Battle of Prague
The Battle of Prague refers primarily to two significant historical events in the city of Prague, which played pivotal roles in shaping regional conflicts in Europe. The first event, tied to the Hussite Wars, began in July 1419 when tensions between King Wenceslas IV and the Hussite movement escalated, culminating in the Defenestration Incident where anti-Hussite magistrates were killed. This act of rebellion marked the Hussites' rise to power in Prague, leading to a broader conflict involving religious reform and social change, as they sought to challenge the established Catholic authority. A truce in November 1419 temporarily addressed the tensions but could not prevent further turmoil, as the battle over Prague symbolized a deeper struggle between Catholic and Hussite factions.
The second notable event, often referred to as the Battle of Prague in 1757, occurred during the Seven Years' War. It involved significant military engagements as Prussian forces clashed with Austrian troops, highlighting the ongoing conflicts that shaped European politics in the 18th century. The outcomes of these battles in Prague not only influenced the immediate political landscape but also had lasting impacts on the religious and social dynamics in Bohemia and beyond.
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Subject Terms
Battle of Prague
Type of action: Ground battle in Hussite Wars
Date: July 30-November 13, 1419
Location: Prague, Bohemia
Combatants: Supporters of Bohemian kings vs. Hussite reformers
Principal commanders:Kings, Lord čenek of Vartemberk; Hussites, Jan Želivský
Result: Hussite victory; their rebellion would trouble Bohemian and European politics for the next several decades
Prague, the capital of the kingdom of Bohemia, had been a city of unrest under King Wenceslas IV, as the Hussites demanded religious and social reform. Wenceslas had long vacillated over whether to support or oppose them. On July 6, 1419, the king appointed anti-Hussite magistrates in the New Town part of Prague.
On Sunday, July 30, after the renegade priest Jan Želivský energized his followers with a fiery sermon, the Hussites stormed the New Town Hall, where about a dozen magistrates and other burghers were meeting. The mob tossed them out of the window to their death—the so-called Defenestration Incident. Wenceslas reluctantly accepted Hussite control of the New Town, but he was dead by August 16. His brother Sigismund, under whose authority the Hussite leader Jan Hus had been burned, subsequently claimed the throne. Although the Hussites briefly submitted to his superiority and allowed him to be crowned, a general revolt soon spread through the city. By November, the Hussites had seized most of Prague.
Significance
A truce reached on November 13 committed Sigismund to support Hussite reforms. The fight over Prague initiated a series of conflicts that soon became of importance to Europe because Catholics wanted to destroy these “heretics.”
Bibliography
Gravett, Christopher. German Medieval Armies 1300–1500. London: Osprey, 1993.
Kaminsky, Howard. A History of the Hussite Revolution. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1967.
Leuschner, Joachim. Germany in the Late Middle Ages. Amsterdam: North-Holland, 1980.