Battle of Kressenbrunn
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Kressenbrunn was fought in July of 1260 near Groissenbrunn
in Lower Austria
between the Kingdom of Bohemia
and the Kingdom of Hungary
for the possession of the duchies of Austria
and Styria
. The Bohemian forces were led by King Ottokar II Přemysl
, while the Hungarians were led by King Béla IV.
In 1251 Ottokar's father King Wenceslaus I of Bohemia had not only granted him the title of a Margrave of Moravia
but also installed him as duke of Austria and Styria, territories that were princeless after the ruling Babenberg dynasty had become extinct in 1246. To legitimate his succession, Ottokar in 1252 married the Duchess Margaret of Austria
, the sister of the last Babenberg duke and about 26 years his senior.
When Ottokar followed his father as King of Bohemia in 1253, Béla, distrustful of his rising power, claimed the Styrian duchy. Meanwhile Margaret's niece Gertrude
had married Roman Danylovich
, son of King Daniel of Galicia and relative of the Árpád dynasty. The quarrels were at first settled with the aid of Pope Innocent IV
in 1254, when Béla received large parts of Styria and later installed his son Stephen
as a duke. However in 1260 the conflict rekindled, after the Styrian nobility had revolted against the Árpáds and Ottokar campaigned the duchy. Béla allied with Daniel of Galicia and Bolesław V the Chaste of Poland and marched against Ottokar. Kingdom of Hungary couldn't recover from the devastation of Mongol invasion of 1240 and 1241, therefore it lost much of its former political and military positions. Historians estimate that up to half of Hungary's then population of 2,000,000 were victims of the Mongol invasion
Ottokar's troops consisted of Bohemian-Moravian, German, Polish, Carinthian and Styrian forces, while Bela's huge army gathered Hungarian, Cuman, Russian, Polish, Bulgarian, Wallachian, Ukrainian (Galician), Bosnian, Serbien, Pecheneg and Szekler contingents. Both sides met on different sides of the Morava River, where they eyed each other for some time. As none of the belligerents dared to cross the river, Ottokar proposed an agreement, that his troops would withdraw to give the Hungarians the opportunity to go reach the other bank. As they pulled back, Béla's son Stephen started an attack, went over the Morava and reached the retiring Bohemian cavalry at the village of Kressenbrunn. However Ottokar called back his forces and managed to repulse Stephen who was seriously injured. The returning Bohemian forces routed Béla's troops, many of which on the run drowned in the river.
The fight is considered as one of the biggest battle in middle Europe in medieval times ever, though scholars doubt the possibility of supplying such a vast number of mercenaries. After Ottokar's victory King Béla renounced the Duchy of Styria and in 1261 even arranged the marriage of his granddaughter Kunigunda of Slavonia
with the Bohemian king. However his successors continued to challenge the Bohemian kingdom.
Engelhartstetten
Engelhartstetten is a town in the district of Gänserndorf in the Austrian state of Lower Austria....
in Lower Austria
Lower Austria
Lower Austria is the northeasternmost state of the nine states in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria since 1986 is Sankt Pölten, the most recently designated capital town in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria had formerly been Vienna, even though Vienna is not officially part of Lower Austria...
between the Kingdom of Bohemia
Kingdom of Bohemia
The Kingdom of Bohemia was a country located in the region of Bohemia in Central Europe, most of whose territory is currently located in the modern-day Czech Republic. The King was Elector of Holy Roman Empire until its dissolution in 1806, whereupon it became part of the Austrian Empire, and...
and the Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
for the possession of the duchies of Austria
Archduchy of Austria
The Archduchy of Austria , one of the most important states within the Holy Roman Empire, was the nucleus of the Habsburg Monarchy and the predecessor of the Austrian Empire...
and Styria
Duchy of Styria
The history of Styria concerns the region roughly corresponding to the modern Austrian state of Styria and the Slovene region of Styria from its settlement by Germans and Slavs in the Dark Ages until the present...
. The Bohemian forces were led by King Ottokar II Přemysl
Ottokar II of Bohemia
Ottokar II , called The Iron and Golden King, was the King of Bohemia from 1253 until 1278. He was the Duke of Austria , Styria , Carinthia and Carniola also....
, while the Hungarians were led by King Béla IV.
In 1251 Ottokar's father King Wenceslaus I of Bohemia had not only granted him the title of a Margrave of Moravia
March of Moravia
The March or Margraviate of Moravia, was a marcher state, sometimes de facto independent and varyingly within the power of the Duchy, later Kingdom of Bohemia...
but also installed him as duke of Austria and Styria, territories that were princeless after the ruling Babenberg dynasty had become extinct in 1246. To legitimate his succession, Ottokar in 1252 married the Duchess Margaret of Austria
Margaret, Duchess of Austria
Margaret of Austria , was a Queen Consort of the Romans 1225–35, titular Duchess of Austria in 1252–60, and Queen consort of Bohemia 1253–60....
, the sister of the last Babenberg duke and about 26 years his senior.
When Ottokar followed his father as King of Bohemia in 1253, Béla, distrustful of his rising power, claimed the Styrian duchy. Meanwhile Margaret's niece Gertrude
Gertrude, Duchess of Austria
Gertrude of Austria was a member of the House of Babenberg, Duchess of Mödling and later Titular Duchess of Austria and Styria, she was the niece of Duke Frederick II of Austria, the last male member of the Babenberg dynasty...
had married Roman Danylovich
Roman Danylovich
Roman Danylovich , Prince of Black Ruthenia 1254–1258, Prince of Slonim?.He was born as a younger son of Danylo of Halych, a powerful prince of lands east from Poland and later king of those regions, which was most of the times called Volhynia or Ruthenia .In 1252 he was married to Gertrude,...
, son of King Daniel of Galicia and relative of the Árpád dynasty. The quarrels were at first settled with the aid of Pope Innocent IV
Pope Innocent IV
Pope Innocent IV , born Sinibaldo Fieschi, was pope from June 25, 1243 until his death in 1254.-Early life:...
in 1254, when Béla received large parts of Styria and later installed his son Stephen
Stephen V of Hungary
Stephen V , was King of Hungary from 1270 to 1272.-Early years:...
as a duke. However in 1260 the conflict rekindled, after the Styrian nobility had revolted against the Árpáds and Ottokar campaigned the duchy. Béla allied with Daniel of Galicia and Bolesław V the Chaste of Poland and marched against Ottokar. Kingdom of Hungary couldn't recover from the devastation of Mongol invasion of 1240 and 1241, therefore it lost much of its former political and military positions. Historians estimate that up to half of Hungary's then population of 2,000,000 were victims of the Mongol invasion
Ottokar's troops consisted of Bohemian-Moravian, German, Polish, Carinthian and Styrian forces, while Bela's huge army gathered Hungarian, Cuman, Russian, Polish, Bulgarian, Wallachian, Ukrainian (Galician), Bosnian, Serbien, Pecheneg and Szekler contingents. Both sides met on different sides of the Morava River, where they eyed each other for some time. As none of the belligerents dared to cross the river, Ottokar proposed an agreement, that his troops would withdraw to give the Hungarians the opportunity to go reach the other bank. As they pulled back, Béla's son Stephen started an attack, went over the Morava and reached the retiring Bohemian cavalry at the village of Kressenbrunn. However Ottokar called back his forces and managed to repulse Stephen who was seriously injured. The returning Bohemian forces routed Béla's troops, many of which on the run drowned in the river.
The fight is considered as one of the biggest battle in middle Europe in medieval times ever, though scholars doubt the possibility of supplying such a vast number of mercenaries. After Ottokar's victory King Béla renounced the Duchy of Styria and in 1261 even arranged the marriage of his granddaughter Kunigunda of Slavonia
Kunigunda of Slavonia
Kunigunda Rostislavna was Queen consort of Bohemia and its Regent from 1278 until her death. She was a member of the House of Chernigov, and a daughter of the ruler of Slavonia....
with the Bohemian king. However his successors continued to challenge the Bohemian kingdom.