Bohemia

:For the place in the USA, see Bohemia, New York.

History of Bohemia

Roman authors provide the first clear reference to this area as Boiohaemum, which is Germanic for "the home of the Boii", who were a Celtic people. As part of the territory often crossed during the major Germanic and Slavic migrations, the area was settled from the 1st century BC by Germanic (probably Suebic) peoples including the Marcomanni. After their migration to the south-west, they were replaced around the 6th century by the Slavic precursors of today's Czechs.

Related Topics:
Roman - Germanic - Boii - Celtic - Germanic - Slavic - Suebic - Marcomanni - 6th century - Czechs

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After freeing themselves from the rule of the Avars in the 7th century, Bohemia's Slavic inhabitants came (in the 9th century) under the rule of the P?emyslid dynasty, which continued until 1306. With Bohemia's conversion to Christianity in the 9th century, close relations were forged with the East Frankish kingdom, then part of the so-called Carolingian empire, later the nucleus of the Holy Roman Empire of which Bohemia was an autonomous part from the 10th century.

Related Topics:
Avars - 7th century - 9th century - P?emyslid dynasty - 1306 - Christianity - Frankish - Carolingian - Empire - Holy Roman Empire - 10th century

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The first to use the title of "King of Bohemia" was Boleslav I after 940, but his heirs again used the title of Duke. The title of King was granted to the Premyslid dukes Vratislav II (1085) and Vladislav II (1158), and became hereditary (1198) under Ottokar I, whose grandson Ottokar II (king 1253-1278) founded a short-lived empire also covering modern Austria. The mid-13th century saw the beginning of substantial German immigration as the court sought to make good the losses resulting from the brief Mongol invasion of 1241. In 1346, Charles IV became King of Bohemia. In 1348 he founded central Europe's first university in Prague. His reign brought Bohemia to its peak both politically and in total area, resulting in his being the first King of Bohemia to be elected as Holy Roman Emperor.

Related Topics:
Boleslav I - Duke - King - Premyslid - Vratislav II - 1085 - Vladislav II - 1158 - 1198 - Ottokar I - Ottokar II - 1253 - 1278 - Austria - 13th century - Mongol - 1241 - 1346 - Charles IV - 1348 - Prague - Holy Roman Emperor

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A national Czech movement against (mainly German) foreign immigrants was promoted by the religious movement of Hussites under the leadership of Jan Hus, a precursor of Martin Luther, who was eventually burned at the stake. When the crusade against heresy was declared by the Pope, it created a period of turmoil in Bohemia called the Hussite Wars. Bohemia was granted freedom of religion in 1436 by so-called Basel Compactates (Peace and Freedom between Catholics and Utraquists (today: Bohemian Church)) but this lasted for only a short time, as in 1462, Pope Pius II declared Basel Compactates invalid.

Related Topics:
Jan Hus - Martin Luther - Crusade - Heresy - Pope - Hussite Wars - Freedom of religion - 1436 - 1462 - Pope Pius II

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In 1609, Bohemian king Rudolph II, who was titularly a Catholic, was coerced by Bohemian nobility to publish Maiestas Rudolphina, which confirmed the older Confessio Bohemica of 1575. It can be said that there was relative freedom of religion in Bohemia between 1436 and 1620 and in this Bohemia was one of the most liberal countries of the Christian world.

Related Topics:
1609 - 1575

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In 1618, opposition to Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor as King of Bohemia led to the Thirty Years' War and the selection of an alternative Protestant king, Frederick V, Elector Palatine.The Protestant nobility were largely expelled after their defeat in the Battle of White Mountain in 1620. Until the so-called "Renewed Constitution" of 1627 (by which German was introduced as the second official language), Czech language was the official language of the Kingdom, although both German and Latin were widely known among the ruling classes, too. The German language became increasingly dominant. Also the formal independence of Bohemia further eroded when the Bohemian Diet approved the so-called Pragmatic Sanction (indivisibility of the Habsburg empire, also female succession approved) in 1720, and also during centralisation reforms in 1749, when the Royal Bohemian Chancellery was unified with the Austrian Chancellery.

Related Topics:
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor - Thirty Years' War - Frederick V, Elector Palatine - Protestant - Battle of White Mountain - 1620 - 1749

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At the end of the 18th century, the Czech national revivalist movement, in cooperation with a part of the Bohemian aristocracy, started a campaign for restoration of the Kingdom's historic rights, and for a better status of the Czech language. Coronation of Leopold II as King of Bohemia in 1792 and minor language concessions were the first modest results of the movement. The movement became stronger and more influential, and Czech politicians fully and actively participated in the 1848 revolution.

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However, the revolution was defeated. The old Bohemian Diet, one of the last remnants of the independence, was dissolved.

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In 1861, a new, elected Bohemian Diet was established. The renewal of the old Bohemian Crown (Kingdom of Bohemia, Margraviate of Moravia and Duchy of Silesia) became the official political program of both Czech liberal politicians and the majority of Bohemian aristocracy ("state rights program"), while parties representing the German minority and small part of the aristocracy proclaimed their loyalty to the centralistic Constitution (so-called "Verfassungstreue"). In 1867, a parallel movement in Hungary achieved an establishment of a dual Habsburg monarchy ("Austria-Hungary"), while an attempt to establish a tripartite monarchy (Austria-Hungary-Bohemia) in 1871 failed. However, the "state rights program" remained the official platform of all Czech political parties (except for social democrats) until 1918.

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Bohemia became a part of the Habsburg Lands (later - after 1810 - unofficially known as the Austrian Empire) in 1526 ( when the young Bohemian king, Ludvik, died in the well-known Battle of Mohacs against Turks), when Bohemian Parliament voted for Ferdinand of Habsburg as the king of Bohemia. The Bohemian state and the Bohemian Crown (which included Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia) never lost their independence in juristic terms, but Habsburg kings drove centralisation, strong governement, Germanification and eventually the annihilation of Bohemian political elites and Bohemian parliament.

Related Topics:
1810 - Battle of Mohacs

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There were 4 big Bohemian revolts against Habsburg king's centralisation:

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First revolt (1546-1547) - against king Ferdinand I, who contravened the Bohemian law - in 1547 Ferdinand I destroyed the military opposition of Bohemian nobility and towns; there were persecutions and confiscations of property and two aristocrats and two burghers were executed.

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Second revolt (1618-1622} - uprising of non-Catholic majority against the realignment to Catholicism of the Catholic old king Matyas II of Habsburg and his heir, the ultra-Catholic duke Ferdinand of Stiria. The king's officers were defenestrated (thrown out of the windows) and all negotiation attempts failed after Matyas II's death in March 1619. Ferdinand of Stiria was deposed by the so-called Directorium (cabinet with 30 of the leading men of country, created and voted in by Bohemian parliament in summer 1618) and parliament voted Fridrich, Elector Palatinate as king of Bohemia (his wife was Elisabeth Stuart, daughter of English king James). In November 1620, troops of Ferdinand of Stiria defeated king Fridrich of Bohemia at Bila Hora, near Prague. In 1622, Ferdinand took aver the country and overthrew Fridrich who with Elisabeth fled to exile. As king of Bohemia Ferdinand II started a reign of terror: confications, persecutions, and forced realignment to Catholicism. 27 men of the Bohemian elite (mainly members of cabinet (Directorium)) were horribly tortured and executed in 1621 at Old Town Square, Prague. In 1627, decrees were passed that meant that all non-Catholics had to convert to Catholicism or be exiled from the country.

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Third revolt (1741-1742} - part of Bohemian nobility recognized Karel Albrecht of Bavaria as Bohemian king Karel III. In autumn 1742, troops of Maria Theresia of Habsburg defeated Karel III's troops. In 1743, Maria became Bohemian queen.

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Fourth revolt (1914-1918) - Political movements by Bohemian exiles and the First World War led to the independence of Bohemian Kingdom and removal of the Habsburgs.

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Thomas G. Masaryk became a P. M. of Bohemian exile cabinet. Bohemian exile government became a member of Britain-France-Russia coalition and independent Bohemian army was formed in Serbia, France, Italy and Russia (this famous Bohemian Legion fought against Russian Bolsheviks}. In October 28, 1918, a home resistance group called 'Maffia' orchestrated a coup against the Habsburgs. In November 13, 1918, Bohemian Kingdom became a republic and integrated a new province, Slovakia to become the state of 'Czechoslovakia'. -->

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After World War I, Bohemia became the cornerstone of the newly-formed country of Czechoslovakia. Czechoslovakia became a rich and liberal democratic republic, and Tomá? Masaryk was elected as its first president.

Related Topics:
World War I - Czechoslovakia - Tomá? Masaryk

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Following the infamous Munich conference in 1938, the border regions of Bohemia inhabited predominantly by ethnic Germans, were annexed to Germany - it was the first and only time in the whole history of Bohemia that it was divided. Between 1939-1945, the remaining part of Bohemia together with Moravia formed the German Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (Reichsprotektorat Böhmen und Mähren) under the Occupation.

Related Topics:
1939 - 1945 - Moravia - Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia

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Agnes of Bohemia (Sv. Anezka Ceska, 1211-1282) was the first saint from a Central European country to be canonized by Pope John Paul II before the 1989 "Velvet Revolution".

Related Topics:
Agnes of Bohemia - Pope John Paul II - Velvet Revolution

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After the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993, Bohemia became part of the new Czech Republic.

Related Topics:
1993 - Czech Republic

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The Czech constitution from 1992 refers to the "citizens of the Czech Republic in Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia" and proclaims continuity with the statehood of the Bohemian Crown. Bohemia is not currently an administrative unit of the Czech Republic. Instead, it is divided into Prague, the Central Bohemian Region, the Pilsen Region, the Carlsbad Region, the Usti nad Labem Region, the Liberec Region, the Hradec Kralove Region, and parts of the Pardubice, Vysocina and South Bohemian regions.

Related Topics:
Prague - Central Bohemian Region - Pilsen Region - Carlsbad Region - Usti nad Labem Region - Liberec Region - Hradec Kralove Region - Pardubice - Vysocina - South Bohemian

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