Stanisław Leszczyński

Stanisław Leszczyński

Reign From 1704 until 1709 and
from 1733 until 1736 Elected In 1704 and 1733 in Wola,
today suburb of
Warsaw, Poland Coronation On October 4, 1705
in the St. John's Cathedral,
Warsaw, Poland Noble Family Leszczyński Coat of Arms Wieniawa Parents Rafał Leszczyński
Anna Jabłonowska Consorts Katarzyna Opalińska Children with Katarzyna Opalińska
Anna Leszczyńska
Maria Leszczyńska Date of Birth October 20, 1677 Place of Birth Lwów, Poland,
(now Ukraine) Date of Death February 23, 1766 Place of Death Lunéville, France Place of Burial First at Notre-Dame de Bon-Secours in Nancy, France,
finally at Wawel, Kraków, Poland Stanisław Leszczyński (October 20, 1677 – February 23, 1766) was King of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Duke of Lorraine.

Born at Lwów in 1677, he was the son of Rafał Leszczyński, voivode of Poznań Voivodship, and Anna Katarzyna Jabłonowska. He married Katarzyna Opalińska, by whom he had a daughter, Maria. In 1697, as Cupbearer of Poland, he signed the confirmation of the articles of election of August II the Strong. In 1703 he joined the Lithuanian Confederation, which the Sapiehas with the aid of Swedish gold had formed against August.

King for the first time

The following year, Stanisław was selected by Charles XII of Sweden to supersede August. Leszczyński was a young man of blameless antecedents, respectable talents, and ancient family, but certainly without sufficient force of character or political influence to sustain himself on so unstable a throne.

Nevertheless, with the assistance of a bribing fund and an army corps, the Swedes succeeded in procuring his free election by a scratch assembly of half a dozen castellans and a few score of gentlemen on July 2, 1704. A few months later, Stanisław was forced by a sudden inroad of August to seek refuge in the Swedish camp, but finally on September 24, 1705, he was crowned king with great splendor. Charles himself supplied his nominee with a new crown and scepter in lieu of the ancient Polish regalia, which had been carried off to Saxony by August. The new king's first act was to cement an alliance with Charles XII whereby Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth engaged to assist Sweden against the Russian tsar. Stanisław did what he could to assist his patron. Thus, he induced Ivan Mazepa, the Cossack hetman, to desert Peter at the most critical period of the war, and Stanisław placed a small army corps at the disposal of the Swedes. But Stanisław depended so entirely on the success of Charles' arms that after the Battle of Poltava (1709) Stanisław's authority vanished as a dream at the first touch of reality. During this period Stanisław resided in the town of Rydzyna.

First loss of the throne

The vast majority of Poles hastened to repudiate Stanisław and make their peace with August. Henceforth a mere pensioner of Charles XII, Stanisław accompanied Krassau's army corps in its retreat to Swedish Pomerania. On the restoration of August, Stanisław resigned the Polish Crown (though he retained the royal title) in exchange for the little principality of Zweibrücken. In 1716, an assassination was attempted by a Saxon officer, Lacroix, but Stanisław was saved by Stanisław Poniatowski, father of the future king. Leszczyński then resided at Wissembourg in Alsace 1725 had the satisfaction of seeing his daughter Maria become the consort of Louis XV and queen of France. From 1725 to 1733, Stanisław lived at Chateau Chambord.

King for the second time

His son-in-law Louis XV supported his claims to the Polish throne after the death of August II the Strong in 1733, which led to the War of the Polish Succession. In September 1733, Stanisław himself arrived at Warsaw, having traveled night and day through central Europe disguised as a coachman. On the following day, despite many protests, Stanisław was duly elected King of Poland for the second time. However, Russia was opposed to any nominee of France and Sweden. Russia protested against his election at once, in favor of the new Elector of Saxony, as being the candidate of her Austrian ally.

On June 30, 1734, a Russian army of 20,000 under Peter Lacy, after proclaiming August III the Saxon at Warsaw, proceeded to besiege Stanisław at Danzig, where he was entrenched with his partisans (including the Primate and the French and Swedish ministers) to await the relief that had been promised by France.

The siege began in October 1734. On March 17, 1735, Marshal Münnich superseded Peter Lacy, and on May 20 the long-expected French fleet appeared and disembarked 2,400 men on Westerplatte. A week later, this little army gallantly attempted to force the Russian entrenchments, but was finally compelled to surrender. This was the first time that France and Russia had met as foes in the field. On June 30, Danzig capitulated unconditionally, after sustaining a siege of 135 days which cost the Russians 8,000 men.

Disguised as a peasant, Stanisław had contrived to escape two days before. He reappeared at Königsberg, whence he issued a manifesto to his partisans which resulted in the formation of a confederation on his behalf, and the despatch of a Polish envoy to Paris to urge France to invade Saxony with at least 40,000 men. In Ukraine too, Count Nicholas Potocki kept on foot to support Stanisław a motley host of 50,000 men, which was ultimately scattered by the Russians.

Final loss of the throne

On January 26, 1736, Stanisław again abdicated the throne, but received in compensation the dukedom of Lorraine and Bar, which was to revert to France on his death. He settled at Lunéville, founded there the Academia Stanislaw and devoted himself for the rest of his life to science and philanthropy.

He died in 1766, aged 89. His works include Oeuvres du philosophe bienfaisant, Paris, 1763, 1866.

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King for the first time

First loss of the throne

King for the second time

Final loss of the throne

See also