Valdemar Valdemarsen was born in 1170 to Valdemar Knudsen, King of Denmark and Sofia of Minsk. Earlier in life, King Valdemar had to outlast a civil war with his cousin, Svend Eriksen, and second cousin, Knud Magnussen, for the throne of Denmark. 1/10
When King Valdemar died in 1182, his elder son, Knud Valdermarsen, succeeded as King, while Valdemar became Duke of Schleswig (Southern Jutland). The river Eider that lied south of Schleswig was a natural boundary that separated Denmark from the Holy Roman Empire. 2/10
But this brought him in conflict with Valdemar Knudsen, an illegitimate son of his father's rival, Knud Magnussen. Valdemar Knudssen was Bishop of Schlewig and would later become Prince Archbishop of Bremen. The Bishop would attempt to seize Danish throne with German help. 3/10
But King Knud was able to defeat the Bishop and capture him. Later Duke Valdemar was able to extend his domains southwards into the Empire, defeating Holstein at Stellau in 1201 and extending control over Lübeck and Hamburg. 4/10
In 1202, King Knud died. King Knud had married Gertrud, the daughter of Heinrich der Löwe of Saxony, but had no surviving heirs and so Valdemar became King. In the meantime, the Holy Roman Empire was in a state of civil war between Heinrich's son, Otto & Philipp von Staufen. 5/10
King Valdemar sided with Otto. He also gained control of Schwerin and Ratzeburg within the Empire, extending his domain till Elbe river. After Otto gave way to Philipp von Staufen's nephew, Friedrich, this addition in territory was confirmed. 6/10
With control over Lübeck, King Valdemar got tied up with the Livonian Order in the Baltics. In 1219, he defeated the Estonians at Lyndanisse and made it into a Danish province. But as he reached his peak, he had to deal with an unexpected reversal of fortunes. 7/10
While traveling in 1223, King Valdemar and his eldest son and co-King, also named Valdemar, were captured by Count Heinrich of Schwerin. Their freedom turned out expensive as the Danish King lost Holstein and the other possessions he had gained from the Empire. 8/10
King Valdemar attempted to regain his lost possessions, but was met with failure at Bornhöved. His hold on Estonia was also impacted, but the King came to terms with the Teutonic Order in 1238 to retain it. But he retained a strong hold of Denmark updating its legal system. 9/10
Not long after his death in 1241, his sons, Erik, Abel (who ruled in Schleswig) & Christoffer, competed for power, with Erik getting killed, Abel's line keeping Schleswig and Christoffer's Denmark. It would take another 6 centuries to clear the rule of Schleswig & Holstein. 10/10
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Murad was born in 1404 to Mehmed. Mehmed was the son of Bayezid, the Ottoman Sultan who was captured by Timur in 1402. This led to a period of anarchy in the Sultanate. By 1413, Mehmed had managed to defeat his brothers and take over as Sultan of the entire Sultanate. 1/10
The Ottoman had Sultanate emerged in late 13th century after the Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm was defeated by the Mongols. Many beyliks rose up in the Anatolian peninsula, one among which was ruled by the ancestors of Bayezid, Mehmed and Murad. 2/10
Rastislav was born in early 9th century. His father may have been Wistrach and his uncle Mojmír, the Duke of Moravia. Little is known about Rastislav's youth, until 846 when Franks invaded Moravia and installed Rastislav as the Duke of Moravia. 1/10
Moravia emerged as a semi independent state in Central Europe not long after the Franks had defeated the Avars in late 8th century. Moravia was not the first power in the region though. The Slavic states of Samo and of Nitra had lasted briefly during various times as well. 2/10
Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck was born in 1815 to Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand von Bismarck and Wilhelmine Luise Mencken. Hailing from Schönhausen, the Bismarcks were a prominent noble family of the Kingdom of Prussia, with connections in Pomerania. 1/10
Prussia became a kingdom in 1701, but its major part was Brandenburg in the centuries old Holy Roman Empire. Invasion by the French in early 19th century led to the dissolution of this empire, with many of its regions joining Napoleon backed Confederation of the Rhine. 2/10
Camillo Benso was born in 1810 to Michele Benso, Marquis of Cavour, and Adélaïde Suzanne de Sellon. The Bensos were prominent nobility of Savoy. Camillo also had a distinguishing French connection thanks to his mother and his godmother Pauline, sister of Emperor Napoleon. 1/10
The early 18th century saw the French under Napoleon occupy Savoy. But the Bensos managed to see through it in a favourable manner eventually. Young Camilo's career prospects improved with his appointment as page to Carlo Alberto, Prince of Carignano in 1824. 2/10
Iaroslav Vladimirovich was born around 980 to Vladimir Sviatoslavich, Grand Prince of Kiev, and Rogned of Polotsk. Vladimir was initially supposed to rule only in Novgorod, but he had taken Kiev and Dereva from his brothers by 980. 1/10
Iaroslav was given an early charge of Rostov and, later, of Novgorod by 1010. But he sought Kiev and rebelled against his father, when he saw that one of his many brothers may be given Kiev. However, Vladimir died in 1015 and his domain got divided between his sons. 2/10
Birger Magnusson was born around 1210 to Magnus "Minnesköld" Bengtsson and Ingrid Ilva. Magnus was the grandson of the powerful Scandinavian noble, Folke, while Ingrid may have been a descendant of Sverker, King of Sweden in mid 12th century. 1/10
The kingdom of Sweden claimed land on the western and eastern coasts of the Baltic Sea in the 13th century. However, the crown itself was held between two dynasties since Sverker's death in 1156; by Sverker's family and that of Erik who became king after Sverker. 2/10