Liberty and Progress
Elisabeth I of Poland
The Disaster at Plowce
The Teutonic Order attempted to take Brześć Kujawski after standing all day in the sun. The German army from the Teutonic Order had 7,000 men, and was opposed by a Polish army of 5,000 men. On September 27, 1331 one-third of the Teutonic Order's force of knights under Dietrich von Altenburg left the blockaded peasant town of Płowce. The Poles, under Wladysław I the Elbow-high and his son Casimir, immediately attacked in a frontal assault. They were immediately joined by Polish detachments hiding in a forest to the left of the town. Reportedly, during the first phase of the battle Prince Casimir was ordered to depart so as not to deprive the Polish Kingdom of the presumptive heir, Casimir told his father that he will stay at the battle and help his father and he stayed at the battle, however Prince Casimir died in action and was defeated by the Teutonic Knights, the news of the death of Prince Casimir was heard by the King but the Polish army won but Wladyslaw the Elbowhigh was left heirless by the battle and Prince Casimir was found in the battlefield, full of Blood and he told to his father that:
"Our cause will never die, there will be someone who will continue our own cause"
After uttering his last words, the life on Prince Casimir's body faded and dissappeared, Prince Casimir died and Wladyslaw carried his lifeless body and was buried in Krakow.
His last words was very prophetic and his prophecy did happen and Poland would gain independence under a strong ruler in the future.
King John of Bohemia who was recognized in Silesia and Masovia as the King of Poland started to invade Poland with the help of the Teutonic Knights, the process of invasion took a year but Greater Poland fell to the rule of the Luxembourgs first. Wladyslaw the Elbowhigh was surprised about the fact that King John of Bohemia took advantage of his own sons death and it made him angry and wanted to fight King John of Bohemia but shortly he himself died in 1332 due to grief of the loss of his son and the fact that John I of Bohemia invaded Greater Poland, after Wladyslaw the Elbowhigh died and because of that the treaty of Olomuoc was signed on 1332 made Wladyslaw the Elbowhigh's daughter, Elisabeth I of Poland, the Queen and guaranteed her hand in marriage to John I's future Grandson or Second son, John-Henry or any of the Luxembourg, Elisabeth of Poland, the Grand Daughter of Wladyslaw the Elbowhigh was declared King of Poland and in 1334 Blanche of Valois gave birth to a son named Sigismund was born.
Elisabeth I of Poland, the grand daughter of Wladyslaw the Elbowhigh was pledged to marry Sigismund of Bohemia in order to merge the claims to the Polish throne, however, both Sigismund of Bohemia and Blanche of Valois died the next year due to the plague so Elisabeth of Poland is rather betrothed to Charles of Bohemia, the father of her previously betrothed and after a year she is married to Charles of Bohemia, who became the King of Poland, de Jure Uxoris and Aldona of Lithuania fled to Pomerania and tied the knot with Bogislaw II of Pomerania and John I of Bohemia became the regent for Elisabeth I of Poland.
Despite the fact that John and Elisabeth became estranged during the last years of their marriage, the king remained a widower for the next four years. The French King Philip VI wanted to tie John more closely with France, and he suggested to the Bohemian king a second marriage. The proposed bride was Beatrice, youngest daughter of the Duke of Bourbon and member of a cadet branch of the House of Capet. Beatrice was already betrothed, however, to Philip, the second son of Philip I, Prince of Taranto, as of 29 May 1321. The engagement was broken soon after the marriage negotiations with Bohemia started.
The marriage of King John of Bohemia and Beatrice of Bourbon was solemnized in the Château de Vincennes in December 1334. But because the two were related in a prohibited degree (they were second cousins through their common descent from Henry V, Count of Luxembourg, and his wife Margaret of Bar), Pope Benedict XII had to give dispensation for the marriage, which was granted in Avignon on 9 January 1335 at the request of Philip VI.
The marriage contract stipulated that if a son was born from the marriage, the County of Luxembourg (King John's paternal heritage), as well as lands belonging to it, would go to him. King John's sons from his first marriage, Charles and John Henry, were not informed of the contents of the marriage contract, but both princes were compelled to accept it along with the knights and citizens of Luxembourg in August 1335.
On 25 February 1337, the queen gave birth in Prague to her only child, a son named Sigismund after the holy patron of the Přemyslid dynasty. Perhaps with this gesture either the queen or her husband tried to gain the favor of the Bohemians. However, the relationship between Beatrice and her new subjects remained estranged: her coronation as Queen of Bohemia in St. Vitus Cathedral three months later, on 18 May, was an event of spectacular indifference from the citizens of Prague.
Shortly after her coronation, in June 1337, Beatrice left Bohemia leaving her son behind, and went to live in Luxembourg. After this, she rarely visit the Bohemian Kingdom.
the marriage between Charles of Bohemia and Elisabeth I of Poland was consumated on late 1340's when Elisabeth's regency ended, so they have a son named Sigismund who was born on June 4, 1350.
In 1324 Boleslaw Yuri of Galicia located the towns of Volodymyr-Volynskyi on Magdeburg law, and Sanok in 1339. He was poisoned in 1340 by orthodox boyars and died without an heir, before his father who continued rule Masovian principality and annexed Galicia as well from his dead son, starting a union between Masovia and Galicia forcing the Boyars that killed his son into submission with the help of the Teutonic Knights.
Wladyslaw II of Poland
The White Eagle burns and Rises from the Ashes like a Phoenix
Meanwhile, the Duke of Opole, Wladyslaw II of Opole arranged himself to be married to Anna of Swidnica on 1358 in order to ally with the Duke of Swidnica, Bolko II, the first child of Anna of Swidnica and was born on June 4, 1362 and she named him Casimir, named after the late Polish King.
The Children of the three marriages are as follows:
Anna Swidnicka m. Wladyslaw II of Opole, later Wladyslaw II of Poland
Casimir (b. 1362)
Henry (b. 1368)
Kunigunde (b. 1370)
Elisabeth I of Poland m. Charles I of Bohemia
Sigismund of Luxembourg(b. 1350)
Margaret of Luxembourg(b. 1355)
Wenceslas of Luxembourg(b. 1360)
Aldona of Lithuania m. Bogislaw V, duke of Pomerania
Casimir(b. 1340)
Margaret(b. 1346)
On 1365, Wladyslaw II of Opole allied with the Lithuanians and many Polish nobles proceeded to claim the heritage of the former King Wladyslaw the Elbowhigh with the support of some Silesian Dukes especially Bolko II of Swidnica, and Algirdas of Lithuania and due to the support of the nobles of Wielun and Sieradz, he annexed Wielun and Sieradz and also annexed the Duchy of Wroclaw with the help of Bolko II of Swidnica and the Lithuanians and annexed Greater Poland with the help of Algirdas of Lithuania which is currently divided among the other Silesian Piasts, however on 1368, Bolko II of Swidnica died so Swidnica would now pass to the Wladyslaw II of Opole, although, Swidnica would be the Oprawa Wdowia of Agnes of Habsburg and the half of Gloglow and Scinawa went to Wladyslaw II of Opole.
On 1370, Wladyslaw II of Opole, declared himself to be the rightful King of Poland and assumes the title Duke of Silesia as well and call Elisabeth I of Poland as a pretender, he would say the famous words "Glory to Poland".
On 1370, Margaret of Bohemia is married to Louis I of Hungary, although the marriage did not change anything and Sigismund is married to Anna of Masovia, the child of Boleslaw III of Plock.
On 1381 Agnes of Habsburg, the Widow of Bolko of Swidnica died causing Swidnica to pass to Wladyslaw II of Opole.
Sigismund is married to Anna of Masovia, the child of Boleslaw III of Plock.
Margaret of Luxembourg and Otto the Bavarian were married on 1370, the marriage only produced, a daughter named Kunigunde who was born on June 5, 1370.
The treaty of Dubyssa takes effect in 1382 which meant Samogitia up to Dubysa would fall to the Teutonic Order, Vytautas converts to Catholicism and enters priesthood in the Teutonic Order and Jogaila converts to Catholicism with the support of the Teutonic Order, thereby paving the way for an alliance between Lithuania and the Order while Alexandra of Lithuania the sister of Jogaila was married to Casimir of Poland, the son of Anna of Swidnica and Wladyslaw II of Poland, he also is interested to reunite the Corona Regis Poloniae and regain Masovia, however he does not think it is possible on his lifetime, on 1380 he came eject the wife of Charles I of Bohemia from Krakow, Elisabeth I of Poland fled from Krakow, her son Sigismund of Luxembourg was shocked of what happened, after the death of Wladyslaw the White in Burgundy on 1381 Wladyslaw II of Poland annexed his land of Gniewkowo.
In 1382, Jogaila marries Sophia of Muscovy, Sophia of Muscovy and her mother in law Uliana of Tver liked each other very much and she was very much in favor of the pair but the marriage does not have any political advantage because Jogaila became Catholic.
Charles I of Bohemia
Decline of the Luxembourgs
Meanwhile, the Duke of Opole, Wladyslaw II of Opole arranged himself to be married to Anna of Swidnica on 1358 in order to ally with the Duke of Swidnica, Bolko II, the first child of Anna of Swidnica and was born on June 4, 1362 and she named him Casimir, named after the late Polish King.
The Children of the three marriages are as follows:
Anna Swidnicka m. Wladyslaw II of Opole, later Wladyslaw II of Poland
Casimir (b. 1362)
Henry (b. 1368)
Kunigunde (b. 1370)
Elisabeth I of Poland m. Charles I of Bohemia
Sigismund of Luxembourg(b. 1350)
Margaret of Luxembourg(b. 1355)
Wenceslas of Luxembourg(b. 1360)
Aldona of Lithuania m. Bogislaw V, duke of Pomerania
Casimir(b. 1340)
Margaret(b. 1346)
On 1365, Wladyslaw II of Opole allied with the Lithuanians and many Polish nobles proceeded to claim the heritage of the former King Wladyslaw the Elbowhigh with the support of some Silesian Dukes especially Bolko II of Swidnica, and Algirdas of Lithuania and due to the support of the nobles of Wielun and Sieradz, he annexed Wielun and Sieradz and also annexed the Duchy of Wroclaw with the help of Bolko II of Swidnica and the Lithuanians and annexed Greater Poland with the help of Algirdas of Lithuania which is currently divided among the other Silesian Piasts, however on 1368, Bolko II of Swidnica died so Swidnica would now pass to the Wladyslaw II of Opole, although, Swidnica would be the Oprawa Wdowia of Agnes of Habsburg and the half of Gloglow and Scinawa went to Wladyslaw II of Opole.
On 1370, Wladyslaw II of Opole, declared himself to be the rightful King of Poland and assumes the title Duke of Silesia as well and call Elisabeth I of Poland as a pretender, he would say the famous words "Glory to Poland".
Sigismund is married to Anna of Masovia, the child of Boleslaw III of Plock.
Margaret of Luxembourg and Otto the Bavarian were married on 1370, the marriage only produced, a daughter named Kunigunde who was born on June 5, 1370.
On 1381 Agnes of Habsburg, the Widow of Bolko of Swidnica died causing Swidnica to pass to Wladyslaw II of Opole.
The treaty of Dubyssa takes effect in 1382 which meant Samogitia up to Dubysa would fall to the Teutonic Order, Vytautas converts to Catholicism and enters priesthood in the Teutonic Order and Jogaila converts to Catholicism with the support of the Teutonic Order, thereby paving the way for an alliance between Lithuania and the Order while Alexandra of Lithuania the sister of Jogaila was married to Casimir of Poland, the son of Anna of Swidnica and Wladyslaw II of Poland, he also is interested to reunite the Corona Regis Poloniae and regain Masovia, however he does not think it is possible on his lifetime, on 1380 he came eject the wife of Charles I of Bohemia from Krakow, Elisabeth I of Poland fled from Krakow, her son Sigismund of Luxembourg was shocked of what happened, after the death of Wladyslaw the White in Burgundy on 1381 Wladyslaw II of Poland annexed his land of Gniewkowo.
In 1382, Jogaila marries Sophia of Muscovy, Sophia of Muscovy and her mother in law Uliana of Tver liked each other very much and she was very much in favor of the pair but the marriage does not have any political advantage because Jogaila became Catholic.
Decline of the Luxembourgs
Now that Poland is now united under the Silesian Piasts and the Silesian and Kuyavian are united as one and because of that Poland will be under its rightful rulers, although they have a problem with the Luxembourgs that are their enemies and also a claimant to the throne of Poland, the Luxembourgs are now problematic due to the spread of Lollard texts to their area, on Poland, Alexandra of Lithuania gives birth to a heir to Prince Casimir of Poland named Wladislaw on June 3, 1380.
Casimir of Poland m. Alexandra of Lithuania
Casimir (b. 1380)
Cymburgis (b. 1385) m. Charles, Dauphin of France
Wladyslaw(b. 1390) - Ancestor of the Noble House of Kuyawski, (his morganatic marriage made him inelligible to succeed).
On 1390’s the cult of Saint Adalbert or Wojtek of Prague became popular in and out Poland and the Pilgrimage to Gniezno started.
Unfortunately for Sigismund, Anna of Mazovia is barren and died on 1385, although he loved her, the nobles of Bohemia are trying to have her replaced by another woman, Casimir's brother is Henry who is only recognized as a Prince in Poland although he is a castellan in Greater Poland and a very important person in the Polish court, he was granted with the title Prince of Poland, the descendants of the brothers of Wladyslaw II are also granted with the title Prince of Poland or Prince of Blood, and have their own Castles, the Duchies of Poland not yet reverted to the Royal demenses are fiefs of the Polish Crown, due to the loss of the Polish lands, Bohemia is now unstable and less willing to fight, although on 1390, now that his father died, he was elected as the King of Germany, the Czech people are starting to hate him due to his cruel rule in Bohemia, and his petty wars worsened the state of Bohemia, time is cruel to the Luxembourgs because his brother died earlier without an issue and worse of all his wife died childless and the next ones to inherit Bohemia are the Wittelsbachs, he would remarry again to Kunigunde of Mazovia, a daughter of Anna of Ziebice and Siemowit III, the two did like each other and she was able to give him with the most desired heir on January 1, 1394, named Charles, however she died a few years after she gave birth, Sigismund promised never to marry again, his mother, in the same year, Elisabeth of Poland laid in her death bed telling his stories of her father and her grand father and told him about her father's words that someone will continue their cause, after that she died.
Jan Hus
Jan Hus
On 1395, a new intellectual arose in the Kingdom of Bohemia which interested the Polish and Bohemian courts and his name was Jan Hus, in the mean time the Duchy of Galicia-Volhynia was inherited by Janusz who in his reign submitted to Jogaila, the Grand Duke of Lithuania and Duchy of Mazovia was inherited by Siemowit IV who married Kunigunde, the only daughter of Margaret of Luxembourg and Otto the Bavarian, Margaret of Luxembourg and Otto the Bavarian were married on 1370 and were only blessed with one daughter, Kunigunde, who was made as the bride of Siemowit IV, he had many sons, although they became nobles it would be never known for most of them that they would that they are descendants of Siemowit IV of Mazovia, on 1395, Sigismund of Luxembourg is invested as the King of Bohemia, later that year, Charles IV,the Holy Roman Emperor dies.
In the mean time, Jan Hus earned a degree of Bachelor of Arts from the University of Prague and he earned his master's degree in 1396. In 1400, he was ordained as a priest and became rector of the university in 1402–03. He was appointed a preacher at the newly built Bethlehem chapel around the same time. Hus was a strong advocate for the Czechs, and therefore the Realists, and he was influenced by the writings of John Wycliffe. Although many works of Wycliffe were proscribed in 1403 by the church, Hus translated Trialogus into Czech and helped to distribute it.
On 1404, Cymburgis of Poland is married to Charles, Dauphin of France and because of that Casimir heard about Philippe Auguste and his own strategies.
Hus took an active role in the movement for reform in the church by attacking the morals of clergy, episcopate, and papacy from his pulpit. Archbishop Zbyněk Zajíc was lenient with Hus and appointed him as preacher to the biennial synod. On 24 June 1405, Pope Innocent VII, however, directed the archbishop to counter the heretical teachings of Wycliffe, especially the doctrine of impanation in the Eucharist. The archbishop complied by issuing a synodal decree against Wycliffe as well as any further attacks on the clergy.
In 1406, a document was brought by two Bohemian students to Prague bearing the seal of the University of Oxford and eulogizing Wycliffe. Hus proudly read the document from his pulpit. Zbyněk received a letter from Pope Gregory XII, in 1408, stating that the church in Rome had been informed of Wycliffe's heretical words. This prompted the king and the university to clear themselves of heretical suspicion. All writings of Wycliffe were ordered surrendered to the archdiocesan chancery for correction and Hus obeyed declaring that he condemned the errors in these writings.
The University of Prague around 1408 was being torn apart by the ongoing papal schism, in which Pope Gregory XII and Avignon Pope Benedict XIII both laid claim to the papacy. Archbishop Zajíc remained faithful to Gregory. At the university, only the "Bohemian nation" , with Hus as its leader and spokesman, avowed neutrality.
In 1409, in an attempt to end the papal schism, the Council of Pisa met to elect a new pope. This did not succeed, and the pope they elected, Alexander V, did not end loyalty to the other two popes. The Roman Catholic Church has considered Alexander V an antipope since the Council of Constance in 1418. Hus, his followers, and Sigismund transferred their allegiance to Alexander V. Under pressure from King Sigismund, Archbishop Zajíc did the same. Zajíc then brought his complaints before Alexander V's Papal See, accusing the Wycliffites of ecclesiastical disturbances.
Alexander V issued his papal bull of 20 December 1409, which empowered the Archbishop to proceed against Wycliffism. All books of Wycliffe were to be given up, his doctrines revoked, and free preaching discontinued. After the publication of the bull in 1410, Hus appealed before Alexander V, but in vain. All books and valuable manuscripts of Wycliffe were burned, and Hus and his adherents were excommunicated by Alexander V. Riots ensued in parts of Bohemia. The government took the side of Hus, and the power of his adherents increased from day to day. Hus continued to preach in the Bethlehem Chapel. The churches of the city were put under the ban, and the interdict was pronounced against Prague, but without result.
The executioners undressed Hus and tied his hands behind his back with ropes, and bound his neck with a chain to a stake around which wood and straw had been piled up so that it covered him to the neck. At the last moment, the imperial marshal, Von Pappenheim, in the presence of the Count Palatine, asked him to recant and thus save his own life, but Hus declined with the words "God is my witness that the things charged against me I never preached. In the same truth of the Gospel which I have written, taught, and preached, drawing upon the sayings and positions of the holy doctors, I am ready to die today." He was then burned at the stake, and his ashes thrown into the Rhine River.
Anecdotally, it has been claimed that the executioners had some problems scaling up the fire. An old woman came closer to the bonfire and threw a relatively small amount of brushwood on it. Hus, seeing it, then said, "Sancta Simplicitas!" (Holy Simplicity!) This sentence's Czech equivalent ("svatá prostota!", or, in vocative form "svatá prostoto!") is still used to comment upon a stupid action.
On 1410, Wladyslaw II of Poland died and Casimir III Augustus replaced him, Siemowit IV of Mazovia was interested in the Hussite faith and harbored many hussites and converted to Hussitism and had forwarded his claim to the throne of Bohemia.
Casimir III Augustus
When Casimir III Augustus of Poland rose to the throne in Poland he made an edict to expel the jews from Poland, the jews expelled, seeing that there are many attempts to have the jews expelled from the other countries in Europe and he brought the Duchy of Krosno and rest of Gloglow from the Dukes of Zagan.
In his reign the Czech language started to be the language of the educated and literature in Poland although Polish itself is important on its own, he annexed the heretic Mazovia and forced Sigismund I of Bohemia to renounce his claims to Poland in exchange of giving him troops to help him with the help of Jan Zizka, the weak Siemowit IV of Mazovia was crowned as the King of Bohemia and tried to siege a castle but Siemowit IV is killed by the joint Polish and Bohemian troops on 1412, after that the son of Sigismund, Charles is married to Barbara of Celje while Catherine of Pomerania is married to Prince Casimir.
note
*If Siemowit IV succesfully claimed the Kingdom of Bohemia, the Duchy of Mazovia would be annexed by Poland and purged of Hussites and the Kingdom of Bohemia would be annexed by Bavaria or it will be the first protestant country in Europe.*
