Augustus III.

Augustus III. (or FREDERICK-AUGUSTUS II.), the son and successor of the above, was born at Dresden, October 7, 1696, and carefully educated by his mother in the Protestant faith. In the course of a tour through Europe, however, he changed his religion, secretly professing Catholicism at Bologna in 1712, though the fact was not publicly known in Saxony till five years later. He succeeded his father as Elector in 1733, and was chosen king of Poland by a part of the nobility. Jealousy of French influence secured him the support of Russia and Austria against Stanislaus Leszczynski, who had married a daughter of Louis XV., and three years later Augustus was elected. He inherited his father's sumptuous tastes, though not his talents; and he enriched the gallery of Dresden with noble paintings, for which, and its china, his capital now began to be celebrated. In 1742, alarmed at the increased power Prussia had obtained by the conquest of Silesia, Augustus formed an alliance with Maria Theresa; and by the secret treaty of Leipzig, contracted to supply her with 50,000 men. But their united troops were completely routed by the Prussians in 1745; and Frederick II. pushing on into Saxony, Augustus had to escape from his capital, saving his art-treasures, but leaving his state-papers in the hands of the conqueror. In 1746 the peace of Dresden restored him Saxony; but the close of the year again saw him embroiled with Prussia. Joining the camp at Pirna, he narrowly escaped being taken prisoner, and had to flee to Poland. At the conclusion of the peace of Hubertsburg, Augustus returned to Dresden, where he died, October 5, 1763. The notorious Count Brühl (q.v.) was his favourite, and from 1746 onwards, his prime-minister. His son, Frederick-Christian, succeeded him in the electorate, and Stanislaus Poniatowski became king of Poland.