The present day Czech Republic have a
continuity with the old Bohemian kingdom, which evolved from a duchy
that was called Böhmen in German and Čechy in Czech. It was originally
a part of the Great Moravian kingdom, but when this
collapsed because of pressure from the Hungarians Bohemia became independent.
Though the proximity to Germany would soon lead to the Bohemian dukes submission to
the German emperors. As a German fief Bohemia became one of the
leading principalities in the Holy Roman Empire. A period of internal
strife began 1055 when the principle of seniority was introduced for the Bohemian
succession. This meant that the oldest member of the house of Přemysl
would be duke of Bohemia, the other members were granted duchies in
Moravia
as vassals to Bohemia. The result were repeated feuds between the Premyslide
rulers, which did not end until Přemysl Otakar I introduced a succession
order based on the right of the first born (primogenitur). He also succeeded
to finally elevate Bohemia into a kingdom 1198. During the 14th
and 15th centuries were the Bohemian kings also German
emperors. But that age of greatness ended when Bohemia came under
foreign rule at the end of the 15th century, from 1526 was it ruled by
the Austrian Habsburgs. The Czechs would not regain its independence until the
end of the First World War when the republic of Czechoslovakia was created. That
state was 1993 partitioned whereby the present Czech Republic was created.
Bořivoj I
Spytihněv I
Vratislav
St. Václav I
Boleslav I
Boleslav II
Boleslav III
Vladivoj
Boleslav III
(restored)
Jaromír
Boleslav Chrabrý
(the Brave)
Jaromír
(restored)
Oldřich
Jaromír
(re-restored)
Oldřich
(restored)
Břetislav
I (resturator)
Spytihněv II
Vratislav II (
= 1085-1092, personal title)
Konrád I Brněnský
Břetislav II
Bořivoj II
Svatopluk II
Vladislav I
Bořivoj II
(restored)
Vladislav I
(restored)
Soběslav I
Vladislav II (
= 1158-1172, hereditary title)
Bedřich
Soběslav II
Bedřich
(restored)
Konrád II Ota
Václav II
Přemysl
I Otakar
Jindřich
Břetislav
III
Vladislav Jindřich
Přemysl Otakar I
(restored)
Josef II
Leopold II
František
Ferdinand V
František Josef
Karel IV
1918-1939
1939-1945
1945-1992
1992-
Czechoslovakia
Protectorate of Bohemia-Moravia
(German occupation)
Czechoslovakia
Czech Republic
* = Matyáš Korvín held the title king
of Bohemia but did not control Bohemia proper.He ruled the
territories of Moravia and Silesia, which belonged to the Bohemian
crown
Because of space considerations and the fact that
it was a part
of the Bohemian kingdom are there no flags showing when the regents
also ruled over Moravia. This information can instead be found in
Moravia's list of regents.
= 1085-1092, personal title)
=