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Stefan Batory -
- This article is about Stefan Bathory, the king of Poland. For more information on his father, also named Stephen (Istvn) see: Istvn Bthory
| align="center" style="background:#efefef;" colspan="2" style="border-bottom:1px #aaa solid;" | Stefan Batory | | align=center colspan=2 | {| border=0 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=0 width=250 style="background:#f9f9f9;" | } | | b>Reign | From December 9, 1575
until December 12, 1586 | | b>Elected | On December 9, 1575 in Wola, today suburb of
Warsaw, Poland | | b>Coronation | On May 1, 1576
in the Wawel Cathedral,
Krakw, Poland | | b>Noble Family | Bathory | | b>Parents | Stephen Bathory
Catherine Telegdi | | b>Consorts | Anna Jagiellonka | | b>Children | none | | b>Date of Birth | September 27, 1533 | | b>Place of Birth | Somlyo, Transylvania
(now Romania) | | b>Date of Death | December 12, 1586 | | b>Place of Death | Grodno, Poland,
(now Belarus) | | b>Place of Burial | Wawel Cathedral,
in Krakw, Poland
buried in May, 1588 | Stefan Bthory (1533-1586) was a Prince of Transylvania and King of Poland. He was born as Istvn Bthory to a mighty Hungarian noble, also named Istvn Bthory. Batory succeeded John II Zapolya as Prince of Transylvania and held this position from 1571-75, giving it to his older brother Christopher Bathory (1530-81) afterwards. In 1575 he was elected a King of Poland and ruled 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 Bathory, upon becoming King of Poland, attacked Gdańsk and tried to take it by military force. Batory was able to defeat Gdańsk's mercenary army in open field, but unable to take the city; so compromise was reached. Bathory had to accept that Gdańsk continued to hold some of its privileges and the city recognised him as ruler of Poland and paid enormous sum in gold as "apology". Bathory 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. Bathory, 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. The Poles under Bathory routed a Russian force at Wielkie Luki and Pskw. In the Peace treaty in Jam Zapolski, Poland got back Livonia and Polock. Stefan Bathory 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 the way to the Time of Troubles so he could not find a partner there. When Stefan Bathory died, there was a one year interregnum. 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 Bathory's reign.
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