1632
Though generally disliked amongst the Polish nobility due to his open dislike of Polish Culture and politics, John Casimir had proven himself to be very talented as a military commander and had seen battlefields since he was a teenager.
With John Casimir now in his 20s, his regnant brother Wiadysiaw IV Vasa attempts to arrange marriages for John Casimir to Christina, Queen of Sweden, who was Queen regnant from 1633 to 1654. When this failed, Wiadysiaw then tried to negotiate a marriage between John Casimir and an Italian princess, which was also unsuccessful.
Cardinal Richelieu until 1640, when he was freed by a diplomatic mission. His two long years as a prisoner changed his life, and Casimir, who had spent many years living lavishly at various European courts as well as leading a successful military life on the battlefield, was now set on dedicating his life to religion as a Jesuit novice.
_ Once again, he left the Polish-Lithuanian
Commonwealth for Italy to join the Jesuits in 1643.
Though King Wiadysiaw was famously tolerant of religious differences throughout his reign despite his being a Catholic, John Casimir's decision was one Wiadysiaw was very vocally opposed to - causing a diplomatic rift between the Commonwealth and the pope. Regardless of the opposition from the King, John Casimir continued to live his life as a Jesuit and had even become a Cardinal.
Yet, only a few years after he had first started, Casimir found himself unsuited to ecclesiastical life and returned to Poland.
For King Wiadysiaw, the next few years marked the last of his life. On the 9 August 1647, his young son and only legitimate heir, then only seven years old, fell ill and died, a major blow to the king. Only a year later, while hunting in early 1648, Wiadysiaw suffered from a gallstone or kidney stone, a condition that worsened due to incorrect medication. At 2am on 20 May, the King was dead.
John II Casimir Vasa had since resigned as cardinal to stand in elections for the Polish throne, and that same year was elected to succeed his half brother. His reign would be monopolised by almost
Defining moment
Life as a Prisoner
1638
In 1636, after his brother Wiadysiaw had thwarted John Casimir's plans to marry Baroness Guldentern after falling in love with her, an angry and offended John Casimir abruptly left his hated home country once again. His voyage was to Spain, set on becoming Viceroy of Portugal. On his way to Spain, however, John Casimir was captured by French agents and imprisoned by order of Cardinal Richelieu until 1640, when he was freed by a diplomatic mission. Casimir had previously joined the army of the Holy Roman Empire to fight against the French during the Thirty Years War in 1637.
The Loss of the Swedish Throne
John II Casimir's father, Sigismund III Vasa, had succeeded his own father to the Swedish throne only to be deposed by his uncle in 1599. Ever since, he had claimed the Swedish throne as rightfully his. 1599
> John Casimir is born
John II Casimir Vasa is born on 22 March 1609 to Sigismund III Vasa (1566-1632) and Constance of Austria (1588-1631). His older brother, Wtadystaw IV Vasa, is predescessor to the throne.
1609
Joining the Jesuits
Now in his early 30s, John Casimir decides to become a Jesuit and leaves the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth again, despite vocal opposition from King Wtadystaw. 1642 • Becoming a Cardinal
During the 1640s John Casimir lived in Italy where he was made a cardinal, but reportedly returned to Poland a few years later after finding himself unsuited to ecclesiastical life.
1646
World History
