Jan Žižka

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Jan Žižka z Trocnova a Kalicha (English: John Zizka of Trocnov, German: Johann Ziska or Johann Schischka) (c. 1360 - 1424), Czech general and Hussite leader, follower of Jan Hus, was born at Trocnov in Bohemia, of a family which belonged to the gentry. He took part in the civil wars in Bohemia in the reign of Wenceslaus IV. Legal records from 1378 mention Jan Žižka z Trocnova, hinting that if the nick-name žižka meant one-eye, early chronologer Aeneus Sylvius Piccolomini, Pius II was correct in stating the loss of the eye was the result of a childhood fight. Žižka fought in the Battle of Grunwald (July 15, 1410), where he defended Radzyń against the German Knights. He was from his youth connected with the court, and held the office of chamberlain to Queen Sophia.

Žižka is known for converting many farming implements into weapons. He did this because many of his soldiers were peasants. The agricultural flail was easily converted into the flail. He also converted farm wagons into use in his ingenious tactic called the Wagenburg. The wagons were parked wheel-to-wheel and formed a circle, much like the Pioneers of the Old West formed with their Conestoga Wagons. The horses were kept safely inside the enclosure. The outside portion of the wagon and the undercarriage were armored with thick wooden planks, with holes through which soldiers could shoot handguns and crossbows. At a signal, any of the wagons could be pulled aside, and the Hussite cavalry could emerge to fight the enemy in a surprise flanking manouver. Žižka trained his troops to perform these tactics, and set up a system of flags to signal directions to others on the field.

The Hussite wars were also the earliest successful use of hand guns on the battlefield. The Germans had just started korning gunpowder, making it feasible for use in smaller, tactical weapons. However, a gunman on the open field with only a single-shot weapon was no match for a charging knight on horseback. From behind a castle wall, or from within the enclosure of the wagonburg, massed gunmen could use the hand gun to its greatest potential. Incidentally, the Czechs called the handgun a pištala, and the small cannons houfnice, from where the English words pistol and howitzer are derived. From his experiences at Grunwald Žižka knew exactly how his enemies would attack, and he found new ways to defeat forces numerically superior to his own. He is considered to be among the greatest military leaders and innovators of all time. Žižka is one of the few commanders in history who never lost a battle.

Žižka's name first became prominent when the Hussite movement began. When in 1419 at the First Defenestration of Prague, Žižka headed those who threw the town councillors from its windows. This led to the prolonged Hussite Wars, where Žižka would earn his fame. When a temporary armistice was concluded between the partisans of King Sigismund and the citizens of Prague, Žižka marched to Plzeň with his followers, but soon left that city, and, after defeating the partisans of Sigismund at Sudomer (March 23, 1420), arrived at Tábor, the newly founded stronghold of the advanced Hussites.

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. Meanwhile Sigismund, king of the Germans and king of Hungary, invaded Bohemia, claiming the crown as the heir of his brother Wenceslaus. 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 then known as the Vítkov, on the spot where Žižkov, a district of Prague, now stands. At the end of June 1420 the siege of the city began, and on July 14 the armies of Sigismund made a general attack. A strong German force assaulted the position on the Vítkov which secured the Hussite communications with the open country. Mainly through the heroism of Žižka, the attack was repulsed, and the forces of Sigismund abandoned the siege. (A huge monument was erected on the top of the hill to honor Jan Žižka. The statue has Žižka sitting on the largest horse statue in the world. It is 9 meters or over 27 feet tall.) Shortly afterwards (August 22, 1420) the Taborites left Prague and returned to Tábor.

Žižka was now engaged in constant warfare with the partisans of Sigismund, particularly with the powerful Romanist, Oldřich of Rožmberk. By this struggle, in which Žižka was invariably successful, the Hussites obtained possession of the greatest part of Bohemia, which Sigismund now left for a time. It was proposed to elect a Polish prince to the throne; but meanwhile the estates of Bohemia and Moravia, who met at Čáslav on June 1, 1421, 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, being 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 continued his campaigns against the Romanists and adherents of Sigismund; and having captured a small castle near Litomerice 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 to this new possession, and henceforth adopted the signature of Žižka of the Chalice. Later, in 1421, he was severely wounded while besieging the castle of Rábí, and lost the use of his remaining eye. Though now totally blind, he continued to command the armies of Tábor.

At the end of 1421 Sigismund, again attempting to subdue Bohemia, obtained possession of the important town of Kutná Hora from Žižka. The mainly German citizens of the city killed a few of the Hussites in town and closed the doors of the city to Žižka, who's armies were camped outside the city walls. Žižka, who was at the head of the united armies of Tábor and Prague, was trapped, but managed to execute what some historians call the first mobile artillery maneuver in history. Žižka broke through the enemy lines and retreated to Kolín, but having received reinforcements he attacked and defeated Sigismund's unsuspecting army at the village of Nebovidy between Kolín and Kutná Hora (January 6, 1422). Sigismund lost 12,000 men and only escaped himself by rapid flight. Sigismund's forces made a last stand at Německý Brod (Deutschbrod) on the 10th of January, but the city was stormed by the Czechs, and, contrary to Žižka's orders, its defenders were put to the sword.

Early in 1423 internal dissensions 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 April 20, but shortly afterwards the news that a new crusade against Bohemia was being prepared, induced the Hussites to conclude an armistice at Konopiště on June 24, 1423. As soon, however, as the so-called crusaders had dispersed without even attempting to enter Bohemia, the internal dissensions broke out afresh. During his temporary rule over Bohemia Prince Sigismund Korybut of Poland had appointed as governor of the city of Hradec Králové Bořek, lord of Miletínek, who belonged to the moderate Hussite, the so-called Utraquist, party. After the departure of the Polish prince the city of Hradec Králové, in which the democratic party now obtained the upper hand, refused to recognize Borek as its ruler, and called Žižka to its aid. He acceded to the demand and defeated the Utraquists under Bořek at the farm of Strachov, near the city of Hradec Králové (August 4, 1423).

Žižka now attempted to invade Hungary, 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 Skalice on January 6, and at Malešov on June 7. In September he marched on Prague, but on the 14th of that month peace was concluded between the Hussite parties through the influence of John of Rokycan, afterwards Utraquist archbishop of Prague. It was agreed that the now reunited Hussites should attack Moravia, part of which country was still held by Sigismund's partisans, and that Žižka should be the leader in this campaign. But he died of the plague at Přibyslav (October 11, 1424) on the Moravian frontier. 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. This was one of many myths created about the blind general, who many of his enemies considered a demon. Žižka was such a well respected general that when he died, his soldiers called themselves the Orphans because they felt like they had lost their father.

The fascinating thing about Žižka was his totally unorthodox and forward thinking tactics. In addition to training and equipping his army according to their abilities, he used armored wagons armed with small cannons and muskets, presaging the tank of five hundred years later. His tactics were so effective that the enemy regarded him as the anti-christ, and legend has it that his battle wagons were able to execute exceedingly complex maneuvers at full gallop. He was also a master at using geography to full advantage as well as managing the discipline of his troops. In short, Jan Žižka was a military genius far ahead of his time.

Originally based on an article from the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica (public domain).

[edit] Further Speculations

Recently there have been several speculations on the actual role of Jan Žižka in the development of Czech culture and religion among some of the historians studying this topic. They argue that Žižka mustn’t be considered only as a brilliant commander fighting for the honourable aim of returning the Church nearer to God by making the dignitaries change their methods; we have to see him as well as a man who – in the name of God – was responsible for killing many people and destroying significant part of culture by massacring and burning down churches and whole villages, often sparing only women and children. Therefore he has also been compared even with Osama bin Laden who very similarly justified his inhuman deeds by telling that he was acting for the sake of God. This opinion is considered to be very radical, though. Jan Žižka, the man of the sword, may be considered the opposite side of the coin of Jan Hus, the man of God. In Otakar Vavre's film trilogy on the Hussite Revolution, shot in the 1950's, the same actor played both Hus and Žižka. Not only was this a tour de force, it reflected the two sides of the Hussite movement. The two men are permanently linked in the Czech national identity.

[edit] References

• "The Hussite Wars", Count Lutzow, J. M. Dent & Sons Londong, E. P. Dutton & Co. New York 1909
• "John Zizka & the Hussite Revolution", Frederick G. Heymann, Russell & Russell New York 1955, 1969.
• "The Hussite Wars (1419-36)", Stephen Turnbull, Osprey Publishing (ISBN 1841766658)