Báthori Zsigmond politikája és harmadik lemondása (1599–1600)
Sigismund Báthory’s Policy and His Third Abdication (1599–1600)

Summary/Abstract: The paper discusses the policy and the personality of Sigismund Báthory (1572–1613), Prince of Transylvania. The author analyzes the historical background of his abdications and returns, with special emphasis on his third abdication in favor of his elder nephew, cardinal Andrew Báthory. After his resignation in March 1599, Sigismund stayed for a while on the Transylvanian estates given to him by Andrew, and then in the summer left for Poland to the Prussian estates conceded to him. Analyzing the letters of Sigismund to his nephew Andrew, one can have insight into Sigismund’s mentality and policy. While Sigismund emphasized his loyalty to the new prince, he retained his own princely title. He tried to give general advice on ruling to his nephew, and practical advice to his uncle Stephen Bocskai. He admitted that the enmity between Prince Andrew and Bocskai was attributable to some scheming people, but still suggested that Prince Andrew should occupy Bocskai’s castles in case the charges turned out to be true. After his nephew Prince Andrew had been defeated by the Wallachian voivode Michael and murdered (October 1599), Sigismund renewed his claim to the principality. After the fall of Michael (September 1600), he returned to the Principality with Polish and Ottoman support and regained the country (February 1601). Soon he was defeated by the Habsburg army, abdicated (1602) and left for Bohemia. Prince Sigismund Báthory was a complicated personality, an active and restless politician. In the beginning he had been influenced by his elder advisers (Stephen Bocskai, Alfonso Carrillo), but later he made his own decisions. He was regarded perfidious and tyrannical by most of his contemporaries. His policy was considered inconsistent and illogical due to his mental illness and the total failure of his marriage with Maria Christina of Austria. In the author’s opinion, Prince Sigismund tried to take into account in all of his decisions the interests of both Christianity and Transylvania/Hungary as well as his own interests and those of the Báthory family. At first he allied (1595) with Emperor Rudolf, the Hungarian king against the Ottoman Empire in the 15 Years War (1593–1606). Then he gave up Transylvania to Emperor Rudolf to defend the country from the Ottomans (1598). Then after his return, he transferred the rule to his nephew Andrew to secure Transylvania with Polish and Ottoman support (1599, and in the end he tried again to govern Transylvania as a Turkish vassal (1601). He could not succeed but tried every way and method.

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