Henry V, Duke of Legnica, had been present as a youth at the court of King Ottokar II of Bohemia in Prague, where he became a knight.

Henry's father had in 1273 given him the town of Jawor (Jauer) as an independent duchy.

Henry's father Boleslaw II the Bald, acting four years later on behalf of his ally, king Rudolph of Habsburg, r, kidnaps his own nephew Henry IV, the ruler of the Duchy of Wrocław.

This act arouses the anger of the nobility in Lesser Poland and the neighbors of Henry IV, who then organize an expedition to free him and punish Boleslaw.

At the head of the Greater Poland-Głogów-Wroclaw coalition are Dukes Przemysł II of Greater Poland and Henry III of Głogów.

The armies fight at Zabkowice Slaskie near Stolec in one of the most bloody battles of the Polish Middle Ages.

Boleslaw, suspecting in the course of the action that the battle is about to be lost, flees the field.

At this point, however, the young Henry leads a charge, turns the tide of battle, and achieves a great victory, taking both Dukes Przemysl II and Henry III as prisoners.

Thanks to the action of the young Duke of Jauer, his father and family are saved from disastrous defeat.

Boleslaw II had died on December 26, 1278 and Henry had then been able to succeeded him as a Duke in Legnica.

Shortly afterwards, Henry in turn had given lands to his younger brothers: Bolko I and Bernard had received Jawor and Lwówek as co-rulers, but Henry had retained the town of Środa Śląska, a town obtained in 1277 in exchange of Henry IV's freedom.

Henry has continues the hostile relations with the other Piast Silesian Dukes characteristic of his father's rule.

In 1281, he makes the mistake of accepting the invitation of Henryk IV Probus to a meeting in Sadowel.

Henry IV imprisons the Duke of Legnica together with his former allies Henry III of Głogów and Przemysł II of Greater Poland, in order to obtain political concessions from them.

Henry regains his freedom only in return for the recognition of Henry IV as Duke of Wroclaw.

However, Henry IV will not maintain his sovereignty for very long, as the Duke of Legnica immediately enters into close communication with the King Wenceslaus II of Bohemia, who will assert his own claim to that land.