Bohemia

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Bohemia (Czech: Čechy; German: Böhmen) is a region in central Europe, occupying the ancient Dukedom and Kingdom of that name, currently the Czech Republic. It is often used to refer to the whole of this latter country, including Moravia and a tiny part of Silesia in historical contexts. It formed part of Austria-Hungary until 1919 when the plutocratic liberal Western Allies created the new artificial state[1][2][3] of Czechoslovakia.

It has an area of 52,750 km² and 6.25 million of the Czech Republic's 10.3 million inhabitants. Bohemia is bordered by Moravia, Germany and Poland. Bohemia's borders are marked with mountain ranges such as the Bohemian Forest, the Ore Mountains, and the Giant Mountains within the Sudeten mountains.

Historical chronology

See Slavs

The original inhabitants of what became Bohemia were the Celtic Boii people. In Roman times these Celts migrated as far west as Gaul and were replaced by the German Markomanni and Quades (or Quandi) peoples who maintained the Danube as part of their frontier against the Romans; the Markomanni wars are well recorded. Archaeological work 22km south of Brünn (Brno) shows that the Romans had a major town there. With the arrival of warlike Slav tribes from the east, they migrated early in the sixth century into nearby Bavaria, leaving behind substantial but scattered German settlers. By the 10th century Bohemia consisted largely of Slav tribes who had migrated over the Carpathians. In this century the so-called "Czech" tribes who had settled around Prague (who claimed to trace their descent from the legendary Přemysl) began to out-distance the chiefs of other tribes. They also became Christianized in this century. During this period the Holy Roman Emperor Otto II (r.973-983) was busy subduing their leader, Boleslav I (929-67) who had attempted to create an independent state.[4]

By 1043 German colonisation had permanently spread to the boundary of the rivers Leitha and March[5], and by the second half of the 13th century (1200s) onwards the areas known today as the Sudetenland were fully settled by ethnic Germans, many of whom had been invited to settle by the Bohemian kings – especially by Přemysl Otakar II (who had crusaded with the Teutonic Knights), and Wenceslaus II. Bohemia largely escaped the Mongol invasions of 1241.

Finding the Kingdom had no written laws, King Wenceslaus, despite opposition from the nobility, in 1300 sent for an Italian lawyer to compile a legal code.[6] However, the Přemyslid dynasty became extinct in 1306, and what had become the kingdom of Bohemia would henceforth be ruled by the German House of Luxemburg and then, by inheritance, by the Habsburgs.

German culture had struck deep roots in Bohemia, particularly so as she remained a member of the Holy Roman Empire; but the privileges she had obtained from Charles IV, and the acquisition of Silesia and Moravia, made her virtually independent.[7] King Charles IV brought refinement and science to Bohemia and embellished Prague with beautiful buildings. Despite the opposition of the nobility, he founded and had erected what became a celebrated university in Prague, importing German Dons for the faculties. John Huss subsequently became Rector of this university and distinguished himself by his opposition to the many abuses then prevailing in The Church. He and his disciple, Jerome, were eventually burnt at the stake, causing an uprising and what became known as the Hussite Wars.[8]

Monarchs

  • Boleslav II (r.967-99), the Czech leader, attempts to extend his rule over Moravia and some Polish lands.
  • Henry II The Saint, Holy Roman Emperor from 1125[9]. In 1003 Bohemia had part of the Holy Roman Empire to whom the Czech leaders had to pay homage as vassals for their autonomous province.[10]
  • Bratislav I (r.1034-55) revolts against Imperial rule but is defeated (1041).[11] His son:
  • Spitignev in revenge for his father's defeat temporarily expelled some Germans from Bohemia.[12]
  • Vratislav II (1061-92), in 1085, is created a Duke by the Emperor, and awarded the dignity of Cup-bearer of the Empire, which gave the Dukes a voice in German affairs.[13]
  • Sobeslav, Duke of Bohemia, was subdued by Lothar III The Saxon, Emperor from 1125.[14]
  • Vratislav I, (1140-73) created a vassal King in 1158 by Emperor Frederick Barbarossa[15], for his services to the Empire.[16]
  • Premysl Otakar I, King of Bohemia (1197-1230) received a Golden Bull from HRE Emperor Frederick II, who also recognised the Czech custom of mixture of seniority and election to their now Royal House. The investiture of the kingdom was retained by the Emperor.[17]
  • Premysl Otakar II, King of Bohemia (1253-78), also Margrave of Moravia, was a supporter of the Teutonic Knights after whom they named their new city of Königsberg (King's town). He laid a claim to the vacant duchies of Austria (parts of which he had occupied) and Styria, etc., which led to wars with Hungary, and Rudolf von Habsburg who recovered Austria in 1276. Otakar suffers rebellion in Bohemia, and is defeated and killed in battle on the Marchfield by a coalition of forces, 26 August 1278.[18]
  • Rudolf von Habsburg, Duke of Austria, and on 29 September 1273 King of the Romans & Holy Roman Emperor (1273-91)[19]. He had crusaded against the heathen Prussian tribes[20]. Gains Moravia.
  • Wenceslas II, King of Bohemia (only son of Premysl Otakar II)(1278-1305) was also expansionist and acquired Silesia and parts of a divided Poland, where he was also crowned King in 1300. (He married [1] Jutta (d.1297), daughter of Albert von Habsburg (1255-1308), Duke of Austria from 1291, and King of the Romans (1298-1308), by whom he had his issue.) In 1301 he entered the lists for the vacant throne of Hungary on behalf of his son Wenceslas (whose daughter Agnes (d.1296) had married Rudolf von Habsburg, Duke of Austria (1282-1290) and who died v.p.). This failed and this latter son and heir was murdered in 1306. Thus the Premyslid dynasty became extinct, and the Bohemian throne fell vacant.[21]
  • Henry of Luxemburg, Duke of Carinthia, crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 1312, who had married Anne (d.1313) elder daughter of Wenceslas II, was chosen King of Bohemia in right of his wife in 1307, but was driven out in 1310.[22] His brother:
  • John of Luxemburg The Blind, King of Bohemia (1310-1346), married Elizabeth, younger daughter of Wenceslas II. Otto von Habsburg (d.1339) (son of Albert d.1308) then married, secondly, Anna, daughter of this King John of Bohemia. John fell in the Battle of Cressy in France. John Henry of Luxemburg, Margrave of Moravia (1335-1375), a younger son of King John, married Margaret von Habsburg (d.1366).[23]
  • Charles IV of Luxemburg, King of Bohemia (1346-78), eldest son of King John & grandson of H.R.E. Henry VII[24], Holy Roman Emperor in 1347. Annexed Silesia[25]. Accused by some of making Bohemia a province of Germany.[26]
  • Wenceslas IV of Luxemburg, King of Bohemia (1378-1419), eldest son of Charles IV and elder brother of King Sigismund of Hungary, Holy Roman Emperor 1378-1400 (when he was deposed). He had no issue.

Crown passes to the House of Austria.

  • Albert von Habsburg (d.1439), King of Bohemia and (in 1437) Hungary, Holy Roman Emperor 1438-39. He married Elizabeth (d.1442), only daughter of King Sigismund of Hungary, second son of Charles IV of Luxemburg.[27] They had:
  • Ladislas von Habsburg, Postumus, King of Bohemia and Hungary (1452-57).

Thereafter King of Bohemia became one of the titles of the Austrian Emperor until the end of 1918.

See also

References

  1. ↑ The Tragedy of Trianon by Sir Robert Donald, G.B.E., LL.B., London, 1928, pps: 25-6, 57-8.
  2. ↑ Czecho-Slovakia Within by Count Bertram de Colonna, London, 1938, p.9.
  3. ↑ The Origins of the Second World War by A. J. P. Taylor, London, 1961, p.201.
  4. ↑ Previté-Orton, C.W., The Shorter Cambridge Medieval History, 2 vols, Cambridge University Press UK, 1952, pps: 441, 740-1.
  5. ↑ Previté-Orton, 1952, p.459.
  6. ↑ Hallam, Henry, LL.D., The Middle Ages, New Edition, vol.2, John Murray, London 1908, p.102n
  7. ↑ Bryce, James, D.C.L. The Holy Roman Empire, New Edition, Macmillan & Co., London, 1915, p.351.
  8. ↑ Hallam, 1908, pps: 86 & 102-3.
  9. ↑ Great-grandson of Emperor Henry The Fowler, and thus second cousin of Emperor Otto III. Bryce, 1915, p.146.
  10. ↑ Previté-Orton, 1952, p.451.
  11. ↑ Previté-Orton, 1952, p.741.
  12. ↑ Previté-Orton, 1952, p.459.
  13. ↑ Previte-Orton, 1952, p.741.
  14. ↑ Previté-Orton, 1952 p.558.
  15. ↑ Bryce (1915, p.261) asserts that only the Holy Roman Emperor had the right of creating Kings.
  16. ↑ Previté-Orton, 1952, p.741.
  17. ↑ Previté-Orton, 1952, p.741.
  18. ↑ Previté-Orton, 1952, p.741-2.
  19. ↑ Rady, Prof., Martyn, The Habsburgs, Allen Lane, London, 2020, p.24.
  20. ↑ https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rudolf-I-king-of-Germany
  21. ↑ Previté-Orton, 1952, pps: 742 and 801.
  22. ↑ Previté-Orton, 1952 p.801-2.
  23. ↑ Previté-Orton, 1952 p.796-7.
  24. ↑ Bryce, 1915, p.229.
  25. ↑ Bryce, 1915, p.181.
  26. ↑ Hallam, 1908, vol.ii, p.85.
  27. ↑ Rady, 2020, p.43.
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