JOHN GEORGE I. (1585-1656). Elector of Saxony, from 1611 to 1656. He was burn March 5. 15s5: married Magdalene Sibylle. (laughter of Duke Albert Frederick of Prussia, in 1607 ; and succeeded his brother, Christian II., as Elector of Saxony, June 23. 1611. The attitude of Sax ony, as one of the most powerful of the Protes tant States of Germany, was of great importance in the Thirty Years' War; but the course of John George was vacillating, and when he was giving nominal support to one side he was gen trally negotiating with the other. When Gus tavus ..1dolphus entered Germany, John George refused him passage across Saxony, and thus prevented the relief of Magdeburg. which was taken by Tilly. whose infuriated troops put most of the inhabitants to the sword. .A little later, when Saxony was about to sillier from the ad vance of the Imperialists, John George concluded a hasty alliance with Sweden, and his troops were on the field of Leipzig or Breitenfeld (Sep tember, 1631), but fled early in the day. The Elector sought continually to bring about a peace advantageous to Saxony. In 1632, when Gus tavus was in Bavaria, he sought to detach Bran denburg from the Swedish cause, and in 1635 lie concluded the Peace of Prague with the Emperor, yielding practically all that the German Prot estants had fought for, and agreeing to endeavor to secure the general acceptance of the terms.
Ilis reward was the hereditary possession of Lusatia. Only Brandenburg and some of the minor States acceded. In 1636 the Saxons were defeated by Ban6r at Wittstock, and in 1645 the Elector was obliged to conclude an armistice with Sweden. By the Peace of Westphalia he was confirmed in the possession of Lusatia and the bishoprics of Meissen, Merseburg, and Naumburg. John George died October 5, 1656. How much of his changeable and treacherous policy was due to himself, and how much to the intrigues of his most trusted counselor. Von .1rnim, it is difficult to determine. His will es tablished three ruling Saxon lines for his sons, in addition to electoral Saxony—Saxe-\Veisenfels, Saxe-Merseburg, and Saxe-Zeitz. See ; GUSTAVUS DOLPIIUS ; SAXONY; THIRTY YEARS' WAR.