Editing Stephen Báthory (section)

==Youth==
[[File:Coat of arms of Steponas Batoras.jpg|thumb|left|100px|Personal coat of arms]]
Stephen Báthory was born on 27 September 1533 in [[Șimleu Silvaniei Fort|the castle]] at Somlyó, also known as Szilágysomlyó (today's [[Șimleu Silvaniei]]).<ref name=psb114/> He was the son of [[Stephen VIII Báthory]] (d. 1534) of the noble [[Hungary|Hungarian]] [[Báthory family]] and his wife [[Catherine Telegdi]].<ref name="psb114"/> He had at least five siblings: two brothers and three sisters.<ref name=psb114/>

Little is known about his childhood. Around 1549–1550, he briefly visited Italy and probably spent a few months attending lectures at the [[Padua University]].<ref name=psb114/> Upon his return, he joined the army of [[Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor]], and took part in his military struggle against the [[Ottoman Empire|Turks]].<ref name=psb114/> Some time after 1553, Báthory was captured by the Turks, and after Ferdinand I refused to pay his ransom, joined the opposing side, supporting [[John II Sigismund Zápolya]] in his struggle for power in the [[Eastern Hungarian Kingdom]].<ref name=psb114/> As Zápolya's supporter, Báthory acted both as a feudal lord, military commander and a diplomat.<ref name=psb114/><ref name="psb115"/> During one of his trips to [[Vienna]] he was put under house arrest for two years.<ref name=psb115/> During this time he fell out of favor at Zápolya's court, and his position was largely assumed by another Hungarian noble, [[Gáspár Bekes]].<ref name=psb115/> Báthory briefly retired from politics, but he still wielded considerable influence and was seen as a possible successor to Zápolya.<ref name=psb115/>

After Zápolya's death in 1571, the Transylvanian estates elected Báthory [[Voivode of Transylvania]].<ref name=psb115/> Bekes, supported by the Habsburgs, disputed his election, but by 1573, Báthory emerged victorious in the resulting civil war and drove Bekes out of Transylvania.<ref name=psb115/> He subsequently attempted to play the Ottomans and the Holy Roman Empire against one another in an attempt to strengthen the Transylvania position.<ref name="psb116"/>