Poniatowski, Stanisław

▪ Polish statesman

born Sept. 15, 1676

died Aug. 3, 1762, Ryki, Pol.

      Polish soldier, state official, and nobleman who supported the Swedes against the Poles in the Great Northern War (Northern War, Second) (1700–21) and was later a reconciled leader in Polish military and political affairs.

      Grandson of Jan Ciołek Poniatowski (d. c. 1676), founder of the princely family of Poniatowskis, he was the first of the family to distinguish himself politically and militarily. At the outbreak of the Great Northern War, he joined the powerful Sapieha family in siding with the Swedes against the Saxon king of Poland, Augustus II the Strong. He was a major general in the Swedish army and a strong supporter of Stanisław Leszczyński, installed on the Polish throne by the Swedes in 1704 as Stanisław I. After the war Poniatowski reconciled himself with the restored Augustus II and became grand treasurer of Lithuania in 1722. From 1728 he was commander in chief of the Polish army, and in 1731 he became palatine of Mazovia. His son Stanisław August was king of Poland as Stanisław II August Poniatowski (reigned 1764–95).

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