Podiebrad.

Podiebrad. GEORGE BOCZKO of Podiebrad, Bohemian king, was born of a noble family at Podiebrad on 6th April 1420, and became an adherent of the moderate party of the Hussites (q.v.). When the Catholic barons (1438) carried the election of Albert V. of Austria (II. of Germany), Podiebrad allied himself with the Utraquists in Tabor, who offered the sovereignty of Bohemia to Casimir, king of Poland. After forcing Albert to raise the siege of Tabor and retire to Prague, Podiebrad was recognised as the leader of the Utraquists; then he seized upon Prague (1448), and got himself made governor or regent of Bohemia, from 1453 to 1457, for the young king Ladislaus. On the death of Ladislaus, Podiebrad was chosen his successor, and was crowned early in 1458. By skilful management and wise policy he succeeded in allaying the bitternesses of religious zeal, but only for a while. In 1462 he decided to uphold the terms of the compactata of Prague (1433); this angered the pope, Pius II., and he was only prevented from excommunicating Podiebrad through the special intervention of the emperor. The next pope, however, Paul II., did in 1466 promulgate against him the ban of excommunication. Matthias Corvinus of Hungary was the only prince who took the field to enforce it; but him Podiebrad surrounded at Wilamow (1469) and forced into a truce. Nevertheless Matthias was crowned king by the Catholic barons at Olmütz immediately afterwards. Podiebrad died on 22d March 1471, having already made arrangements whereby a Polish prince should succeed him.