Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition/Augustus III.

AUGUSTUS III., or FREDERICK AUGUSTUS II., Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, only legitimate son of Augustus the Strong, was born at Dresden, 7th October 1696. He was brought up in the Protestant faith, but in 1712, while on his travels, he entered the Church of Rome, though his change of opinion was not publicly known till 1717. In 1733 he succeeded his father as elector of Saxony, and put forward claims to the kingdom of Poland. The Polish nobles, however, had become dissatisfied with foreign rule, and endeavoured to reinstate Stanislaus Lesz- czinski, whose daughter was married to Louis XV. of France. Russia and Austria, probably bribed, but certainly dread ing French influence in Poland, supported Augustus, who was elected, though in an informal manner, and by their aid established himself in the kingdom. On the death of Charles of Austria in 1740, Saxony at first joined the league against Maria Theresa, but jealousy of the Prussian successes in the first campaign caused Augustus to unite with the empress when war broke out a second time in 1744. His forces were completely defeated by Frederick, and Saxony was overrun and pillaged by the Prussian troops. Eleven years later Augustus joined the alliance against Frederick, which gave rise to the Seven Years War. He was again unfortunate ; the whole Saxon army was surrounded and compelled to surrender at Pirna in 1756, and during the remainder of the war Saxony and Poland were the seats of operations, and suffered severely. Augustus died 5th October 1763, surviving only by a few months the peace of Hubertsburg. During his reign considerable additions were made to the collections of art treasures formed by his father, and Dresden began to be celebrated throughout Europe for its china and pictures.