Henry VIII, János Szapolyai and the Struggle for Hungary, 1526–36

This article examines Henry VIII’s response to the struggle between János Szapolyai and Ferdinand of Habsburg for the throne of Hungary in the decade following the Ottoman victory at the battle of Mohács in 1526. Hungary’s distinct geopolitical situation as the bulwark against Ottoman expansion into Christendom meant that this civil war was a conflict of international importance. The article situates Henry’s interest in events in Hungary within the wider context of his Great Matter and shows that events in even distant parts of Europe came to occupy an important position in his international strategy. It demonstrates that the pressures placed on Henry VIII as a result of his efforts to obtain the annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon led him to support Szapolyai because it promised to divert Habsburg attention away from England.