ALEXANDER (146i-1506), king of Poland, succeeded his brother John Albert in 'so'. He carried on the hopeless struggle of the crown against the growing power of the Polish senate and nobles, who deprived him of financial control and curtailed his prerogative. For want of funds, Alexander was unable to assist the Grand Master of the Order of the Sword against Muscovite aggression, or prevent Tsar Ivan III. from ravaging Lithuania with the Tartars. The utmost the king could do was to garrison Smolensk and other fortresses and employ his wife Helena, the tsar's daughter, to mediate a truce between his father-in-law and himself. Only the death of Stephen, the great hospodar of Mol davia, enabled Poland still to hold her own on the Danube. The liberality of Pope Julius II., who granted Alexander Peter's Pence and other financial help, enabled the Polish king to re strain somewhat the arrogance of the Teutonic Order in the Prussian provinces. Alexander died on Aug. 5, 15°6.
See V. Czerny, The Reigns of John Albert and Alexander Jagiello (Pol.) (Cracow, 1882).