| Popis: |
François-Louis de Bourbon, prince de La Roche-sur-Yon, later known as prince de Conti (1664-1709), was a French prince of the blood. In 1696, the French ambassador in Warsaw, Melchior de Polignac, insisted on presenting him to the Polish throne and promised his successful election. The king did not ask Conti for his opinion but agreed to the plan. Polignac’s political writings of the time presented the prince as an ideal future sovereign, while opponents, fearing the loss of their freedom under a French regime, described him as a great danger for Poland. The king of France refused to finance the search for partisans in Poland, and so Polignac enlisted the support of Poland’s greatest magnates. The election was held in an atmosphere of fierce rivalry. The supporters of the Frenchman began to hesitate: they accused the ambassador of deceiving them. The French memorialists blamed the Poles for their disloyalty and greed, accusing them of thwarting the prince’s success. A French victory was indeed uncertain, even though other actions were taken. A civil war was likely and the prince of Conti did not want to use all means available to him to achieve his ends. He lost his bid for the Polish throne, for rather complex reasons. His attitude towards this election remained enigmatic and has forced historians to confine themselves to speculation. |
