He was elected as the king by a faction of the Polish nobility on 12 July 1704 during the Great Northern War. At that time, Poland was facing political instability and external threats, including the invasion of Charles XII of Sweden. Leszczyński's election as king was partly a response to dissatisfaction with the ruling monarch, Augustus II the Strong.
During his first reign, Leszczyński implemented various reforms aimed at strengthening the Polish state and improving the lives of its citizens. However, his rule was short-lived, as he was overthrown by Augustus II in 1709 after the Swedish defeat at the Battle of Poltava. Augustus II regained the Polish throne, and Leszczyński was forced into exile.
Nevertheless, Leszczyński's political career was not over. He returned to Poland in 1733 during the War of the Polish Succession. With the support of France and his son-in-law, Louis XV, he was once again elected as king of Poland. However, this second reign also ended abruptly in 1736 when Leszczyński was pressured to abdicate due to the intervention of foreign powers.
Despite the relatively short durations of his reigns, Stanisław I Leszczyński is remembered as a notable figure in Polish history. His reigns symbolized the aspirations of reform-minded factions within the Polish nobility, and his legacy as an enlightened ruler and patron of the arts and sciences left a lasting impact on Polish culture.
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