Stefan Batoria Biography

Years of government. Stefan Batoria Rod. Stefan Batoria is the only of the Polish rulers who won the war with Russia. He laid the foundation for the border confrontation of these two countries. The 16th century is the period of the formation of national identity, statehood and the noticeable strengthening of Muscovy, as it was called in Central and Western Europe. This is the time of the formation of the Commonwealth - the union of the Grand of Principality of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland.

Formally, Stefan Batoria is Prince of Transylvania, the king of Poland and the Grand Duke of Lithuania. A talented commander, a strong leader of a strong army, who, in truth, was least of all consisted of Poles. And he himself is not a Pole. We know about the life of Stefan Batoria from many sources. Those who took part in his second campaign in Russia in Ian Zborovsky, Kastelian, and Luka Dzyalynsky, the chief of the avant -garde army, waged diaries.

The touching work that a certain eyewitness wrote. In the end, there is, “Pskov’s Diary of Stefan Batoria,” which, apparently, wrote the secretary of the Royal Chancellery Stanislav Piotrovsky. Stefan Batoria was born on September 27. Both of them are ethnic Hungarians. The name of the boy was supposed to sound like this - Istvan Batori, and we know him in Polish transcription. The famous strong army of Stefan Batoria consisted mainly of Hungarians and Germans.

Terrible stories also told the relative of King Stefan Elizabeth Batori: she seemed to bathe in the blood of murdered girls - in order to preserve her youth. This is a central European figure that is strictly not belonging to a single national history. In the city, Stefan Batoria was in Italy with him, where he entered the University of Paduan. Not the most typical behavior for the princely son in the 16th century.

It is clear that he had a strong craving for education. Studying at the university, Stefan could brilliantly master Latin. Later, being the ruler of various areas, he talked with the local elite in Latin. It was an international language of that time, completely incomprehensible to the people, but accessible to educated people. We do not know for sure whether Stefan Batoriya graduated from the University.

But it is known for sure that he switched from the German emperor to serve the governor of Transylvania, John Sigismund Zapolsky, or the Janosha is Zetasin, as he was called in his homeland. He was the opponent of Ferdinand I and headed the part of Hungary, which had not been conquered by the empire. It can only be assumed what made Stefan Batoria so decisively change his position.

In the new service, he gained military experience, became the enemy of the Germans and even spent three years in German captivity. He also used this time non -standard for a medieval aristocrat - he was stubbornly engaged in self -education. I read Roman historians. In the 16th century, the European elite lived in many ways according to the laws of knightly time. Stefan stood out with his excellent origin, court and military experience, brilliant education.

The pastory writes about him: “The Batoriya was more in the church than the priest, there is more than the senator in the republic, in court there is more than a lawyer, there is more than a hetman in the army, more than soldiers in battle, and in the transfer of troubles, in patience, kindness and forgiveness of personal insults - more than a person.” This enthusiastic review gives the court flattery, but usually this kind of characteristics still have a certain real basis.

The fact that Stefan Batoriya aroused respect, Montaigne also notes in “experiments”. According to him, Stefan Batoriy ruler, who never wears gloves, although he lives in a country with a rather severe climate. Such Western Europeans considered Poland. Batoria was remembered by contemporaries in a small cap with a pen - this is both the Hungarian tradition and partly Polish.

By the way, many people considered the features of his face very beautiful. Speaking differently - he was a prominent person from all points of view. At the same time, he became the first prince in this territory: there were previously governors. Now the status of the ruler has increased. For 2 years in Poland there was no king. Why is it elected? By the 16th century, Poland was largely different in its structure from other Central European and, especially Western European countries.

When Poland concluded a union with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Commonwealth was formed, which was a literal translation into the Polish language of the Latin word “republic”. It was, as modern historians say, the gentry republic. In it, the feudal elite, the gentry, occupied a special position: she could participate in the election of the king, and also had great powers in the Sejm.

The gentry had a veto's right. Of course, such a state structure has noticeable disadvantages. So far, a decision has been made for a long time and difficult, whom to elect the king, in the country - interdity, cruel enmity of the clans. Having received the news of the death of his brother, Karl IX, he secretly, throwing Poland to the mercy of fate, left Krakow.

It was impossible to expect that the election of a new king would pass easily. Part of the Lithuanian nobility was tuned to the department from the Commonwealth.Many did not want the Pole to be on the throne. Among the applicants, even the name of the Moscow Tsar Ivan IV Grozny was called. A difficult political situation pushed Stefan Batoria to nominate his candidacy. He was supported by the middle and small Polish gentry.

The highest nobility was against, the Sejm played for the German emperor Maximilian. And still Stefan Batoria was elected, but with an important condition. The bride was ten years older than the groom. The condition was categorical, and Stefan gave his consent. When Stefan was crowned in Krakow, he turned 43 years old. A few days later his wedding took place. This marriage meant that in a sense, the Polish-Lithuanian National Dynasty of the Yagellons continues.

For the 16th century - the time of strengthening the national identity of many peoples - this was extremely important. Even before Stefan’s accession, the Livonian war began in the year. But if the first stage of the war was successful for the Russians, then after climbing the throne of Stefan Batoria, the balance of power changed. At first, the battles went with varying success. But at the last stage of the war - in the years when the experienced commander Stefan Batoriy headed the United army of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, it began to win in alliance with Sweden.

The price was very high. On the way to Polotsk was a small fortress of the Falcon. The defenders burned her and died in the fire with their families, so as not to fall into the hands of the enemy - resistance was so powerful. The war was exceptional cruelty. It was a feudal straightforward, the struggle for prey. Ivan the Terrible needed funds. His successful Kazan, Astrakhan campaigns at first gave huge booty, but the funds were wasted, and the army needed to be occupied.

The same thing from the side of Stefan Batoria. Some of the historians believe that the Livonian war had a religious subsonov, was a clash of Catholics with the Orthodox.

Most likely, it was still a shell for solving political problems. In the Middle Ages, the discussion of denomination is one of the most important forms of political game. It is known that Ivan the Terrible for some time “reflected” whether to accept the Catholic faith. The world was enclosed in the pit of Zapolsky on January 15. Stefan Batoria was not a complete winner in this war, although in Poland he was considered a triumph king.

Indeed, according to the results of the war, Livonia went to him. But we must not forget that the city of Pskov turned out to be the winner. Being reliable, Stefan Batoria at the same time in every possible way patronized Catholicism and supported the Catholic clergy. Because the priests in every possible way preached the origin of the royal power from God, and this impressed the king, striving for an absolute monarchy.

His special protection was used by the Jesuits. Through the efforts of the Jesuits, aristocratic surnames of Khodkevich and Radziwlov passed into Catholicism. When the Riga residents opposed the creation of the Jesuit house in Riga and the introduction of the Gregorian calendar, their riot was suppressed by the power of weapons. At the same time, the complaints of the Orthodox regarding the new calendar were heard.

The king ordered them to leave them alone and not to involve them for the conduct of church holidays in the Julian calendar. Batoria also had far -reaching military plans: he wanted to resume the war with Moscow, and after the victory to move to Turkey.