Visegrád - Upper Castle - Interior - Meeting 05
On November 19, 1335, in the most important diplomatic event in Central Europe of the 14th century, Casmir III of Poland and John I of Bohemia came to the royal court of Charles of Hungary in Visegrád to form an alliance against the rising power of the Habsburgs in the region.
Characterized by decline and decay, the 14th century opened an era of unparalleled crisis in Europe as disaster after disaster struck every aspect of European life, bringing centuries of European prosperity, growth and stability to a halt. It notably brought with it a sharp decline in population growth, largely due to a series of famines and plagues, along with its fair share of political instabilities and religious upheavals.
14th century diplomacy in Central Europe
Faced with increasing frictions and social unrest, the three Central European kingdoms of Bohemia, Poland and Hungary were not spared by the crises. In Hungary and Bohemia, the historic Árpád and Přemyslid dynasties died out almost simultaneously at the beginning of the century, while Poland was still recovering from a long period of feudal fragmentation after being reunified by the Piast ruler Władysław I Łokietek.
Added to this were rising diplomatic tensions, as the new Polish king was embroiled in territorial disputes with the Teutonic Order and with the recently crowned king of Bohemia, John I of the House of Luxembourg, who laid claim to the Polish throne through his claim on Silesia. But after the death of Władysław in 1333, his son Casimir ascended to the throne, which created a new dynamic in the relations of the three kingdoms. Once in power, Casimir III launched himself into the task of sorting out matters left to him by his father.
With a new king on the Polish throne, John of Bohemia also took an interest in normalising diplomatic relations, for he was in search of an ally against the rising power of his long-time enemies, the Austrian Counts of the House of Habsburg. In 1334, to settle the dispute over Polish territories, the parties involved chose arbiters and the young Polish king appointed his brother-in-law and ally, King Charles of Hungary.
Married to Casimir’s sister, the Hungarian king accepted the task with great zeal and mediated between the young Polish ruler and the old Bohemian king during the two-year diplomatic process between Bohemia and Poland on the one hand, and Poland and the Teutonic Order on the other. And in September 1335, a Bohemian delegation went to the Hungarian royal court in Visegrád to conclude an alliance with Charles of Hungary on the Bohemian king’s behalf.
By November 1335, the time was finally ripe for the meeting of the three kings and Charles of Hungary invited Casimir III of Poland and John of Bohemia, along with his 19-year-old son Charles, later to be Emperor Charles IV, to Visegrád, where they were joined by many Polish, Silesian and German principals as part of their delegations, as well as the rep--resentatives of the Teutonic Order, for a period of over four weeks.
(kafkadesk.org/2021/11/19/on-this-day-in-1335-the-kings-of...)
Visegrád - Upper Castle - Interior - Meeting 05
On November 19, 1335, in the most important diplomatic event in Central Europe of the 14th century, Casmir III of Poland and John I of Bohemia came to the royal court of Charles of Hungary in Visegrád to form an alliance against the rising power of the Habsburgs in the region.
Characterized by decline and decay, the 14th century opened an era of unparalleled crisis in Europe as disaster after disaster struck every aspect of European life, bringing centuries of European prosperity, growth and stability to a halt. It notably brought with it a sharp decline in population growth, largely due to a series of famines and plagues, along with its fair share of political instabilities and religious upheavals.
14th century diplomacy in Central Europe
Faced with increasing frictions and social unrest, the three Central European kingdoms of Bohemia, Poland and Hungary were not spared by the crises. In Hungary and Bohemia, the historic Árpád and Přemyslid dynasties died out almost simultaneously at the beginning of the century, while Poland was still recovering from a long period of feudal fragmentation after being reunified by the Piast ruler Władysław I Łokietek.
Added to this were rising diplomatic tensions, as the new Polish king was embroiled in territorial disputes with the Teutonic Order and with the recently crowned king of Bohemia, John I of the House of Luxembourg, who laid claim to the Polish throne through his claim on Silesia. But after the death of Władysław in 1333, his son Casimir ascended to the throne, which created a new dynamic in the relations of the three kingdoms. Once in power, Casimir III launched himself into the task of sorting out matters left to him by his father.
With a new king on the Polish throne, John of Bohemia also took an interest in normalising diplomatic relations, for he was in search of an ally against the rising power of his long-time enemies, the Austrian Counts of the House of Habsburg. In 1334, to settle the dispute over Polish territories, the parties involved chose arbiters and the young Polish king appointed his brother-in-law and ally, King Charles of Hungary.
Married to Casimir’s sister, the Hungarian king accepted the task with great zeal and mediated between the young Polish ruler and the old Bohemian king during the two-year diplomatic process between Bohemia and Poland on the one hand, and Poland and the Teutonic Order on the other. And in September 1335, a Bohemian delegation went to the Hungarian royal court in Visegrád to conclude an alliance with Charles of Hungary on the Bohemian king’s behalf.
By November 1335, the time was finally ripe for the meeting of the three kings and Charles of Hungary invited Casimir III of Poland and John of Bohemia, along with his 19-year-old son Charles, later to be Emperor Charles IV, to Visegrád, where they were joined by many Polish, Silesian and German principals as part of their delegations, as well as the rep--resentatives of the Teutonic Order, for a period of over four weeks.
(kafkadesk.org/2021/11/19/on-this-day-in-1335-the-kings-of...)