Bohemian Political Map (1892)

Bohemia was at one time dutchy of Moravia and then a principality. This was a political entity that was located in what is now the Czech Republic. The territory would later be incorporated into the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The use of the term Bohemia would sometimes be applied to the lands that were also ruled by the Bohemian crown. The smaller core of the area was called Bohemia proper. The map from 1892 shows Bohemia proper in pink outlines. Moravia is outlined in yellow. Austrian Silesia is marked with an orange outline. Bohemia was very dependent on the Holy Roman Empire until the Premyslid dynasty asserted its independence. Under the reign of Vratislav II during the 11th century Bohemia was recognized as a kingdom within the Holy Roman Empire. King Otakar II expanded the kingdom in Austrian territory and was attempting to make conquests in Hungary. With his death in 1278 the kingdom’s influence began to gradually decline. Bohemia would find itself under Germanic domination. The Austrian Habsburgs suppressed Czech nationalism. Bohemia during the revolutions of 1848 saw the Czechs revolt against their Austrian rulers. The desire for autonomy did not go away with new movement of Slavic ethnic nationalism spreading through the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Bohemia would later become a province when the Republic of Czechoslovakia was formed in 1918.