Today in Hungarian History:
King Béla III died on 23 April 1196.
King Béla III was also called Béla The Great. Indeed, he was perhaps the most successful monarch of the Árpád dynasty, whose reign is worth studying.
Thanks to the years that King Béla III spent in Byzantium, the country was on good terms with the empire. He also developed intensive relations with Western Europe, especially France. Maintaining good relations with the papacy was also an important element of Béla III’s foreign policy.
After the death of Emperor Manuel in 1180, Béla reversed his foreign policy towards Byzantium, which was in decline: he reconquered the Croatian and Serbian territories of the Kingdom of Hungary, and even took Dalmatia and the city of Zadar under his patronage in opposition to Venice.
Béla made the country a European power not only in terms of foreign policy, but also by modernising its domestic affairs. He introduced official writing (the royal chancellery).
Under his rule, Hungary became a recognized medium power throughout Europe, dominating the Balkans and Central Europe with a reformed state and a rich treasury.
I've just completed an article on his life and reign, based on the research of several Hungarian historians. You can read it on my page:
https://www.hungarianottomanwars.com/king-bela-iii-about-1146-1196/
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