History of Poland
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Poland, or at least its nucleus, was ruled at various times either by książęta (Dukes) (ca. 10th-14th century) or by Kings (ca. 11th-18th century). The longest-reigning dynasties were the Piasts (ca. 960 – 1370) and Jagiellons (1386–1572). Intervening and subsequent monarchs were often rulers of foreign countries or princes recruited from foreign dynasties. During the latter period a tradition of free election of monarchs made it a uniquely electable position in Europe (16th-18th centuries). Polish independence ended with the Third Partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (1795) and was restored at the end of World War I (1918) on a republican basis.

[edit] Monarchs of Poland

Ruler		Dynasty	Reign	Notes
Siemowit		Piast	Duke 9th century	legendary son of Piast
Lestek		Piast	Duke 9th-10th century	legendary son of Siemowit
Siemomysł		Piast	Duke 10th century	legendary son of Lestko
Mieszko I		Piast	Duke 960?-992	son of Siemomysł first Christian monarch
Bolesław I the Brave (Boleslas I)		Piast	Duke 992-1025 King 1025	son of Mieszko first to be crowned King
Mieszko II Lambert		Piast	King 1025-1031	son of Boleslas I
Bezprym		Piast	Duke 1031-1032	son of Boleslas I
Otton		Piast	Duke 1032	son of Boleslas I
Thiedric		Piast	Duke 1032	Mieszko I's grandson
Mieszko II Lambert		Piast	Duke 1032-1034	restored
Kazimierz I the Restorer (Casimir I)		Piast	Duke 1039-1058	son of Mieszko II
Bolesław II the Bold (Boleslas II)		Piast	Duke 1058-1076 King 1076-1079	son of Casimir I
Władysław I Herman (Ladislas I)		Piast	Duke 1079-1102	son of Casimir I
Zbigniew		Piast	Duke 1102-1107	son of Ladislas I first jointly with Boleslas III
Bolesław III Wrymouth (Boleslas III)		Piast	Duke 1102-1138	son of Ladislas I first jointly with Zbigniew introduced senioral principle
Władysław II the Exile (Ladislas II)		Piast	High Duke 1138-1146	son of Boleslas III also Duke of Silesia exiled by his brothers
Bolesław IV the Curly (Boleslas IV)		Piast	High Duke 1146-1173	son of Boleslas III also Duke of Masovia
Mieszko III the Old		Piast	High Duke 1173-1177	son of Boleslas III also Duke of Greater Poland
Kazimierz II the Just (Casimir II)		Piast	High Duke 1177-1190	son of Boleslas III also Duke of Wiślica and Sandomierz
Mieszko III the Old		Piast	High Duke 1190	restored
Kazimierz II the Just (Casimir II)		Piast	High Duke 1190-1194	restored
Leszek I the White		Piast	High Duke 1194-1198	son of Casimir II also Duke of Sandomierz
Mieszko III the Old		Piast	High Duke 1198-1199	restored
Leszek I the White		Piast	High Duke 1199-1202	restored
Mieszko III the Old		Piast	High Duke 1202	restored
Władysław III Spindleshanks (Ladislas III)		Piast	High Duke 1202-1206	son of Mieszko III also Duke of Greater Poland
Leszek I the White		Piast	High Duke 1206-1210	restored
Mieszko I Tanglefoot		Piast	High Duke 1210-1211	son of Ladislas II also Duke of Wrocław
Leszek I the White		Piast	High Duke 1211-1227	restored assassinated
Władysław III Spindleshanks (Ladislas III)		Piast	High Duke 1227-1229	restored
Konrad I of Masovia		Piast	High Duke 1229-1232	son of Casimir II also Duke of Masovia
Henryk I the Bearded (Henry I)		Piast	High Duke 1232-1238	grandson of Ladislas II also Duke of Silesia
Henryk II the Pious (Henry II)		Piast	High Duke 1238-1241	son of Henry I also Duke of Wroclaw and Greater Poland fell at Legnica
Konrad I of Masovia		Piast	High Duke 1241-1243	restored
Bolesław V the Chaste (Boleslas V)		Piast	High Duke 1243-1279	son of Leszek the White
Leszek II the Black		Piast	High Duke 1279-1288	paternal grandson of Konrad I maternal grandson of Henry II
Henryk IV Probus (Henry IV)		Piast	High Duke 1288-1290	pat. grandson of Henry II mat. grandson of Konrad I also Duke of Lower Silesia
Przemysł II (Premyslas II)		Piast	High Duke 1290-1295 King 1295-1296	grandson of Henry II also Duke of Poznań, Greater Poland and Pomerania
Václav II (Wenceslas II)		Přemyslid	High Duke 1296-1300 King 1300-1305	married Premyslas II's daughter Duke of Lesser Poland since 1291
Václav III (Wenceslas III)		Přemyslid	King 1305-1306	son of Wenceslaus III uncrowned assassinated
Władysław I the Elbow-high (Ladislas IV/I)		Piast	High Duke 1306-1320 King 1320-1333	grandson of Konrad I re-united the Kingdom of Poland
Kazimierz III The Great (Casimir III)		Piast	King 1333-1370	son of Ladislas IV/I regarded as one of the greatest Polish monarchs
Ludwik (Louis I)		Anjou	King 1370-1382	nephew of Casimir III
Jadwiga (Hedwig)		Anjou	King 1382-1399	daughter of Louis I reigned jointly with her husband Ladislas II since 1386

[edit] Kings of Poland and Grand Dukes of Lithuania

[edit] Jagiellon Dynasty

Ruler		Dynasty	Reign	Notes
Władysław II Jagiełło (Ladislas II)		Jagiellon	1386-1434	reigned jointly with his wife King Jadwiga until 1399 the longest reigning king of Poland
Władysław III (Ladislas III)		Jagiellon	1434-1444	son of Ladislas II Also king of Hungary fell at Varna, therefore surnamed "of Varna"
Kazimierz IV (Casimir IV)		Jagiellon	1447-1492	son of Ladislas II
Jan I Olbracht (John I Albert)		Jagiellon	1492-1501	son of Casimir IV
Aleksander (Alexander)		Jagiellon	1501-1506	son of Casimir IV
Zygmunt I the Old (Sigismund I)		Jagiellon	1506-1548	son of Casimir IV forced Prussian Homage in 1525 annexed Duchy of Masovia in 1526 entered alliance with Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor
Zygmunt II August I (Sigismund II August I)		Jagiellon	1548-1572	son of Sigismund I replaced the personal union of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania with a real union and an elective monarchy

[edit] Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

Ruler		Dynasty	Reign	Notes
Henryk Walezy (Henry III)		Valois	1573-1574	abandoned the Polish-Lithuanian throne on becoming King of France
Maksymilian II (Maximilian I)		Habsburg	1575	election contested after four days
Anna		Jagiellon	King 1575-1586	daughter of Sigismund I reigned together with her husband Stephen Báthory
Stefan I Batory (Stephen I Báthory)		Báthory	1576-1586	reigned together with his wife Anna regarded as one of the greatest kings of Poland
Maksymilian III (Maximilian II)		Habsburg	1587	son of Maximilian II defeated by Zygmunt Vasa
Zygmunt III (Sigismund III )		Vasa	1587-1632	grandson of Sigismund I Also King of Sweden 1592-1599, titular King 1599-1632
Władysław IV (Ladislas IV)		Vasa	1632-1648	son of Sigismund III Titular King of Sweden 1632-1648
Jan II Kazimierz (John II Casimir)		Vasa	1648-1668	son of Sigismund III Titular King of Sweden 1648-1660 abdicated
Michał Korybut (Michael I)		Wiśniowiecki	1669-1673	son of a successful but controversial military commander, Jeremi Wiśniowiecki
Jan III (John III)		Sobieski	1674-1696	one of the most notable monarchs of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
August II Mocny (Augustus II the Strong)		Wettin	1697-1706	abdicated
Stanisław I (Stanislas I)		Leszczyński	1706-1709	yielded to Augustus II
August II Mocny (Augustus II the Strong)		Wettin	1709-1733	restored
Stanisław I (Stanislas I)		Leszczyński	1733-1736	restored defeated in War of the Polish Succession abdicated
August III Sas (Augustus III)		Wettin	1734-1763	son of Augustus II
Stanisław II August (Stanislas II August)		Poniatowski	1764-1795	forced to abdicate when the Commonwealth ceased to exist

[edit] Claim made by foreign states after Partitions of Poland

[edit] See also

• Royal coronations in Poland
• Royal Coronations at Wawel Cathedral
• Dukes of Greater Poland
• Dukes of Masovia
• Dukes of Pomerania
• Dukes of Sieradz-Łęczyca
• Dukes of Silesia
• List of Galician rulers

[edit] External links

• Genealogy of Polish Monarchs