Charles IV, born Wenceslaus (Václav), the eleventh king of Bohemia from the House of Luxembourg, and Holy Roman Emperor, had died in 1378 after dividing his holdings among his sons and other relatives.

Although Wenceslas, his son by his third wife Anne of Świdnica, had retained Bohemia as Wenceslas IV, his younger half-brothers Sigismund and John had received Brandenburg and Lusatia.

Moravia had been divided between his cousins Jobst and Procopius, and his uncle Wenceslas had been made Duke of Luxembourg.

Hence the young king had been left without the resources his father had enjoyed.

In 1386, Sigismund had become king of Hungary, and had become involved in affairs further east.

Wenceslas had also faced serious opposition from the Bohemian nobles and from Jan z Jenštejna, Archbishop of Prague.

The torture and murder of the Vicar General of Prague, John of Nepomuk, by royal officials in 1393 had sparked a noble rebellion.

In 1394 his cousin Jobst of Moravia had been named regent and Wenceslas had been imprisoned.

Sigismund, deprived of his authority in Hungary after his failure at Nicopolis, now turns his attention to securing the succession in Germany and Bohemia; having arranged a truce in 1396, he is recognized for his efforts by his childless half-brother as vicar-general of the whole Empire.