When Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund died in 1437, Albert, Duke of Austria, had been crowned king of Hungary on January 1, 1438, and just as his predecessor did, he moved his court to the Hungarian Kingdom from where he will later oversee his other domains.

Although crowned king of Bohemia six months after ascending to the Hungarian throne, he is unable to obtain possession of the country.

He is engaged in warfare with the Bohemians and their Polish allies, when on March 18, 1438, he is chosen "King of the Romans" at Frankfurt, an honor which he does not appear to have sought.

He will never be crowned as Holy Roman Emperor.Albert is planning to launch a military expedition against the Ottoman Turks, who have been making plundering raids in the southern regions of Hungary, but falls seriously ill during the preparations.

The dying king, who knows that his wife is pregnant, wills Austria, Bohemia and Hungary to his posthumous child if his wife gives birth to a son.

He also puts his infant heir under the guardianship of his widow and his distant cousin, Frederick of Habsburg.

Albert dies on 27 October 1439.

In fear of a new Ottoman invasion of Hungary, the majority of the Hungarian lords and prelates refuse to accept the deceased king's last will.

They decide to offer the crown to Vladislaus III of Poland and to persuade the pregnant queen dowager to marry the new king.

In Bohemia, the assembly of the Estates passes decrees in January 1440 to avoid a new civil war that has broken out between the Hussites and the Catholics before a new king could be elected.

The Estates of Moravia shortly pass a similar decree.