# Wenceslaus III begins to rule (1305)

URL: https://poland-history.com/timeline/1305-wenceslaus-iii-begins-to-rule
Location: Poland
Categories: ruler-change

Wenceslaus III became King of Poland (claimant) (1305–1306). Last Přemyslid, assassinated in Olomouc while preparing an expedition to secure Poland. 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 (21 June 1305), the governing authority was Wenceslaus III (King of Poland (claimant)). Last Přemyslid, assassinated in Olomouc while preparing an expedition to secure Poland. Wenceslaus III 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
Wenceslaus III begins to rule mattered because succession and legitimacy shaped alliances, institutions and the direction of state policy.

Ruler at the time: [Wenceslaus III](https://poland-history.com/rulers/wenceslaus-iii)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Wenceslaus III of Bohemia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wenceslaus_III_of_Bohemia)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Wenceslaus III begins to rule](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Wenceslaus+III+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))