Characteristic Features of Medieval Geopolitical Considerations: An Analysis of 12th-Century Hungarian-German Diplomatic Relations

Máté Kavecsánszki

doi:10.13189/sa.2016.040808

Abstract

The objective of this research project is to present a significant time period in the system of diplomatic relations between the Kingdom of Hungary and the Holy Roman Empire in the 12th century. My intention has been to focus on the effects of the rule of the Hohenstaufen dynasty on Hungarian foreign policy. I have examined this issue as embedded in a broad international system of relations, including Hungarian-Polish, Hungarian-Czech, German-Polish, German-Czech, and German-Hungarian connections. I have also investigated the Hungarian foreign policy relevance of the conflict between the Hohenstaufen and Welf dynasties. My purpose through this is to call the attention of experts in this field of study to the less often highlighted peculiarities of medieval diplomatic and geopolitical thinking. Beside a chronological presentation of the events in the diplomatic system of contacts, I regularly refer to the differences between Hungarian and German historiography, as regards the interpretations of the sources quoted. Through utilizing the most recent and not so recent findings in Hungarian and German historical research, the reinterpretation of the sources might be used for the proper handling of these anomalies, for finding a consensus between the oftentimes entirely contradictory viewpoints in historical scholarship and, consequently, for providing a more precise description of the events occurring in the diplomacy of the given historical time period.

Highlights

The conquest of the Carpathian Basin by the Hungarian people in the 9th century and the foundation of their Christian state therein at the dawn of the 11th century constitute a fairly familiar chapter within the history of Europe
The objective of my research is to expand the range of information available about the system of relations between the Kingdom of Hungary and the Holy Roman Empire in the 12th century, together with a critical examination of the sources of this information
I offer a brief analysis of the effects of the rule of the Hohenstaufen dynasty in the Holy Roman Empire on Hungarian foreign policy, highlighting how the Hungarian state became a decisive actor on the stage of European diplomatic life

Summary

Introduction

The conquest of the Carpathian Basin by the Hungarian people in the 9th century and the foundation of their Christian state therein at the dawn of the 11th century constitute a fairly familiar chapter within the history of Europe. The circumstances of the conversion of Hungarians to the Christian faith, the ensuing change of lifestyle, the settlement in the Carpathian Basin, the adoption of West European political, economic, and social patterns, and the establishment of contacts with the neighboring states (such as the Holy Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, and Poland) are all periods of Hungarian history which have been thoroughly investigated and explored even by historians in Europe (see, e.g. Berend, Urbanczyk, Wiszewski 2013 [3]; Jaritz, Szende 2016 [14]; Kristó 1992 [16 p128-133]; Kristó 1993 [18]; Kristó 1996 [19]; Kristó 2002 [20 p39-47]; Szabó 2012 [33 p9-21]; Zsoldos 2001 [38]) This is much less true about the events of diplomatic history in the 12th century. I offer a brief analysis of the effects of the rule of the Hohenstaufen dynasty in the Holy Roman Empire on Hungarian foreign policy, highlighting how the Hungarian state became a decisive actor on the stage of European diplomatic life

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion