Editing Bolesław I the Brave (section)

== Expansion (1002–1018) ==
[[File:Polska 992 - 1025.png|thumb|Poland during the reign of Bolesław the Brave]]
Three candidates were competing with each other for the German crown after Otto III's death.{{sfn|Manteuffel|1982|p=64}} One of them, Duke [[Henry IV of Bavaria]], promised the [[Margraviate of Meissen]] to Bolesław in exchange for his assistance against [[Eckard I, Margrave of Meissen]] who was the most powerful contender.{{sfn|Manteuffel|1982|p=64}} However, Eckard was murdered on 30 April 1002, which enabled Henry of Bavaria to defeat his last opponent, [[Herman II, Duke of Swabia]].{{sfn|Manteuffel|1982|p=64}} Fearing that Henry II would side with elements in the German Church hierarchy which were unfavorable towards Poland,<ref name=PSB250>Tymieniecki Kazimierz, ''Bolesław Chrobry''. In: Konopczyński Władysław (ed): ''Polski słownik biograficzny. T. II: Beyzym Jan – Brownsford Marja.'' Kraków: Nakładem Polskiej Akademii Umiejętności, 1936. {{ISBN|83-04-00148-9}}. p. 250</ref> and taking advantage of the chaos that followed Margrave Eckard's death and Henry of Bavaria's conflict with [[Henry of Schweinfurt]], Bolesław invaded [[Lusatia]] and Meissen.{{sfn|Thompson|2012|p=21}}{{sfn|Manteuffel|1982|pp=64–65}} He "seized [[Marca Geronis|Margrave Gero's march]] as far as the river Elbe",<ref name="Chronicon_ch5.9_p211">''The'' Chronicon ''of Thietmar of Merseburg'' (ch. 5.9.), p. 211.</ref> and also [[Bautzen]], [[Strehla]] and [[Meissen]].{{sfn|Thompson|2012|pp=21–22}} At the end of July, he participated at a meeting of the Saxon lords where Henry of Bavaria, who had meanwhile been crowned king of Germany, only confirmed Bolesław's possession of Lusatia, and granted Meissen to Margrave Eckard's brother, [[Gunzelin, Margrave of Meissen|Gunzelin]], and Strehla to Eckard's oldest son, [[Herman I, Margrave of Meissen|Herman]].{{sfn|Manteuffel|1982|p=65}}{{sfn|Reuter|2013|p=260}} The relationship between King Henry and Bolesław became tense after assassins tried to murder Bolesław in Merseburg, because he accused the king of conspiracy against him.{{sfn|Manteuffel|1982|p=65}}{{sfn|Reuter|2013|p=260}} In retaliation, he seized and burned Strehla and took the inhabitants of the town into captivity.{{sfn|Manteuffel|1982|p=65}}
[[File:Denar rys chrobry1.png|thumb|right|alt=A coin depicting a crowned bird on the one side, and a cross on the other side|Bolesław's [[denarius]] with the inscription [[:pl:Denar Princes Polonie|Princes Polonie]].]]
Duke [[Boleslaus III of Bohemia]] was dethroned and the Bohemian lords made [[Vladivoj, Duke of Bohemia|Vladivoj]], who had earlier fled to Poland, duke in 1002.{{sfn|Manteuffel|1982|p=65}} The Czech historian [[Dušan Třeštík]] writes that Vladivoj seized the Bohemian throne with Bolesław's assistance.{{sfn|Třeštík|2011|p=78}} After Vladivoj died in 1003, Bolesław invaded Bohemia and restored Boleslaus III who had many Bohemian noblemen murdered.{{sfn|Manteuffel|1982|p=65}}{{sfn|Berend|Urbańczyk|Wiszewski|2013|p=142}} The Bohemian lords who survived the massacre "secretly sent representatives" to Bolesław, asking "him to rescue them from fear of the future",<ref name="Chronicon_ch5.30_p225">''The'' Chronicon ''of Thietmar of Merseburg'' (ch. 5.30.), p. 225.</ref> according to Thietmar of Merseburg.{{sfn|Berend|Urbańczyk|Wiszewski|2013|p=142}} Bolesław invaded Bohemia and had Boleslaus III blinded.{{sfn|Manteuffel|1982|p=65}} He entered Prague in March 1003 where the Bohemian lords proclaimed him duke.{{sfn|Manteuffel|1982|p=66}}<ref name="PSB251">Tymieniecki Kazimierz, ''Bolesław Chrobry''. In: Konopczyński Władysław (ed): ''Polski słownik biograficzny. T. II: Beyzym Jan – Brownsford Marja.'' Kraków: Nakładem Polskiej Akademii Umiejętności, 1936. {{ISBN|83-04-00148-9}}. p. 251 {{Better source needed|reason=The current source is insufficiently reliable ([[WP:NOTRS]]).|date=January 2025}}</ref> King Henry sent his envoys to Prague, demanding that Bolesław take an oath of loyalty and pay tribute to him, but Bolesław refused to obey.{{sfn|Reuter|2013|p=260}}{{sfn|Manteuffel|1982|p=66}} He also allied himself with the king's opponents, including Henry of Schweinfurt to whom he sent reinforcements.{{sfn|Manteuffel|1982|pp=66–67}} King Henry defeated Henry of Schweinfurt, forcing him to flee to Bohemia in August 1003.{{sfn|Manteuffel|1982|p=67}} Bolesław invaded the Margraviate of Meissen, but Margrave Gunzelin refused to surrender his capital.{{sfn|Manteuffel|1982|p=67}} It is also likely that Polish forces took control of [[Moravia]] and the northern parts of the [[Kingdom of Hungary]] (present-day mostly Slovakia) in 1003 as well. The proper conquest date of the Hungarian territories is 1003 or 1015 and this area stayed a part of Poland until 1018.<ref name='Makk'>{{cite book | last = Makk | first = Ferenc | title = Magyar külpolitika (896–1196) ''("The Hungarian External Politics (896–1196)")''| publisher = Szegedi Középkorász Műhely | year = 1993 | location = Szeged | pages = 48–49 | isbn = 963-04-2913-6}}</ref>

King Henry allied himself with the pagan [[Lutici]],<ref name=PSB251/> and broke into Lusatia in February 1004, but heavy snows forced him to withdraw.{{sfn|Berend|Urbańczyk|Wiszewski|2013|p=142}}{{sfn|Manteuffel|1982|p=67}} He invaded Bohemia in August 1004, taking the oldest brother of the blinded Boleslaus III of Bohemia, [[Jaromír, Duke of Bohemia|Jaromír]], with him.{{sfn|Manteuffel|1982|p=67}} The Bohemians rose up in open rebellion and murdered the Polish garrisons in the major towns.{{sfn|Manteuffel|1982|p=67}} Bolesław left Prague without resistance, and King Henry made Jaromír duke of Bohemia on 8 September.{{sfn|Manteuffel|1982|p=67}} Bolesław's ally [[Soběslav (died 1004)|Soběslav]] died in this campaign.<ref name=PSB251/>

During the next part of the offensive King Henry retook [[Meissen]] and in 1005, his army advanced as far into Poland as the city of [[Poznań]] where [[Peace of Poznań|a peace treaty]] was signed.<ref name="ReferenceC">Thietmar of Merseburg, Thietmari merseburgiensis episcopi chronicon, 1018</ref> According to the peace treaty Bolesław lost [[Lusatia]] and [[Meissen]] and likely gave up his claim to the [[Bohemia]]n [[throne]]. Also in 1005, a pagan rebellion in [[Pomerania]] overturned Bolesław's rule and resulted in the destruction of the [[Bishopric of Kolberg|newly established local bishopric]].<ref>Jan M Piskorski, ''Pommern im Wandel der Zeiten'', 1999, p. 32, {{ISBN|83-906184-8-6}} {{OCLC|43087092}}</ref>

In 1007, after learning about Bolesław's efforts to gain allies among Saxon nobles and giving refuge to the deposed duke of Bohemia, [[Oldřich, Duke of Bohemia|Oldřich]], King Henry denounced the Peace of Poznań, which caused Bolesław's attack on the [[Archbishopric of Magdeburg]] as well as the re-occupation of the marches of Lusatia, though he stopped short of retaking Meissen<!-- including the city of [[Bautzen]]-->.<ref name=PSB251/> The German [[Counteroffensive|counter-offensive]] began three years later (previously, Henry was occupied with rebellion in Flanders), in 1010, but it was of no significant consequence<!--, beyond some pillaging in [[Silesia]]-->.<ref name=PSB251/> In 1012, another ineffective campaign by archbishop [[Walthard]] of Magdeburg was launched, as he died during that campaign and, consequently, his forces returned home. Later that year, Bolesław once again invaded [[Lusatia]]. Bolesław's forces pillaged and burned the city of [[Lubusz]] (Lebus).<ref name="ReferenceC"/> In 1013, a peace accord was signed at [[Merseburg]].<ref name=PSB251/> As part of the treaty, Bolesław paid [[Homage (feudal)|homage]] to King Henry for the [[March of Lusatia]] (including the town of Bautzen) and Sorbian [[Meissen]] as [[fief]]s.<ref name=PSB251/> A marriage of Bolesław's son Mieszko with [[Richeza of Lotharingia]], daughter of the [[Count Palatine]] [[Ezzo, Count Palatine of Lotharingia|Ezzo]] of [[Lotharingia]] and granddaughter of [[Emperor Otto II]], was also performed.<ref name=PSB251/> During the brief period of peace on the western frontier that followed, Bolesław took part in a short campaign in the east, towards the [[Kievan Rus']] territories.<ref name=PSB251/>
[[File:Heinrich II. (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|[[Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor|Henry II]] depicted in the [[Seeon Evangeliary]], {{circa|1014–1024}}]]
In 1014, Bolesław sent his son Mieszko to Bohemia in order to form an alliance with Duke [[Oldrich]] against Henry, by then [[coronation of the Holy Roman Emperor|crowned emperor]].<ref name=PSB251/> Oldrich imprisoned Mieszko and turned him over to Henry, who, however, released him in a gesture of good will after being pressured by Saxon nobles.<ref name=PSB251/> Bolesław nonetheless refused to aid the emperor militarily in his Italian expedition.<ref name=PSB251/> This led to imperial intervention in Poland and so in 1015 a war erupted once again.<ref name=PSB251/> The war started out well for the emperor, as he was able to defeat the Polish forces at the Battle of Ciani.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.udyomedia.pl/def-Bitwa_pod_Ciani.html|title=Bitwa pod Ciani, bo nie chce mi się|access-date=18 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170419002800/http://www.udyomedia.pl/def-Bitwa_pod_Ciani.html|archive-date=19 April 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> Once the imperial forces crossed the river [[Oder]], Bolesław sent a detachment of [[Moravia]]n [[knights]] in a diversionary attack against the Eastern March of the empire. Soon after, the imperial army, having suffered a defeat near the [[Bóbr]] marshes, retreated from Poland without any permanent gains.<ref name=PSB251/> After this event, Bolesław's forces took the initiative. Margrave [[Gero II]] of Meissen was defeated and killed during a clash with the Polish forces in late 1015.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.historycy.org/index.php?showtopic=48096|title=historycy.org -> Bolesław Chrobry – 'pan na Morawach'|first=Michał|last=Olszowski|access-date=18 April 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://ciekawostkihistoryczne.pl/2011/02/28/czy-boleslaw-chrobry-podbil-slowacje/|title=Czy Bolesław Chrobry podbił Słowację?|date=28 February 2011 |access-date=18 April 2017}}</ref> In 1015 and 1017, Bolesław I attacked the [[Margraviate of Austria|Eastern March]] and was defeated twice by [[Henry I, Margrave of Austria|Henry the Strong]] and his forces.<ref name="thietmar-19-61">Thietmar 2001, VIII, pp. 19, 61.</ref><ref name="thietmar-9">Thietmar 2001, VIII, p. 9.</ref>

Later that year, Bolesław's son Mieszko was sent to plunder [[Meissen]]. His attempt at conquering the city, however, failed.<ref name="ReferenceC"/> In 1017, Bolesław defeated Duke [[Henry V of Bavaria]]. In that same year, supported by his Slavic allies,<!--with [[Czechs|Czech]] and [[Wends|Wendish]] support--> Emperor Henry once again invaded Poland, albeit once again to very little effect.<ref name=PSB251/> He did besiege the cities of [[Głogów]] and [[Niemcza]], but was unable to conquer them.<ref name=PSB251/> The imperial forces once again were forced to retreat, suffering significant losses.<ref name=PSB251/> Taking advantage of the involvement of [[Czechs|Czech]] troops, Bolesław ordered his son to invade [[Bohemia]], where Mieszko met very little resistance.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wlaczpolske.pl/index.php?etap=10&i=889&nomenu=1&oe=UTF-8&q=prettyphoto&iframe=true&width=1000&height=100%25|title=Włącz Polskę- Polska-szkola.pl|first=Grzegorz|last=Zajączkowski|access-date=18 April 2017}}</ref> On 30 January 1018, the [[Peace of Bautzen]] was signed. The Polish ruler was able to keep the contested marches of [[Lusatia]] and [[Sorbian Meissen]] not as [[fiefs]], but as a part of Polish territory,<ref name=PSB251/> and also received military aid in his expedition against [[Kievan Rus'|Rus']].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://portalwiedzy.onet.pl/4869,1581,1605789,3,czasopisma.html|title=Bolesław Chrobry: legalny władca Czech czy uzurpator – Czasopisma – Onet.pl Portal wiedzy|access-date=18 April 2017|archive-date=19 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170419004453/http://portalwiedzy.onet.pl/4869,1581,1605789,3,czasopisma.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Also, Bolesław (then a widower) strengthened his dynastic bonds with the German nobility through his marriage with [[Oda of Meissen|Oda]], daughter of Margrave [[Eckard I of Meissen]]. The wedding took place four days later, on 3 February in the [[castle]] of ''Cziczani'' (also ''Sciciani'', at the site of either modern [[Göda|Groß-Seitschen]]<ref>{{cite web|author=Michael Schmidt |url=http://hov.isgv.de/Seitschen,_Gro%C3%9F- |title=Digitales historisches Ortsverzeichnis von Sachsen |publisher=Hov.isgv.de |access-date=12 January 2013}}</ref> or [[Golßen|Zützen]]).<ref>Elke Mehnert, Sandra Kersten, Manfred Frank Schenke, ''Spiegelungen: Entwürfe zu Identität und Alterität ; Festschrift für Elke Mehnert'', Frank & Timme GmbH, 2005, p. 481, {{ISBN|3-86596-015-4}}</ref>