# Abdication of John II Casimir (1668)

URL: https://poland-history.com/timeline/1668-abdication-of-john-ii-casimir
Location: Warsaw

John Casimir abdicated and left for France, warning the Sejm that the Commonwealth risked partition. Within the broader Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth period: The Commonwealth of Both Nations elected its kings and prized noble liberty and religious tolerance. It won famous victories but was weakened by wars with Sweden, Russia, the Ottomans and the Cossacks, and by political paralysis. At this point in the timeline (16 September 1668), the governing authority was John II Casimir Vasa (King of Poland). Reigned through the Khmelnytsky Uprising and the Swedish Deluge before abdicating in 1668. Abdication of John II Casimir mattered because it altered the structure of power and the direction of Polish statehood. 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
Abdication of John II Casimir mattered because it altered the structure of power and the direction of Polish statehood.

Ruler at the time: [Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki](https://poland-history.com/rulers/michal-korybut-wisniowiecki)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — John II Casimir Vasa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_II_Casimir_Vasa)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Abdication of John II Casimir](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Abdication+of+John+II+Casimir)
- [Wikipedia — Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish%E2%80%93Lithuanian_Commonwealth)