PODIEBRAD, George of (1420-1471), king of Bohemia, was the son of Herant of Podiebrad, a Bohemian nobleman, and was born 6th April 1420. After the death of the emperor Sigismund he took up arms against Albert of Austria, who was finally compelled to raise the siege of Tabor and retreat to Prague. On the death of Patzek in 1444 George of Podiebrad became the recognized head of the Calixtines or Utraquists, and was chosen to represent them as one of the two governors of Bohemia during the minority of Ladislaus the son of Albert. After some years of conflict with the Catholic party he was in 1451 recognized as sole governor. Following a policy of conciliation, he made no opposition to the accession of Ladislaus in 1453, who repeated to the Bohemians the promises made by Sigismund. The Catholic predilections of Ladislaus rendered him in a great measure blind to the obligations into which he had entered, but the result was silently to strengthen the influence of George of Podiebrad, who on the death of Ladislaus in 1457 was chosen king of Bohemia (March 1458), and on May 7, 1459, was crowned by Catholic bishops, promising on his part due obedience to the church. This effort at a reconciliation was, however, soon seen to be futile. In 1462 Pope Pius II. refused the ratification of the compactata, agreed upon in 1433, and still no basis of a settlement had been found when Pius died in November 1464. The new pope, Paul II., at once brought matters to a crisis by issuing against George of Bohemia the ban of excommunication, and a summons for a crusade to crush his authority. To this George replied by a letter of grievances to kings and princes, and an appeal to a general council. The summons of Paul II. did not awaken any general response, and, although Matthias of Hungary was ...