Bretislav Ier of Bohemia

Bretislav Ier Premysl , the Warrior (Czech: Břetislav ), of the house Premyslides born between 1002-1005, Duke of Bohemia of 1034 with 1055

Wire of the duke Ulrich of Bohemia of a girl of peasant named Bozena (+ 1055) whose his/her father was enthusiast, Master of the Moravie since 1029 Brestislav Ier becomes duke in 1034. Its first aid is to go to swear fidelity with Conrad II of the Holy roman Empire at the time of the court held with Bamberg the May 18th 1035.

The young duke although having received the imperial nomination and having helped the emperor at the time of his war against Luitices nourished vast ambitions. It made profitable the anarchy which prevailed in Poland since the end of the reign of Mieszko II Lambert in 1034.

Its troops invade quickly the Silesia and Cracow with the autumn 1038. Poznan then Gniezno the capital falls in its capacity. A religious intoxication seized Czech when the army approached the place where St Adalbert of Prague was buried. The relics of the saint, those of his half brother Radzim Gaudenty first archbishop of Gniezno as those of the first Polish martyrs of the school of Adalbert were brought back triumphantly to Prague in 1039.

The Poland was reduced with its Eastern provinces and was around Bohemia which appeared owe maintained to reconstitute the great Western Slavic state whose imperial policy had always dreaded creation.

Already the bishop of Prague guard of the relic of St Adalbert requested of the pope Benoît IX the pallium archiépiscopal pledge of religious emancipation with regard to Germany and to prepare its political independence Bretislav Ier negotiated an alliance with the new king Pierre of Hungary Orseolo.

It is understood that the emperor Henri III of the Holy roman Empire which had just succeeded his/her father Conrad II is moved by this situation. In August 1040 giving its imperial crowning to later it joins together an army and tries to force the passage of the Forêt of Bohemia but the Czech army beat it with the door of the country close to Domazlice. After this unfortunate company which costs German much deaths it is obliged to beat a retreat.

In 1041 it prepares its offensive with more care and arrives on September 8th in front of Prague. It obtains the capitulation of Bretislav Ier which must promise moreover to pay 8.000 marks of money, to restore the prisoners fallen in his capacity and to demolish the fortifications of the Forêt of Bohemia. A few days later this burning and quarrelsome prince appears in front of Henri III in Rastibonne. He gives up Poland where Casimir Ier the Restorer wire of Mieszko II Lambert returns about at the same time and he receives in stronghold the duchy which he had dreamed to transform into independent kingdom October 22nd 1041.

The embassy sent to Rome to require that Prague be promoted row of archbishop's palace also failed. the Romans had been shocked by the transfer of the holy relics and had been dismayed by the way in which Czech had plundered the churches in Poland. Only the distributions of gold and Polish money by its messengers saved Brestislav Ier of excommunication.

In 1052 Polish reconquered Silesia. The emperor decided however that this province was to belong to Poland and that in return Polish would pay with Czech an annual tribute of 500 pounds money and 30 visitors' books. For this time this province has remained the bone of contention between the two nations.

Until his death on January 10th, 1055 the duke Brestislav I showed himself most faithful of the vassal ones. Of its marriage in 1030 with Judith girl of the count Henri de Schweinfurt whom it had removed from his convent it had five wire. Before dying it organized its succession holding Bohemia with the elder one.

It instituted for its juniors by the strongholds in Moravie:

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