The Eighth Tribe, 1976 (3. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1976-09-01 / 9. szám
Pa§a 8 THE EIGHTH TRIBE September, 1976 Editor’s Note: The EIGHTH TRIBE continues to publish the History of the Hungarian Nation. All references in the presentation apply to Hungary as it was prior to the Trianon Treaty of 1918. THE HISTORY OF THE HUNGARIAN NATION I GENEALOGICAL TABLE OF THE HOUSE OF ÁRPÁDS Almos "71 Árpád d. c)07 Zsolt I Taksony THE AGE OF ÁRPÁDS — continued The trying times that followed Stephen’s death proved best the strong foundation on which the Hungarian state had been built. All over contemporary Europe, royal authority was on the wane. In Bohemia, Poland, and the state of Kiev, authority did not remain unified in one King; but because the ruler in each case satisfied the claims of his nearest relatives with shares of the country, an aggregation of small principalities took the place of a unitary kingdom. This dangerously weakened the state, and, in the case of Poland, foreshadowed the loss of national independence. Since there was no established order of royal succession, similar difficulties arose in Hungary. According to the principle of seniority, the oldest male member of the dynasty succeeded to the throne. On the other hand, the kings wanted to assure the throne for their sons, preparing the way for primogeniture. The king during his lifetime often had to hand part of the country over to his brother and in a later period to his eldest son, who was called the “junior king”. Though the German Emperors in the 11th century, and the Byzantine Emperors in the century following, attempted to capitalize on this state of affairs, Hungary’s integrity and independence remained unshaken, unity and public morale becoming even stronger as a reaction to foreign intervention. King Stephen I, whose son Imre died young, ignored his exiled pagan relatives and named his Italian nephew his successor. The short reign of Peter, son of Doge Orseolo of Venice, was attended by discontent among his subjects, and when he appealed to the Emperor for assistance, the dissidents recalled the exiled princes and placed one of them on the throne as Andrew I. Contrary to expectations, the latter did not approve the paganistic tendencies of some of his supporters, but followed in the steps of Stephen, working for Christianity. He was successful in repelling every German thrust, through the assistance of his younger brother Béla, one of the ablest strategists of his day. The latter succeeded Andrew, as Béla I (1060-1063), and utilized fully the advant-Géza d. 997 Michael I St. Stephen d. 1038 St. Emeric Kálmán d. 1116 Stephen II (daughter) m. Aba Samuel d. 1044 Stephen III d. 1173 Maria m. Otto Orseolo of Venice I Peter Vazul László d. 1046 Andrew I d. 1060 I Salomon d. 1087 Béla I Levente d. 1063 Géza I Almos d. 1129 Béla II St. László i Piroska m. Emperor John Comnenius Manuel Helen m. Zwoinimir, King of Croatia Géza II László II d. 1161 d. 1162 Stephen IV d. 1164 Béla III d. 1196 1. m. Anne de Chatillon 2. m. Margaret, daughter of Louis VII, of France, descendants of the first marriage Emeric d. 1173 Andrew II Constantine Béla IV Stephen V Elizabeth m. Henry of Bavaria Otto of Bavaria d- 1235 m. Ottokar I, of Bohemia-I. m. Gertrude of Merania I 2. m. Yolande de Courtenay Wenceslas I 3. m. Beatrice de Este Ottokar II ____. I_______„ m. Kunigunda Wenceslas II I Wenceslas Anne m. Ratislav László IV Maria d. 1290 m* Charles II, of Anjou Kunigunda Stephen m. Morosini Tomasina Andrew III Kin® °f Hungary d. 1301 m. Ottokar II, of Bohemia 461 ages gained by the treaty of 1058, in which the German Emperor had to shelve all his feudal claims on Hungary. King Solomon (1063-1074), son of Andrew, followed next. He married the Emperor’s daughter, thus becoming a brother-in-law of the ambitious Henry IV. This period exhibits the political tactics of the Hungarians, who used to all possible advantage the differences between the Empire and the papacy. The willingness of Hungary to follow the reform efforts directed by Rome had its political explanation. Pope Gregory VII had plans for the establishment of the Vatican as a world power. Henry IV of Germany was equally ambitious for himself. Hungary was divided into two factions. Solomon, as a dutiful kinsman, sided with the Emperor, while sons of the victorious
