400-1562 - Early Slovakia
The Northern Carpathians, now the home of the Slovaks, are said by historians and philologists well versed in the history of the Slavs of Central Europe to be the cradle of the whole Slav race. Slovakia. or " Slovak land." lies in the very center of all Europe. The Slavs belong to the oldest inhabitants of Europe. On Slovakia's territory Slavs became the dominant ethnic group in the 5th century. In the 6th and 7th century Slavs suffered from invasions of Avars. After a successful Slavic insurrection against the Avar Khaganate in 623, Samo, who was a Frankish boyar, united Slavs in the Samo's Empire. After his death in the year 658, the empire collapsed.
At the beginning of the 9th century, the Slavic stem principality on the territory of today's Moravia started to unite. From Frankish sources it is known there were two Slavic princedoms: Moravian princedom ruled by Mojmír and principality of Nitra ruled by Pribina. Great Moravia arose around year 830 when Moimir unified the Slavic tribes settled north of the Danube and extended the Moravian supremacy over them.
Mojmír's successor prince Rastislav understood the need for an exemption from the church dependence to the Frankish priests and bishops, and so he turned to the Byzantine emperor with a request to send priests, who spreaded Christianity in Great Moravia and education of the Slavic languages.
Constantine and Methodius came in the year 863 to the Great Moravia Empire. Constantine compiled from a small Greek alphabet Slavic calligraphy - Glagolitic alphabet. Together with Methodius they translated the Old Church Slavonic worship books, and part of the Bible. Upon arrival they were teaching young priests, who replaced the foreign priests. Great Moravia received a separate control with Archbishop Methodius, in the head of the Church, to get rid of dependence on the East Franks kingdom. Effects of Constantine and Methodius in Great Moravia had a major cultural and political importance. Spreading Christianity and education in the language they all understood. Slavic language exalted to the level of cultural languages, such as Latin and Greek that time.
After Rastislav, his nephew Svätopluk started to govern in Great Moravia. Since the year 871 he became relatively independent monarch of Great Moravian Empire. Under Svätopluk's government Great Moravia reached the largest territorial expansion. But after his death, a gradual decline occurred in the country. The Empire was divided between Svätopluk's sons: Mojmír II. and Svätopluk II. The main ruler should have been Mojmír II, but conflicts begun between the two sons. Great Moravia was weakening at the same time because of the invasions of nomadic tribes - Hungarians. Mojmír II was not able to maintain the integrity and independence of the empire. Around the year 907, the Great Moravian Empire collapsed.
At the beginning of the 10th century, the Slavic population came under the influence of the emerging Hungarian state. Migrant and offensive Hungarians gradually had to switch to domesticated way of life and began to devote the organization of their state under the leadership of the Árpád dynasty. Process of inclusion the present territory of Slovakia in the Hungarian State is not examined for lack of sources. Stefan I. became the significant organizer of the Hungarian state and the first king (1000 - 1038). He created centralized, organized and uniformly administered state.
An important event, that struck the development of Hungarian state, was the invasion of Tatars/Mongols in 1241. Tatars completely looted south-western Slovakia. After Tatars left the country, the famine completed the misery. Only well-fortified castles resisted the Tatars invasion.
After this experience, king Béla IV started to build a network of Gothic castles throughout the country. The last monarch of the Arpad dynasty Ondrej III. suddenly died (assuming that he was poisoned) in 1301 and his death started up the anarchy in the country.
In the 13th century the power of large aristocratic families is increased. Matús Cák was one of the most powerful magnates on the territory of Slovakia. He was the real ruler of the present territory of Slovakia and acted as an independent governor. Matús Cák, whose seat was Trencín Castle, was called "The master of river Váh and Tatra Mountains".
In 14th century there was again a period of anarchy and fights about the throne, it continued till year 1491, when king Vladislav Jagellonský closed the agreement with the Habsburgs, under which if Jagiellonian´s or Habsburg's clan die off in male tail, the throne in all the countries will accrue to the second clan.
In 1516 Ludovít II., Vladislav's son became a king. That time the country was threatened by the expansion of the Ottoman Empire. Young king Ludovít decided to confront the Turkish danger. The war against the Turks ended the disastrous slaughter in the battle of Mohacs on 29th of August 1526. Young king Ludovít was killed in the battle. The defeat of Turks had far-reaching consequences for the whole historical development in Central Europe. Here the long-term Turkish occupation of the Hungarian State started. At the same time, it was the beginning of the creation of the Habsburg Empire in Central Europe.
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