Jan Žižka z Trocnova a Kalicha (; 1360 – 11 October 1424) was a
Czech
Czech may refer to:
* Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe
** Czech language
** Czechs, the people of the area
** Czech culture
** Czech cuisine
* One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus
*Czech (surnam ...
military leader and
Knight
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity.
The concept of a knighthood ...
who was a contemporary and follower of
Jan Hus
Jan Hus (; ; 1369 – 6 July 1415), sometimes anglicized as John Hus or John Huss, and referred to in historical texts as ''Iohannes Hus'' or ''Johannes Huss'', was a Czechs, Czech theologian and philosopher who became a Church reformer and t ...
, and a prominent
Radical Hussite who led the
Taborite
The Taborites (, ), were a faction within the Hussite movement in the medieval Lands of the Bohemian Crown. The Taborites were sometimes referred to as the Picards, a term used for groups which were seen as extreme in their rejection of traditi ...
faction during the
Hussite Wars
The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars or the Hussite Revolution, were a series of civil wars fought between the Hussites and the combined Catholic forces of Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, the Papacy, a ...
. Renowned for his exceptional military skill, Žižka is celebrated as a Czech
national hero. Žižka led the Hussite forces in battles against three crusades and remained undefeated throughout his military career.
Žižka was born in the village of
Trocnov, located in the
Kingdom of Bohemia
The Kingdom of Bohemia (), sometimes referenced in English literature as the Czech Kingdom, was a History of the Czech lands in the High Middle Ages, medieval and History of the Czech lands, early modern monarchy in Central Europe. It was the pr ...
, into a family of lower
Czech nobility
Czech nobility consists of the noble families from historical Czech lands, especially in their narrow sense, i.e. nobility of Bohemia proper, Moravia and Austrian Silesia – whether these families originated from those countries or moved into ...
.
According to Piccolomini's ''Historia Bohemica'', he maintained connections within the royal court during his youth and later held the office of
Chamberlain to Queen
Sofia of Bavaria.
He fought in the
Battle of Grunwald
The Battle of Grunwald was fought on 15 July 1410 during the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War. The alliance of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, led respectively by King Władysław II Jagiełło (Jogaila), a ...
(15 July 1410), where he defended
Radzyń against the
Teutonic Order
The Teutonic Order is a religious order (Catholic), Catholic religious institution founded as a military order (religious society), military society in Acre, Israel, Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. The Order of Brothers of the German House of Sa ...
. Later, he played a prominent role in the
civil wars in Bohemia. He led the
Hussites during the first important clashes of the conflict in the
Battle of Sudoměř (1420) and in the
Battle of Vítkov Hill (1420). In the
Battle of Kutná Hora
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force co ...
(1421) he defeated the army of the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...
and the
Hungarian Kingdom. The effectiveness of his
field artillery
Field artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support army, armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, short range, long range, and extremely long range target engagement.
Until the ear ...
against the royal cavalry in this battle made it a successful element of Hussite armies.
Žižka's tactics were unorthodox and innovative and they are today considered examples of early modern
guerrilla
Guerrilla warfare is a form of unconventional warfare in which small groups of irregular military, such as rebels, Partisan (military), partisans, paramilitary personnel or armed civilians, which may include Children in the military, recruite ...
and
asymmetric warfare
Asymmetric warfare (or asymmetric engagement) is a type of war between belligerents whose relative military power, strategy or tactics differ significantly. This type of warfare often, but not necessarily, involves insurgents, terrorist grou ...
. In addition to training and equipping his army according to their abilities, he used armored wagons, known as
wagon forts, fitted with small cannons and
hand cannon
The hand cannon ( or ), also known as the gonne or handgonne, is the first true firearm and the successor of the fire lance. It is the oldest type of small arms, as well as the most mechanically simple form of metal barrel firearms. Unlike match ...
s, anticipating the
tank
A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engine; ...
of five hundred years later. He exploited terrain to a greater extent than was conventional for his time, using terrain reconnaissance, knowledge and manipulation to aid his guerilla tactics and defensive maneuvers at the time when
cavalry charges and open field skirmishes were standard practice. His troops were reportedly highly disciplined and loyal, having been recruited from nobility, militias and peasantry alike. His tactics necessitated rapid training for new recruits to face highly-trained and armored opponents repeatedly, who usually outnumbered his own troops. According to later writers, Žižka rarely committed his forces to battle unless he had first ensured a strong tactical advantage—often through ambushes, disruption of enemy movements, or use of fortified terrain—greatly increasing the odds of victory despite being outnumbered. For those reasons, Žižka is often regarded as one of the greatest military commanders of all time and his tactics are today studied in military academies worldwide.
A monument was erected on the Vítkov Hill in
Prague
Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...
to honor Jan Žižka and his
victory on this hill in 1420. It is the third-largest bronze
equestrian statue
An equestrian statue is a statue of a rider mounted on a horse, from the Latin ''eques'', meaning 'knight', deriving from ''equus'', meaning 'horse'. A statue of a riderless horse is strictly an equine statue. A full-sized equestrian statue is a ...
in the world.
Early life
Jan Žižka was born in one of two
Meierhofs of the village Trocnov (nowadays part of
Borovany
Borovany () is a town in České Budějovice District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 4,200 inhabitants. Trocnov, today a part of Borovany, is known as the birthplace of one of the most notable people of Czech hist ...
). An old legend says that he was born in the forest under an oak growing just next to the fields and little ponds belonging to the Meierhof.
Žižka's family belonged to the lower Czech gentry (') but did not own much estate. Little is known of the rest of the family. Jan Žižka had several siblings but the only names known to historians are brother Jaroslav and sister Anežka. The family had a crayfish in their coat of arms.
The date of Žižka's birth is not known. A document dated 3 April 1378 mentions ' (Jan called Zizka of Trocnov) as a witness on a marriage contract. On the basis of this document, it is assumed that Žižka must have been of legal age at this time and was born around 1360. Nevertheless, there is no direct evidence whether Jan Žižka listed on this document was identical with the Hussite general. For example, Czech historian Tomek and his followers supposed it could have been the military leader's father. They argued that if Žižka were adult in 1378, he would be too old to become such an able commander after 1419.
Others, such as
Šmahel, admitted that even such an age might not have prevented him from successful leadership.
Furthermore, historian Petr Čornej notes that "Žižka" was not a family name but a specific nickname that is not attested in any other member of Žižka's family.
In the years 1378–1384, Žižka's name appears on several property documents, which indicate that he was struggling with long-term financial problems. In 1381, Žižka is attested in Prague, in connection with the settlement of the inheritance on the Trocnov estate. It is unclear how to connect this stay with Piccolomini's later report that young Žížka received an education at the Prague royal court. A 1384 document also mentions some Kateřina, a wife of Johannes dictus Zizka.
This document states that Žižka sold the field he had once acquired from Kateřina as a dowry. After this date, Žižka's name disappears from historical documents for 20 years and it is generally assumed that he became a mercenary soldier.
Žižka as an outlaw
Although some of the south Bohemian nobility led by
Henry III of Rosenberg took part in various revolts against king
Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia
Wenceslaus IV (also ''Wenceslas''; ; , nicknamed "the Idle"; 26 February 136116 August 1419), also known as Wenceslaus of Luxembourg, was King of Bohemia from 1378 until his death and King of Germany from 1376 until he was deposed in 1400. As he ...
at the turn of the 14th and 15th century (the king was even held captive in the Rosenberg castles of
Příběnice and
Český Krumlov for a short time), there is no evidence of Žižka's participation in these conflicts. It is supposed that in the early years of the 15th century Jan Žižka already controlled his family property. However, the family probably got into financial problems and started selling parts of their estate. Some sources suggest that Žižka's father took the place of the royal gamekeeper before he died in 1407 near
Plzeň
Plzeň (), also known in English and German as Pilsen (), is a city in the Czech Republic. It is the Statutory city (Czech Republic), fourth most populous city in the Czech Republic with about 188,000 inhabitants. It is located about west of P ...
and Žižka himself might have been taken into the royal service, too, but the evidence is not clear enough.
However, beginning in 1406, Žižka starts appearing in the black book (') of the Rosenberg estate as an accused bandit. Unfortunately the reasons of this charge are not known, but the fact that he declared open hostility to Henry of Rosenberg and also to the city of
Budějovice and their allies
[Tomek, pp. 12–13] suggests that he was trying to fight some injustice against his house and to enforce some of his rights in this way. Šmahel assigns the boom of south-Bohemian banditry in that time to the continual growth of the estates of the rich house of Rosenberg (and of the church estates) and simultaneous indebtedness and
pauperization of the lower gentry together with the thirst for land among their subjects, which resulted in social tension in the area.
[Šmahel, p. 28] These circumstances may have eventually forced Žižka to leave his residence in Trocnov. Historian Tomek also speculated that he might have been forcibly deprived of his small hereditary property, which was not uncommon in that time. As a result, he started leading the life of an outlaw, partly supported by the local nobleman Valkoun.
In any case, violence broke out and Žižka tried to harm his enemies on any possible occasion using as his allies, also local bandits, led by
Matěj Vůdce (Matthew the Leader) who were seeking only financial profit. The group camped in various places, including a farm in the village of Sedlo (nowadays part of
Číměř), a mill not far from
Lomnice nad Lužnicí, at a house of an unknown woman in
Hlavatce or simply in the woods. During that period, robbery, holding people for ransom, and attacking small towns were the main source of the group's income. They used it to pay their living expenses (including paying temporary hosts) and to pay spies.
Žižka took part in these raids and at least one murder: a man belonging to the cohort of Henry of Rosenberg.
Žižka and the bandits were also in touch with some more powerful enemies of Henry of Rosenberg. For example, in 1408 Žižka took part in preparations for conquering the castle
Hus near
Prachatice
Prachatice (; ) is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 11,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#Monument reservations, urban monumen ...
(whose burgrave was
Mikuláš of Hus who later became one of first commandants in Žižka's army in the beginning of the
Hussite Wars
The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars or the Hussite Revolution, were a series of civil wars fought between the Hussites and the combined Catholic forces of Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, the Papacy, a ...
). He also negotiated with Aleš of Bítov to secure Jan's help attempting to conquer the towns of
Nové Hrady and
Třeboň
Třeboň (; ) is a spa town in Jindřichův Hradec District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 8,300 inhabitants. The historic town centre with the castle complex is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monum ...
. Another nobleman asking Jan's help was Erhart of Kunštát who wanted to capture the stronghold of
Slověnice.
Some of Žižka's companions were eventually captured, tortured, and executed, including Matěj Vůdce.
[Tomek, p. 6] Žižka's situation changed on 25 of April 1409 when king Wenceslas agreed that his conflict with the city of Budějovice should be finished and on 27 June he pardoned him (calling him "faithful and beloved") by a special letter. At the same time he ordered the city council of Budějovice to do so too. This suggests that the king admitted that Žižka was at least partly justified in the conflict.
Grunwald (1410)
According to the Polish chronicler Jan Długosz, in the following year (1410) Žižka served as a mercenary during the
Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War
The Polish–Lithuanian — Teutonic War, also known as the Great Teutonic War, occurred between 1409 and 1411 between the Teutonic Knights and the allied History of Poland (1385–1569), Kingdom of Poland and Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Inspired ...
. It is assumed that he was on the winning Polish-Lithuanian side of the
Battle of Grunwald
The Battle of Grunwald was fought on 15 July 1410 during the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War. The alliance of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, led respectively by King Władysław II Jagiełło (Jogaila), a ...
, also called the 1st Battle of Tannenberg, one of the largest battles in
Medieval Europe
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...
.
It was fought on 15 July 1410, and the alliance of the
Kingdom of Poland
The Kingdom of Poland (; Latin: ''Regnum Poloniae'') was a monarchy in Central Europe during the Middle Ages, medieval period from 1025 until 1385.
Background
The West Slavs, West Slavic tribe of Polans (western), Polans who lived in what i ...
and the
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a sovereign state in northeastern Europe that existed from the 13th century, succeeding the Kingdom of Lithuania, to the late 18th century, when the territory was suppressed during the 1795 Partitions of Poland, ...
, led respectively by King of Poland
Jogaila (Władysław II Jagiełło) and Grand Duke
Vytautas
Vytautas the Great (; 27 October 1430) was a ruler of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. He was also the prince of Grodno (1370–1382), prince of Lutsk (1387–1389), and the postulated king of the Hussites.
In modern Lithuania, Vytautas is revere ...
(Witold), decisively defeated the
Teutonic Knights
The Teutonic Order is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem was formed to aid Christians on their pilgrimages to t ...
, led by Grand Master
Ulrich von Jungingen. Długosz reports that after the battle, Žižka was serving in the garrison of the town of Radzyń.
A stay in Prague
The place of Žižka's activity in the years 1411–1419 is not entirely certain. According to a later report by Lukáš Pražský (from 1527), Žižka entered the service of Sophia of Bavaria, the wife of Wenceslas IV, as her chamberlain, and he accompanied her when she was attending the preachings of Jan Hus. Given that Hus went to the South Bohemian exile in 1413, this report must relate to the years 1411–1412. According to the Hussite historian Vavřinec z Březové (Vavřinec of Březová), who knew Žižka personally and referred to the events of 1419, the future Hussite leader then served as a ''familiaris regis Bohemiae'' (literally "a family member of the Bohemian king", i.e. a king's courtier). This is confirmed by later chronicles from the 16th century, which specifically highlight the exceptional position that Žižka had among the servants of Wenceslas IV. It is possible that Žižka took part in the unsuccessful war of the Polish king against the Teutonic Knights in 1414, but concrete evidence is lacking. However, it is interesting that just one month after the end of this war campaign, on 7 November 1414, a house in Na Příkopě street in Prague was bought by the one-eyed royal "doorman" Janek ''(Janek portulanus regius)''. Czech historiography generally accepts that this "doorman" was identical with Žižka. On 27 May 1416, the "doorman" Janek sold this house and buys another, smaller one in the Old Town.
Rise to prominence

Jan Žižka made his first significant mark in history on 30 July 1419 in Prague, when he joined a Hussite procession led by the priest Jan Želivský. The crowd gathered in front of the New Town hall and demanded the release of several Hussites held in prison. When these demands were rejected by the councilors, the crowd stormed the town hall and threw the councilors out of the windows. This so-called
First Defenestration of Prague is regarded as the beginning of the Hussite revolution. Wenceslaus IV died 17 days after hearing about these events, likely from a heart attack. The Hussites subsequently seized the city and expelled all their opponents.
On 13 November 1419 a temporary
armistice
An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from t ...
was concluded between the partisans of King
Sigismund Sigismund (variants: Sigmund, Siegmund) is a German proper name, meaning "protection through victory", from Old High German ''sigu'' "victory" + ''munt'' "hand, protection". Tacitus latinises it ''Segimundus''. There appears to be an older form of ...
, the last Emperor of the
House of Luxemburg and the citizens of Prague. Žižka disapproved of this compromise and left Prague for
Plzeň
Plzeň (), also known in English and German as Pilsen (), is a city in the Czech Republic. It is the Statutory city (Czech Republic), fourth most populous city in the Czech Republic with about 188,000 inhabitants. It is located about west of P ...
, one of the richest cities of the kingdom, with his followers, but soon left that city. On 25 March 1420 he defeated the partisans of Sigismund at
Sudoměř, the first pitched battle of the Hussite wars. He later arrived at
Tábor
Tábor (; ) is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 34,000 inhabitants, making it the second most populated town in the region. The town was founded by the Hussites in 1420. The historic town centre is well pres ...
, the then-recently established stronghold of the Hussite movement. The ecclesiastical organization of Tabor had a somewhat puritanical character with a very strict military discipline being instituted though the government was established on a thoroughly democratic basis. Žižka took a large part in the organization of the new military community and became one of the four captains of the people (''
hejtman'') who were at its head.
Wagenburg tactics
Žižka helped develop tactics of using wagon forts, called ''vozová hradba'' in Czech or ''Wagenburg'' by the Germans, as mobile
fortification
A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Lati ...
s. When the Hussite army faced a numerically superior opponent they prepared carts for the battle by forming them into squares or circles. The carts were joined wheel to wheel by chains and positioned aslant, with their corners attached to each other, so that horses could be harnessed to them quickly, if necessary. In front of this wall of carts a
ditch
A ditch is a small to moderate trench created to channel water. A ditch can be used for drainage, to drain water from low-lying areas, alongside roadways or fields, or to channel water from a more distant source for plant irrigation. Ditches ...
was dug by camp followers. The crew of each cart consisted of 16–22
soldiers: 4–8
crossbow
A crossbow is a ranged weapon using an Elasticity (physics), elastic launching device consisting of a Bow and arrow, bow-like assembly called a ''prod'', mounted horizontally on a main frame called a ''tiller'', which is hand-held in a similar f ...
men, 2
handgunners, 6–8 soldiers equipped with
pikes or
flails (the flail was the Hussite "national weapon"), 2 shield carriers and 2 drivers.
The Hussites' battle consisted of two stages, the first defensive, the second an offensive counterattack. In the first stage the army placed the carts near the enemy army and by means of artillery fire provoked the enemy into battle. The artillery would usually inflict heavy casualties at close range.
In order to avoid more losses, the enemy knights finally attacked. Then the infantry hidden behind the carts used firearms and crossbows to ward off the attack, weakening the enemy. The shooters aimed first at the horses, depriving the cavalry of its main advantage. Many of the knights died as their horses were shot and they fell.
As soon as the enemy's morale was lowered, the second stage, an offensive counterattack, began. The infantry and the cavalry burst out from behind the carts, striking violently at the enemy, mostly from the flanks. While fighting on the flanks and being shelled from the carts the enemy was not able to put up much resistance. They were forced to withdraw, leaving behind dismounted knights in heavy armor who were unable to escape the battlefield. The enemy armies suffered heavy losses and the Hussites soon had the reputation of not taking captives.
Gunpowder weapons
The Hussite wars also marked the earliest successful use of
pistol
A pistol is a type of handgun, characterised by a gun barrel, barrel with an integral chamber (firearms), chamber. The word "pistol" derives from the Middle French ''pistolet'' (), meaning a small gun or knife, and first appeared in the Englis ...
s on the battlefield and Žižka was an innovator in the use of gunpowder. He was the first European commander to maneuver on the field with cannon of medium caliber mounted on carts in between the wagons. The Czechs called the handgun a ''píšťala'', and anti-infantry field guns ''houfnice'', from which the English words "pistol" and "howitzer" have been derived. The Germans had just started corning
gunpowder
Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, charcoal (which is mostly carbon), and potassium nitrate, potassium ni ...
, making it suitable for use in smaller, tactical weapons. A handgunner on an open field armed with only a single-shot weapon and without a bayonette was no match for a charging knight on a horse; however, from behind a castle wall, or from within the enclosure of the
wagenburg, massed and disciplined gunmen could use the handgun to its greatest potential. From his experiences at the
Battle of Grunwald
The Battle of Grunwald was fought on 15 July 1410 during the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War. The alliance of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, led respectively by King Władysław II Jagiełło (Jogaila), a ...
, Žižka knew exactly how his enemies would attack, and he found new ways to defeat forces numerically superior to his own.
Hussite Crusades
The
Hussite Wars
The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars or the Hussite Revolution, were a series of civil wars fought between the Hussites and the combined Catholic forces of Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, the Papacy, a ...
were fought to win recognition of faith of the
Hussites, the forerunners of the Protestant Reformation, and though predominantly a religious movement, it was also propelled by social issues and strengthened Czech national awareness. The
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
deemed Hus's teachings heretical. He was
excommunicated
Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to deprive, suspend, or limit membership in a religious community or to restrict certain rights within it, in particular those of being in communion with other members of the con ...
in 1411, condemned by the
Council of Constance
The Council of Constance (; ) was an ecumenical council of the Catholic Church that was held from 1414 to 1418 in the Bishopric of Constance (Konstanz) in present-day Germany. This was the first time that an ecumenical council was convened in ...
, and
burned at the stake
Death by burning is an list of execution methods, execution, murder, or suicide method involving combustion or exposure to extreme heat. It has a long history as a form of public capital punishment, and many societies have employed it as a puni ...
in 1415. The wars proper began in July 1419, with the
First Defenestration of Prague, when protesting Hussites threw the town councillors and the judge out the windows of the New Town Hall. It has been reputed that King
Wenceslaus IV
Wenceslaus IV (also ''Wenceslas''; ; , nicknamed "the Idle"; 26 February 136116 August 1419), also known as Wenceslaus of Luxembourg, was King of Bohemia from 1378 until his death and King of Germany from 1376 until he was deposed in 1400. As he ...
was so stunned by the defenestration that he died from the shock shortly afterward on 16 August 1419. This led to the armed conflict in which Žižka was to earn his fame.
The first anti-Hussite crusade
King
Sigismund Sigismund (variants: Sigmund, Siegmund) is a German proper name, meaning "protection through victory", from Old High German ''sigu'' "victory" + ''munt'' "hand, protection". Tacitus latinises it ''Segimundus''. There appears to be an older form of ...
was king of
Hungary
Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
but only the titular king of
Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...
. Sigismund had acquired a claim on the Bohemian crown, though it was then in question (and remained so until much later) whether Bohemia was a hereditary or an elective monarchy, especially as the line through which Sigismund claimed the throne had accepted that the Kingdom of Bohemia was an elective monarchy elected by the nobles, and thus the regent of the kingdom (Čeněk of Wartenberg) also explicitly stated that Sigismund had not been elected as reason for Sigismund's claim to not be accepted. A firm adherent of the Church of Rome, Sigismund was successful in obtaining aid from
Pope Martin V
Pope Martin V (; ; January/February 1369 – 20 February 1431), born Oddone Colonna, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 11 November 1417 to his death in February 1431. His election effectively ended the We ...
, who issued a bull on 17 March 1420 which proclaimed a
crusade
The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and at times directed by the Papacy during the Middle Ages. The most prominent of these were the campaigns to the Holy Land aimed at reclaiming Jerusalem and its surrounding t ...
"for the destruction of the
John Wycliffe
John Wycliffe (; also spelled Wyclif, Wickliffe, and other variants; 1328 – 31 December 1384) was an English scholastic philosopher, Christianity, Christian reformer, Catholic priest, and a theology professor at the University of Oxfor ...
, Hussites and all other
heretic
Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, particularly the accepted beliefs or religious law of a religious organization. A heretic is a proponent of heresy.
Heresy in Christianity, Judai ...
s in Bohemia". Sigismund and many German princes arrived before the walls of
Prague
Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...
on 30 June at the head of a vast army of crusaders from all parts of
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
, largely consisting of adventurers attracted by the possibility of pillage. They immediately began a siege of the city and Žižka was compelled to defend the Kingdom. He was a pragmatist in developing his military strategy. His army consisted of farmers and peasants, lacking both the funds and equipment to be classic soldiers with sword, horse and armor, so Žižka used their farmers' skills to boost their military efficiency. He adapted tools of agriculture into tools of war. The
agricultural flail was transformed into the
flail.
Menaced by Sigismund, the citizens of Prague entreated the
Taborites for assistance. Led by Žižka and their other captains, the Taborites set out to take part in the defence of the capital. At Prague, Žižka and his men took up a strong position on the hill just outside the city known as the
Vítkov
Vítkov (; , ) is a town in Opava District in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 5,500 inhabitants.
Administrative division
Vítkov consists of eight municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 cens ...
, now in
Žižkov, a district of Prague named after the battle in his honour. On 14 July the armies of Sigismund made a general attack. A strong German Crusader-led force assaulted the position on the Vítkov, the stronghold that secured the Hussite communications with the open country. Thanks to Žižka's personal leadership, the attack was thrown back and the forces of Sigismund abandoned the siege. On August 22 the Taborites left Prague and returned to
Tábor
Tábor (; ) is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 34,000 inhabitants, making it the second most populated town in the region. The town was founded by the Hussites in 1420. The historic town centre is well pres ...
.
Though Sigismund had retired from Prague, the castles of
Vyšehrad and
Hradčany remained in possession of his troops. The citizens of Prague laid siege to the Vyšehrad (see
Battle of Vyšehrad), and towards the end of October the garrison was on the point of capitulating through
famine
A famine is a widespread scarcity of food caused by several possible factors, including, but not limited to war, natural disasters, crop failure, widespread poverty, an Financial crisis, economic catastrophe or government policies. This phenom ...
. Sigismund attempted to relieve the fortress, but was decisively defeated by the Hussites on November 1 near the village of
Pankrác
Pankrác is a neighborhood of Prague, Czech Republic. It is located south of the city centre on the hills of the eastern bank of the Vltava River and is part of the Prague 4 municipal district, situated in the district of Nusle. Bordering distri ...
. The castles of Vyšehrad and Hradčany now capitulated, and shortly afterwards almost all Bohemia fell into the hands of the Hussites.
Žižka now engaged in constant warfare with the partisans of Sigismund, particularly with the powerful Romanist,
Oldřich II of Rožmberk. Through this struggle, the Hussites obtained possession of the greater part of Bohemia from Sigismund. It was proposed to elect the
Grand Duke of Lithuania
This is a list of Lithuanian monarchs who ruled Lithuania from its inception until the fall of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1795. The Lithuanian monarch bore the title of Grand duke, Grand Duke, with the exception of Mindaugas, who was crown ...
Vytautas
Vytautas the Great (; 27 October 1430) was a ruler of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. He was also the prince of Grodno (1370–1382), prince of Lutsk (1387–1389), and the postulated king of the Hussites.
In modern Lithuania, Vytautas is revere ...
to the throne. However, the
estates of Bohemia and
Moravia
Moravia ( ; ) is a historical region in the eastern Czech Republic, roughly encompassing its territory within the Danube River's drainage basin. It is one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia.
The medieval and early ...
met at
Čáslav on 1 June 1421 and decided to appoint a provisional government, consisting of twenty members chosen from all the political and religious parties of the country. Žižka, who took part in the deliberations at Čáslav, was elected as one of the two representatives of Tábor.
Žižka summarily suppressed some disturbances on the part of a fanatical sect called the
Adamites. He then continued his campaigns against the Romanists and the adherents of Sigismund, and having captured and rebuilt a small castle near
Litoměřice
Litoměřice (; ) is a town in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 23,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an urban monument reservation.
The town is the seat of the Roman C ...
(Leitmeritz), he retained possession of it, the only reward for his great services that he ever received or claimed. According to the Hussite custom he gave the Biblical name of ''Chalice'' (Kalich in Czech) to this new possession, and henceforth adopted the signature of ''Žižka of the Chalice''.
Jan Žižka did not capture any more properties for himself during the Hussite Wars. This fact was unusual for the time and distinguished Žižka from his contemporaries.
Later that year he was severely wounded while besieging the
Rabí Castle, and lost the use of his remaining eye. Though now totally blind, he continued to command the armies of Tábor.
The second anti-Hussite crusade
At the end of 1421, Sigismund again attempted to subdue Bohemia and gained possession of the important town of
Kutná Hora. The mainly German citizens of the city killed a few of the Hussites in the town and closed the city to Žižka, whose armies were camped outside the city walls. Sigismund's armies arrived and surrounded the Hussites. Žižka was at the head of the united armies of Tábor and Prague and though trapped managed to execute what some historians call the
first mobile artillery manoeuver in history. Žižka broke through the enemy lines and retreated to
Kolín
Kolín (; ) is a town in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 33,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#Monument reservations, urban monume ...
, but having received reinforcements he
attacked and defeated Sigismund's unsuspecting army at the village of Nebovidy between Kolín and Kutná Hora on 6 January 1422. Sigismund lost 12,000 men and only escaped himself by rapid flight. Sigismund's forces made a last stand at
Battle of Německý Brod on 10 January, but the city was stormed by the Czechs, and contrary to Žižka's orders, its defenders were put to the sword.
Civil war

Early in 1423, internal dissent among the Hussites led to civil war. Žižka, as leader of the Taborites, defeated the men of Prague and the
Utraquist nobles at
Hořice on 20 April. Shortly afterwards came news that a new crusade against Bohemia was being prepared. This induced the Hussites to conclude an armistice at
Konopiště on 24 June. As soon as the crusaders had dispersed, internal dissent broke out anew. During his temporary rule over Bohemia, Prince
Sigismund Korybut of Lithuania had appointed Bořek, the lord of Miletínek, governor of the city of
Hradec Králové
Hradec Králové (; ) is a city of the Czech Republic. It has about 94,000 inhabitants. It is the capital of the Hradec Králové Region. The historic centre of Hradec Králové is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech R ...
. Bořek belonged to a moderate Hussite faction, the Utraquist party. After the departure of Sigismund Korybut, the city of Hradec Králové refused to recognize Bořek as its ruler, due to the democratic party gaining the upper hand. They called Žižka to its aid. He acceded to the demand and defeated the Utraquists under Bořek at the farm of Strachov (in the area of today's Kukleny within Hradec Králové) on 4 August 1423.
Žižka now attempted to invade
Hungary
Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
, which was under the rule of his old enemy King Sigismund. Though this Hungarian campaign was unsuccessful owing to the great superiority of the Hungarians, it ranks among the greatest military exploits of Žižka, on account of the skill he displayed in retreat. In 1424, civil war having again broken out in Bohemia, Žižka decisively defeated the "Praguers" and Utraquist nobles at the battle of
Skalice on 6 January, and at the
battle of Malešov on 7 June. In September, he marched on Prague. On the 14th of that month, peace was concluded between the Hussite parties through the influence of
John of Rokycany, afterwards Utraquist archbishop of Prague. It was agreed that the now reunited Hussites should attack
Moravia
Moravia ( ; ) is a historical region in the eastern Czech Republic, roughly encompassing its territory within the Danube River's drainage basin. It is one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia.
The medieval and early ...
, part of which was still held by Sigismund's partisans, and that Žižka should be the leader in this campaign.
However, Žižka died on the Moravian frontier near
Přibyslav
Přibyslav () is a town in Havlíčkův Brod District in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 4,100 people. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an urban monument zone.
Administrative division
Př ...
, during the siege of the castle in Přibyslav in what is today
Žižkovo Pole, on 11 October 1424. Traditionally, it was said that he died of the plague; however, modern knowledge of historians excludes this theory. Even the theory of arsenic poisoning was ruled out after examining the skeletal remains. According to historians, the purulent disease
carbuncle is considered the most likely cause of death.
According to chronicler
Piccolomini, Žižka's dying wish was to have his skin used to make drums so that he might continue to lead his troops even after death. Žižka was so highly regarded that when he died, his soldiers called themselves ''
Sirotci'' ("the Orphans") because they felt as if they had lost their father. His enemies said that "The one whom no mortal hand could destroy was extinguished by the finger of God."
He was interred in the church of Saints Peter & Paul in
Caslau, but in 1623 his remains were removed and his grave destroyed by order of
the Emperor Ferdinand II.
He was succeeded by
Prokop the Great
Prokop the Great (, ) or Prokop the Bald or the Shaven (, ) (c. 1380 – 30 May 1434) was a Czech Hussite general and a prominent Taborite military leader during the Hussite Wars. On his mother's side, he came from a German patrician family l ...
.
In popular culture
Literature
Žižka appears as one of the main characters in the ''Armed Garden'' graphic novella (''The Armed Garden and Other Stories'') by David B.
[The Armed Garden and Other Stories](_blank)
Amazon Reference. He is the hero of a novel by
George Sand
Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin de Francueil (; 1 July 1804 – 8 June 1876), best known by her pen name George Sand (), was a French novelist, memoirist and journalist. Being more renowned than either Victor Hugo or Honoré de Balz ...
, of a German epic by Meissner, and of a Bohemian tragedy by
Alois Jirásek.
Films
Jan Žižka is a central figure of the "
Hussite Revolutionary Trilogy" directed by
Otakar Vávra. The films starred
Zdeněk Štěpánek as Žižka. It consists of ''
Jan Hus
Jan Hus (; ; 1369 – 6 July 1415), sometimes anglicized as John Hus or John Huss, and referred to in historical texts as ''Iohannes Hus'' or ''Johannes Huss'', was a Czechs, Czech theologian and philosopher who became a Church reformer and t ...
'', ''
Jan Žižka
Jan Žižka z Trocnova a Kalicha (; 1360 – 11 October 1424) was a Czechs, Czech military leader and Knight who was a contemporary and follower of Jan Hus, and a prominent Radical Hussite who led the Taborites, Taborite faction during the Hu ...
'' and ''
Against All''. Jan Žižka appeared in a 1960 Polish film ''
Knights of the Teutonic Order''. He is played by
Tadeusz Schmidt. In 1968 Czechoslovak film ''Na Žižkově válečném voze'', Žižka was played by Ilja Prachař.
The 2013 animated film ''The Hussites'' is set during the Hussite wars. The protagonist of the film, Záboj serves as the film's version of Žižka.
A film ''
Jan Žižka
Jan Žižka z Trocnova a Kalicha (; 1360 – 11 October 1424) was a Czechs, Czech military leader and Knight who was a contemporary and follower of Jan Hus, and a prominent Radical Hussite who led the Taborites, Taborite faction during the Hu ...
'' (English title ''Medieval'') by director
Petr Jákl
Petr Jákl Jr. (born 14 September 1973) is a Czech Republic, Czech actor, director, producer, former stuntman and a judo fighter. His father Petr Jákl (judoka, born 1941), Petr Jákl Sr is an Olympic judo fighter, stuntman, and producer.
Judo ...
was released in 2022. It follows Jan Žižka during his youth. It is the most expensive Czech film ever made. Žižka was portrayed by
Ben Foster. It was released on Netflix in 2022.
Games
In the game ''
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition - Dawn of the Dukes'', there is a single player campaign during which player takes role of Jan Žižka.
''
Age of Empires III'' features Hussite wagons as a unit used by Germans. Unit infobox directly mentions Žižka with the anglicized version of his name: John Zizka.
Žižka appears in ''
Europa Universalis II'' as a default general for the Bohemia faction.
''
Field of Glory II: Medieval'' features Hussite campaign during which player takes role of Jan Žižka.
Žižka is the main protagonist of the upcoming independent
real-time strategy game ''Songs of the Chalice'', which is set in the years 1419–1420.
Jan Žižka is one of the legendary cavalry commanders in the mobile game ''
Rise of Kingdoms''.
''
Hrot'' includes a power-up called Calvaria of Čáslav which is a nod to the
Calva of Caslav, the top part of a human skull found in Čáslav which is attributed to Jan Žižka.
Jan Žižka is a
ge Ileader in the expansion ''New Leaders and Wonders'' released in 2020 to the board game ''Through the Ages: A New Story of Civilization''.
Žižka appears in a DLC for ''
1428: Shadows over Silesia'' called ''Tourney at the Bear Rock'' which is set in 1409.
Jan Žižka is a prominent character in ''
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II'', which is set in 1403. Here Žižka's likeness is modeled after Czech actor Stanislav Majer, with Adrian Bouchet performing the motion capture and voicing him in English and Martin Preiss in the Czech dub.
Other
Early in 1917, the 3rd Czechoslovak Rifle Regiment of the Czechoslovak legions in Russia was named after "Jan Žižka z Trocnova".
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, a number of military units were named after Jan Žižka. One of them, the
1st Czechoslovak Partisan Brigade of Jan Žižka, was among the first anti-Nazi guerrilla units in occupied Czechoslovakia. A
Yugoslav partisan
The Yugoslav Partisans,Serbo-Croatian, Macedonian language, Macedonian, and Slovene language, Slovene: , officially the National Liberation Army and Partisan Detachments of Yugoslavia sh-Latn-Cyrl, Narodnooslobodilačka vojska i partizanski odr ...
brigade of the same name was formed in western
Slavonia
Slavonia (; ) is, with Dalmatia, Croatia proper, and Istria County, Istria, one of the four Regions of Croatia, historical regions of Croatia. Located in the Pannonian Plain and taking up the east of the country, it roughly corresponds with f ...
on 26 October 1943 and operated in areas inhabited by a large Czech and Slovak minority.
Jan Žižka is one of the main characters in the manga series ' (2013) by . He is also a main character in the Japanese manga ''Otome Sensou''.
Citations
General and cited sources
* Bílek, Jiří (2007), ''Hádanky naší minulosti 7. Čtyři Janové a bratr Prokop'', Euromedia Group Praha. pp. 172–173. . Count Lützow, ''The Hussite Wars'', J. M. Dent & Sons London, E. P. Dutton & Co. New York (1909).
* Čornej, Petr (2019), ''Jan Žižka''. Nakladatelství Paseka.
* Fudge, Thomas A., ''The Crusade Against Heretics in Bohemia, 1418–1437: Sources and Documents for the Hussite Crusades'' (Crusade Texts in Translation).
Höfler, Konstantin, ''Geschichtsquellen Böhmens''.
* Heymann, Frederick G. (1969), ''John Zizka & the Hussite Revolution'', Russell & Russell New York (1955).
*
Šmahel, František, ''Die Hussitische Revolution I–III'', MGH-Schriften. 43/I–III, Hannover (2002).
** Turnbull, Stephen, ''The Hussite Wars (1419–36)'', Osprey Publishing. .
* Verney, Victor (2009), ''Warrior of God: Jan Žižka and the Hussite Revolution'', Frontline Books London. .
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zizka, Jan
1360 births
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15th-century soldiers
Undefeated military leaders
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People in the Battle of Grunwald
Czech revolutionaries
People of the Hussite Wars
15th-century people from Bohemia
Nobility from medieval Bohemia
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