Polish-Lithuanian-Ukrainian king. He was also Prince of Sweden belonging to the Vasa Dynasty, the eldest son and principal heir of King Sigmund (III) of Poland and Sweden. His Polish name was Władysław IV Waza, and in English he has also been called Lazlo. All his life he claimed the throne of Sweden, notwithstanding the fact that his father had been deposed there when he was 5 years old. The Swedish government, in dethroning his father, had agreed to consider him heir to their throne if Sigmund agreed to certain religious and logistic terms, which never materialized. His position in Poland was secure, because that's where his family lived. He was acknowledged as Tsar of Russia by a very turbulent Moscow in 1610, but military action to make that a reality failed two years later. He won an vital victory against Russia over border lands in 1634. The following year, war with Sweden was prevented by the parliament of Poland refusing to allot funds, but one of his major successes was a peace treaty later that year where he won back important coastal territory from Sweden. He was humiliated again in 1646 by parliament when his elaborate plans to join other forces and attack Turkey were rebuffed. Two years later medical malpractice for his gallstones or kidney stones killed him. Several important cultural achievements were made thanks to him, but his legacy also suffers from weakness and ambivalence attributed to his reign. With his first queen, who also was his first cousin, he had three sons who did not survive childhood, and with his second no children. She married his half-brother after his death.
Polish-Lithuanian-Ukrainian king. He was also Prince of Sweden belonging to the Vasa Dynasty, the eldest son and principal heir of King Sigmund (III) of Poland and Sweden. His Polish name was Władysław IV Waza, and in English he has also been called Lazlo. All his life he claimed the throne of Sweden, notwithstanding the fact that his father had been deposed there when he was 5 years old. The Swedish government, in dethroning his father, had agreed to consider him heir to their throne if Sigmund agreed to certain religious and logistic terms, which never materialized. His position in Poland was secure, because that's where his family lived. He was acknowledged as Tsar of Russia by a very turbulent Moscow in 1610, but military action to make that a reality failed two years later. He won an vital victory against Russia over border lands in 1634. The following year, war with Sweden was prevented by the parliament of Poland refusing to allot funds, but one of his major successes was a peace treaty later that year where he won back important coastal territory from Sweden. He was humiliated again in 1646 by parliament when his elaborate plans to join other forces and attack Turkey were rebuffed. Two years later medical malpractice for his gallstones or kidney stones killed him. Several important cultural achievements were made thanks to him, but his legacy also suffers from weakness and ambivalence attributed to his reign. With his first queen, who also was his first cousin, he had three sons who did not survive childhood, and with his second no children. She married his half-brother after his death.
Bio by: Count Demitz
Family Members
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