Władysław IV Vasa

Władysław IV Vasa was king of Poland and grand duke of Lithuania from 1632 to 1648. A member of the Swedish House of Vasa, he also claimed the Swedish throne.

Sigismund III Vasa: King of Poland and grand duke of Lithuania from 1587 to 1632, and king of Sweden from 1592 to 1599. His father’s rule established the Polish-Lithuanian Vasa dynasty Władysław inherited.
Royal election in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth: The process by which the Commonwealth’s nobility elected each monarch, usually at a national electoral assembly. Władysław became king through election rather than automatic hereditary succession.
Smolensk War: The 1632–1634 war between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Muscovy over control of Smolensk and surrounding territories. Władysław’s command and settlement of this war secured his eastern position.
Khmelnytsky Uprising: A Cossack-led revolt against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth that began in 1648 under Bohdan Khmelnytsky. The uprising began in the year Władysław died, amid unresolved Cossack grievances.
House of Vasa: A Swedish royal dynasty that ruled Sweden and, through Sigismund III, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Władysław’s dynastic identity connected the Commonwealth’s throne to Sweden’s royal succession.
Sejm: The parliament of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, consisting of the king, Senate, and Chamber of Deputies. Its consent constrained royal policy, including taxation and plans for war.
Treaty of Polyanovka: The 1634 treaty that ended the Smolensk War and confirmed the Commonwealth’s control of Smolensk. It concluded Władysław’s major war with Muscovy and helped stabilize his reign.
Bohdan Khmelnytsky: A Cossack leader who led the 1648 uprising against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and later allied with Muscovy. His revolt turned grievances intensified during Władysław’s reign into open war.
Swedish War of Succession: The conflict over the Swedish crown after Sigismund III Vasa was deposed in 1599. The succession dispute made Władysław’s claim to Sweden a continuing political issue.
Liberum veto: A parliamentary practice allowing a deputy to invalidate a Sejm session by objecting. Its early use during Władysław’s reign exposed limits on central government.

Linked from 5 pages