Augustus III (1696–1763)

Elector of Saxony and King of Poland 1733–63. In his reign, the city of Dresden developed into a centre of baroque art and culture, but Poland's prestige continued to decline. The joint monarchy of Saxony and Poland established by his father ended with his death.

Augustus III was the only legitimate son of Augustus II. His accession sparked the War of the Polish Succession, when Stanislas Leszczynski, the pretender whom his father had deposed in 1709, revived his claim to the throne. With Russian help, Augustus expelled Stanislas. He sided with Austria in the Seven Years' War (1756–63), was defeated by Frederick the Great of Prussia at the battle of Kesseldorf and driven from Saxony, but the peace terms of 1763 restored Saxony to him.