John III Sobieskis military patronage in 1667-1696 : the role, importance and research postulates

The article describes the mechanism of military patronage of John III Sobieski in the period of 1667-1696. It provides a synthesis of the current state of research, focusing mostly on the time when Sobieski held the "hetman" office (highest ranking military officer) and when he established a system of military patronage which gave him full control over the Crown (Polish) army and allowed him to use it in his political actions. Another objective of the article is to identify areas for further research, especially regarding the post-1683 period.