Sculpture of Jan Žižka at Vítkov.
In the previous article, we discussed the Czech theologian Jan Hus. He was charged with heretical ideas that directly challenged the Catholic Church's power. As a result, Hus was burned at the stake upon his refusal to recant his beliefs. Hus's ideologies lived on through his followers, who believed that there was blatant and noticeable corruption within the Church.
The Hussites were considered, by the Church, to be a radical terrorist organization hell-bent on defying their divine power. However, when one takes a closer look at the Hussite ideologies, it is clear that they were fighting for their religious freedom.
Hus's execution directly resulted in the Hussite revolt and the Hussite Wars, which lasted from July 30th, 1419 to May 30th, 1434. This event brought us, what military historians refer to, as one of the fiercest leaders in all of human history. A war-time general that was victorious in over sixteen significant battles and countless minor ones. He is only one of six commanders in history that has never lost a battle. Jan Žižka stands beside Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan. He is still regarded as a Czech national hero to this day.
Jan Žižka was born circa 1360 in Trocnov, Kingdom of Bohemia. He spent his early years growing up at court, being a squire and subsequently a bodyguard for King Wenceslas IV of Bohemia. He lost an eye at an early age, saddling him with the nickname "One-eyed Žižka." Eventually, he became Chamberlain to the queen and served on her protective detail. Still, all of this was before Jan Hus was executed, a tragedy in Žižka's life that thrust him to the center of significant conflict.
Žižka's military prowess was tested in a conflict nearly a decade before the Hussite Wars. The Battle of Grunwald took place on July 15th, 1410, and is recognized as one of the largest battles in Medieval Europe.
Like most revolutions, the violence and tension mount until a climax is reached. The Catholic Church created a martyr for the Hussite cause when Jan Hus was executed for his radical ideologies. Eventually, war becomes the only language that those in power recognize. The violence began with the first Defenestration of Prague. Protestors, vying for their religious freedoms, stormed the New Town Hall in Prague and tossed the King's representatives and some of the town councilors from the windows. Most of those thrown from the windows didn't survive the fall. Those that did were beaten to death by the angry mob on the streets below.
The best examples we have of Jan Žižka's life come from a historical fiction novel written by Jim Fuxa titled Žižka The One-Eyed. While the author admits to taking a few fictitious liberties with the historical figures, most of the information in the novel lines up with the events of the Hussite Wars.
Žižka looked out to see the final struggles of the officials, impaled on a halberd's spike, his limbs flailing in mid-air while his life-blood gushed to the cobblestones below. Several hands reached for his gold chain. 'No,' roared Žižka, 'I forbid looting. Not gold, not daggers, not even their hats. We're defending our religion, our people, our country. We shall not loot, we shall not steal the ill-gotten goods of Church or state. (Fuxa 30)
The protestors were there for a purpose: to prove that they would not stand for the execution of Jan Hus, and subsequently anyone who desired Church reform. Though Žižka prohibited looting, his mind would change throughout the Hussite Wars. The Catholic Church, and several allies, marched their forces against the Hussites in five separate crusades. Each crusade ended in failure and only strengthened the Hussite revolt and resolve.
Even more impressive than their victories were the tactics employed by Žižka. His military prowess marked him permanently in history as one of the most innovative commanders in battle, and his tactics wildly changed how wars were fought across Europe. The Hussite Wars are speculated by historians to have been the first use of war wagons and gunpowder firearms in Europe. Though gunpowder can be traced back to the early 9th century in Asia, it didn't appear in European warfare until the 13th and 14th centuries.
One of the major problems with early gunpowder firearms was that they weren't mass-marketed, as they are today. In modern warfare, each soldier is provided a primary gun as well as a secondary. During the Hussite Wars, firearms were relatively new. Most of the Hussite forces were commoners, not trained soldiers, which was strongly reflected in their use of war wagons and firearms.
Imagine the scene. The Hussite forces utilized a mobile defensive wall. They heavily fortified wagons and outfitted them with cannons to provide artillery cover. While hiding behind the war wagons, the ground forces used crossbows and firearms to break through the opposing entrenched forces. Because guns were relatively new to the battlefield, Žižka limited their use to only the most critical moments in battle.
Another major issue for the Hussite forces was that they severely lacked military resources and active combatants. As stated before, most of the Hussites were commoners, farmers, the working-class, and the poor. With this in mind, it seems nearly unbelievable that the Hussites were as victorious as they were. Žižka's mentor Jan Hus believed that women, just like men, could fight for a cause. This directly led to the increase in Hussite forces, as Žižka realized they weren't utilizing the entire revolution's population. Though many men had their reservations about women serving in battle, it was seen as a necessary tactic to bolster the revolt against the Church.
Your troops will have to capture their own armor on the battlefield. It's too expensive - I can't fully equip even my own men. We'll try to find you a few helmets, but your troops will have to scrounge after battles. Assuming they win. (Fuxa 87)
Previously Žižka was against looting the dead, but the lack of military resources forced the one-eyed commander to consider other alternatives. Most of the armor and weapons worn by the Hussite forces were reaped from the battlefield, stripping the dead of their raiments, weapons, wagons, horses, and other necessary supplies. Though the Hussites were outmatched by the power of the Catholic Church, tactically the Church could not outwit the One-Eyed Žižka.
Žižka was somewhere in his fifties when he became the commander of the Hussite forces. His incredible reputation only increased with time. He lost his remaining eye in battle, rendering him completely blind, and still commanded his troops to victory. Eventually the inevitable occurred, Žižka died on October 11th, 1424 after contracting the plague. His followers were so distraught that they renamed their military regiment The Orphans.
Prior to the first anti-Hussite crusade, the Hussites sued for peace with an Article laying out their demands for religious freedoms within the Kingdom of Bohemia. Ultimately, these articles were rejected by King Sigismund and the Hussite Wars continued. Ironically, the Four Articles of Prague were accepted after the Hussite forces proved their worth on the battlefield.
The reader should note the class disparity between the clergy and the working-class people; essentially many religious practices were reserved for those that belonged to a wealthier class. Jan Hus, and the Czech Protestant reform movement, desired to bring these practices to anyone who shared in the beliefs, not just the rich.
The Four Articles of Prague :
Whether you’re an ordained minister or not, you should have the freedom to preach the word of God,
Both priests and the common people should be able to celebrate the Holy Communion in both kinds, using both bread and wine in the practice of the Eucharist,
The clergy should not use their station in order to acquire exorbitant amounts of wealth and material possessions,
Justice shall be brought to all those who commit mortal sins, regardless of their station within the socio-economic structure.
The Hussite rebellion against the Church marked an important reformation movement and served as the beginning of Protestantism.
Works Cited:
Fuxa, Jim. Žižka The One-Eyed. Print, 2014.
Written by James Lemons