European Kingdoms

Hungary

The territory which later came to be called Hungary was generally Roman-occupied from 15 BC to circa AD 378. Containing Celtic tribes such as the Hercuniates, Eravisci, and Anarti, it largely formed the province of Pannonia. In the late third and early fourth century various barbarian tribes infiltrated it, including the Rugii. Then the Huns swept through Eastern Europe and dominated this area until AD 427. The Western Roman empire briefly recaptured it until the Huns once more took control in circa 445. They were followed by the new power in southern and eastern Europe, the Ostrogoths, in circa 460, but as they migrated into the Balkans the area became tribal from about 488-558. The surviving Huns had settled nearby, and it was their name which was applied to the region in the form of Hungary, while Germanic tribes such as the Gepids also occupied northern and eastern areas of it, close to the Carpathians. The Avars swept in from the Steppes to control Hungary from 558-803, but there was a break in their rule in the seventh century.

Slovakia was never a kingdom in its own right. For most of its history (906-1918) it was part of Hungary. Then it was attached to former Bohemia-Moravia to form the republic of Czechoslovakia.

558

The nomadic Avars assume control of Hungary.

562

The Avars incur into Austrasia, forcing the king to move his capital. This attack is repelled, as is another in about 568.

c.625 - c.660

The local Slavs form a kingdom of their own with the intention of expelling the Avars. The Slav Kingdom achieves its aim, but is short-lived.

c.660 - 803

The Avars resume their control of Hungary.

Kingdom of Hungary
AD 896 - 1097

The Magyars were Asiatic horsemen from the Steppes. After being defeated by the Patzinaks in 892, they migrated west to settle in the Dacian lands most recently controlled by the Avars. They spoke a Uralic language which is ultimately related to Finnish, Estonian, and other Siberian languages. For half a century they plagued Western Europe until defeated by the Germans. Christianity followed soon after, and Hungary evolved into a feudal state.

896 - 907

Arpad

Dynasty founder. Led Magyars into Eastern Europe.

899 - 900

As part of their initial invasion of Europe, the Magyars invade Italy, possibly at the prompting of Arnulf, king of Germany. Berengar refuses a request by them for an armistice but his army is surprised and routed at the Battle of the Brenta on 24 September 899. The Magyar invasion is subsequently blocked by the Venetians at Pellestrina in 900.

906

Urged on by the Eastern Franconian emperor, Arnulf, the Magyars destroy the kingdom of Great Moravia. They then turn on Western Europe, and for half a century add to the misery of the so-called Second Dark Age.

907 - 946

Zoltan

907 - 955

Hungary controls the territory of Austria.

933

The Magyars suffer a setback when the Saxon king, Henry I, defeats them at Riade.

946 - 952

Val

Non-dynastic.

952 - 972

Tacsony

955

The Magyars are defeated at Lechfield by the Germans, under the Saxon Otto I. They also effectively lose control of Austria.

972 - 997

Geza I

Christianised (975).

997 - 1038

St Stephen I

First king of Hungary (1001-1038).

1038 - 1041

Peter Urseolo

Non-dynastic.

1041 - 1044

Samuel Aba

Non-dynastic. d.1046.

1044 - 1046

Peter Urseolo

Restored.

1046 - 1061

Andrew I

Arpads Restored.

1056

Edward the Exile, the son of Saxon King Edmund Ironsides, an atheling (a noble of royal descent) with the best claim to the throne after Edward, has been living in Hungary. The childless Edward the Confessor sees him as a possible heir to the throne, so in 1056 he is persuaded to return, along with his two sons, but dies on the way in 1057, in the hall of a Saxon thegn. One of those sons, Edgar, presses his own claim to the English throne in 1066.

Some texts claim that Edward the Exile has been enjoying the hospitality of Malesclot, king of the Rugians, based on this Germanic tribe's settlement in Lower Austria in the fifth century. However, this tribe has long since been absorbed into the Bavarii confederation of the sixth century, making this either an invention, or perhaps confusing a minor Hungarian lord with his regional antecedents.

1061 - 1063

Bela I

His dau. married king of Croatia.

1063 - 1074

Solomon

1074 - 1077

Geza II

1077 - 1095

St Ladislas I

Son of Bela. Conceded the Croatian crown.

1095 - 1097

Coloman / Kalman the Learned

King of Hungary, & Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia (1097).

1097

Kalman defeats Croatian opposition and secures the Croatian crown. The title is confirmed in 1102 when Kalman is crowned in Biograd, on the Dalmatian coast. In principle, Croatia is always governed as a separate kingdom, rather than a territory belonging to Hungary.

Kingdom of Hungary & Croatia
AD 1097 - 1564

Rather than taking over Croatia as a dominion, the two crowns were seen as being separate. Croatia maintained its own autonomy.

1097 - 1114

Coloman / Kalman the Learned

1114 - 1131

Stephen II

1118

War against the Hungarians sees the Venetian doge, Ordelaf Falier, killed at the Battle of Zara.

1131 - 1141

Bela II

1141 - 1161

Geza III

1161 - 1162

Stephen III

1162 - 1163

Ladislas II

1163

Stephen IV

1163 - 1172

Stephen III

Restored.

1170 - 1171

Zara rebels and switches allegiance to the Hungarians, but is re-conquered by Venice the following year.

1172 - 1196

Bela III

Controlled Bosnia (1180).

1196 - 1204

Emeric

1204 - 1205

Ladislas III

1205 - 1235

Andrew II

1205 - 1214

Andrew II defeats Roman Mstislavich the Great and claims the title king of Galicia and Lodomeria.

1235 - 1270

Bela IV

1241

The Mongols of  Batu Khan's Golden Horde, aided by Subedei, turn their attention to Poland and Hungary, primarily because, during the Mongol invasion of the Rus lands, Cumans, Kipchaks, and other nomadic groups fled to Hungary to seek refuge there. Both Poland and Hungary are conquered, with European defeats at Liegnitz and the River Sajo (the Battle of Mohi). However, the death of Ogedei Khan causes the Mongols to withdraw, with Batu Khan intent on securing his conquests in the lands of the Rus.

1244

Peace is agreed with Venice, and Bela IV releases the city of Zara back to them.

1270 - 1272

Stephen V

1272 - 1290

Ladislas IV

1290 - 1301

Andrew III

Last Arpad.

1301 - 1305

Wenceslas

Wenceslas II of Bohemia.

1305 - 1307

Otto

Otto III of Bavaria.

1308 - 1342

Charles I of Anjou

Senator of Rome (1263-1284). King of Sicily (1266-1285).

1342 - 1382

Louis / Ludwik I the Great

King of Poland (1370-1382).

1345

Another war is fought against Venice for the rebel city of Zara.

1370 - 1382

King Kasimierz dies leaving only female issue and a grandson - Louis the Great. The succession of Poland has already been agreed in advance, so Louis is able to claim the throne. On his death, his daughter Jadwiga succeeds him in Poland while Mary does the same in Hungary.

1382 - 1385

Mary / Maria of Anjou

Married Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund.

1385 - 1386

Charles II of Anjou

Charles III of Naples (1382-1386).

1386 - 1395

Mary / Maria of Anjou

Restored. Ruled jointly with her husband.

1386 - 1437

Sigismund of Luxembourg

Holy Roman Emperor. King of Bohemia (1419-1437).

1415

At least from this time onwards, the Hungarian territory of Transylvania is ruled by local princes under Hungarian overlordship.

1437 - 1439

Albert of Austria

Archduke of Austria & king of Bohemia (1437-1439).

1439 - 1440

Interregnum. The title is claimed by Ladislas of Bohemia, but contested by Vladislav of Poland.

1440 - 1444

Vladislav I Jagiello

Wladyslav VI King of Poland (1434-1444).

1444 - 1457

Ladislas V

Lasislas I Posthumus, king of Bohemia (1439-1457).

1458 - 1490

Matthais Corvinus

Non-dynastic.

1490

The Lithuanian Jagiello dynasty, which already rules in Poland and Bohemia, expands its influence even further when Ladislas II of Bohemia gains the Hungarian throne. His successor is a member of the same dynasty.

1490 - 1516

Ladislas VI

Ladislas II Vladimir Jagiello, king of Bohemia (1471-1516).

1509

The League of Cambrai is formed with France, Castile, Hungary, the Papal States, the Holy Roman empire, and Ferrara against Venice. Venice is defeated at Agnadello.

1516 - 1526

Louis II

Louis, king of Bohemia (1516-1526). Killed by Turks.

1526

Following devastating defeat at the Battle of Mohács and the death of Louis II of Hungary and Bohemia, Hungary loses the principality of Transylvania to the Ottomans. The Habsburgs inherit Hungary from the Lithuanian Jagiellos, but are opposed by the Zapolyas. It is unclear how much power the latter actually hold.

1526 - 1540

John I Zapolya

1540 - 1571

John II Zapolya

1526 - 1564

Ferdinand of Austria

King of Bohemia (1526-1564).

1564 - 1918

Control of Bohemia, Moravia, Hungary and Croatia is taken fully by the Habsburgs as Holy Roman emperors.

Modern Hungary
AD 1918 - Present Day

On 1 November 1918, Hungary extracted itself as an independent kingdom from the collapse of the former Austro-Hungarian empire at the end of the First World War.

1918 - 1920

Hungary is recreated as an independent state by the World War I victors. It loses its Slovak territory to the new state of Czechoslovakia, while Transylvania is passed to Rumania.

1920 - 1945

A fascist regency is established.

1945 - 1989

The Second Republic is a Soviet-controlled one.

1989

Soviet influence on Eastern Europe collapses. A new democratic republic is established.