We’re in Schönbrunn Palace, just outside Vienna, Austria. The palace was the summer residence of the Habsburgs. In the 19th century, the Habsburg dynasty’s holdings were vast. How does a family build a dynasty of that size? Here’s how the Habsburgs did it.
Maybe you remember from last time…
In the 13th century, much of eastern Europe was under the control of people known as the Magyars. They grew their territory by conquering neighboring tribes and assimilating them into the Magyar clan.
Don’t Mess with the Magyars
In those days, you didn’t mess with the Magyars. But chances are, sooner or later, the Magyars were going to mess with you. They seemed to be in attack mode at all times. Magyar warriors were known for their deadly skill with bows and arrows.
The Magyars finally met their match when they invaded a group of people living approximately where Germany is now. The German king, Otto I, had a pretty decent army of his own. Otto had studied Magyar tactics, and he was no dummy.
When it became clear that a Magyar attack was imminent, Otto and his army took the initiative and struck first. They charged the Magyars before they had a chance to do their “arrow” thing.
As Otto had probably suspected, hand-to-hand combat wasn’t the Magyars’ forte. The Magyar winning streak on the battlefield ended that day.
The Magyars didn’t get wiped out by any means, but after tangling with Otto I’s army they lost their taste for doing so much invading all the time. A bad beating will do that to you.
Peace in the Valley? Not Exactly
With the Magyars calmed down, everyone else was left to fight amongst themselves. There was no point in not fighting all the time just because the Magyars weren’t invading anymore, eh?
After years of neighboring kingdoms duking it out, dominance of the region came down to a battle between the armies of Rudolf I, King of Germany, and Ottokar II, King of Bohemia.
The year was 1278. The battle got underway at a place called Marchfeld. Those were the days when warriors wore chain mail and suits of armor. The Battle on the Marchfeld, as it has come to be known, is said to be the largest battle ever fought between knights in armor.
Rudolf I’s forces prevailed. And Rudolf’s last name happened to be “Habsburg.” His big win at the Battle on the Marchfeld was the start of the Habsburg dynasty.
Rudolf’s on a Roll
It didn’t start out as a dynasty, though. It was just a good-sized kingdom that had a lot of potential. But there have been lots of kingdoms throughout history that have come and gone. We’ve probably never heard of most of them.
What did Rudolf I and the next generations of Habsburgs do that set them apart from everyone else?
The first thing Rudolf did after the big win was to set up each of his sons in their own region within the conquered lands. They could be dukes, for example, and each could then have their own duchy.
Then Rudolf managed to get himself elected to be King of the Holy Roman Empire. This accomplishment, as one might surmise by the name alone, was a big deal.
King of the Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was an assemblage of countries ranging from today’s Italy in the south, all the way through Germany in the north. In fact, Rudolf’s official title was “King of Germany and King of the Romans.” Not too shabby!
Rudolf was on a roll, that’s for sure. But just because he was the king of all those lands, it didn’t mean the whole region was his, per se. It consisted of duchies and kingdoms whose leaders more or less swore allegiance to him – at least while he and the Pope was watching.
In order for those lands to really be “his,” he’d have to somehow bring them into the family. That would require a bit of arm-twisting – something Rudolf seemed to have a knack for.
To be continued…
