John II of Poland

John II of Poland or Jan II Kazimierz Vasa (1609-1672), was the son of Sigismund III of Poland (1566-1632), of the House of Vasa, and his wife Constance of Austria (1588 - 1631). He reigned as King of Poland from 1648 to 1668.

His father Sigismund, grandson of Gustav I of Sweden, had succeded his father to the Swedish throne in 1592 only to be deposed from the by his uncle Charles IX of Sweden in 1599. This lead to a long standing feud where the Polish kings of the house of Vasa claimed the Swedish throne. Effects of this were the Swedish War[?] (1600-1629). Poland and Sweden were also on opposite sides in the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648).

In 1648 John II succeeded his half brother and cousin on the Polish throne. In 1660 he would be forced to renounce his claims to the Swedish throne and acknowledge Swedish sovereignty over Livonia and city of Riga. John was deposed from the throne in 1668 and died in 1672.

Preceded by: Ladislaus IV

List of Polish rulers

Succeeded by: Michael Korybut Wisniowiecki