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Problems of the Reign of George of Poděbrady

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2017

Otakar Odložilík
Otakar Odložilík*
Affiliation:
Columbia University
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Extract

For more than twenty years George of Poděbrady, the leader of the Hussites and king of Bohemia, strove for the pacification of his country and the restoration of diplomatic relations between Prague and other courts of Europe. In the early years of his career he met with opposition at home. A group of the Catholic nobility in Bohemia and Moravia, with the richest Bohemian magnate, Oldřich of Rožmberk, at their head, followed with unfriendly eyes the rise in power of the representative of the Hussite party and retarded his work by hostile actions or intrigues. Among the German-speaking Catholics of Silesia and of both Lusatias the opposition against George was fomented by the deep-rooted racial antagonism which had been accentuated during the Hussite period and hindered thereafter the collaboration of the incorporated provinces with Prague. By his tolerant policy George allayed to a great extent the fears and suspicions of his adversaries, and secured their support or, at least, acquiescence in his elevation to the royal throne in 1458.

Type
Research Article
Information
Slavonic Yearbook American Series , Volume 1 , 1941 , pp. 206 - 222
Copyright
Copyright © Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies 1941

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References

1 I have published recently a sketch of his life and policy: “George of Pod6brady and Bohemia to the Pacification of Silesia — 1459”, University of Colorado Studies, Ser. B. Vol. I, No. 3, pp. 265–288.

2 Quoted from Staři Letopisovt Čeští (ed. Frant. Palacký), Prague, 1829, p. 176.

3 See the above-mentioned biographical sketch in the Univ. of Colorado Studies, p. 282.

4 Frant. Palacký published this letter in his Urkundliche Beiträge zur Geschichte Böhmens und seiner Nachbarländer iin Zeilalter Georgs von Podiebrad (Fontes Rerum Austriacarum, II. Abt., vol. XX), Vienna, 1860, p. 243.

5 See Waugh, W. T., A History of Europe 1378–1494 (London, 1932), p. 476 Google Scholar. There is a detailed description of proceedings in Rome, based on contemporary and mostly unprinted accounts, in Frant. Palacký's comprehensive history of Bohemia, Dêjiny Národn Českiho v Čechách a na Moravê; those not reading Czech are referred to the German version of Palacký, Geschichte Böhmens und Mährens, vol. IV, part 2, p. 207 seq. An anonymous letter from Rome to Breslau points out the difference between the French and the Czech dele gations as well as the contrast in reception given to them by the Pope and his Court (published in Scriptores Rerum Silesiacartim, VIII, 85). See also G. Voigt, Enea Silvio Piccolomini. als Papst Pius II (Berlin, 1856–63), III, 456.

6 There is a short account of the meeting on August 12, 1462, in Starí Letopisové Češti, p. 177.

7 A biography of Marini: De Antonio Marini et de Bohemiae Ralione Politico, by Ernest Denis, appeared in Angoulême in 1878. See also: Nic. Jorga, “Un auteur de projets de coisades, Antoine Marini,” Étiides d'Mstoire dit Moyen Âge dédiées à Gab. Monod (1896), PP. 445–57.

8 There is an ample evidence of that in documents relating to the mission of Archbishop Jerome of Crete. See, e.g., Scr. Rer. Siles., VII, 66.

9 Hermann Markgraf, “Über Georg's von Podiebrad Project eines christlichen Völkerpundes zur Vertreibung der Türken aus Europa und Herstellung des allgemeinen Friedens innerhalb der Christenheit,” Historische Zeilschrift, XXI, 245–304 still has great value. See also F. M. Bartoš, “Návrh krále Jiřího na utvoření svazu evropských stát𐅯 a jeho původce Dr. Martin Mair”, Jihočesfý Sborník Historický, XII (1940), 65–82.

10 Markgraf, l.c., pp. 181–215.

11 The citation and accessory documents have been published in Scr. Rer. Siles., IX, 77–86.

12 The bulls of Paul II have been published in Scr. Rer. Siles, IX, 135–139, 147–149, 210–212.

13 See Palacký, Urkundliche Beiträge, p. 371.

14 The original Czech version of the description of his journey has been lost; a Latin translation by Stanislav Pavlovský, Bishop of Olomouc, Commenlarius brevis et iucundus…, appeared in 1577. See Henry Cust, Gentlemen Errant, London, 1909.

15 The idea of an assembly appeared in George's defense against the citation of Oct. 21, 1465, in a form of petition: … dietam indicite competenti in loco … ; in ipsa enim dieta per STEM VAM indicenda patule videri et palpari poterit quin falsa pro veris ad VAM STEM sunt delata.” See Scr. Rer. Siles., IX, 142. The papal rejection (ibid. p. 151 seq.) shows how irritating any reminiscence of the Great Councils was. In the final form George's proposal was inserted in his appeal to the Hungarian king Matthias of July 28, drafted by Heimburg: … “ut in tali dieta apostolice sedis indiccione auctorizata et legatorum eius presidencia ins'gnita ac serenissimi domini et affinis nostri Imperatoris semper Augusti vestreque serenitatis aut celeberrimorum oratorum ac illustrissimorum principum dominorum electorum ac ceterorum principum federatorum nostrorum presentia illustrata, barones ac satrape regni civesque et urbium habitatores, veteris illius regni glorie admoniti, que non nisi sub Romani pontificis obedientia recuperari potest ac servari, piis adhortacionibus et suavissimis suasionibus ad obedienciam et reverenciam ac conformitatem ecclesie Romane illiciantur pocius quam cogantur.”

16 Published in Scr. Rer. Siles., IX, 188.

17 Palacký, Urk. Beiträge, p. 456: “… nos ad universale concilium ex ordine in magna synodo Constantiensi praefinitum et de decennio in decennium perpetuis futuris temporibus celebrandum provocamus et appellamus.”

18 See V. Novotný, “K Polskeé Kandidatuře na Český Trůn v Dobê Husitské’ Conférence des Historiens des États de l'Europe Orientale, Warsaw, 1928, pp. 137–145.

19 Palacký published in Urk. Beiträge, p. 571 ff., fragments of two diaries from April 7 to May 3, 1469, with details concerning discussions among members of the league and their negotiations with Matthias or his plenipotentiaries. Early in their course it was decided “ey dem hochsten Banne in grosser Heimligkeit zu helden vor allem” (ibid., p: 577).

20 Published by Palacký, Urk. Beiträge, pp. 610–615.

21 See A. Bachmann, Urkunden und Aktenstücke zur österreichischen Geschichte im Zeitaller Kaiser Friedrich's III. und König Georgs von Böhmen (in Fontes Rer. Auslriacarum, vol. XLII), p. 512: “Denn wir in ganczer Hoffnung sein, als er mit uns des Behmischen Pires getruncken hat, mit der Hilff Got, wollen wir mit ihm des Hungrischen Weins ob Got wil sichrer trinken.”

22 Quoted from a contemporary source by R. Urbánek in his biography of G., Husitský Král p. 273.

23 Staré letopisy česke, ed. F. Šimek (Prague, 1937), p. 147.