Editing Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki (section)

== Biography ==
[[File:Coat of arms of Mykolas Kaributas Višnioveckis, painted in 1875.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Personal coat of arms]]
Michael was the son of [[Jeremi Wiśniowiecki]] and his wife [[Gryzelda Konstancja Zamoyska]]. His parents likely met each other in September 1637 in Warsaw during the crowning of [[Cecilia Renata of Austria]], the [[Queen of Poland]] and consort to [[Władysław IV]]. They were engaged on 13 February 1638, over a month after the death of Gryzelda's father, [[Tomasz Zamoyski]].

The wedding took place in [[Zamość]] on 27 February 1639, and over a year later, on 31 May 1640, Michael Korybut was most likely born in the village of [[Bilyi Kamin|Biały Kamień]] as Michał Tomasz Wiśniowiecki. The infant was then taken to Zamość, where he spent first two years of his life under care of his grandmother Katarzyna Zamoyska (née Ostrogska). In 1642, Michał was taken by his mother to [[Lubny]]. During the [[Khmelnytsky Uprising]], he fled [[Left-bank Ukraine]] with his family and first settled in [[Vyshnivets|Wiśniowiec]] in [[Volhynia]], before arriving in Zamość in autumn 1648.

[[File:Daniel Schultz d. J. 005.jpg|thumb|Painting by [[Daniel Schultz]]]]

Jeremi Wiśniowiecki died in 1651, when most of his enormous estate remained under Cossack control. From 1651 – 1655, young Michał was under the care of  [[Karol Ferdynand Vasa]], the bishop of [[Wrocław]] and [[Płock]]. The boy stayed at the residence of the Bishops of Płock, in the town of [[Brok, Masovian Voivodeship|Brok]]. After the death of Bishop Vasa on 9 May 1655, he was taken in by his wealthy uncle, [[Jan Zamoyski (1627–1665)|Jan Zamoyski]], [[Voivode]] of [[Sandomierz]], who funded his education. Sometime in mid-1655, Michał found himself at the court of King [[John II Casimir]].

Following the [[Deluge (history)|Swedish invasion of Poland]], Michael, together with the royal court, fled to [[Głogówek]] in [[Upper Silesia]]. On 18 November 1655, following the request of the king, he went to [[Nysa, Poland|Nysa]], to study at the Jesuit College Carolinum and stayed there until March 1656.

In mid-1656, thanks to the support of Queen [[Marie Louise Gonzaga]], Michał Korybut began studying at [[Charles University in Prague]]. He returned to Poland in June 1660, but soon afterwards, headed to [[Dresden]] and [[Vienna]] to meet Empress [[Eleonora Gonzaga (1630–1686)|Eleonora Gonzaga]]. There he saw his future wife [[Eleanor of Austria, Queen of Poland|Eleanor of Austria]], who was a child at that time, for the first time. On this trip, Michael improved his knowledge of languages; he spoke Latin, German, Italian, French and also likely Tatar and Turkish as well.

In 1663, Michel took part in the [[Russo-Polish War (1654–67)|Russo-Polish War]], and during the [[Lubomirski Rebellion]], he loyally supported the king.

=== Election ===
On 16 September 1668, [[John II Casimir]] abdicated the Polish throne and left the country to live in [[France]], making a new [[Royal elections in Poland|election]] necessary. The Bishop of [[Chełmno]], Andrzej Olszowski, suggested that Michał Korybut should be listed as one of candidates for the throne. Wiśniowiecki was supported by the [[szlachta|Polish nobility]], who sensed that a poor and inexperienced prince would not pose a threat to their rights enshrined in the ''[[Golden Liberty]]''.

The [[1669 Free election|Free election of 1669]] took place in May and June of that year. Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki was elected King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania on 19 June and became known as Michael I. Most of the gathered nobility voted for him as they wished to choose a native, Polish candidate (the so-called "Piast"), over foreign candidates. Wiśniowiecki won 11,271 votes and was crowned on 29 September 1669 in [[Kraków]].

His election was immediately opposed by the pro-French camp, led by [[Primate of Poland]] Mikołaj Prazmowski and Crown [[Hetman]] [[John Sobieski]].

On 27 February 1670 Michael I married Austrian princess [[Eleanor of Austria, Queen of Poland|Eleanor]], and the ceremony was celebrated by Papal Nuncio, Cardinal [[Galeazzo Marescotti]], as Primate Prazmowski refused to attend. The reception took place at the Denhoff Palace in [[Kruszyna, Silesian Voivodeship|Kruszyna]].

=== Internal conflicts ===
[[File:Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth as a fief of the Ottoman Empire 1672-1676.PNG|thumb|right|240px|Poland-Lithuania as a fief of the Ottoman Empire between 1672 and 1676]]
Following the 1669 election, the Commonwealth was divided between two camps – pro-French, and royal. The pro-French camp had several influential members, including Primate Prazmowski, Hetman Sobieski, [[Andrzej Morsztyn]], Voivode of Kraków [[Aleksander Michał Lubomirski (d. 1677)|Aleksander Michał Lubomirski]], Voivode of [[Ruthenia]] [[Stanisław Jan Jabłonowski]], Voivode of [[Poznań]] [[Krzysztof Grzymultowski]], and Bishop of Kraków [[Andrzej Trzebicki]].

In November 1669, the French camp broke the Coronation [[Sejm]], hoping to dethrone Michael and elect Count Charles-Paris d'Orléans-Longueville. In 1670, the internal struggle moved to the local [[sejmik]]s, during which the nobility demanded to bring a Sejm lawsuit against Hetman Sobieski. To defend their commander, Sobieski's soldiers formed a [[Confederation (Poland)|Confederation]] near [[Trembowla]].

To make matters worse, the divided Commonwealth was under constant Turkish threat. In 1671, the king supported a rebellion of a unit of Stanisław Wyżycki, who, against the explicit order of Sobieski, abandoned Volhynia, leaving the province defenceless. King Michael ordered Wyżycki and his men to spend the winter of 1671/72 in the wealthy ''[[starostwo]]'' of [[Samborzec|Sambor]], and paid them their salaries, while Sobieski and his soldiers did not receive any money.
[[File:Złotówka kornna 1671.jpg|thumb|left|Polish coin [[Mint (facility)|minted]] during Micheal I reign, {{circa|1671}}]]

In 1672, the Ottoman Empire declared war on the Commonwealth, and the [[Polish–Ottoman War (1672–76)|Polish–Ottoman War of 1672–76]] began. Despite this, the situation in the Polish Crown was still chaotic, with the danger of a civil war. The nobility formed a confederation near [[Gołąb, Puławy County|Gołąb]], demanding the removal of Primate Prazmowski. Its members looted real estate owned by Hetman Sobieski and his family. On 22 November 1672 Lithuanian soldiers formed their own confederation in [[Kobryń]], declaring their support for the Gołąb confederation. In response, soldiers under Sobieski formed a confederation in [[Szczebrzeszyn]]. John Sobieski, together with his troops, headed to [[Łowicz]], to meet Primate Prazmowski.

Negotiations between the two factions were carried out by Papal Nuncio Francesco Buonvisi and Bishop of Kraków [[Andrzej Trzebicki]]. Furthermore, Sultan [[Mehmed IV]] of the Ottoman Empire sent an offensive letter to Warsaw, demanding complete subordination of the Commonwealth. This greatly enraged the Poles but due to chaotic internal situation of the Commonwealth, both sides of the conflict reached an agreement in March 1672.

=== War with the Ottoman Empire ===
In June 1672, a 100,000-strong Ottoman army, under Mehmed IV, besieged the city of [[Kamieniec Podolski]], which capitulated after 26 days. The invaders then approached [[Lwów]], which paid a ransom. Mounted [[Crimean Tatars|Crimean Tatar]] units penetrated as far as [[Hrubieszów]], [[Jasło]] and [[Biecz]].

In October 1672, Hetman John Sobieski, upon request of the senators, tried to stop the invaders, defeating them in the [[Battle of Niemirów]], [[Battle of Komarno]], and Battle of Petranka. Meanwhile, the [[Treaty of Buchach]] was signed on 18 October, in which the king ceded [[Podolia]] to the Ottomans and agreed to pay a yearly tribute. Under these terms, the once mighty [[Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth]] was humbled by the Turks.

Soon afterwards, Michael I began preparation for a new military campaign against the Ottomans. On 8 October 1673 at Skwarzawa near [[Złoczów]], some 40,000 Polish soldiers concentrated, with 50 cannons. Due to poor health, the king handed the command of the army to Sobieski, and the Poles marched southwards, to [[Chocim]].

=== Death, funeral, and legacy ===
[[File:Kraków 090.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Tomb of King Michael inside [[Wawel Cathedral]]]]
King Michael I Korybut died in the Palace of the Archbishops of Lwów, on 10 November 1673. His early demise seems to have been brought about by a severe case of food poisoning, although rumours persisted that he had been murdered by traitorous generals angered at the declining power of the Commonwealth.

The day after his death, John Sobieski won the  [[Battle of Chocim (1673)|Battle of Chocim]], which reversed some of the losses under Michael I's reign. On 19 May 1674 Hetman John Sobieski was elected the new monarch after the [[1674 Free election|Free election of 1674]].

After the funeral, the heart of the king was buried at a [[Camaldolese Church, Warsaw|Camedule Monastery]] in the [[Bielany]] district of Warsaw. The bowels were placed in a wall of the [[Latin Cathedral, Lviv|Latin Cathedral]] in Lwów, while the body was buried in [[Wawel Cathedral]] in Kraków on 31 January 1676, the same day that John Sobieski was crowned as John III.

Michael's reign was considered to be less than successful as his ability to be a capable monarch were greatly hurt by Poland's quarrelling factions. His father's military fame notwithstanding, Michael lost the first phase of the [[Polish–Ottoman War (1672–1676)|Polish–Ottoman War of 1672–1676]].<ref>[http://www.poczet.com/korybut.htm Poczet.com], Michał Korybut Wisniowiecki.</ref>