The Battle of Hořice (German name: ''Horschitz'') was fought on April 27, 1423, between the Orebites faction of the Hussites and

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. The Hussites were led by Jan Žižka (who was completely blind at the time of the battle), while the

were led by the repeatedly-converting

Čeněk of Wartenberg Čeněk of Wartenberg ( cs, Čeněk z Vartemberka; ; c. 137917 September 1425) was a commander of the Royalist Bohemian forces at the start of the Hussite Wars. Up until the first half of 1420 he was a commander of the Utraquist League, a moder ...

. The battle took place on the Gothard plateau, near Hořice. Thanks to a strategic position, which allowed perfect use of Hussite

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and Žižka's tactical skills, the Hussites eventually won the battle. Hussites took the high ground and built their '' Wagenburg'' (wagon fort) there. The Catholic cavalry could not ride up such a steep hill and was forced to dismount. The cannons owned by the nobles could not fire effectively uphill. These circumstances made it a battle between infantry behind fortifications and heavily armored infantry in the field. Žižka's men held the Wagenburg against repeated attacks by dismounted cavalry. Then, Žižka decided that the time was right to counterattack. With some cavalry, the Hussites charged downhill and swept catholic forces from the battlefield.

References

The Battles of the Hussite Wars
* "The Hussite Wars (1419-36)", Stephen Turnbull, Osprey Publishing () {{DEFAULTSORT:Battle of Horice Horic 1423 in Europe Conflicts in 1423 Hořice Jan Žižka History of the Hradec Králové Region