Stephen Báthory

This article is about Stefan Báthory, the king of Poland. For more information on his father, also named Stephen (István) see: István Báthory

Stefan Batory
Reign	From December 9, 1575 until December 12, 1586
Elected	On December 9, 1575 in Wola, today suburb of Warsaw, Poland
Coronation	On May 1, 1576 in the Wawel Cathedral, Kraków, Poland
Noble Family	Bathory
Parents	Stephen Bathory Catherine Telegdi
Consorts	Anna Jagiellonka
Children	none
Date of Birth	September 27, 1533
Place of Birth	Somlyo, Transylvania (now Romania)
Date of Death	December 12, 1586
Place of Death	Grodno, Poland, (now Belarus)
Place of Burial	Wawel Cathedral, in Kraków, Poland buried in May, 1588

Stefan Báthory (1533-1586) was a Prince of Transylvania, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania.

He was born as István Báthory to a mighty Hungarian noble, also named István Báthory. Báthory succeeded John II Zapolya as Prince of Transylvania, and held this position during 1571-1575, giving it to his older brother Christopher Bathory (1530-1581) afterwards. In 1575 he was elected King of Poland and ruled the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth as Stefan Batory.

Biography

Stefan was elected to become King of Poland, after Henry III of Valois fled Poland to become King of France. He married Anna the Jagiellonian, daughter of King Sigismund I the Old.

The Hanse city of Gdańsk (German:Danzig) had backed Emperor Maximilian II in his attempt to become King of Poland. Stefan Báthory, upon becoming King of Poland, attacked Gdańsk and tried to take it by military force. Báthory was able to defeat Gdańsk's mercenary army in open field, but he was unable to take the city; so compromise was reached.

Stefan Báthory's portrait on a Polish coin

Báthory had to accept that Gdańsk continued to hold some of its privileges and the city recognised him as ruler of Poland and paid an enormous sum in gold as an "apology". Báthory confirmed the privileges of Gdańsk in 1577. Gdańsk later was loyally serving the Kingdom during the war with Sweden and Russia, providing help when requested.

Báthory, with his chancellor Jan Zamojski, led the Polish army in a brilliant decisive campaign against the Baltic invaders of Ivan "the terrible" Vasleivich. The Russians had invaded Livonia and took Dorpat from the Polish vassal, the Teutonic Brothers of the Sword (more commonly referred to as the Teutonic Knights). The Poles under Báthory routed the Russian force at Wielkie Luki but was unable to capture Pskow, the objective of the campaign. In the Peace treaty in Jam Zapolski, Poland got back Livonia and Polock.

Armour of Stefan Batory

.

Stefan Báthory planned a Christian alliance against the Ottomans. He proposed an anti-Ottoman alliance with Russia, which he considered a necessary step for his anti-Ottoman crusade. However, Russia was on its way to the Time of Troubles, so he could not find a partner there. When Stefan Báthory died, there was a one year interregnum.

Stefan Batory at Psków.

Emperor Mathias's brother Maximilian III tried to claim title of King of Poland, but was defeated at Byczyna, and Sigismund III Vasa followed Stefan Báthory's reign.

The Bathory Coat of Arms

See also

• History of Poland (1569-1795)