Greetings, everyone!
I've been working on this in the last 1-2 weeks and would like to receive plausibility check, ideas, advice and stuff on this draft.
Thanks in advance!
Better genes make Stephen Báthory more resitant to diseases, so his death (12 December 1586) will be delayed. In the years before 1586, he was considering another war with Russia, but his plans were delayed to the lack of support from the Sejm, which refused to pass requested tax raises.
Seeing that the Sejm won't support any wars against Russia, he began to work on his long-terms plans: freeing Hungary from the cluthes of Austria and the Ottoman Empire. His idea was to forge an alliance between Transylvania, Poland and Royal Hungary. To achieve this, he had to arrange that all three parties have the alliance in their interests. Thus, he wanted to make his nephew, Sigismund Báthory, king of Hungary, his confidant, the Polish Jan Zamoyski (he already married to Griseldis, the daughter of Stephen's elder brother) would be Princeps of Transylvania, and Andrew Báthory, Stephen's cousing could succeed him on the throne of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. That was his secondary plan, the ideal one would be a complete personal union under himself.
He soon realized that even this triple alliance might not be sufficient enough to deliver such a devastating blow to Austria that it gives up Royal Hungary. Remembering that the Checz are also unhappy wiht the Habsburg rule, he contacts them in the same fashion he did a few years earlier. Part of the aristocracy would even elect the King of Hungary as their own King.
Báthory saw that the situation is getting better, but he still wasn't content with the support he would get. So he sent envoys to the Porte and evoked the offer of their support of him becoming the king of Royal Hungary, which he received from Sultan Selim II shortly after the Ottoman defeat at Lepanto. Murad III, Selim's successor, agreed, but with the terms of regular tribute and free passage toward Vienna, which Báthory accepted. The Anti-Habsburg leagues of Bohemia and Poland were also committed to the cause.
The war started in 1589. Revolts in Bohemia, Moravia and Upper Hungary distracted the Imperial armies as Transylvanian contingents poured into the country. Soon, Commonwealth armies assisted the rebels. The decisive factor was the Ottoman strike. Austria was unable to withstand this, even with the help of Bavaria and several other entities of the Holy Roman Empire.
As the Ottomans were marching against Vienna,a nd most of the Imperial army tied down, Rudolf II was forced to sign a peace treaty in which he relinquished the Crown of Saint Stephen. Báthory became the new King of Hungary, Croatia and Bohemia.
Stephen I Báthory, now ruler of six realms, turned his attention to mastering his other plan: driving the Ottomans out from the rest of Hungary, and with a little luck, from entire Europe.
I've been working on this in the last 1-2 weeks and would like to receive plausibility check, ideas, advice and stuff on this draft.
Thanks in advance!
Better genes make Stephen Báthory more resitant to diseases, so his death (12 December 1586) will be delayed. In the years before 1586, he was considering another war with Russia, but his plans were delayed to the lack of support from the Sejm, which refused to pass requested tax raises.
Seeing that the Sejm won't support any wars against Russia, he began to work on his long-terms plans: freeing Hungary from the cluthes of Austria and the Ottoman Empire. His idea was to forge an alliance between Transylvania, Poland and Royal Hungary. To achieve this, he had to arrange that all three parties have the alliance in their interests. Thus, he wanted to make his nephew, Sigismund Báthory, king of Hungary, his confidant, the Polish Jan Zamoyski (he already married to Griseldis, the daughter of Stephen's elder brother) would be Princeps of Transylvania, and Andrew Báthory, Stephen's cousing could succeed him on the throne of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. That was his secondary plan, the ideal one would be a complete personal union under himself.
He soon realized that even this triple alliance might not be sufficient enough to deliver such a devastating blow to Austria that it gives up Royal Hungary. Remembering that the Checz are also unhappy wiht the Habsburg rule, he contacts them in the same fashion he did a few years earlier. Part of the aristocracy would even elect the King of Hungary as their own King.
Báthory saw that the situation is getting better, but he still wasn't content with the support he would get. So he sent envoys to the Porte and evoked the offer of their support of him becoming the king of Royal Hungary, which he received from Sultan Selim II shortly after the Ottoman defeat at Lepanto. Murad III, Selim's successor, agreed, but with the terms of regular tribute and free passage toward Vienna, which Báthory accepted. The Anti-Habsburg leagues of Bohemia and Poland were also committed to the cause.
The war started in 1589. Revolts in Bohemia, Moravia and Upper Hungary distracted the Imperial armies as Transylvanian contingents poured into the country. Soon, Commonwealth armies assisted the rebels. The decisive factor was the Ottoman strike. Austria was unable to withstand this, even with the help of Bavaria and several other entities of the Holy Roman Empire.
As the Ottomans were marching against Vienna,a nd most of the Imperial army tied down, Rudolf II was forced to sign a peace treaty in which he relinquished the Crown of Saint Stephen. Báthory became the new King of Hungary, Croatia and Bohemia.
Stephen I Báthory, now ruler of six realms, turned his attention to mastering his other plan: driving the Ottomans out from the rest of Hungary, and with a little luck, from entire Europe.