Kingdom of Bohemia

Czech Republic, 1198–1918. Draft, not yet reviewed

The Kingdom of Bohemia was a medieval and early modern monarchy in Central Europe and the predecessor state of the modern Czech Republic. The kingdom was established by the Přemyslid dynasty in the 12th century from the Duchy of Bohemia. It was later ruled by the House of Luxembourg, the Jagiellonian dynasty, and from 1526 the House of Habsburg and its successor, the House of Habsburg-Lorraine. Bohemia retained its name and formal status as a separate Kingdom of Bohemia until 1918, known as a crown land within the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Seat of power: Prague

Rulers

Ottokar I of Bohemia

King of Bohemia, 1198–1230

In 1212, Frederick granted the Golden Bull of Sicily to Bohemia, which recognised Ottokar and his heirs as Kings of Bohemia. Ottokar was the first hereditary King of Bohemia. Ottokar's reign was also notable for the start of German immigration into Bohemia and the growth of towns in what had until that point been forest lands.

Portrait of Ottokar I of Bohemia: Packare, CC BY-SA 4.0, file

Wenceslaus I of Bohemia

King of Bohemia, 1230–1253

Wenceslaus encouraged large numbers of Germans to settle in the villages and towns in Bohemia and Moravia. In 1241, Wenceslaus successfully repelled a raid on Bohemia by forces serving under Batu Khan and Subutai of the Mongol Empire as part of the Mongol invasion of Europe.

Portrait of Wenceslaus I of Bohemia: August Sedláček, Public domain, file

Ottokar II of Bohemia

King of Bohemia, 1253–1278

With Ottokar's rule, the Přemyslids reached the peak of their power in the Holy Roman Empire. He ruled an area from Austria to the Adriatic Sea. All of Ottokar's German possessions were lost in 1276, and in 1278 he was abandoned by part of the Czech nobility and died in the Battle on the Marchfeld against Rudolf.

Portrait of Ottokar II of Bohemia: Otakarus, Public domain, file

Wenceslaus II of Bohemia

King of Bohemia, 1278–1305

In 1290, Wenceslaus had Záviš beheaded for alleged treason and began ruling independently. In 1298, silver was discovered at Kuttenberg (now Kutná Hora) in Central Bohemia, and Wenceslaus took control of the mine by making silver production a royal monopoly. In 1300, Wenceslaus issued the new royal mining code Ius regale montanorum.

Portrait of Wenceslaus II of Bohemia: Master of the Codex Manesse (Additional Painter I), Public domain, file

John of Bohemia

King of Bohemia, 1310–1346

He was disliked by much of the Czech nobility. John was considered an "alien king" and gave up the administration of Bohemia after a while and embarked on a life of travel.

Portrait of John of Bohemia: Packare, CC0, file

Charles IV

King of Bohemia, 1346–1378

Charles IV strengthened the power and prestige of the Bohemian kingdom. He issued the Golden Bull of 1356, defining and codifying the process of election to the Imperial throne, with the Bohemian king among the seven electors. He created the Crown of Bohemia, incorporating Moravia, Silesia and Lusatia.

Portrait of Charles IV: Circle of Theodoric of Prague, Public domain, file

Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia

King of Bohemia, 1378–1419

During his long reign, Wenceslaus held a tenuous grip on power at best, as he came into repeated conflicts with the Bohemian nobility led by the House of Rosenberg. On two occasions he was even imprisoned for lengthy spells by rebellious nobles during the Moravian Margrave Wars. On 18 January 1409, Wenceslas issued the Decree of Kutná Hora, giving the Czechs three votes and the others a single vote.

Portrait of Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia: User:Acoma, CC BY-SA 4.0, file

Vladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary

King of Bohemia, 1471–1516

The Diet of Bohemia elected Vladislaus king after George's death, but he could rule only Bohemia proper because Matthias, whom the Roman Catholic nobles had elected king, occupied adjacent Moravia. He settled in Buda, which enabled the Estates of Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia and both Lusatias to take full charge of state administration. The Diet confirmed the right of the Bohemian noblemen and commoners to adhere freely to the religious faith of Hussitism or Roman Catholicism in 1485.

Portrait of Vladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary: Master of Litoměřice Altarpiece, Public domain, file

Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor

King of Bohemia, 1526–1564

Ferdinand was a capable organiser with institutional imagination, who focused on building a centralised government for Austria, Hungary, and Bohemia instead of striving for a universal monarchy. While he was able to introduce uniform models of administration, the governments of Austria, Bohemia, and Hungary remained distinct. His approach to Imperial problems, including governance, human relations and religious matters, was generally flexible, moderate and tolerant.

Portrait of Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor: Hans Bocksberger the Elder, Public domain, file

Emperor Rudolf II

King of Bohemia, 1576–1611

Rudolf would remain reserved, secretive, and largely a recluse who did not like to travel or even partake in the daily affairs of the state. In 1583, he moved the court to Prague. Under Rudolf's reign, there was a policy of tolerance towards Judaism.

Portrait of Emperor Rudolf II: Workshop of Martino Rota, Public domain, file

Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor

King of Bohemia, 1657–1705

Leopold remained under the spell of his clerical education and Jesuit influence throughout his life. Leopold's reign is known for conflicts with the Ottoman Empire in the Great Turkish War and rivalry with Louis XIV in the west. By the Treaty of Karlowitz, Leopold recovered almost all of the Kingdom of Hungary, which had fallen under Turkish power in the years after the 1526 Battle of Mohács.

Portrait of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor: Benjamin Block, Public domain, file

Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor

King of Bohemia, 1711–1740

Faced with his lack of male heirs, Charles provided for a male-line succession failure with the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713. Charles sought the other European powers' approval. France, Spain, Saxony-Poland, Bavaria, and Prussia later reneged.

Portrait of Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor: Johann Gottfried Auerbach, Public domain, file

Maria Theresa of Austria

King of Bohemia, 1740–1780

Although she was expected to cede power to her husband, Emperor Francis I, and her eldest son, Emperor Joseph II, who were officially her co-rulers in Austria and Bohemia, Maria Theresa ruled as an autocratic sovereign with the counsel of her advisers. She promulgated institutional, financial, medical, and educational reforms, with the assistance of Wenzel Anton of Kaunitz-Rietberg, Friedrich Wilhelm von Haugwitz, and Gerard van Swieten. A pious Catholic, she despised Freemasons, Jews and Protestants, and on certain occasions she ordered their expulsion to remote parts of the realm.

Portrait of Maria Theresa of Austria: Martin van Meytens, Public domain, file

Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor

King of Bohemia, 1792–1835

He was the last Holy Roman Emperor (as Francis II) from 1792 to 1806, and the first Emperor of Austria (as Francis I) from 1804 to 1835. In 1806, after Napoleon created the Confederation of the Rhine, Francis abdicated as Holy Roman Emperor, which in effect marked the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire. Due to the establishment of the Concert of Europe, which resisted popular nationalist and liberal tendencies, Francis was viewed as a reactionary later in his reign.

Portrait of Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor: Friedrich von Amerling, Public domain, file

Franz Joseph I of Austria

King of Bohemia, 1848–1916

Largely considered a reactionary, Franz Joseph spent his early reign resisting constitutionalism in his domains. He concluded the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, which both granted greater autonomy to Hungary and created the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary. After ruling his domains for almost 68 years, Franz Joseph died in 1916.

Portrait of Franz Joseph I of Austria: Carl Pietzner, Public domain, file

Culture

In 1344, the bishopric of Prague was made an archbishopric, freeing it from the jurisdiction of Mainz. Charles University in Prague was founded in 1348, and Charles intended to make Prague into an international center of learning.
The Hussite movement was primarily a religious, as well as national, manifestation.
In 1414, Hus was summoned to the Council of Constance, and the council condemned him as a heretic. Hus's death sparked the Hussite Wars, decades of religious warfare.
The Czech language was the main language of the Diet and the nobility until 1627, after the Bohemian Revolt was suppressed.

Picture

Charles Bridge is a medieval stone arch bridge that crosses the Vltava river in Prague, and its construction started in 1357.

Image: A.Savin, FAL, file

Sources

Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.