Boleslas Ier of Poland

|- | Reign || Of 992 with 1025 |- | Crowning || The April 18th 1025 with the cathedral of Gniezno, Poland |- | Dynasty || Piast |- | Parents || Mieszko I
Dubravka |- | Wives || Heminilde de Meissen
Judith of Hongrie
Emnilda of Lusace
Oda of Meissen |- | Children || with Judith de Hongrie
* Bezprym
avec Emnilda de Lusace
*Regelina
* Mieszko II Lambert
*Otton
avec Oda de Meissen
*Matylda |- | Birth date || 967 |- | Birthplace || ? |- | Date of death || June 17th 1025 |- | Place of death || ? |- | Place of burial || Cathedral Saint Pierre and Saint Paul, Poznań, Poland |- |}

Boleslas Ier Valiant the (in Polish Bolesław I Chrobry ), from the dynasty of the Piasts, was born in 967 and is deceased the June 17th 1025. It is the first sovereign Polish with being crowned King (1025). It succeeded in linking the tribes of the Slaves west and only reigning during 33 years.

Oldest son of Mieszko Ier

Oldest son of the Duke Mieszko I {{er}} and of his first wife, the Duke Czech hess Dubravka, Boleslas Ier the Valiant one was born in 967. In 984, he marries Heminilde (in Polish Henilda ), the girl of Rigdag, the Margrave of Misnie, which enables him to approach the Saxons, but he will drive out his wife shortly after. In 986, it Marie with Judith, the girl of the duke of Hungary Géza, which will be the mother of its oldest son Bezprym. It will also drive out it very quickly. In 987, he marries Emnilda, the girl of the duke Dobromir of Lusace. She will be the mother of Mieszko II Lambert.

For unknown reasons, Miesko Ier does not mention his/her son Boleslas Ier the Valiant one in the Dagome Iudex .

Duke of Poland

Died of his/her father the May 25th 992, it succeeds to him, attempts to eliminate its rivals and to unify the country. It is in this context that it expels Oda (which wanted to install one of his/her children on the throne) and his three half-brothers (Mieszko, Świętopełk and Lambert), also making burst the eyes of their partisans (994).

Wishing to preserve good relationships with the Holy Empire, it supports Othon III in its war against the Obodrites (995). Wanting to follow an expansion policy in Prussia (it has already the Silesia, the Poméranie and the Petite Poland), it sends to it several missionaries of which Adalbert, old the bishop of Prague, which left in 997 to convert the Prussian with the Christianisme. Adalbert is killed by those very close to Gdańsk. According to the legend, prince Boleslas Ier the Valiant one repurchased the body of the martyr at the price of his weight out of gold and made it bring back to Gniezno to be buried there. At once after the canonization of Adalbert (999), its tomb becomes a place of pilgrimage. In the year 1000, with the authorization of the Pope Sylvestre II, Boleslas Ier the Valiant one opens a Archidiocèse in Gniezno (concerning Rome and not of the Archevêché S of Germany, located on the other side of the Oder) and évêché S with Cracow, Kołobrzeg (in Poméranie) and with Wrocław (in Silesia). Othon III goes in pilgrimage in Gniezno, accepts the creation of the archbishop's palace and proclaims Boleslas Frater and Cooperator Imperii (Brother and collaborator of the Empire), gesture which shows a relation which is not that of a Vassal. Radzim Gaudenty is named Archevêque of Gniezno. In 1001, Boleslas Ier sends the Astryk-Anastazy abbot near the pope in order to require a royal crown of him but this one betrays Boleslas with the profit of Etienne Ier of Hungary which wants to also be crowned king.

To protect itself from any danger on the Western border, Boleslas tries to link Polish, Czech and Slovaques to form a great State, and to face with the invasions together. In 999, it annexes the Moravie and in 1000/1001, it annexes the Slovakia.

The war with the Holy roman Empire

In 1002, the untimely death of Othon III puts an end to the dream relations between good neighborhood and the Saint Worsens. Benefitting from the fight to be able it in the Saint Worsens, it invades the Lusace and the Misnie. In 1003, it proclaims duke of Bohemia and Moravie, and sends the Antoine monk to Rome, in order to operate to obtain a royal crown to him. In 1004, Henri II does not drive out Boleslas Ier Valiant Prague, this one does not preserve any more but Moravie. In August 1005, Henri II launches an attack starting from Magdeburg and drives back the Poles until Poznań, depriving them of any influence on Poméranie Western. In 1007, Boleslas Ier the Valiant one attacks Magdeburg and re-occupies Lusace while Henri II is occupied by a revolt in Lotharingie. The same year, he concludes an alliance with the prince Vladimir Ier from the Rus' of Kiev against Hungary. Sviatopolk, the son of Vladimir, marries a girl of Boleslas Ier the Valiant one. In 1012, the Holy roman Empire launches a new offensive against Poland but Henri II is recalled by a new revolt in Lotharingie, letting Boleslas Ier the Valiant one seize Lubusz, crossed west by one grown of the Elba. In 1013, Boleslas sends his/her son Mieszko to negotiate peace with the Holy roman Empire. With the Pentecost, at the time of the meeting of Mersebourg, Boleslas Ier the Valiant one obtains Lusace in exchange of an oath of allegiance in Henri II who puts an end temporarily to the war between Pole and Germans. Having made safe the Western border of Poland, Boleslas launches an offensive against the Rus' of Kiev to support Sviatopolk, with the assistance of the Germans and the Petchenègues. It seizes Przemyśl and Belz. In 1014, Boleslas Ier the Valiant one refuses to join Henri II to go against the Romains. It receives Canut Large the, accompanied by his mother Swietoslawa, and gives him 300 riders to help it to reconquer the England. In 1015, the Holy roman Empire, which wants to take again Lusace and the area of Meissen, reopens the hostilities with Poland.

The peace of Bautzen

The January 30th 1018, the Paix of Bautzen (in Polish Budziszyn) puts a term at the war. Having overcome in 1017 a coalition of the Empire with the Czechs and Rus of Kiev, Boleslas Ier the Valiant one obtains the recognition of a Western border. Poland keeps Moravie, Lusace and the area of Milsko, Henri II obtains Bohemia, accepts the independence of Poland and agrees to send troops against its old ally Iaroslav of Kiev. Boleslas Ier the Valiant one marries Oda, the sister of Hermann de Misnie, the girl of Ekkehard, the margrave de Misnie.

Expansion in the east

In 1018, Boleslas Ier the Valiant set up a new military forwarding against Kiev to support Sviatopolk in the war of succession which opposes it to Iaroslav. The result of the victory against Kiev is the establishment of the border on the Bug, the red Ruthénie (which had been lost by his/her father) and the area of Przemyśl will be annexed. The August 14th 1018, Sviatopolk, the son-in-law of Boleslas Ier the Valiant one, is placed on the throne of Rus' of Kiev. Boleslas Ier the Valiant one sends a “Proclamation of a peace triumphing and friendly” to the emperors of the Holy roman Empire (Henri II) and Byzance (Basile II), by which it expresses his objective clearly to maintain the Eastern Europe apart from any imperial authority.

King de Pologne

The April 18th 1025, Sunday of Easter, Boleslas Ier the Valiant one is crowned king by Hipolit, the Archevêque of Gniezno, without the approval of the Germanic Empereur and without awaiting the authorization of the pope. This crowning symbolizes the independence of the country and confirms its positon of power in Europe.

The June 17th 1025, Boleslas Ier the Valiant one dies at the 57 years age. It is buried in the cathedral of Poznań.

See too

History of Poland
Piast

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