# Augustus II the Strong elected (1697)

URL: https://poland-history.com/timeline/1697-augustus-ii-the-strong-elected
Location: Kraków
Categories: ruler-change

Elector Frederick Augustus of Saxony converted to Catholicism and won the throne, beginning the Saxon era. 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 (1697), the governing authority was Augustus II the Strong (King of Poland). Elector of Saxony whose entry into the Great Northern War brought devastation and Russian influence to the Commonwealth. Augustus II the Strong elected 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
Augustus II the Strong elected mattered because succession and legitimacy shaped alliances, institutions and the direction of state policy.

Ruler at the time: [Augustus II the Strong](https://poland-history.com/rulers/augustus-ii-the-strong)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Augustus II the Strong](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustus_II_the_Strong)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Augustus II the Strong elected](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Augustus+II+the+Strong+elected)
- [Wikipedia — Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish%E2%80%93Lithuanian_Commonwealth)