The events that led the Hungarian Kingdom the loss of her sovereignity for 150 yeras

1. The Road to Mohács
I Political Problems
1 Struggle for the throne (1490-92)
Four pretenders
János Corvin - Maxmilian Hapsburg - Wladyslaw Jagiello - János Albert
ideal candidate: promised abolition of irregular
subsidies
under the control of the barons
1490-1516 Ulászló II

2. 2 The New King
Control shifted into the hands of the Royal Council. Ulászló
never contested, questioned its decisions
(His nickname: Dobzse Ulászló)
The chancellor became an especially powerful figure
Bakócz Tamás (+ secret chancellor)
(Bakócz’s career : commoner origin, Bishop of Győr, Archbishop of
Esztegom)

3. b) The Nobility
The aristocracy and the middle class nobility became the poles of
the political contest in the Jagelloian period.
Strict demarcation between and
the aristocracy the nobility
by law (1498)
PRO-HAPSBURG NATIONAL ORIENTATION
1505 Rákos Decree : national king ought to be elected
(Szapolyai’s role)

4. II Economic Problems
Low king’s revenue (fell below 200,000 fls)
no military support powerless king
BLACK ARMY: unpaid
pillage disbanded
The extraordinary subsidy was collected by the
barons for themselves
the weaker power has the king the less possibility
is to prepare Hungary against the Ottoman Empire

5. IV The Peasants
Until the mid15th century peasants had the right of free
migration
The lower nobility had relatively few serfs reduced this
right,
finally abolished the right to transfer from one lord to another
+ all landlords collected the nona (ninth) and required more
services (one day/ week during Matthias
3 days/ week Jagiellonian period)

6. 1 From the crusade to the revolt 1514
Bakócz Tamás was charged to organise
a crusade against the Ottomans
By April some thousand peasants crusaders
gathered in the camp near Pest.
Their leader: György
Székely Dózsa
The nobles’ fear: - peasants would leave their estates in
May (agricultural period)
- unruly mass could be dangerous (offences against the
nobility itself)
- the crusade was cancelled and peasants were called
back to their home according to the nobility’s order
- peasants refused it revolt

7. 2 The Revenge (with the aim to give an example)
a) Physical punishment
- Dózsa and his assistants
- generally most participants escaped serious
punishment (labour force was still needed!!)
b) Financial punishment
the peasants were required to pay for the damages
caused
c) Mental punishment (collective, in October, 1514)
’e t e r n a l s e r v i t u d e’
- uniformly forbidden to transfer
- forbidden to hold arms (Mohács!!)
- required to perform forced labour

8. V Proving of the Nobility’s collective rights
Werbőczy István (career: lesser officer –
supreme judge- palatine)
Tripartite
His work became widely known. The basis justice
of source for 3 centuries
- identical liberty of all noblemen (one and the same liberty)
- strengthen the Golden Bull
- idea of the Holy Crown

9. VI The Fall of the Sovereign Hungary
Suleyman I became the sultan
(powerful,
ambitious)
In 1516 Louis II acceded the throne (10)
The barons failed to respond to the peace
offer of the new sultan – Marched against Hungary
1521 Szabács, Belgrade fell in
summer – the country became open!!
European kings remained unmoved

10. The Bane at Mohács
Finally Hungarian troops were mobilised: royal banderia,
soldiers from the southern fortresses (no peasants!!) some
25,000 men, Ottomans as many 3 times
Szapolyai failed to arrive in time for the battle
on 29 August 1529
Within two hours the Hungarian army and administration suffered a mortal
blow (the whole cavalry, prelates, magnates, barons laid on the battle field with
the king (István Brodarics’s memoire)The Hungarian elite was lost.
Suleyman could march into Buda two weeks later.
The country was torn into three parts.