, then fifty-two years of age.

The sole Catholic member of the embassy, Solikowski, promised Báthory the assistance of his brethren in setting aside the burdensome conditions and called his attention to the fact that Anna, a zealous Catholic, would never marry a heretic.

These representations prevailed, and it was as a Catholic that Stephen Báthory came to Poland, to the great disappointment of the Protestants.

It is true that during the eleven years of his reign, fifteen seventy-five to fifteen eighty-six, he never persecuted them.

But he allowed himself to be entirely won over by the Jesuits, who represented themselves to him, as they had done to Emperor Ferdinand I, as zealous friends of learning, of general culture, and especially of the intellectual and moral elevation of the clergy.

This time, the Protestants seemed to obtain a complete victory.

The choice fell on Stephen Báthory, Prince of Transylvania, an able warrior and a well-known friend of the Reformation.

Among the 12 magnates that were sent to him to announce his election, there were 11 Protestants.

But they had made a double mistake in imposing upon the newly elected prince too burdensome an election agreement, pacta conventa, and in imposing upon him also the obligation of marrying the sister of Sigismund Augustus, Anna Jagiellonska, then 52 years of age.

The sole Catholic member of the embassy, Solikowski, promised Báthory the assistance of his brethren in setting aside the burdensome conditions and called his attention to the fact that Anna, a zealous Catholic, would never marry a heretic.

These representations prevailed, and it was as a Catholic that Stephen Báthory came to Poland, to the great disappointment of the Protestants.

It is true that during the 11 years of his reign, 1575 to 1586, he never persecuted them, but he allowed himself to be entirely won over by the Jesuits, who represented themselves to him, as they had done to Emperor Ferdinand I, as zealous friends of learning, of general culture, and especially of the intellectual and moral elevation of the clergy.

Under his reign, the Jesuits penetrated into Poland proper, and soon a close network of their colleges extended over the whole realm.

This time the Protestants seemed to obtain a complete victory.

The choice fell on Stephen Bathory, Prince of Transylvania, an able warrior and a well-known friend of the Reformation.

Among the twelve magnates that were sent to him to announce his election, there were eleven Protestants.

But they had made a double mistake in imposing upon the newly elected prince too burdensome an election agreement, pacta conventa, and in imposing upon him also the obligation of marrying the sister of Sigismund Augustus, Anna Jagiellońska, then fifty-two years of age.

The sole Catholic member of the embassy, Solikowski, promised Bathory the assistance of his brethren in setting aside the burdensome conditions and called his attention to the fact that Anna, a zealous Catholic, would never marry a heretic.

These representations prevailed, and it was as a Catholic that Stephen Bathory came to Poland, to the great disappointment of the Protestants.

It is true that, during the eleven years of his reign, fifteen seventy-five to fifteen eighty-six, he never persecuted them, but he allowed himself to be entirely won over by the Jesuits, who represented themselves to him, as they had done to Emperor Ferdinand I, as zealous friends of learning, of general culture, and especially of the intellectual and moral elevation of the clergy.

Under his reign, the Jesuits penetrated into Poland proper, and soon a close network of their colleges extended over the whole realm.

This time the Protestants seemed to obtain a complete victory.

The choice fell on Stephen Bathory, Prince of Transylvania, an able warrior and a well-known friend of the Reformation.

Among the twelve magnates that were sent to him to announce his election there were eleven Protestants.

But they had made a double mistake in imposing upon the newly elected prince too burdensome an election agreement, Pacta Conventa, and in imposing upon him also the obligation of marrying the sister of Sigismund Augustus, Anna Jagiellońska, then fifty-two years of age.

The sole Catholic member of the embassy, Solikowski, promised Bathory the assistance of his brethren in setting aside the burdensome conditions and called his attention to the fact that Anna, a zealous Catholic, would never marry a heretic.

These representations prevailed and it was as a Catholic that Stephen Bathory came to Poland to the great disappointment of the Protestants.

It is true that, during the eleven years of his reign, 1575 to 1586, he never persecuted them, but he allowed himself to be entirely won over by the Jesuits, who represented themselves to him, as they had done to Emperor Ferdinand I, as zealous friends of learning, of general culture, and especially of the intellectual and moral elevation of the clergy.

Under his reign, the Jesuits penetrated into Poland proper, and soon a close network of their colleges extended over the whole realm.

This time the Protestants seemed to obtain a complete victory.

The choice fell on Stephen Bathory, Prince of Transylvania, an able warrior and a well-known friend of the Reformation.

Among the twelve magnates that were sent to him to announce his election, there were eleven Protestants.

But they had made a double mistake in imposing upon the newly elected prince too burdensome an election agreement, Pacta Conventa, and in imposing upon him also the obligation of marrying the sister of Sigismund Augustus, Anna Jagiellońska, then 52 years of age.

The sole Catholic member of the embassy, Solikowski, promised Bathory the assistance of his brethren in setting aside the burdensome conditions and called his attention to the fact that Anna, a zealous Catholic, would never marry a heretic.

These representations prevailed, and it was as a Catholic that Stephen Bathory came to Poland, to the great disappointment of the Protestants.

It is true that, during the eleven years of his reign, 1575 to 1586, he never persecuted them.

But he allowed himself to be entirely won over by the Jesuits, who represented themselves to him, as they had done to Emperor Ferdinand I, as zealous friends of learning, of general culture, and especially of the intellectual and moral elevation of the clergy.

1492-1494 War between Lithuania and Moscow 1497 Short Turkish War 1497-1498 Stephen of Moldavia Alexander 1501-1506 1500-1503 Moscow 1500-1506 Stephen of Moldavia 1506 Khan of the Crimea Sigismund I, 1506-1548, 1508 Moscow, 1510 Tatar raid, 1511-1526 Russia, 1516 Tatar raid, 1519 Tatar raid, 1520-1521 Livonian order, 1527 Tatar raid, 1530 Moldavia, 1533 Tatar raid, 1534-1537 Russia.

Sigismund II, 1548-1572 1552 Interference in Wallachia 1556-1557 Livonian Order, beginning of the First Great Northern War Interregnum, 1572-1573 Henry of Alois, 1573-1574 Stephen Bathory, 1575-1586 1572-1575 Russia 1575 Tartar invasion 1583-1590 Turkish war along border Sigismund III 1587-1632 1587-1588 Archduchy Maximilian and the Soborowsky 1590, Confederation against Samoisky.

1595, Turkey.

1596, Cossacks put down by Tsiolkovsky.

This time the Protestants seemed to obtain a complete victory.

The choice fell on Stephen Bathory, Prince of Transylvania, an able warrior and a well-known friend of the Reformation.

Among the twelve magnates that were sent to him to announce his election there were eleven Protestants.

But they had made a double mistake in imposing upon the newly elected prince too burdensome an election agreement, Pacta Conventa, and in imposing upon him also the obligation of marrying the sister of Sigismund Augustus, Anna Jagiellońska, then fifty-two years of age.

The sole Catholic member of the embassy, Solikowski, promised Bathory the assistance of his brethren in setting aside the burdensome conditions, and called his attention to the fact that Anna, a zealous Catholic, would never marry a heretic.

These representations prevailed, and it was as a Catholic that Stephen Bathory came to Poland, to the great disappointment of the Protestants.

It is true that, during the eleven years of his reign, 1575 to 1586, he never persecuted them, but he allowed himself to be entirely won over by the Jesuits, who represented themselves to him, as they had done to Emperor Ferdinand I, as zealous friends of learning, of general culture, and especially of the intellectual and moral elevation of the clergy.

Under his reign, the Jesuits penetrated into Poland proper, and soon a close network of their colleges extended over the whole realm.

This time the Protestants seemed to obtain a complete victory.

The choice fell on Stephen Bathory, Prince of Transylvania, an able warrior and a well-known friend of the Reformation.

Among the twelve magnates that were sent to him to announce his election there were eleven Protestants.

But they had made a double mistake in imposing upon the newly elected prince too burdensome an election agreement, Pacta Conventa, and in imposing upon him also the obligation of marrying the sister of Sigismund Augustus, Anna Jagiellońska, then fifty-two years of age.

The sole Catholic member of the embassy, Solikowski, promised Bathory the assistance of his brethren in setting aside the burdensome conditions, and called his attention to the fact that Anna, a zealous Catholic, would never marry a heretic.

These representations prevailed, and it was as a Catholic that Stephen Bathory came to Poland, to the great disappointment of the Protestants.

It is true that, during the eleven years of his reign, 1575 to 1586, he never persecuted them, but he allowed himself to be entirely won over by the Jesuits, who represented themselves to him, as they had done to Emperor Ferdinand I, as zealous friends of learning, of general culture, and especially of the intellectual and moral elevation of the clergy.

Under his reign the Jesuits penetrated into Poland proper, and soon a close network of their colleges extended over the whole realm.

Then began constant warfare between the Poles and the Ukraine Cossacks.

King Stefan Batory, a Polish king, but a Hungarian by birth, who reigned from 1576 to 1586, had practically recognized the complete autonomy of the Ukraine, but his successors did not follow his policy.

In 1592, the Cossacks under Kozinski were defeated, but in 1612, under Hetman Konashevich-Sahaidichny, the Cossacks became again very powerful.

They destroyed Sinope, pillaged Trebizond, and burnt the Turkish fleet, sailing across the Black Sea in small boats that would cause the southern mariner to shudder.