Hungary under the Rule of the Habsburgs

Preliminaries and the Road to Conflict

• 1453 – The Fall of Constantinople: Sultan Mehmed II conquered Constantinople, marking a significant expansion of Ottoman influence.
• 1490 – 1516 – Reign of Vladislaus II Jagiellon:
  • Commonly known by the nickname "Rex Bene" or "King Dobrze" (translated as "King Okay").
  • Treaty of Bratislava (Bratislavsk
    zmluva): An agreement regarding succession rights established with Maximilian of Habsburg.
• 1514 – Dzsa Rebellion (Dovo povstanie): A significant peasant revolt that weakened the internal stability of Hungary.
• 1516 – Accession of Louis II Jagiellon:
  • Ascended to the throne at just 10 years old.
  • His reign was characterized by "aristocratic anarchy," where the nobility held disproportionate power over the crown.
• 1520 – Suleiman I: Became the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire.
• 1521 – Fall of Belgrade: Ottoman forces captured the critical border fortress of Belgrade, opening the path into the heart of the Hungarian Kingdom.

The Battle of Moh
cs (1526)

• The Ottoman Advance: In 1526, the Ottoman army, consisting of approximately $70,000$ soldiers, crossed the borders of Hungary.
• The Encounter: They were met by the Hungarian army, which was significantly smaller, numbering approximately $30,000$ soldiers.
• The Outcome: The Hungarian forces were defeated at the Battle of Moh
  cs.
• Casualties and Consequences:
  • King Louis II Jagiellon died during the retreat from the battlefield.
  • John Z
    posk (J
    n Z
    posk): Avoided the battle entirely, despite having an additional $20,000$ soldiers at his disposal.

The Habsburg Ascent and Civil Conflict

• Candidates for the Vacant Throne: Following the death of Louis II, two major candidates claimed the Hungarian crown:
  1. John Z
     posk: The most influential nobleman in the country.
  2. Ferdinand of Habsburg: Based his claim on the pre-existing Treaty of Bratislava.
• Ottoman Intervention (1529): Sultan Suleiman I intervened in the conflict, supporting John Z
  posk, who subsequently became a vassal of the Ottoman Empire.
• Impact on Slovak Territory: The Ottoman Empire plundered the region of present-day Slovakia, resulting in:
  • $80$ burned towns.
  • $40,000$ captives taken.
• 1529 – Siege of Vienna: The Ottoman forces attempted to besiege Vienna, but the siege was ultimately unsuccessful.

The Division of Hungary

• 1538 – Peace of Nagyv
  rad (Vekovaradnsk mier):
  • Ferdinand I and John I (Z
    posk) mutually recognized each other as kings.
  • Ferdinand's Territory: Controlled Austria, Western and Central Slovakia, and Croatia.
  • John’s Territory: Controlled Eastern Slovakia and Transylvania.
  • Succession Clause: It was agreed that since John had no heir at the time, his title would expire upon his death and transfer to Ferdinand.
• Birth of an Heir: Just days before his death, John Z
  posk had a son, John Sigismund (J
  n igmund).
• Expansion of Ottoman Control: Sultan Suleiman supported the claim of the infant John Sigismund and occupied $\frac{1}{3}$ of the original territory of Hungary.
• 1568 – Peace of Adrianople (Drinopolsk mier): This treaty officially confirmed the tripartite division of Hungary into three distinct parts.

Territorial Administration and Geography

• Partition Map Details:
  • Royal Hungary (Habsburgs): Included Upper Hungary (Horn
    Uhorsko) and Croatia. Key cities/regions included Bratislava, Kassa (Koice), B
    rtfa (Bardejov), Lcse (Levoa), and Beszterceb
    nya (Bansk
    Bystrica).
  • Principality of Transylvania (Z
    posk Family): Known as Sedmohradsko. Included centers like Gyulafeh
    rv
    r and Kolozsv
    r.
  • Vilayet of Buda (Ottoman Empire): Known as Budnsky Paalk. Centered around Buda and Pest, extending to regions like Moh
    cs, P
    cs, and Temesv
    r.
• The Status of Slovakia:
  • Bratislava (Pressburg): Became the capital and coronation city of Hungary. It served as the seat of the Hungarian Diet (parliament), the Royal Chamber (treasury/pokladnica), and various other administrative offices.
  • Trnava: Became the seat of the Archdiocese of Esztergom (ostrihomsk arcibiskupstvo).
  • Southern Defenses: New, modern "star-shaped" or bastion fortresses were constructed on the southern borders of Slovakia, specifically at Kom
    rno and Nov
    Z
    mky (Neuh
    usel), and later at Leopoldov.
  • Vartovky: The construction of new castles and specialized watchtowers (vartovky) to monitor Ottoman movements.

Pillars of Habsburg Rule

• Centralization: The Habsburgs sought to rule as absolute monarchs. Vienna became the center of a vast empire encompassing the Archduchy of Austria, the Kingdom of Bohemia, the Kingdom of Hungary, and the title of Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire (SRR).
• Recatholization (Counter-Reformation):
  • Established a strict church hierarchy.
  • Depended on the support of the Pope for the election of the Emperor.
  • Promoted the Counter-Reformation to suppress Protestantism.
• Germanization:
  • Enforcement of the German language and the promotion of German nobility within administrative offices.
  • This led to the systematic limitation of the rights previously held by the Hungarian nobility.
• Conflicts and Wars:
  • Habsburg policies in Hungary directly resulted in various Anti-Habsburg uprisings (proti-habsbursk povstania).
  • An uprising by non-Catholic estates in Bohemia eventually escalated into a pan-European conflict known as the Thirty Years' War.