| Henry X | |
|---|---|
| |
| Holy Roman Emperor | |
| Reign | 1549-1563 |
| Coronation | 9 December 1544 in Mainz |
| Predecessor | Jaromir I |
| Successor | Charles V |
| Pretenders | |
| King of Bohemia | |
| Reign | 1549-1563 |
| Coronation | 1 November 1549 in Prague |
| Predecessor | Jaromir II |
| Successor | Jaromir III |
| Pretenders |
Henry the Pious |
| Born | 19 April 1492 Paris, France |
| Died | 23 September 1563 Prague, Bohemia, Holy Roman Empire |
| House | Přemyslid Dynasty |
| Father | Jaromir I |
| Mother | Joan, Queen of France |
| Religion |
Jungism (1553-) |
Henry X (19 April 1492 - 23 September 1563) was Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia (as Henry IV) from 1549, succeeding his father Jaromir I. Henry's father had been king of both Bohemia and France, and upon the death of Jaromir, Henry's brother became Charles IV of France. As a result, Henry maintained strong relations with France, which often proved controversial in the wake of France's dissenting religious practices and its actions that threatened the Holy Roman Empire. During the Amiens War (1547-1551), Henry X sought to remain neutral, despite attacks against princes of the Empire. He also sided against the Pope in Rome in favor of rival Pope Zephyrinus II, and made concessions to the Taborites in an effort to end sectarian violence in Bohemia.
As a result of Henry's policies with France and the Antipope, Pope Leo XII (1487-1552) supported the creation of an antiking in Leopold II of Habsburg, beginning a civil war in the Holy Roman Empire. In 1551 the ongoing civil war convinced Catholic nobles in Prague to oust Henry in favor of his first cousin, the Catholic and Habsburg-allied Henry the Pious. Conversely, this motivated Jungists within Bohemia to support Henry the Protector of Brandenburg as a rival claimant instead. The result would be the War of the Three Henrys, which saw Henry X temporarily toppled. By 1553 Henry X had managed to outlive the other claimants to the throne, but seeking a peaceful end to the war, Henry would convert to Jungism in order to be allowed entry back into Prague without bloodshed. This made him the first ever non-Catholic Holy Roman Emperor, which alarmed the Catholic Imperial Electors and catalyzed the creation of the Catholic League as a deterrent to future Jungist expansion.
The remainder of Henry's reign as Emperor was largely uneventful, as he lacked the gravitas or influence to pass reforms or edicts of much significance. He fought to ensure that after his death religious peace would be maintained in Bohemia, recognizing the interests of Catholics, Jungists, and Taborites in governing their own religious matters. He was also drawn into the ongoing Italian Wars but was ineffective at curbing the growing influence of Hungary in northern Italy. Henry X died in 1563 and was succeeded in Bohemia by his son Jaromir III. After a highly contested imperial election and brief interregnum, Charles V from Livonia, a moderate Catholic and distant cousin of Henry, was elected the next Holy Roman Emperor. After Henry's death, Bohemia was left in a weakened position that paralyzed it in the leadup to the Forty Years' War. Henry's death was the beginning of the end of Přemyslid dominance, as his relatives fought amongst themselves.
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