John III Sobieski
John III Sobieski (Jan III Sobieski, 1629 – 1696) was king of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1674 to 1696. He won fame by defeating the Ottomans at Khotyn in 1673 and was elected king, and on 12 September 1683 at the Battle of Vienna he led the winged hussars in the charge down the Kahlenberg that broke the Ottoman siege of Vienna. The victory made him “the Saviour of Vienna”, and to the Ottomans “the Lion of Lechistan”.
| Lived | 1629 – 1696 |
|---|---|
| Active in | Poland–Lithuania (Kraków, Warsaw, Wilanów) · Vienna |
| Known for | The Battle of Vienna, 1683; the charge of the winged hussars |
| Game start | 1683 · age 54 · King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania (ruler) — Winged hussars |
Life at a glance
- 1629 Born on 17 August at Olesko in Ruthenia, son of Jakub Sobieski, castellan of Kraków.
- 1652 His elder brother Marek is taken prisoner by the Tatars after the Battle of Batih and dies.
- 1665 Marries the French-born Marie Casimire, and the same year becomes Grand Marshal of the Crown.
- 1668 Becomes Grand Hetman, supreme commander of the Crown army.
- 1673 Inflicts a great defeat on the Ottomans at Khotyn in November.
- 1674 Elected king at the royal election and crowned in 1676.
- 1683 On 12 September at the Battle of Vienna he leads the allied army down from the Kahlenberg and breaks the siege with the great charge of the winged hussars.
- 1686 Concludes the “Eternal Peace” with Russia, bringing it into the Holy League, and sets out on a campaign in Moldavia.
- 1696 Dies on 17 June at Wilanów palace outside Warsaw. At the election the next year his son Jakub fails to succeed him.
Family
The family members who appear with this character when you start the game. Years follow the historical record; where none survives, a ? is shown.
| Relation | Name | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Father | Jakub Sobieski | c. 1590 – 1646 | Castellan of Kraków |
| Mother | Zofia Teofila Daniłowicz | 1607 – 1661 | Granddaughter of Hetman Żółkiewski |
| Elder brother | Marek | 1628 – 1652 | Died a prisoner after the Battle of Batih, 1652 |
| Wife | Marie Casimire | 1641 – 1716 | French-born; the “Marysieńka” of his letters |
| Son | Jakub | 1667 – 1737 | Failed to succeed his father at the royal election |
| Daughter | Teresa Kunegunda | 1676 – 1730 | Married Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria |
| Son | Aleksander | 1677 – 1714 | |
| Son | Konstanty | 1680 – 1726 |
In the game
You begin in summer 1683 in Kraków as the fifty-four-year-old king of Poland. The great army of Grand Vizier Kara Mustafa has surrounded Vienna and the emperor has abandoned the city. From the start you rule Poland–Lithuania and command the hussars, and you have your wife Marysieńka, your eldest son Jakub, sixteen, Aleksander and Konstanty, and your daughter Teresa Kunegunda.
The turning point “Siege of Vienna” is judged in the first year, so as soon as you start, “The road to the Kahlenberg” asks whether to wait for the Lithuanian army or ride ahead. If Vienna holds, real history runs through the charge from the Kahlenberg, the grand vizier's tent, the Holy League, the Eternal Peace, the summer at Iași and the elective crown to June 1696 at Wilanów; if Vienna falls, another branch runs to the end through a crescent over the Kahlenberg and an offer from Versailles.
The Polish crown cannot be inherited; it is decided by election. In 1688's “An elective crown” and 1695's “Quarrels at the table”, the affairs between Jakub and Marysieńka shake the next election, and in 1689's “Céladon and Astrée” you exchange letters with your wife.
- Scenario guide Winged hussars
- Era guide Age of the Sun King and the Baroque
- Related turning points What if the Ottomans had taken Vienna in 1683?
Frequently asked questions
When and how was the Battle of Vienna fought?
On 12 September 1683, the Polish and Holy Roman allied army that had come to relieve Vienna, besieged for nearly two months, came down from the Kahlenberg north-west of the city and attacked the Ottoman army. Towards sunset the great charge of the winged hussars led by Sobieski broke the Ottoman camp, and after this defeat the Ottoman Empire began to retreat from central Europe.
What were the winged hussars?
Heavy cavalry of Poland–Lithuania from the 16th to the early 18th century, who wore wing-like frames of feathers on the backs of their armour and charged with long lances. They are famed for their charges at Kircholm (1605), Klushino (1610) and Vienna (1683).
Who said “We came, we saw, God conquered”?
Sobieski is said to have sent these words to Pope Innocent XI after his victory at Vienna. They rework Caesar's “I came, I saw, I conquered” to give the victory to God.
Sources
Letters of John III Sobieski to Marie Casimire; general histories of Poland and of the Ottoman Empire.
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