Augustus III of Poland

Who was Augustus III of Poland?

Augustus III was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1734 until 1763, as well as Elector of Saxony in the Holy Roman Empire from 1733 until 1763 as Frederick Augustus II. Augustus, the heir to Augustus II the Strong, had secured the Polish throne following a war of succession against partisans of Stanisław I Leszczyński. The Russian Empire, which had assisted him in his bid to succeed his father, prevented him from installing his family on the Polish throne, supporting instead the aristocrat Stanisław August Poniatowski. During his reign, Augustus spent little time in Poland and was known to prefer recreation to ruling.