Władysław IV Vasa
Władysław IV Vasa[a] or Ladislaus IV of Poland (9 June 1595 – 20 May 1648) was King of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania and claimant of the thrones of Sweden and Russia. Born into the House of Vasa as a prince of Poland and of Sweden, Władysław IV was the eldest son of Sigismund III Vasa and Sigismund's first wife, Anna of Austria.
This article is about the 17th-century Polish king. For another person called Władysław IV of Poland, see Władysław I the Elbow-High.Władysław IV Vasa
8 November 1632 –20 May 1648
6 February 1633
19 July 1610 –
21 February 1613
9 June 1595
Łobzów, Poland, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
Sigismund Casimir
Maria Anna Isabella
Władysław Konstanty (illegitimate)
Władysław was elected as the tsar of Russia by the Seven Boyars in 1610, when the Polish army captured Moscow, but did not assume the throne because of his father's position and a popular uprising. Nevertheless, until 1634 he used the titular title of Grand Duke of Muscovy, a principality centred on Moscow. Elected king of Poland in 1632, he was largely successful in defending the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth against foreign invasion, most notably in the Smolensk War of 1632–1634 in which he participated personally.
He supported religious tolerance and carried out military reforms, such as the founding of the Commonwealth Navy. Władysław was also a renowned patron of the arts and music. He gained fame by defeating the Ottoman Empire, strengthening royal power, and reforming the Commonwealth's political system, although he failed at reclaiming the Swedish throne. Despite that failure, his personal charisma and popularity among all segments of society contributed to relative internal calm in the Commonwealth.
He died without a legitimate son and was succeeded to the Polish throne by his half-brother, John II Casimir Vasa. Władysław's death marked the end of relative stability in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, as conflicts and tensions that had been growing over several decades came to a head with devastating consequences. The Khmelnytsky Uprising in the east (1648) and the subsequent Swedish invasion ("the Deluge", 1655–1660) weakened the country and diminished Poland's status as a regional power.[1] For that reason, Władysław's reign was seen in following decades as a bygone golden era of stability and prosperity.
Royal title[edit]
Latin: Vladislaus Quartus Dei gratia rex Poloniae, magnus dux Lithuaniae, Russiae, Prussiae, Masoviae, Samogitiae, Livoniaeque, Smolenscie, Severiae, Czernichoviaeque necnon Suecorum, Gothorum Vandalorumque haereditarius rex, electus magnus dux Moscoviae.
Translated: Władysław IV, by God's grace, King of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania, Ruthenia, Prussia, Masovia, Samogitia, Livonia, Smolensk, Siewiersk and Chernihiv, hereditary king of Sweden, the Goths and Vandals, elected Grand Duke of Moscow.
In 1632 Władysław was elected King of Poland. He claimed to be King of Sweden by paternal inheritance, but was never able to gain possession of that throne. His titles were the longest of any Polish king ever.[91]
Notes[edit]
a ^ After some discussions early on, he chose the title of elected Grand Duke of Moscow (electus Magnus Dux Moscoviae) rather than that of a tsar.[102]
b ^ Władysław had no children with his second wife, and his first wife bore him only two children (Maria Anna Izabela and Zygmunt Kazimierz), both of them died in their youth. He had at least one known illegitimate son, Władysław Konstanty Vasa, but he played no significant role in Polish politics.[103]
c ^ The confusion stems from an undisambiguated use of the Polish medical term kamica in the cited reference work (Czapliński 1976).[67] Czapliński also mentions that Władysław suffered from ill health throughout his life, related to obesity, rheumatism and kidney issues.[104] There were months-long periods, particularly in 1635 and 1639, when he could not walk.[104]
