Elected in 1632, Ladislaus son of Sigismund Vasa and Anne of Habsburg, ascended a secure Polish throne. Ladislaus recognized the strength of the Polish union but also recognized a threat from the north and the east. The crown of Muscovy had been offered to him but never solidified. Because of resistance from Sweden and the Muscovites, Ladislaus continued building a large Baltic Fleet. The whole process was precarious and depended upon continued support from Hungary and Austria. If that failed, Poland would be opposed north, south, east and also west because of the success of the reformation in Northern Germany. His wife saw the need for an additional alliance to support new moves to the north and growing rebellion from the Cossacks in the Eastern Ukraine. Poland’s political situation although strong could be shaken by prevailing winds. Domestic solidity at home and with old friends was needed against predictable shifting alliances.

Reigned 1632-1648