Boleslaw III (23 September 1291 â 21 April 1352), called the Generous (Polish: Hojny) and the Wasteful (Polish: Rozrzutny) was Duke of Legnica and Brzeg from 1296 until 1342, and Duke of Wrocà Âaw from 1296 to 1311.
He was the eldest son of Henry V the Fat, Duke of Legnica and Wrocà Âaw, by his wife Elisabeth, daughter of Bolesà Âaw the Pious, Duke of Greater Poland.
Bolesà Âaw's father died in 1296 when he was only five years old. His mother, the Duchess Elisabeth and his paternal uncle Bolko I became Regents. Both soon died, Bolko in 1301 and Elisabeth in 1304. Between 1301-02 the official guardianship of Henry V's sons was taken by Henry of Würben, Bishop of Wrocà Âaw, but after almost a year he was removed from this post for his alleged prodigality. By that time, King Wenceslaus II of Bohemia was determined to take advantage of the wealth and strategic location of the Duchy of Wrocà Âaw. In 1302 the young Bolesà Âaw was sent to the court of Prague and was betrothed to the seven-year-old Princess Margareta (cs: Markéta; pl: Maà Âgorzata), the King's youngest daughter, within the year â 13 January 1303 (New Year's Day was 1 April in that era). The wedding took place five years later, in 1308.
Bolesà Âaw was clearly favored by the King, threatening the closest male relatives of the King, who saw the young Duke of Legnica (Liegnitz) as a potential rival for the throne. When King Wenceslaus II died suddenly in 1305, his son Wenceslaus III succeeded him. When Wenceslaus III was murdered one year later, in Olomouc, Bolesà Âaw began his fight for the Bohemian throne taking the title of "haeres Regni Poloniae" (heir of the Polish Kingdom).
Bolesà Âaw's forces, as Duke of Legnica-Wrocà Âaw (Liegnitz-Breslau) were inadequate to effectively compete with the other candidates for the Pà Âemyslid throne: Rudolph III of Austria, Henry of Carinthia and John of Luxemburg. Bolesà Âaw lost his attempt to rule the Polish Kingdom after he failed to control Kalisz during 1306âÂÂ1307, finally losing Kalisz to Duke Henry III of Gà Âogów. Bolesà Âaw's only substantial gain was Opava (Troppau) in 1308 after Duke Nikolaus I surrendered to him. Bolesà Âaw then renounced his claim two years later (11 June 1311) after a treaty in Olomouc, paying 8,000 pieces of silver. Opava was then merged with the Bohemian crown and restored to Nikolaus I's son and heir, Nikolaus II, in 1318.
Bolesà Âaw's political ambitions exhausted his finances. In 1311, Bolesà Âaw was pressured into dividing his lands between his younger brothers Henry and Wà Âadysà Âaw. The Duchy was divided into three parts: Wrocà Âaw, Legnica and Brzeg (Brieg). As the eldest brother, Bolesà Âaw got first choice. He chose the smallest and least prosperous Brzeg (Brieg), surprising everyone. The monetary compensation offered by the prince who took Brieg would have allowed Bolesà Âaw to continue his fight for the Bohemian throne. Bolesà Âaw tried to regain Wrocà Âaw (Breslau) from his brother Henry VI but was unsuccessful.
Initially, Bolesà Âaw seemed to accept his fate, but one year later he managed to deprive his youngest brother Wà Âadysà Âaw from the Duchy of Legnica (Liegnitz) because Wà Âadysà Âaw wasn't able to pay his part of the monetary compensation for Brieg.
In 1312 Bolesà Âaw and Henry VI entered into an alliance with the ruler of Lesser Poland, Wà Âadysà Âaw I the Elbow-high and with their combined forces began an expeditionary trip against the Dukes of Gà Âogów, under the pretext that the late Duke Henry III was directly responsible for the premature death of Henry V, father of the Dukes of Legnica (Liegnitz) and Wrocà Âaw (Breslau). The war lasted five years, 1312âÂÂ1317. Finally Wà Âadysà Âaw I à Âokietek took most of Greater Poland, his allies taking the towns of Uraz (to Henry VI), and Woà Âów and LubiÃ à ¼ (to Bolesà Âaw).
After this victory, Bolesà Âaw tried to reassert himself in the succession struggle for the Kingdom of Bohemia, then in the possession of John of Luxemburg. Bolesà Âaw received his reward in 1321âÂÂ1322 when King John appointed him Governor of Bohemia during his trip to Germany and Italy.
In Silesia, Bolesà Âaw and his brothers Henry VI, Bolko II of Opole and Wà Âadysà Âaw I à Âokietek formed a coalition and went to war against the Dukes of Gà Âogów (Glogau) in 1321. This time they were successful, primarily due to Bolesà Âaw. On 10 August 1323, a peace treaty was signed in Wrocà Âaw (Breslau). Duke Konrad I of Oleà Ânica ceded the Duchy of Namysà Âów with the fortresses of Namysà Âów, Byczyna and Kluczbork.
By 1322, relations between Bolesà Âaw and his younger brother Henry VI began to deteriorate. Henry refused to support the aggressive politics of his brother when he signed a peace treaty with Konrad of Oleà Ânica regarding the possession of Wrocà Âaw (Breslau). Bolesà Âaw offered to exchange his district of Legnica (Liegnitz) for Wrocà Âaw (Breslau). Henry VI refused, and the war between the brothers was imminent. Henry established contacts with the new King of Poland Wà Âadysà Âaw I à Âokietek, promised him homage and was named his heir in exchange for aid. Wà Âadysà Âaw declined the offer because he feared a direct confrontation with the Kingdom of Bohemia. Henry then asked the help of Emperor Louis IV. On 20 April 1324, the Duke of Wrocà Âaw declared himself a vassal of the Empire. In return, Louis IV guaranteed the succession of Henry VI's lands to his daughters, prompting Bolesà Âaw to attack. Wrocà Âaw's defenses held, and Henry VI maintained control.
In 1327 the situation changed completely. John of Luxemburg persuaded Henry VI to break his alliance with the Emperor to become a vassal of Bohemia. In exchange, he received the County of Glatz during his lifetime and a high pension, from the King.
Bolesà Âaw made a final attempt to capture Wrocà Âaw in 1327-28, during King John absence from Bohemia. Once again, he failed.
In 1329, Bolesà Âaw's youngest brother Wà Âadysà Âaw (who had been stripped of his Duchy of Legnica in 1312) unexpectedly returned to Silesia. Having been declared a vassal of Bohemia, Wà Âadysà Âaw took possession of Legnica in the name of King John, leaving Bolesà Âaw in a critical situation. Bolesà Âaw did not have the resources for a war against King John so, on 9 May 1329 in Wrocà Âaw, Bolesà Âaw declared himself a vassal of the Kingdom of Bohemia.
After losing his independence, Bolesà Âaw ceased trying to gain territories. As a vassal of John of Luxemburg, he took part during 1329-31 in King John's military expeditions to Lusatia (Lausitz) and Gà Âogów (Glogau).
Bolesà Âaw's sumptuous lifestyle and constant travel (notably to the Congress of Visegrád of 1335) put him in a difficult financial situation. He continually increased taxes in his Duchy (towns of Chocianów and Chojnów).
Bolesà Âaw's oldest son Wenceslaus I rebelled against his father, claiming his part of the inheritance. The Duke didn't want a conflict with his son, and in 1338 he gave Wenceslaus the Duchy of Namysà Âów. Four years later (1342), he finally gave his sons Wenceslaus I and Louis I the joint government of the Duchy of Legnica. In exchange, Wenceslaus returned to Namysà Âów, which Bolesà Âaw almost immediately sold to King Casimir III the Great. After his abdication, Bolesà Âaw retired to Brieg with his second wife Katharina à  ubiÃÂ, of Croatia, to Brieg, where he remained until his death on 21 April 1352. He was buried in LubiÃ à ¼ Abbey.
Although his coffers were now reduced, Bolesà Âaw didn't give up to his lavish lifestyle. He attended the marriage of King Casimir III the Great and Adelaide of Hesse in Poznaà  in 1341, and the coronation of Charles IV of Luxemburg, King of Bohemia, Bolesà Âaw to sell the town of Grodków to the Bishop of Wrocà Âaw, Preczlaw von Pogarell on 19 January 1344.
Bolesà Âaw was twice excommunicated by the Church: for the delay in paying the tithing in 1337, and when he sequestered Church property in 1340. The excommunication was removed on his deathbed at the insistence of his sons. Bolesà Âaw was quite generous to the Church, despite their unstable relation, contributing to LubiÃ à ¼ Abbey, and founding two monasteries (Franciscan and Dominican), in Brieg.
In 1318, Bolesà Âaw married firstly Margareta (Markéta; b. Prague?, 21 February 1296 â d. Hradec Králové, 8 April 1322), daughter of King Wenceslaus II of Bohemia. They had:
In 1326, Bolesà Âaw married secondly Katharina (d. bef. 5 March 1358), daughter of Mladen II à  ubiÃÂ, Ban of Croatia. They had no children. In his will, Bolesà Âaw left the Duchy of Brieg to his widow, who ruled until her own death.
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