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History
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The Great Moravian Empire (cont...)
Rastislav will be best remembered in Slovak history for his role
in bringing the Christian Missionary brothers, Cyril and Method,
over from Constantinople. This was a politically astute move by
Rastislav, for as well as stopping the influence of Frankish missionaries,
it strengthened ties with the Byzantine Empire.
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Rastislav's downfall came in the shape of his
nephew, Svatopluk, whose treachery led to Rastislav's imprisonment
and death at the hands of the Franks. Svatopluk, who was a close
friend of King Louis' son, Carloman, then succeeded his uncle
as Prince of Nitra. |
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Svatopluk proved to be a very strong leader, and the
Great Moravian Empire prospered under his 24 year reign.
In 894, when Svatopluk the Great died, his three sons,
Svatopluk II, Mojmir II and Bratislav took over control
of the Great Moravian Empire.
Their father warned them that the Empire would only
survive the growing external threats of the Frank and
Bavarian armies and the new threat of the Magyar tribes,
if they remained unified. Although Mojmir and Bratislav
had a strong relationship, they did not with their brother
Svatopluk, and their internal conflicts would eventually
lead to the break up of the Great Moravian Empire.
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