Matthias Corvinus Puns

Matthias Corvinus , also called Matthias I was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1458 to 1490. After conducting several military campaigns, he was elected King of Bohemia in 1469 and adopted the title Duke of Austria in 1487. He was the son of John Hunyadi, Regent of Hungary, who died in 1456. In 1457, Matthias was imprisoned along with his older brother, Ladislaus Hunyadi, on the orders of King Ladislaus the Posthumous. Ladislaus Hunyadi was executed, causing a rebellion that forced King Ladislaus to flee Hungary. After the King died unexpectedly, Matthias's uncle Michael Szilágyi persuaded the Estates to unanimously proclaim the 14-year-old Matthias as king on 24 January 1458. He began his rule under his uncle's guardianship, but he took effective control of government within two weeks. Matthias established one of the earliest professional standing armies of medieval Europe (the Black Army of Hungary), reformed the administration of justice, reduced the power of the barons, and promoted the careers of talented individuals chosen for their abilities rather than their social statuses. Matthias patronized art and science; his royal library, the Bibliotheca Corviniana, was one of the largest collections of books in Europe. With his patronage, Hungary became the first country to embrace the Renaissance from Italy. As Matthias the Just, the monarch who wandered among his subjects in disguise, he remains a popular hero of Hungarian and Slovak folk tales.

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In Hungarian history textbooks, this army was presented as a major technological leap and power to Matthias's contemporaries.

I am curious what international sources say of it!

I’d just like some clarifying info. Bed-wetting sounds like a reason you can’t go off to war, not oversee your sons’ education. So yeah any details would be nice.

That's all.

It is known that he ambitioned to become emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, that is why he occupied Vienna and tried to increase his influence amongst the european powers. What would have been the effects if he did manage to achieve the throne? Would the ottomans fail to break into hungary with the latter being a center of european politics?

Also, how viable would this scenario be if the king was healthier and lived longer?

How did Matthias corvinus reform the black army in the 1480s

How did the king of Hungary turn a band of mercenaries and levies into one of Europe’s first professional armies. 3 times the size of the professional army of France at the time

The black army were foreign mercenaries. Mercenaries tend to be expensive and disloyal. So how did Matthias keep them as a functional standing army

While going Culture with Matthias Corvinus I nearly got a domination victory on accident as I didn't take into account the loyalty pressure I'd be applying against Basil II's last city, he had 8 turns until a rebellion.

https://preview.redd.it/lwljg959im461.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=afce11ea21742efcf49afabafebabf9836499640

I have played Civ for decades, and I've played about the same style all along. It basically goes like this: crank out military units for an early land grab if it comes up, hole up and build population & science, then bulldoze a domination victory or continue the science race. Occasionally, I would diverge into the other victory types, but typically it was an afterthought just because I could.

I played my first game as Matthias, and it really changed my approach. I might have built 4 combat units the whole game. With two scouts, I sped through the city-states as I would place a diplomat, suzerain, levy troops, and move to the next city-state. I had an instant early army which I basically used as scouts to find new city-states and to pick up gold from barbarian camps for the next troop levy.

I admit that I haven't fully leveraged the unique powers of different civs, but this play through has really inspired me. I am ready for the next challenge.

Edit: domination victory, not conquest

I'm don't know well hes full story but it seems he managed to hold back the Ottoman Empire while alive and was aiming to crown himself in Austria. But because he didn't have a proper heir he lost everything he worked for after he's death.

Having taken Constantinapolis in 1453, the Ottoman Empire wanted to pick the Golden Apples: Buda, Vienna, Rome.

However, they suffered a staggering defeat in 1456 at Nándorfehérvár / Belgrade by Hunyadi and they were beaten in the Battle of Breadfield (Kenyérmező) in Transylvania, 1479 as well.

Yet, Sultan Mehmet II hasn't given it up so easily and he tried to get around their largest rival, the Kingdom of Hungary by attacking Italy in 1480. Why could not they overrun Rome?

You can read my article about how it happened by following the link: https://www.hungarianottomanwars.com/1372-1490/general-magyar-balazs-saves-otranto-in-1481/

Just studying Early Modern Europe and this stood out as quite an interesting bit I’d like to learn more of. Any help would be appreciated.

How did he transform the black army from a band of mercenaries and levies into one of the first professional armies in Europe.