Story Highlights
- Historical event:
- 1 May 1576
- King Stephen Báthory defeated the military forces of the Russian Empire during the reign of Ivan the Terrible (Ivan IV Vasilyevich).
On this day in 1576, the Hungarian aristocrat and Prince of Transylvania Stephen Báthory became the King of Poland.
He was elected by the Polish Parliament (elective monarchy). It is interesting to note that Báthory is considered one of the most successful kings in Polish history. Poland became very powerful during his rule.
King Stephen Báthory managed to win against the military forces of the Russian Empire during the reign of Ivan the Terrible (Ivan IV Vasilyevich).
Namely, Báthory conquered parts of present-day Latvia, Estonia, Belarus, and Ukraine (for example, the area near today`s Chernobyl), which had belonged to the Russian Empire.
During the reign of Stephen Bathory, Poland was one of the largest and most populated countries in Europe.
Allegedly, Báthory didn`t speak Polish. He spoke Hungarian, Italian, and German, and learned Latin.
His full title in Latin was: “Stephanus Dei gratia rex magnus dux et Polonie Lithuanie, Russiae, Prussiae, Masovic, Samogitiae, Kiioviae, Voliniae, Podlachiae, Livoniaeque, necnon princeps Transylvaniae”.
