Uprising of the Czech nobility against king Vaclav I in 1248-1249: causes, contradictions, consequences

Abstract

Th e purpose of the scientifi c study is to reveal the reasons for the Czech uprising of nobles against their king Vaclav I, highlight the main points of confrontations and to fi nd out the motives that made Prince Przemysl to side with the rebels. Th e methodological basis of the work is the principles of historicism, objectivity and scientifi c reliability. Historical-systemic and analytical methods have been used. Th e study was prepared on grounds of the source analysis. It is about the documents of the Czech diplomacy, as well as about the annals and chronicles that were kept in Prague and in certain regions of the Holy Roman Empire. It was focused on works of the leading Czech scientists dealing with the outlined issues. Th e scientifi c novelty is in the detailed coverage of the course of the Czech nobility uprising against King Václav I. Conclusions. In the process of research, the reasons that induced the Czech nobility to oppose their lord Vaclav I, are revealed: it’s king’s ignoring the state aff airs, the monarch’s excessive generosity towards a narrow circle of his favorites, ambitious aspirations of his son and the heir – the Moravian Margrave of Przemysl. Th e discontent among the nobility manifested in the second half of 1247. Th e main events developed during 1248-1249. In the course of the upris- ing, the rebels have attracted to their side Margrave of Przemyśl, who was proclaimed the king. Th e young man accepted that because of his ambitious nature, and also, apparently, because of his being angry with his father for his loss of interest to the struggle for the Babenberg inheri- tance. Margrave Przemysl obviously assumed that it would not be possible to deprive his father of power completely, and therefore he sought the ways to achieve more powers in governing the country. And King Vaclav I did not want to make concessions, he acted confi dently and care- fully prepared for a decisive blow. As a result, he retained his power and reconciled with his son, however, he appointed his confi dants to him and limited some of his profi ts. Th e uprising witnessed the crisis of the Czech statehood. Th e nobility was defeated, and Prshemysl realized that the resistance to father undermines the monarchical order in the Czech state, and fl irting with nobility can harm himself.