Habsburg Monarchy Bohemia

bohemia heart of europa regina, 1570.

after death of king louis ii of hungary , bohemia in battle of mohács in 1526, archduke ferdinand of austria became new king of bohemia , country became constituent state of habsburg monarchy.

bohemia enjoyed religious freedom between 1436 , 1620, , became 1 of liberal countries of christian world during period. in 1609, holy roman emperor rudolph ii, made prague again capital of empire @ time, himself roman catholic, moved bohemian nobility publish maiestas rudolphina, confirmed older confessio bohemica of 1575.

after emperor matthias ii , king of bohemia ferdinand ii (later holy roman emperor) began oppressing rights of protestants in bohemia, resulting bohemian revolt led outbreak of thirty years war in 1618. elector frederick v of electorate of palatinate, protestant, elected bohemian nobility replace ferdinand on bohemian throne, , known winter king. frederick s wife, popular elizabeth stuart , subsequently elizabeth of bohemia, known winter queen or queen of hearts, daughter of king james vi of scotland.

after frederick s defeat in battle of white mountain in 1620, 27 bohemian estates leaders jan jesenius, rector of charles university of prague executed on prague s old town square on 21 june 1621 , rest exiled country; lands given catholic loyalists (mostly of bavarian , saxon origin), ended pro-reformation movement in bohemia , ended role of prague ruling city of holy roman empire.

in so-called renewed constitution of 1627, german language established second official language in czech lands. czech language formally remained first language in kingdom, however, both german , latin spoken among ruling classes, although german became increasingly dominant, while czech spoken in of countryside.

the formal independence of bohemia further jeopardized when bohemian diet approved administrative reform in 1749. included indivisibility of habsburg empire , centralization of rule; meant merging of royal bohemian chancellery austrian chancellery.

at end of 18th century, czech national revival movement, in cooperation part of bohemian aristocracy, started campaign restoration of kingdom s historic rights, whereby czech language regain historical role , replace german language of administration. enlightened absolutism of joseph ii , leopold ii, introduced minor language concessions, showed promise czech movement, many of these reforms later rescinded. during revolution of 1848, many czech nationalists called autonomy bohemia habsburg austria, revolutionaries defeated. old bohemian diet, 1 of last remnants of independence, dissolved, although czech language experienced rebirth romantic nationalism developed among czechs.

in 1861, new elected bohemian diet established. renewal of old bohemian crown (kingdom of bohemia, margraviate of moravia, , duchy of upper , lower silesia) became official political program of both czech liberal politicians , majority of bohemian aristocracy ( state rights program ), while parties representing german minority , small part of aristocracy proclaimed loyalty centralistic constitution (so-called verfassungstreue ).

after defeat of austria in austro-prussian war in 1866, hungarian politicians achieved austro-hungarian compromise of 1867, ostensibly creating equality between austrian , hungarian halves of empire. attempt czechs create tripartite monarchy (austria-hungary-bohemia) failed in 1871. state rights program remained official platform of czech political parties (except social democrats) until 1918.