Boleslas III the Stop-Chest

|- | Reign || Of 1102 with 1138 |- | Dynasty || Piast |- | Parents || Ladislas Ier Hermann
Judith of Bohemia |- | Wives || *Zbysława (Zbyslava) of Kiev (1103), girl of Sviatopolk II
* Salome von Berg-Schelklingen (1115) |- | Children || with Zbysława (Zbyslava)

* Ladislas II the Outlaw (1105 - May 30th 1159)
*? , boy (v. 1107/1108 - after 1109)
*? , girl (before 1111 -?)

avec Salomé

*Leszek (1115 - before 1138)
*Ryksa (April 12th 1116 - after 1155)
*? , girl (before 1119 -?)
*Kazimierz (August 16th 1122 - October 19th 1131)
*Gertruda (v. 1123/1124 - May 7th 1160)
* Boleslas IV Curly the (1125 - April 3rd 1173)
* Mieszko III the Old man (1126 - March 13rd 1202)
* Henri de Sandomierz (1127 - October 18th 1166)
*Dobronega (1128 - after 1147)
*Judith (1132 -?)
*Zofia (? - October 10th 1136)
*Agnieszka (1137 - after 1182)
* Casimir II the Juste (1138 - May 5th 1194) |- | Birth date || August 20th 1085 or 1086 |- | Birthplace || Cracow |- | Date of death || October 28th 1138 |- | Place of death || ? |- | Place of burial || Cathedral of Płock, Poland |- |} Boleslas III the Stop-Chest (in Polish Bolesław III Krzywousty ) (August 20th 1085 or 1086, Cracow - October 28th 1138) Duc of Poland of 1102 with is 1138, it is the son of Ladislas Ier Hermann and Judith of Bohemia, the girl of the emperor Henri III. It is dynasty of the Piasts.

Confirmation of the legitimacy of the older brother of Boleslas III

In 1097, Ladislas Ier Hermann is constrained by the partisans of Piasts to divide his territory with Zbigniew, his/her illegitimate son, and Boleslas III the Stop-Chest. Zbigniew receives the Large-Poland, the Cujavie, Sieradz and Łęczyca. Boleslas III the Stop-Chest receives the Petite Poland, the Silesia, Lubusz and a small territory in the west of Large Poland. Ladislas Ier Hermann preserves the Mazovie and the big cities of the territory of Boleslas III, while remaining the princeps , i.e. the most important Duc. In 1099, Boleslas III, which bound of friendship with his/her uncle, the duke Bretislav II of Bohemia, receives this one a share of the annual tribute which pay Ladislas Ier Hermann for Silesia. In exchange, it is probable that Boleslas III yields to the Bohemia the area of Kłodzko. After the death of Ladislas Ier Hermann in 1102, its two sons enter in competition to take ascending one on the other. Boleslas III the Stop-Chest inherits the title of princeps and continues, like his/her father, to reside at Płock. Boleslas III starts to prepare a war to recover the Poméranie.

A fratricidal fight for the capacity

In 1103, Boleslas marries Zbysława, girl of the large prince de Kiev Sviatopolk II and sister of Iaroslav of Volhynie, thus making an invaluable alliance in the event of conflict with his/her brother. On its side, Zbigniew makes an alliance with the Poméraniens (which are in the line of sight of Boleslas) and with the Czech (thus approaching the Saint Empire). In 1104, Zbigniew encourages the Czechs and Poméraniens to attack Boleslas on two faces. The territory of Boleslas is seriously devastated. The same year, Boleslas makes a treaty of mutual assistance with Coloman of Hungary. If one is attacked by the Saint Worsens, the other attacks the Bohemia. Boleslas III the Stop-Chest also approaches the the Holy See, hostile with the Saint Worsens. In 1106, Boleslas and Zbigniew make a pact by which they are committed not making separate alliances and to help against their enemies. Whereas Boleslas III the Stop-Chest invades Poméranie, Zbigniew refuses to help it and sends its army to attack it by behind on the border poméranienne. Zbigniew preferred to remain allied rather with Poméraniens than to see those devastating its territory to avenge the aggression for Boleslas. This last makes sure of the neutrality of Bohemia before attacking Zbigniew and seizing Kalisz, Gniezno, of the castle of Spicymierz and Łęczyca. Then, with the Russian troops and Hungarian, it starts to push back Zbigniew out of Mazovie. Zbigniew must deposit the weapons. Boleslas III the Stop-Chest leaves him only Mazovie, as a Fief and not as an independent duchy. In 1107, whereas Boleslas attacks and occupies the poméraniennes cities of Białogard and Kołobrzeg, Zbigniew does not honor its engagement with Vassal and does not send troops to help it. Boleslas expels Zbigniew which turns to Bohemia and the Saint Worsens. In 1108, the Saint Worsens attack Hungary. Under the terms of the treaty of assistance of 1104, Boleslas III Stop-Chest attacks Bohemia. In 1109, Poméraniens decide to support Zbigniew in its search of the throne and attack Mazovie. Boleslas crushes Poméraniens with Nakło, which it will occupy like six other cities of the area poméranienne recovering the estuary of the the Vistula. The same year, to support Zbigniew, Henri V and Bohemia invade the Poland under the official pretext to avenge the Polish attack for 1108 against Bohemia. The imperial invasion prevents Boleslas from continuing the conquest of Poméranie. The offensive on Silesia ends in the defeat of the imperial troops at the time of the battle of Psie Pole, close to Wrocław. Henri V is obliged to fold up itself, having devastated most of Poland and several cities. In 1110, Czech Zbigniew and its allies continue to attack the Polish frontier cities. In reaction to the hostile attitude of Bohemia, Boleslas III the Stop-Chest helps Bořivoj II to go up on the throne of Bohemia become vacant. Bořivoj quickly will be reversed and exiled by his/her brother Vladislav Ier of Bohemia. Boleslas III Stop-Chest will then try to place Sobeslav Ier, the young brother of Bořivoj, on the throne of Bohemia. In 1111, a treaty is concluded between Poland and Bohemia: each signatory agrees not to encourage at his place an applicant with the crown of the adjoining country. In 1112, Boleslas authorizes the return of Zbigniew, shows it treason, makes him burst the eyes, that of which he will die quickly.

The Eastern conquest of Poméranie

In 1113, the Poles demolish the duke Swietopelk de Poméranie and take Nakło. They open a road through the marshes of the Noteć, the key towards the basin of the the Vistula. In 1115, Boleslas III the Stop-Chest marries Salome von Berg before invading the following year the area poméranienne of Gdańsk. In 1117, Boleslas III the Stop-Chest chokes the revolt of the Palatin Skarbimir, with which it makes burst the eyes, and replaces it by Piotr Włostowic. In 1119, Boleslas III the Stop-Chest joins together the Eastern Poméranie in Poland.

The Western conquest of Poméranie

The first attacks against the Western Poméranie begin in 1119. In 1121, Boleslas III the Stop-Chest seizes Szczecin. Boleslas III Stop-Chest joins together Poméranie Western in Poland, the prince poméranien Warcislaw I {{er}} recognizing the Suzerain be of Poland.

The christianization of Poméranie

In 1124, Boleslas III the Stop-Chest entrusts the Western Christianisation of Poméranie to Othon de Bamberg, the bishop of Brandebourg. Wojciech, the chaplain of Boleslas III the Stop-Chest, will be named first bishop of Poméranie with Kołobrzeg. In 1128, Otton de Bamberg undertakes a second mission of christianization in Poméranie, under the patronage of the German king Lothaire II.

Relations with the Danes

In 1129, Boleslas III Stop-Chest concludes an alliance with the Danish.

Relations with Bohemia

Since the death of his/her father, Boleslas was to face the quarrelsome attitude of the Czechs who supported his Zbigniew half-brother. In 1114, Boleslas III the Stop-Chest takes again Kłodzko, the door of Bohemia. In 1132, the Czechs attack and devastate Silesia. In 1137, in Kłodzko, an peace agreement standardizes the relations between Bohemia and Poland.

Interference in Hungary

Of 1132 with 1134, Boleslas III the Stop-Chest and the Rus' of Kiev support Boris who wants to seize the throne Hungarian, without success.

The relations with the Saint Worsens

Since the beginning of its reign, the relations with the Saint Worsens who supported his Zbigniew half-brother seriously worsened. The defeat of the emperor Henri V in Psie Pole calmed during a time the appetites of the Saint Worsens. In 1133, the Innocent Pope II, undergoing the pressures of the Saint Worsens, publishes a bubble refusing the independence of the archbishop's palace of Gniezno. All évêchés Polish are attached to that of Magdeburg. The Polish, via the Archbishop Jacques de Znina, call upon this decision and approach the Antipape Anaclet II. In August 1135, with Mersebourg, Boleslas III Stop-Chest recognizes Vassal of the emperor Lothaire II and agrees to pay him an annual tribute. In exchange, it obtains the recognition of the independence of the Polish archbishop's palace but Poméranie Western becomes Fief of the Lothaire emperor. The July 7th 1136, the Bulle of Gniezno of the pope Innocent II confirms the independence of the Polish Église.

The will of Boleslas III the Stop-Chest

Boleslas III Stop-Chest dies the October 28th 1138. Its will, written a few years and inspired before of the habits of Kiev, mark the beginning of the territorial dismemberment of Poland. It shared its State between its four sons, each one receiving a hereditary duchy. Ladislas II the Outlaw receives the Silesia (with Wrocław like capital), Boleslas IV Curly the receives the Mazovie and the Cujavie (with Płock like capital), Mieszko III the Old man receives the Large-Poland (with Poznań like capital), Henri receives the duchy of Sandomierz (with Sandomierz like capital). The elder one of the male representatives of the dynasty Piast, Ladislas II the Outlaw, becomes the princeps (or senior ) and for this reason, control surface also on the Petite Poland (with Cracow like capital), the Eastern Large-Poland with Gniezno and Kalisz, the Western Poméranie, the Eastern Poméranie as well as the area of Łęczyca and Sieradz (after the death of Salome). It is him which decides in last spring on the questions of foreign politics, concludes the treaties, declares the wars, has the right of nomination, is the chief and the supreme judge. Casimir II the Juste, who had not been born during the drafting of the will, does not receive anything.

See too

History of Poland
Piast

Random links: