The union of Poland and Lithuania was ruled by the Jagiellon royal house from 1385-1572 after
which a political transition to an elective monarchy was undertaken. This book studies the
political transition from the Jagiellon dynasty to an elective monarchy as a political
decision-making process in the 1560s and 1570s. It focuses on the Polish-Lithuanian nobility
and clergy as 'king-makers' and their relationship with the monarchy. In addition special
attention is paid to the issue of transnational influences and the way in which the
international state system affected events in Poland-Lithuania. Thus this particular political
transition is considered in the context of the great events of early modern Europe such as the
Reformation and state-formation processes.
