Augustus II the Strong
August II the Strong (1670-1733) (Polish: August II Mocny), Elector of Saxony (1694-1733, as Frederick August I), king of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (1697-1704/1706 and 1709-1733).
Personal data:
Born: 12 May 1670 in Dresden, Saxony
Parents: John George III Wettin, elector of Saxony and Anne Sophie of Denmark.
Became elector of Saxony: 1694
Elected king of Poland: 1697
Crowned: 15 September 1697
Abdicated: 1706 in favor of Stanislaw Leszczynski
Resitroduces as king: 1709
Died: [1 February], 1733 in Warsaw, Poland
Royal titles:
Official Latin version: Augustus Secundus, Dei Gratia rex Poloniae, magnus dux Lithuaniae, Russie, Prussiae, Masoviae, Samogitiae, Livoniae, Kijoviae, Volhyniae, Podoliae, Smolensciae, Severiae, Czerniechoviaeque, nec non haereditarius dux Saxoniae et princeps elector etc.
English translation: August II, by God's grace King of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania, Ruthenia (Ukraine & Belarus), Prussia, Masovia, Samogitia, Livonia, Kiev, Volhynia, Podolia, Smolensk, Sewierz and, Czernichow, an also hereditary duke of Saxony and prince elector etc.
Biography
In 1694 he became Elector of Saxony as Frederick Augustus I of Saxony. Following the death of the Polish king John III Sobieski, August converted to Catholicism and was elected king of Poland in 1697 with help and support of Russia and Austria. The legality of the election was questioned by some Poles.
As a result of defeats in the war with Sweden and the pro-Swedish party in Poland August had to abdicate in 1706 in favour of Stanislaw Leszczynski. But after the Swedish defeat in the Battle of Poltava he was reintroduces as King of Poland in 1709.
One of his sons, August III of Poland, followed him as Elector of Saxony and King of Poland.
August II was called August the Strong for his bearlike strength and also for his supposedly numerous offspring. It is sometimes written that he sired 365 children, but this appears to be a misinterpretation. He had one illegitimate child. It was once written that Augustus II "had as many bastards as there are days in the year, minus one". but this was written on the second day of the year, meaning only that he had one bastard, not that he had 364. He died February 1, 1733.
|
Preceded by: |
Succeeded by: |
|
Preceded by: |
Succeeded by: |