THE OPPOSITION OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE AND THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE AND THE POSITION OF THE CZECH SZLACHTA (THE END OF THE XVth – THE 30-ies OF THE XVIth CENTURY)

Abstract

The aim of the research is to highlight the problem of the opposition of the Ottoman Empire and the Holy Roman Empire in the Central and Eastern regions of Europe and to reveal the position of the Czech szlachta. The research methodology is based on the principles of historicism, systematic, scientific, author's objectivity, based on historical sources and the chronological and problem principle, as well as on the use of general scientific (analysis, synthesis, generalization) and special-historical (integrated method of analysis of sources, historical-comparative, historical-descriptive, historical-systemic, terminological analysis) methods. The scientific novelty is that for the first time in Ukrainian historical science an analysis of the role and position of the Czech szlachta concerning the problem of the Turkish threat, through the prism of rule in the Czech kingdom of the Jagiellonian dynasty, has been carried out. The Conclusions. At the end of the XVth century to the beginning of the XVIth century the international situation in the Central and Eastern regions of Europe was tense. The hostility continued between the leading monarchs of Europe. There was a direct Turkish threat to the Czech kingdom. The Papal state, the Polish kingdom and Moscow principality tried to resist the Turkish aggression. The created anti-Turkish alliance (France, Poland and the Pope of Rome) was little effective. Thus, the Hungarian kingdom, headed by King Louis II of Jagiellon, was forced to resist the Turkish Empire on its own actually. Under such circumstances, Louis II, being a Czech king, sought for support among the Czech classes. Taking into consideration the controversy between the Czech and Hungarian upper classes, it can be argued that the Czech szlachta chose a neutral, expectant position, and the Czech city estate at this stage was ignored and did not provide adequate military support to the king. During that period the cities in the Czech kingdom resisted the Czech szlachta and fought for their rights and privileges. Among the Hungarian estates there were disputes between magnates and szlachta, which greatly complicated the situation. The unsuccessful policy of the representatives of the Czech and Hungarian Jagiellon dynasty led to the loss of the support among the Czech lords, Hungarian magnates and the representatives of burghers. The culmination of the opposition was the Battle of Mohacs (August 29, 1526). The Czech estates (upper classes) didn’t try to give the military assistance to the King and concerned only about their own interests, which the Czech szlachta together with the Czech city upper class put above the state interest.