Aleksander Michał Sapieha

Who was Aleksander Michał Sapieha?

Aleksander Michał Paweł Sapieha of Lis coat of arms was a noble of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Son of Kazimierz Leon Sapieha and Karolina Teresa Radziwiłł, protegee of Józef Stanisław Sapieha, he became the Voivode of Płock in 1753, Field Lithuanian Hetman from 1762, Grand Lithuanian Chancellor from 1775, marshal of Lithuanian Tribunal in 1789.

He tried to remain neutral in politics but leaned towards the pro-Russian faction; he neither opposed nor support the Confederation of Bar, a member of the Great Sejm he did not openly criticize or support May Constitution of Poland. Russian Empress Catherine the Great chose him as the marshal of the Targowica Confederation; after some delays he was forced to accept it, but died soon afterwards due to ill health.