John+Casimir+II+Vasa

John II Casimir Vasa John II Casimir Vasa, or Jan Kazimierz Waza was a king of Poland who lived in the 1600s and was once imprisoned in France. He lived from 1609 to 1672 and his career was not just that of a king. John Casimir was born in Krakow in 1609 to King Sigismund III Vasa, who was king of Poland and Sweden. He grew up as the second son to the king and as such was not destined for a role as king. This resulted in him becoming a soldier later on in life, and in the Thirty Years’ War he fought against the French. In the 1630s during the war he was travelling to Spain to get a promotion. He was captured by the French and imprisoned in Vincennes, a suburb of Paris, for two years. After his release in 1640 he entered the Jesuit order, but decided that too was not for him and left less than a year later. Eight years passed, and at that point his brother, the king, died. John II Casimir Vasa ascended to the throne of Poland in May of 1648, and married his brother’s widow in a totally-okay Hamlet-esque situation. In the beginning of his reign, he tried to end a war with Ukraine, but was unable to do so. Eventually, Russia joined that fight after Ukraine appealed to the Tzar for help. John Casimir’s father was king of Sweden as well as Poland, so John thought that he would rule Sweden as well. Sweden considered him a pretender to the throne, so when they heard of the Russian involvement against Poland Sweden came down from the west to cause more trouble for the Polish. John Casimir, being a good leader and all, left the country in 1655. The lower class began to rebel against Swedish occupation and John Casimir returned to the country the next year. The war ended very poorly for Poland. John Casimir was forced to leave the Swedish throne he never truly had, and in a peace treaty involving all three parties (Poland, Russia, and Sweden) John Casimir was forced to give up vast swathes of Polish territory. Ashamed of his brutal defeat, John Casimir abdicated the throne in 1668, and fled to central France where he died in 1672. John II Casimir Vasa had several careers in his life; soldier, priest, and king, but failed at all three. Perhaps the only notable good decision John Casimir made in his life was his involvement in France, which served as his prison and refuge during different parts of his life. John II Casimir Vasa John II Casimir Vasa, or Jan Kazimierz Waza in Polish, was a king of Poland who lived in the 1600s and was once imprisoned in France. He lived from 1609 to 1672 and his career was not just that of a king. John Casimir was born in Krakow in 1609 to King Sigismund III Vasa, who was king of Poland and Sweden. He grew up as the second son to the king and as such was not destined for a role as king. This resulted in him becoming a soldier later on in life, and in the Thirty Years’ War he fought against the French. In the 1630s during the war he was travelling to Spain to get a promotion. He was captured by the French and imprisoned in Vincennes, a suburb of Paris, for two years. After his release in 1640 he entered the Jesuit order, but decided that too was not for him and left less than a year later. Eight years passed, and at that point his brother, the king, died. John II Casimir Vasa ascended to the throne of Poland in May of 1648, and married his brother’s widow in a totally-okay Hamlet-esque situation. In the beginning of his reign, he tried to end a war with Ukraine, but was unable to do so. Eventually, Russia joined that fight after Ukraine appealed to the Tzar for help. John Casimir’s father was king of Sweden as well as Poland, so John thought that he would rule Sweden as well. Sweden considered him a pretender to the throne, so when they heard of the Russian involvement against Poland Sweden came down from the west to cause more trouble for the Polish. John Casimir, being a good leader and all, left the country in 1655. The lower class began to rebel against Swedish occupation and John Casimir returned to the country the next year. The war ended very poorly for Poland. John Casimir was forced to leave the Swedish throne he never truly had, and in a peace treaty involving all three parties (Poland, Russia, and Sweden) John Casimir was forced to give up vast swathes of Polish territory. Ashamed of his brutal defeat, John Casimir abdicated the throne in 1668, and fled to central France where he died in 1672. John II Casimir Vasa had several careers in his life; soldier, priest, and king, but failed at all three. Perhaps the only notable good decision John Casimir made in his life was his involvement in France, which served as his prison and refuge during different parts of his life.