The Habsburg Model of Dynastic Control in the 15th-16th Centuries

Purpose. The aim of this study is to conduct an interdisciplinary analysis of the interdependence between marriage capitulations, financial transfers, and the geopolitical strategies of dynasties in Central and Eastern Europe at the end of the 15th and the beginning of the 16th century. The article focuses on examining the role of dynastic marriages as a key mechanism of political stabilization and expansion, particularly through the activities of the Habsburgs, Jagiellonians, and Corvins, which contributed to the formation of a new political configuration in the region without the use of large‑ scale military campaigns. Dynastic diplomacy is viewed as an instrument for legitimizing the Habsburg dynasty’s territorial claims and consolidating its political influence in Central and Eastern Europe.Materials and Methods. The research is based on the analysis of historical sources, including chronicles and marriage capitulation texts. A source- critical method was employed to assess the reliability of sources through textual comparison and analysis of authorial perspectives. A comparative- historical method was used to compare dynastic marriage strategies and evaluate their effectiveness. A socio‑ legal analysis was applied to interpret marriage capitulations as instruments for the redistribution of resources. Additionally, a structural- functional method was used to examine marriage as an element of the political system, fulfilling legitimizing, integrative, and regulatory functions. Results. Dynastic marriages in the late 15th and early 16th centuries served as a key instrument of political transformation in Central and Eastern Europe. They enabled the Habsburgs to expand their influence through mechanisms of dynastic succession, legal agreements, and financial obligations, thereby reducing the necessity for military intervention. The marriage of Maximilian I to Mary of Burgundy in 1477 provided for the legitimate annexation of the wealthy Burgundian territories without formal conquest, while the financial resources of Burgundy reinforced the Habsburgs economic base, allowing investments in diplomacy and the creation of military structures such as the Landsknecht regiments. The principles of ius uxoris and ius sororis codified hereditary rights through marriage, and the Treaty of Pressburg (1491) formally established the Habsburgs claim to the Hungarian crown. The Vienna Congress of 1515, which arranged a double marriage between the Habsburgs and the Jagiellonians (Ferdinand to Anna, and Maria to Louis), created the legal framework for the succession of Bohemia and Hungary after 1526. Marriages replaced military expansion, promoting regional stability through diplomatic agreements and ceremonial practices. Conclusions. Dynastic marriages in Central and Eastern Europe in the late 15th and early 16th centuries functioned as mechanisms of political integration and instruments of power legitimization. The conclusion of marriage capitulations, financial transfers, and succession agreements provided the Habsburgs with legal grounds for expanding their influence after 1526 without the direct use of military means. This practice represented an alternative model of geopolitical dominance based on dynastic inheritance and diplomatic negotiation. Future research should focus on analyzing the semiotics of power and integrating the Transylvanian- Moldavian region in order to reconceptualize the spatial configuration of Central and Eastern Europe as a distinct political entity