The young Henry V gained his political experience at the side of his father, taking part in negotiations with his
Jan of Ścinawa in 1341, who give
Wschowa to them. A year later, the death of his father made Henry V the new ruler of Żagań. In 1343 Henry V refused to pay tribute to Bohemia and tried to recover
Głogów, which was occupied by King
John of Bohemia after the death of his uncle
Przemko II in 1331. At the same time, King
Casimir III the Great of
Poland used the confusion that reigned in Silesia to take Wschowa. In the subsequent conflict, supported by his uncles
Konrad I of Oleśnica and Jan of Ścinawa, Henry V forced the retreat of the Polish troops under the walls of Ścinawa. However, thanks to the losses among Konrad I's army, the Polish king was able to retain the last Greater Poland lands which had been in the hands of
Henry III's descendants. Although his defeat was not too serious, Henry V sent a message to Casimir III the Great, asking for peace. The Polish troops left Żagań, and a meeting between the king and Henry V took place. Casimir III treated him with honors and left him all the lands who he had occupied during the conflict, except Wschowa. The conflict with the Polish king prevented Henry V from developing a strong resistance against King John of Bohemia. An agreement was finally made on 7 June 1344, under which King John gave Henry V half of the Duchy of Głogów (however, he only could take formal possession of the land in 1349); in exchange, the Duke of Żagań was forced to declare himself a vassal of Bohemia and paid tribute to King John. The ceremony took place on 23 November of that year in
Prague. The events of 1344 involved Henry V in the Bohemian politics, and a year later, when war broke out between
Silesia and Bohemia, the Duke of Żagań supported his sovereign with troops while he tried to recover Wschowa. As a vassal of Bohemia, Henry V also participated in many ceremonies and diplomatic activities on behalf of King John and later his son and successor,
Charles IV, for example in Charles's coronation on 1 September 1347 in Prague, two years later when he joined to the King's suite in a trip to
Avignon and
Aachen, and finally in 1355 when he travel to
Italy and witnessed the King's imperial coronation in
Rome. The Duke of Żagań's faithful service was rewarded in 1351, when, after the death of
Bolesław III of Płock (Henry V's brother-in-law) without issue (and according to the 1329 treaty signed between King John of Bohemia and Duke
Wenceslaus of Płock), the emperor granted him title to this duchy. However, the quick actions of King Casimir III the Great, who immediately after Bolesław III's death took control over Płock, prevented Henry V from obtaining this land. In 1356, together with
Nicholas the Small, Duke of
Ziębice, Henry V was involved in a diplomatic mission to
Constantinople, where he took part in the pilgrimage to
Palestine. Upon his return Henry V extend his possessions. He purchased (mostly from Jan of Ścinawa) the towns of
Nowogród Bobrzański,
Ryczeń, half of Ścinawa, and the area between the
Odra River and
Barycz called Międzyrzecze. Another success was the purchase of the half of
Góra after Jan's death in 1365. Shortly after, Henry V paid the sum of 600 fine silver to his only surviving uncle, Konrad I of Oleśnica, for his rights over that land. In 1360 the relations between Henry V and Emperor Charles IV began to deteriorate. One of the reasons was that the emperor, who decided to restitute to
Przemko II's widow the other half of Głogów as her long awaited
dower land, but giving the promise of inheritance over
Bolko II the Small, Duke of
Świdnica. With this action, Henry V lost all his hopes of restoring the unity of Głogów. Soon, he began to visit
Kraków and made an alliance with the King Casimir III the Great. In order to strengthen this bond, a political marriage was arranged between Henry V's daughter Hedwig and King Casimir III. With this union, the Polish king increased his influence over
Silesia, and the Duke of Żagań gained an ally and protector. The wedding took place on 25 February 1363 in Wschowa and was performed by the
Bishop of Poznań,
Jan V of Lutogniewo. Henry V was regarded as a good host, although he was famous for his excessive severity with his subjects. He did not differentiate between the church or the aristocracy when he had to distribute justice. Particularly embarrassing were his continuous disputes with the
Augustinian order of Żagań. His rule proved too harsh in that he had to face the fury of his own vassals, who even kidnapped him, but shortly afterwards released him in the basement of St. Jakob's Church in Głogów. In 1367 as a result of an inflammation in his eyes, Henry V became blind. He died of pneumonia two years later and was buried in the Augustinian church in Żagań. ==Marriage and issue==