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Sigismund III Vasa (20 June 1566 – 30 April 1632 N.S.) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, a monarch of the united Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1587 to 1632, and King of Sweden (where he is known simply as Sigismund) from 1592 until he was deposed in 1599. He was the son of King John III of Sweden and his first wife, Catherine Jagellonica of Poland.
Elected to the throne of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Sigismund sought to create a personal union between the Commonwealth and Sweden (Polish-Swedish union), and succeeded for a time in 1592. After he had been deposed in 1599 from the Swedish throne by his uncle, Charles IX of Sweden, and a meeting of the Riksens ständer (Swedish Riksdag), he spent much of the rest of his life attempting to reclaim it.
Sigismund remains a highly controversial figure in Poland. His long reign coincided with the apex of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth's prestige, power and economic influence. On the other hand, it was also during his reign that the symptoms of decline that led to the Commonwealth's future demise surfaced. Common views, influenced by popular books of Paweł Jasienica, tend to present Sigismund as the main factor responsible for initiating these negative processes, while academic historians usually are not that condemning. However, the question whether the Commonwealth's decline was caused by Sigismund's own decisions or its roots were in historical processes beyond his personal control, remains a highly debated topic.
He was commemorated in Warsaw with Zygmunt's Column, commissioned by his son and successor, Władysław IV.
Sigismund III Vasa in 1632[]
The arrival of Grantville allowed Sigismund III to live six months longer than he did in the original timeline.
| Regnal titles (OTL) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Anna Jagiellon and Stefan Batory |
King of Poland 1587-1632 |
Succeeded by Władysław IV |
| Grand Duke of Lithuania 1587-1632 | ||
| Preceded by Johan II |
King of Sweden 1592-1599 |
Succeeded by Charles IX of Sweden as Regent of Sweden |