John Sobieski, also known as John III Sobieski, ruled Poland for 22 years. For that period he proved his skills in organization of his military, demonstrating them in the wars against the Ottoman Empire. He was probably most known for his military victory over the Turskish military in the 1683 Battle of Vienna.
Background
John III Sobieski was born on August 17, 1629, in Olesko, now Ukraine, then part of the Ruthenian Voivodeship in the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to a notable but less known noble family de Sobyeszyn Sobies, which belonged to the Janina clan. His ancestors were of lesser nobility. His father was Jakub Sobieski and his mother Sobieski's mother was Zofia Teofillia Daniłowicz. She was the granddaughter of high-rank military commander Stanisław Żółkiewski. When John III Sobieski was born, his father had already became an officer of higher rank and had an office at the royal court. At the end of life, John III Sobieski's father, Jakub, became the castellan of the city of Kraków. His position as a castellan made him a member of the Polish Senate.
John III Sobieski spent the most of his life growing up in Żółkiew. After he graduated from college, they decided to travel all the Western Europe. He and his brother, Marek Sobieski, were traveling through the Western Europe for two years long. The Sobieski noble brother visited along their journey cities such as Leipzig, Antwerpen, Paris, London, Leiden, The Hague, Amsterdam and many other cities. Along his journey, important things happened, John III Sobieski and his brother Marek met many important figures of those days such as Louis II de Bourbon, Charles II of England and William II Prince of Orange.
Education
John III Sobieski was a well-educated man. He graduated from two colleges. First, he graduated from Nowodworski College based in Krakow in 1643, after graduating from Nowodworski College, he also graduated philosophy from Jagiellonian University in 1646.
After graduating in 1646, he decided to go on an adventure together with his brother Marek Sobieski. His journey had helped him learn many world languages such as French, German and Italian and he also improved his knowledge of the Latin language.
Later, his knowledge of French, German and Italian helped John III Sobieski in his later military career. After a long journey that lasted from 1646 to 1648, two noble Sobieski brothers came back home to Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
When John III Sobieski had returned in 1648 from a Western Europe journey together with his brother Marek Sobieski, they have received a message that the king Władysław IV Vasa was murdered and that there wars happening because of the Khmelnytsky Uprising, they decided to join the military. Two noble brothers fought together in the siege of of Zamość. The ongoing wars and battles separated the two brothers. John fought intensively in the Battle of Zboriv. It is unknown where his brother fought when they have separated from each other, but it is known that Sobieski lost his brother under the Tatar imprisonment. The Tatars organized Batih massacre after capturing warriors, including Marek Sobieski, in the Battle of Batih. John felt devastated because he lost the person he loved the most - his brother, in a cruel war.
When the Swedish warriors invaded Poland, he joined the warriors because he was opposing the rulership of the Polish King John Casimir. One year later, John changed his mind and fought under the name of King John Casimir. He became one of the leaders who expelled the Swedish warriors. In the year of 1665, he was appointed to the prestigious office of grand marshal. His friend, Queen Ludwika, influenced John to get onto that position. In the year of 1666, Sobieski became the hetman of the Polish army. In the Autumn of 1667, he won over the Tatar army and the Cossacks in the surroundings of Podhajce, which is today known as Podgaytsy in Ukraine. At the beginning of 1668, he came back proud to be the hero in Warsaw after successful battles against the Tatars and the Cossacks. He was awarded military title grand-hetman, a very important military title.
Sobieski achieved a lot of victories in the military battles, during the short-lived rulership of King Michael Wiśniowiecki. He distinguished himself by winning over the Cossacks, and he also tried to undermine King Michael Wiśniowiecki. The King of Poland Michael Wiśniowiecki died in November 1673. What is a bigger wonder from it is that just a few days before Michael's death, John won over Turkish army in a legendary battle near Chocim. The reputation of Sobiecki was so exclusive that he had been proclaimed the new King of Poland in May of 1674, instead of a Habsburg Dinasty candidate.
Sobieski, although he was an admirer of France, left the alliance with France and made an alliance with Leopold I of the Holy Roman Empire. Their ally was against the Ottoman Empire. By the ally terms, both Poland and the Holy Roman Empire agreed that each side would protect each empire's capital city in case the Ottoman Empire raids the capital. The worst happened. A big army of the Ottoman Empire approached the capital of the Holy Roman Empire in 1683. When John heard that the capital city of his ally the Holy Roman Empire is about to be under attack, he raided to Vienna as fast he could with around 25,000-men army. Later, more than 50,000 men were involved in the battle, and John was directing and army of 75,000 men. His cleverness and talent for military strategics led to victory over the Ottoman Empire at the Battle of Vienna at the Kahlenberg.
King John III Sobieski died in Wilanów, Poland on 17 June 1696 from a sudden heart attack. He is interred together with his wife in Wawel Cathedral, Kraków, Poland. He was succeeded by Augustus II.
During his rulership that lasted for 20 years long, John III Sobieski stabilized the Polish-Lithuanin Commonwealth. He was loved by the Polish nation and is considered as the best ruler Poland has ever had. The noblemen respected him as an able military commander able to win over in any battle. Sobieski is probably most famous for winning over the Ottoman Empire's army at the Battle of Vienna in 1683. After his win at the Battle of Vienna, the Ottomans nicknamed him "Lion of Lechistan", because of his courage and patriotism. The Pope Innocent XI proclaimed him as the savior of the Christendom and Christianity.
Religion
Sobieski was born Roman Catholic. Through his life he nurtured his Christian faith and went to the church when he had free time. The best example how he was fanatic about Christianity is when he prevented the expansion of Islamic religion through the Western Europe by winning over the Ottoman Empire at the Battle of Vienna.
Politics
Sobieski was a patriot and would do anything for his country of Poland. Through his life, he disliked the Ottoman Empire because of their betrayal they had made when they left their ally with Poland. He is considered as the best Polish monarch ever lived and one of the best Polish military strategists and politicians.
Views
Sobieski looked at the world through the eyes of a true emperor. He wanted all the best for his country Poland and wanted it to become the center of the world. He didn't trust a lot to people since he was a lot of times betrayed by them and had a cynical world outlook.
Personality
John was intelligent and courageous King of the Polish people. He was an aesthete and loved spending his hard earned fortune on decorating his royal castle in near Warsaw.
Physical Characteristics:
Sobieski had friendly round brown eyes and bushy eyebrows. He wasn't very tall, he was rather short and on the edge of obesity. His trademark were his long mustaches.
Connections
Sobieski married only once to Marie Casimire Louise de la Grange d'Arquien, on 5 July 1665. They had 12 children of which only two survived beyond adulthood.
