# Władysław III Spindleshanks begins to rule (1202)

URL: https://poland-history.com/timeline/1202-wladyslaw-iii-spindleshanks-begins-to-rule
Location: Poland
Categories: ruler-change

Władysław III Spindleshanks became High Duke of Poland (1202; 1227–1229). Duke of Greater Poland who briefly held Kraków twice and struggled with his nephew Władysław Odonic. Within the broader Fragmentation period: After 1138 Poland split into duchies ruled by rival Piast princes. Mongol invasions, German settlement, the growth of towns and the arrival of the Teutonic Knights reshaped the land before it was reunited. At this point in the timeline (1202), the governing authority was Władysław III Spindleshanks (High Duke of Poland). Duke of Greater Poland who briefly held Kraków twice and struggled with his nephew Władysław Odonic. Władysław III Spindleshanks begins to rule mattered because succession and legitimacy shaped alliances, institutions and the direction of state policy. The event is placed here so readers can follow it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion and culture across Polish history.

## Why it matters
Władysław III Spindleshanks begins to rule mattered because succession and legitimacy shaped alliances, institutions and the direction of state policy.

Ruler at the time: [Władysław III Spindleshanks](https://poland-history.com/rulers/wladyslaw-iii-spindleshanks)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Władysław III Spindleshanks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W%C5%82adys%C5%82aw_III_Spindleshanks)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Władysław III Spindleshanks begins to rule](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=W%C5%82adys%C5%82aw+III+Spindleshanks+begins+to+rule)
- [Wikipedia — History of Poland during the Piast dynasty (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Poland_during_the_Piast_dynasty#Fragmentation_of_the_realm_(1138%E2%80%931320))