János Zápolya was born around 1487 to István Zápolya and Jadwiga of Cieszyn. The Zápolya were an influential noble family in Hungary, with István's elder brother, Imre, becoming the Palatine of Hungary, the highest ranking official after the king. 1/10
The death of the king of Hungary in 1490 led to the election of Polish prince Władysław as king. István Zápolya was among his supporters, and he would later become Palatine of Hungary as well. Władysław, however, had to make a treaty with the Habsburgs to confirm his claim. 2/10
The treaty allowed for the Austrian Habsburgs to succeed Władysław in case he died without legitimate male heir. But this led to opposition from Hungarians. In 1505 at the Diet of Rákos, János Zápolya moved the motion to ban foreign princes from ruling Hungary. 3/10
Though the motion passed, the king opposed it. The question of Habsburg succession got delayed when Władysław's son, Lajos, was born in 1506. But Władysław also agreed to marry his other child, elder daughter Anna, to the Habsburg prince, Ferdinand. 4/10
After his father's death in 1499, János Zápolya emerged as a prominent noble in the pro Hungarian faction of Hungary. In 1511, King Władysław appointed János as the voivode of Transylvania, the eastern part of Hungary, where he had to suppress rebellions. 5/10
Lajos succeeded as king in 1516. Still too young to rule, he had to depend on others to rule. Among them was the new Palatine of Hungary, István Báthori. The rivalry between Báthori and Zápolya was among the factors in the loss of Belgrade to the Ottomans in 1521. 6/10
The situation worsened in 1526, when the Ottomans attacked again at Mohács. Among the dead were György Zápolya, the younger brother of János Zápolya, and the Hungarian king Lajos. Though the Ottomans left, the kingdom of Hungary was in complete disarray. 7/10
János was crowned king, but another faction proclaimed the Habsburg prince, Ferdinand (and Władysław's son-in-law) as king. János sought the support of the Ottomans, who returned to Hungary and invaded Austria, besieging the Habsburg capital, Vienna, in 1529. 8/10
The Ottomans took over central Hungary with its capital, Buda. János ruled the eastern parts centred around Transylvania as Ottomans vassals, while the Habsburgs controlled the western and northern part. Bohemia and Croatia also went to the Habsburgs. 9/10
János died in 1540 and was succeeded by his son. His part of Hungary evolved into Ottoman principality of Transylvania. Habsburgs recaptured Hungary by 1699, but after their collapse in 1918, the three divisions became part of Slovakia, Hungary and Romania (Transylvania). 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