AUGUSTUS I., FREDERICK ( 1670-1733). Elector of Saxony and King of Poland (as such styled Augustus H.), commonly called the Strong. He was the second son of the Elector John George III., and of the Danish prin cess, Anna Sophia. and was born at Dresden. In youth he traveled over a great part of Eu rope, and tasted the pleasures of the different courts. When, in 1694. he succeeded his brother George as Elector. instead of turning his arms against France, according to previous ar rangement, he undertook the command of the Austro-Saxon army against the Turks in Hun gary. After the battle of Olasch, in 1690, he returned to Vienna, and set himself up as a can didate for the throne of Poland, vacated by the death of John Sobieski. Bidding higher than Prince Conti for the crown (10,000,000 Polish florins), and adopting the Catholic faith, he was elected King by the nobles. and was crowned at Cracow, on September 15, 1697, as Augustus II. of Poland. On ascending the throne he prom ised to regain for his new kingdom the provinces that had been ceded to Sweden. He joined Peter the Great in his war against Charles XII., but his forces were repeatedly overthrown by the Swedes. The crown of Poland was wrested front him, and Stanislas Leszezynski was made King in his place. Augustus was forced to sign the igno minious Peace of Altranstiidt in 1706, in which he abandoned his claims to the Polish throne. Hewever, on receiving intelligence of the defeat of Charles XII. at Pttflown, in 1709, he declared the treaty of Altranstiidt annulled, marched with a powerful army into Poland, of which he again became master, and renewed the war with Swe den, which continued till the death of Charles XII. at Frederikshald, in 1718. led first to a truce,
and eventually to a peace with that kingdom. Meanwhile a confederation of Polish nobles had been formed against the Saxons, and fought against them with much success, till. in 1716, through the armed intervention of the Czar, a compact was made between the Poles and An gnstus, by which the Saxon troops left the king dom. The King now found himselt obliged to employ conciliation, and the splendor of his dis solute court soon won the favor of the Polish nobles, who followed his example hut too closely. Saxony had bitter cause to regret the union of the crowns. Its resources were shamefully squan dered on the adornment of the capital, Dresden, on the King's mistresses, his illegitimate chil dren, and the alchemists who deluded hint with hopes of the elixir of life. Augustus supported the fine arts as ministering to luxury, hut did little for the cause of science. Despotic in prin ciple, though easy in temper: ambitious as well as luxurious; reckless alike in the pursuit of war and pleasure, death overtook him in the midst of projected festivities. On his way to the War saw Diet, gangrene of an old wound set in, and Ice died February 1. 1733, and was buried at Cracow. By his wife he left au only son, who succeeded him. The most celebrated of his nu merous illegitimate offspring was Maurice of Saxony (Marshal Saxe). Consult Desroelies de PartlnInay, Histoirc de Pologuc sons lc roi Au guste (Hague, 1733-34).