The Battle of Byczyna, also known as the Battle of Pitschen (; ), was the deciding battle of the 1587–1588 War of the Polish Succession, which erupted after two rival candidates were elected to the Polish throne. The two opposing sides had forces nearly evenly matched, with armies about 6,000 strong, roughly half infantry and half cavalry. The battle was an overwhelming victory for the Polish-Swedish faction, led by the Swedish-born king-elect Sigismund III Vasa, over the army of his rival to the throne, Maximilian III, Archduke of Austria. Taking place near the Silesian town of Pitschen (modern Byczyna), then just a few kilometres outside the territory of Poland–Lithuania, on 24 January 1588, Sigismund's supporters were commanded by Chancellor and Great Crown Hetman Jan Zamoyski. Besides the commanders, notable participants included Stanisław Stadnicki on Maximilian's side, and Stanisław Żółkiewski on Sigismund's. The army of the Polish-Austrian (or Habsburg) faction was largely annihilated, the Archduke was captured and his cause came to an abrupt end. He subsequently renounced his claim to the Polish throne. Background In 1586, following the death of the previous Polish king, Stefan Bathory, the Swedish duke Sigismund III Vasa and Habsburg Maximilian III, Archduke of Austria, took part in the election to the joint Polish–Lithuanian throne. Each of the two candidates had supporters in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth with the two opposing sides gathered around the pro-Sigismund Chancellor and Great Crown Hetman Jan Zamoyski and the Primate of Poland, Stanisław Karnkowski on one side and the pro-Maximilian Zborowski family on the other. The rivalry between the Zamoyski and Zborowski families dated years past and tensions during the elections ran high. Sigismund, supported by Zamoyski and the former king's wife, Anna Jagiellon, was elected King of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth on 19 August 1587 and recognized as such by the interrex, the Primate Karnkowski. The election was disputed, however, by Maximilian and opponents of Sigismund chose not to respect the election outcome, decreeing that Maximilian was the rightful monarch three days later on 22 August. The Zborowski family called for a rokosz (legitimate right to rebel) and the election ended in chaos, with several killed and many wounded. For both the Zamoyski and Zborowski families, losing was not an option, as they knew the losing side would likely pay a severe price, from confiscations and loss of prestige to a possible death sentence for treason. Neither Sigismund nor Maximilian were