The 12th and 13th centuries were times of adversity for Poland. In 1138 the kingdom, which had been growing in strength under the rule of the Piast dynasty, encountered an obstacle which impeded its development for nearly two hundred years. In the will of King Boles³aw Krzywousty (Boleslaus the Wry-mouthed), Poland was divided into five provinces - Silesia, Mazovia with Cuiavia, Greater Poland (Polonia Major, Wielkopolska), the part of Pomerania around the City of Gdañsk, the Sandomierz Region, and Lesser Poland (Polonia Minor, Ma³opolska), the 'senior palatinate', comprising the areas around Cracow, £êczyca, and Sieradz. To prevent his four sons from quarrelling, Boleslaus granted one province to each of them, and the fifth one, the senior palatinate, was to be given to the eldest brother on the grounds of primogeniture. The reason for such a decision was not only to forestall dynastic feuds, but also to prevent the disintegration of the kingdom. However, it proved an inadequate solution, and started nearly two centuries of what it had sought to counteract - constant fighting and disorder. It came to an end thanks to W³adys³aw £okietek (Vladislaus the Ell-high or the Short), the monarch who has come down in history as the restorer of a united Kingdom of Poland.

Vladislaus was born circa 1260 as the third son of Kazimierz (Casimir) I, Duke of £êczyca, Sieradz and Cuiavia. After the death of his father, he inherited Cuiavia, while the remaining two duchies went to his brothers, Leszek Czarny (the Black) and Kazimierz of £êczyca. However, following the deaths of both brothers, the entire inheritance passed to Vladislaus, who began the task of re-uniting the Kingdom of Poland. His next step was to win Lesser Poland, for which he had to contest the local prince, Przemys³aw (Premislaus) II. Following Premislaus' death in 1290, Vladislaus proclaimed himself his successor and established himself in Lesser Poland, as well as in Pomerania. Unfortunately, he had to defer to Vaclav (Wenceslas) II of Bohemia, who had the support of the local lords. However, Vladislaus enjoyed the support of the Lesser Polish peasants, knights and part of the clergy who preferred a prince from the domestic Piast dynasty. Thus, in 1304 Vladislaus entered and occupied Lesser Poland with an army of his supporters, which, according to the 15th-century historian Jan D³ugosz, consisted of more peasants than knights. He also conquered Pomerania around Gdañsk, but since he did not win the favour of the local lords and settlers from Brandenburg who had migrated to that area, he was forced to give up the idea of complete control of the Baltic coast.

By 1311 Vladislaus was already in power in Lesser Poland and his Cuiavian patrimony. Despite a rebellion by the German patricians of Cracow and Sandomierz, he was able to hold these cities thanks to the support of the nobility, gentry and townsfolk. Three years later, Greater Poland also came under his rule. However this did not mean the end of his problems, as John of Luxemburg, King of Bohemia, also claimed the succession to the Polish crown. In alliance with the Teutonic Order, he attacked Poland from the north and west, while the Brandenburgians attempted to capture Greater Poland. Nonetheless, Vladislaus managed to maintain his dominions.

In 1318 he embarked on a coronation campaign. The pope, though initially unwilling, finally granted his approval and Vladislaus was crowned King of Poland on 30 January 1320 in Cracow. The coronation was a sign that he had cleared Poland's internal fragmentation and re-united and re-instated the country as an independent kingdom.

Vladislaus the Short died on 2 March 1333 in Cracow. Although his son, Kazimierz III Wielki (Casimir the Great), inherited only Lesser Poland, the Duchy of Sandomierz, Greater Poland, Cuiavia, and the Duchies of £êczyca and Sieradz; while Silesia and the Land of Lubusz to the west, along with Gdañskian Pomerania, Western Pomerania, and Mazovia the north remained beyond the Kingdom's borders, Vladislaus' reign was a major step on the road to restoration of the Kingdom of Poland.

Facts In historic Poland, an ell was a measure of length. 1 ell equalled 0.78 metres. Due to his short stature, the king was nicknamed '£okietek', which is a diminutive of the word '³okieæ' (ell, elbow).