Matthias Corvinus

Matthias Corvinus , 1443?-1490, king of Hungary (1458-90) and Bohemia (1478-90), second son of John Hunyadi . He was elected king of Hungary on the death of Ladislaus V . Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III sought to contest the election but recognized him in 1462. Matthias won a reputation as a crusader against the Ottomans. He was persuaded by Pope Pius II to take up arms against George of Podebrad , king of Bohemia. Having conquered Moravia, Silesia, and Lusatia, Matthias had himself crowned (1469) king of Bohemia, but was not recognized by the Bohemian diet. The war continued after the accession of Ladislaus II as king of Bohemia. In 1478 peace was made: both Ladislaus and Matthias were to keep the title king of Bohemia; Matthias was to retain his conquests, which were, however, to revert to Bohemia after his death. After fighting two wars (1477, 1479) against Frederick III, Matthias began (1482) a third campaign. He took Vienna (1485) and conquered Styria, Carinthia, and Carniola, but his conquests were lost again after his death. His military success was largely due to the establishment of a standing army. During his rule Hungary reached its last flowering before its fall to the Ottoman Empire. He respected the national institutions but was harsh in his fiscal policy and in his administration of justice. A true Renaissance ruler, he protected learning and science. His library at Buda, the Corvina, was one of the finest in Europe. He was succeeded in Hungary by Ladislaus II of Bohemia, who ruled as Uladislaus II of Hungary.

Matthias I (Corvinus) (1443–90) King of Hungary (1458–90). He was the son of the Hungarian leader and hero John Hunyadi. He was 18 on his father's death and for the first few months of his reign he was under the control of a regent, his uncle. He had to repulse a military threat from Emperor Frederick III, and fight the Turks, before he was officially crowned in 1464. His reign saw almost continuous warfare; his military successes were based on army and fiscal reforms. In 1468 he accepted an overture from the papacy to lead a crusade to challenge the HUSSITES in Bohemia; meanwhile he continued to wage war against the Turks who remained a constant threat. After the death of King George of Bohemia (1471) Matthias was successful over Bohemia, and the Peace of Olomuc (1478) granted him extensive territories and the (shared) title of King of Bohemia. In 1477 his armies moved into Austria and in 1485 he besieged and captured Vienna. As well as administrative reforms, he also codified the law, founded the University of Buda, and encouraged the arts and learning. At the time of his death his empire dominated south-central Europe but his successes were short-lived, as the JAGIELLON dynasty came to power.