Battle of Vysehrad
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The Battle of Vysehrad was a series of engagements at the start of the Hussite War between Hussite forces and Catholic crusaders sent by Emperor Sigismund. The battle took place at the castle of Vysehrad from August 16, 1419, to c. November 1, 1420.
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1 The battle under Nekmierz |
Start of the battle
After the death of King Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia, Queen Sophia (with the help of Cenek from Wartenberg) tried to gain control of Prague. Sophia and Cenek recruited soldiers from Germany, who took up positions at Vysehrad, Hradcany, and at the archbishop's palace and the cloister of St. Thomas in a part of Prague called New Town. The Hussite uprising was successful in other parts of Bohemia, and the towns of Klatovy, Pisek, Louny, Zatec, and Plzen came under Hussite control. On October 25, 1419, Hussites captured Vysehrad as well.
In November 1419, fighting took place between Catholic fighters under Piotr from Sternberk and Hussite peasants under the command of a priest, Ambrosius. These Hussites went from the area near Usti to Prague, surrounded Novy Knin, and attacked. After gaining reinforcements, Ambrosius's forces crossed the Vltava River. The Hussites won the battle but lost about 300 people.
After taking Prague, the Hussites decided to assist citizens in Novy Knin. More fighting commenced as Hussite fighters captured the bridge to New Town on the Vltava River. Catholic soldiers who guarded the bridge were forced to withdraw to Hradcany, but many buildings in New Town were destroyed.
On November 13, 1419, Queen Sophia promised to protect the Hussites in all of Bohemia. Utraquists gave back Vysehrad to the royal army.
The battle under Nekmierz
Later in November, formations of Taborites, several hundred strong, left Praha. One of these formations under the command of Jan Zizka was surprised by Catholic forces under the command of Bohuslav from Svamberk. A cavalry attack by the Catholics was stopped by crossbow and gunfire from Hussite soldiers hiding behind wagons. Catholic infantry and cavalry were forced to withdraw. After the battle Zizka ordered a night march to Plzen.
In the Spring of 1420, after capturing the town of Usti, Hussite forces went to the Tabor Mountain where they built a new town which took the mountain's name. This new town became the capital of the Taborites' collective. Citizens of Tábor chose four hetmen, or generals: Nicholas from Husi, Jan Zizka, Zbynek from Buchovo, and Chval from Machovice.
Similar army camps were built on the mountain of Oreb, another part of the Taborites, which were named as Orebici. Their civil leader was the priest Ambrosius, and their hetman was Hynek Krusina from Lichtenburk.
Battle at Sudomer
The Hussites lost Plzen, in arrangement with the Catholics. Hussites, under command of Jan Zizka, were allowed to leave the town without difficulties. Catholics from Plzen sent information about Zizka's forces to Jindrich from hradce master of knights of St. John of Jerusalem and Bohuslav from Svamberk. After massing at Sudomer, they decided to attack; they had more soldiers than Zizka, as well as reinforcements from Pisek. In the opinion of writers of chronicles, the attackers would not have had to fight with Hussites because they would be killed by horse legs.
Zizka set Tabor(ites?) on a small dam between two nurseries. A swamp was behind the defenders (who?). The Catholic commanders divided their forces into two groups. The first group which attacked the Tabor from the front received heavy losses. The second group of knights crossed the nursery and attacked on foot. Soon the field of battle was covered by fog, and the Catholics withdrew. Both sides suffered heavy losses.
In May 1420 Cenek from Wartemberk surrounded Hradcany and joined Emperor Sigismund's side. Soldiers from Vysehrad advanced on New Town. The Hussites begun a siege of Vysehrad. In June 1420 there was a successful advance from Vysehrad. Soldiers from this castle secured supplies which were sent to Hradcany.
Siege of Prague during First Crusade
On June 12, 1420, some formations of Sigismund forces successfully entered Hradcany with supplies. They took horses from the castle.
At the time of the Prague siege, Sigismund's soldiers, who were placed in Hradcany and Vysehrad, advanced on the Hussites' position in Prague. After a successful defence of Vitkov Hill and the crusaders' withdrawal, the Hussites begun artillery fire on Vysehrad, but received heavier losses than Prague's defenders.
After an unsuccessful assault on Vitkov Hill, the crusaders decided to attack the local Hussites' position. In August 1420, Hetman Jan Zizka left Prague with relief forces and headed to Pisek, which was in danger from crusaders under the command of Oldřich from Rožmberk. September 15, 1420 saw the beginning of a second siege of Vysehrad. In the last days of October, the commandant of the castle accepted a capitulation arrangement. If he didn't receive any help from Sigismund's forces by 8 o'clock in the morning of November 1 1420, he would surrender the castle. Meanwhile, another formation of Taborites, among them commander Jan Rohac from Dube, captured the town of Lomnice.
Battle of Vysehrad
Sigismund planned a main attack using soldiers from Hradcany and Vysehrad, and counting on reinforcements from Plzen Union. The plan of battle was sent to Hradcany and Vysehrad by courier, but the courier was captured by Hussites. The Hussites sent some soldiers under the command of Jan Zizka to stop the march of soldiers from Plzen.
Hussite artillery fire successfully stopped the attack of the Hungarian and German cavalry. Then the Hussite forces made their attack. After the battle, the crusaders' formations withdrew. Four hundred knights were killed by the Hussites, who didn't take any prisoners of war.
November 1 saw the capitulation of soldiers from Vysehrad. Zizka's forces captured Zlate Korouny and Prachatice. December 1420 saw the death of Nicholas from Husi.
Aftermath
In January 1421, Taborite forces, under command of Jan Zizka and Chval from Machovice, captured the town of Stribro and cloister in Krakikov. The commandant of Stribro Castle, Bohuslav from Svamberk, surrendered; his soldiers were free to go. Because Sigismund didn't send a ransom for him, Bohuslav decided to join the Hussites. Eventually the Taborites chose him as their hetman.
In February, Emperor Sigismund withdrew to Moravia and then to Hungary. June 1421 saw the capitulation of the soldiers in Hradcany.
References
- Piotr Marczak "Hussite wars" Warsaw Egros pages 55-60, page 66, pp. 68-69