AHC: Albert the Bold, King of Bohemia

In 1471 Wladyslaw of Poland was elected King of Bohemia, while the title was also claimed by Mathias Corvinus.
But One of the other claimants of the crown was Albert of Saxony, the son-in-law of George of Podebrady.

Albert marched to Prague OTL ( to protect the election against Interference, among other reasons).

What Would for Albert to become King of Bohemia or for George to name him
succesor instead of the polish Prince?
 
In 1471 Wladyslaw of Poland was elected King of Bohemia, while the title was also claimed by Mathias Corvinus.
But One of the other claimants of the crown was Albert of Saxony, the son-in-law of George of Podebrady.

Albert marched to Prague OTL ( to protect the election against Interference, among other reasons).

What Would for Albert to become King of Bohemia or for George to name him succesor instead of the polish Prince?

A Saxon Bohemia? That sounds pretty cool. AFAIK, the Hohenzollerns were pretty chummy with the Jagiellons for the same reason that the Wettins got into bed with the king of Bohemia (they feared Matthias' expansion as a threat to their lands). Now the Wettins and the Hohenzollerns were sort of rivals - which is sort of what kickstarted the Reformation in Germany (Albrecht of Mainz needed money for bribes to be elected archbishop of Mainz), then once he got elected, he needed to recoup the losses and the pope allowed him to sell indulgences, which turned Luther off etc (this is sort of the barebones version). Which means that a succession war might spill over into Germany. The difference being, Matthias and Albrecht/Olbracht are both "relatives" of the late George, while Wladek is nothing (technically), although he is the nephew of the later king, Ladislav the Posthumous. Both Matthias and Albrecht were married to George's daughters (IIRC). Matthias' wife (Katerina) had died and had no children by her; whereas Albrecht's wife, Sidonie (Katerina's twin) had several kids who survived infancy (boys included). Not to mention, Albrecht was the Emperor Maximilian's cousin, so Max might be more comfortable with the idea of such a person being elected king rather than the Rex Bene.

What it would mean for Bohemia, I'm not sure But as I said, it could be interesting. The Albertine line doesn't control the electorate yet, and in such a situation - if they can hang on to the Bohemian crown and all other things following OTL more or less - Karl V won't remove the Saxon electoral vote to the king of Bohemia here. However, it does mean that one family controls two electoral votes, which might be more problematic in the 15th/16th century than it was in the 17th/18th when the Wittelsbachs held electorates of Bavaria and the Palatinate.
 
Could Albrecht claim Bohemia in right of his wife? Or would the Bohemian estates prefer one of his sons? Maybe elect Georg der Bärtigde and insist on a Polish marriage to appease the Jagiellons?
 
Could Albrecht claim Bohemia in right of his wife? Or would the Bohemian estates prefer one of his sons? Maybe elect Georg der Bärtigde and insist on a Polish marriage to appease the Jagiellons?
At least the Marriage did Happen OTL.
Georg was married to Barbara, a Daughter of Kasimir IV . and therefore the sister of Wlad.
And the Marriage was apperently a Happy one, since Georg refused to cut his beard after Barbaras death as a sign of grief, which earned him his Nickname, der Bärtige.

Another interesting question is, in 1471 the Leipziger Teilung is more then a decade away and Ernst and Albrecht still co-rule.
I wonder how a Royal title might influence These Events.
I could see Bohemia under Albrecht und Saxony under Ernst, without a Partition, especially since Thuringia only returned back to Saxony when Wilhelm died sonless in 1482.
 
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If George named Albert as his successor then Poland would become hostile towards Czechs-IOTL Pope promised Casimir IV recognition of Peace of Thorn and IIRC also Silesia if Casimir joins anti-Hussite crusade against George, but George promised to name Casimir's son as successor, so Casimir had no reason to attack Czechs and remained friendly towards George. ITTL Casimir would likely accept Pope's proposition and would take Silesia by force, if whole Bohemia is not available. This is paradox, because in long run outcome for Poland would be much, much better-Silesia for Poland instead of whole Kingdom of Bohemia for Władysław rex bene.
 
If George named Albert as his successor then Poland would become hostile towards Czechs-IOTL Pope promised Casimir IV recognition of Peace of Thorn and IIRC also Silesia if Casimir joins anti-Hussite crusade against George, but George promised to name Casimir's son as successor, so Casimir had no reason to attack Czechs and remained friendly towards George. ITTL Casimir would likely accept Pope's proposition and would take Silesia by force, if whole Bohemia is not available. This is paradox, because in long run outcome for Poland would be much, much better-Silesia for Poland instead of whole Kingdom of Bohemia for Władysław rex bene.

And if we could just kill Wladek off by some random occurence, and manage to avoid him winding up as king of Poland (or grand duke of Lithuania for that matter)...
 
If he get tuberculosis instead of his brother Saint Casimir...

Could be very useful. Kasimir was apparently well-trained for the future job, until he decided that he'd take a monk's cowl over a crown. So, him not entering holy orders probably sees him married to Kunigunde of Austria (as was planned), and sprogging off with her. Jan Olbracht probably ends up as duke of Lithuania.

However, the question does open up for further down the road - if Matthias Corvinus doesn't have an heir as OTL, who gets Hungary when he kicks? @Jan Olbracht? Maximilian? Alexander of Poland? Janos Corvinus?
 
If Matthias dies in 1490 like IOTL, then the throne is likely contested between Maximilian and Jan Olbracht, if Olbracht succeede (he'd have bigger chances ITTL when Cas is still alive-in such case he's not daddy's choosen heir, so he has less occassions to show that he's Matthias style person, warlike and full of energy, so magnates of Hungary would not fear him like IOTL) then Aleksander will get Lithuania.
 
If Matthias dies in 1490 like IOTL, then the throne is likely contested between Maximilian and Jan Olbracht, if Olbracht succeede (he'd have bigger chances ITTL when Cas is still alive-in such case he's not daddy's choosen heir, so he has less occassions to show that he's Matthias style person, warlike and full of energy, so magnates of Hungary would not fear him like IOTL) then Aleksander will get Lithuania.

I fear the magnates are going to wish there was a King Log as opposed to the King Stork that is Jan Olbracht. Would he emulate Wlad and marry Beatriz? And if so, do you think he'd have kids? Also, now that the Habsburgs and Jagiellons are more friednly (assuming a KunigundexKasimir match), would Bohemia be squeezed like a sort of nut in a vise between the two? That it'd have to play the two off against each other? Or is it going to be more interested in Germany - with the Wettins as the Luxemburgs 2.0?
 
Beatrice was likely sterile-Matthias had bastard son but no kids with her, so no kids of Bea and Jan Olbracht. Wettins with two electoral votes are Habsburg main enemies, Emperor would likely try to strip 'heretic' Bohemia of electoral vote or ignore it, like he did with Vladislaus.
 
Beatrice was likely sterile-Matthias had bastard son but no kids with her, so no kids of Bea and Jan Olbracht. Wettins with two electoral votes are Habsburg main enemies, Emperor would likely try to strip 'heretic' Bohemia of electoral vote or ignore it, like he did with Vladislaus.
Would it not be easier to strip the Saxon vote in favor of Lauenburg?
 
Beatrice was likely sterile-Matthias had bastard son but no kids with her, so no kids of Bea and Jan Olbracht. Wettins with two electoral votes are Habsburg main enemies, Emperor would likely try to strip 'heretic' Bohemia of electoral vote or ignore it, like he did with Vladislaus.

Would Jan marry Beatrice then? Or be more interested in someone else? Maybe French or a Wettin girl (like Katharina of Saxony who married archduke Simund of Tyrol OTL)?
 
The Bohemian, and to some extent Polish, thrones were less completely elective than the word suggests. This is because candidacy depended on a blood or marital relationship to the previous holder. With sons trumping all others and needing to be denied assuming the throne rather than affirmed/elected.
Compare the Danish and Swedish thrones which had similar rules for some time.
To get the Bohemian throne hereditary the King needs to be able to completely dominate parliament for a generation or two in order to update the succession rules and make them stick. Basically it needs to be in the interest of parliament that the succession is hereditary rather than elective by them.
 
The Bohemian, and to some extent Polish, thrones were less completely elective than the word suggests. This is because candidacy depended on a blood or marital relationship to the previous holder. With sons trumping all others and needing to be denied assuming the throne rather than affirmed/elected.
Compare the Danish and Swedish thrones which had similar rules for some time.
To get the Bohemian throne hereditary the King needs to be able to completely dominate parliament for a generation or two in order to update the succession rules and make them stick. Basically it needs to be in the interest of parliament that the succession is hereditary rather than elective by them.

So basically, make sure that Al's reign is sort of a golden age for Bohemia and that at his death there is the prospect that a Habsburg or a Jagiellon being elected and undoing all that the Wettins are seen to stand for?
 
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