Saturday, November 14, 2015

Hussite Wars Part 1: Melee Infantry

  Jan Hus was born into a relatively well to do family in small farming community of Husinec, in Southern  Bohemia circa 1370, He showed early intellectual promise, and was accepted into Charles University ion Prague in 190. He would go on to earn a Bachelor of  Arts degree in 1393, Bachelor of Theology in 1394, and Master of Arts in 1396. In 1398, he was chosen for University post and began lecturing in Prague. Among the texts he used were the writings of the English religious reformer, John Wyclif. Hus was ordained a Catholic priest in 1400., and in 1401 he became dean of the philosophical faculty of the University, and Rector in 1402. 

    In 1402 he became curate of Bethlehem Chapel, a financed and built by zealous Prague residents in 1391, with the goal of fostering preaching in the Bohemian language.  This seems to have deeply affected Hus, who had a spiritual awakening. Like Wyclif, he supported translation of the Bible into the vernacular, its place as final authority, the fallibility of the Pope, limiting the temporal power of the Pontiff, and the wealth of the clergy.

    Hus also took issue with Catholic doctrine regarding the Transubstantiation of the consecrated bread and wine of the Eucharist, supporting instead an alternate concept called consubstantiation or "remanence", holding that substance of Christ's Body and Blood exists concurrently with that of the bread and of the wine. The argument in Bohemia, which Hus him,self tried to sidestep until shortly before his death, was that the benefits of he Eucharist were not conveyed by receiving solely the bread; "Communion ion Both Kinds", i.e., both the bread and the wine, was deemed necessary.

    Political unrest between King Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia (who had been elected Holy Roman Emperor 1376, but deposed in 1400) and the church lead the King to appoint Hus Rector of the University in Prague a second time.The Archbishop of Prague,. Zbynek, summoned Hus before the Czech Inquisition and denounced him. The Great Schism of the Papacy was further confounded in 1409, with the establishment of the short lived Pope Alexander V in Pisa (with Pope Benedict XIII still in Avignon and Pope Gregory XII still in Rome!). Alexander supported Zbynek, , who ordered Wyclif's teachings suppressed and forbade Hus from preaching in Bethlehem Chapel, both of which edicts Hus ignored. Both men appealed to rival Popes, with Zybnek winding up ordering that Wyclif's books be burned in the courtyard of the Episcopal palace, and excommunicating Hus and his followers. Hus had become very popular, with many Bohemians viewing him as a divinely sent leader. Thus, these actions provoked widespread rioting in Prague.

    Over time, however, Hus' political naivete cost him the support of King Wenceslaus (who was definitely not the one of the Christmas Carol, that being his namesake from the 9th century). In 1411, all of Prague was placed under a Papal interdict, closing churches, ending baptisms, marriages, and burials, and proclaiming a general excommunication. Hus refused several summons to appear in Rome and his own excommunication was reaffirmed. Excommunication was extended to any who gave Hus support of any kind. Wenceslaus insisted Hus and his more strident supporters leave Prague, and he entered voluntary exile about 40 miles away for the next 2 years.

    In 1414, Sigismund, King of Hungary and now Holy Roman Emperor himself, endorsed convening the Council of Constance, to put an end to the Papal schism once and for all. King Wenceslaus had grown increasingly exasperated with Hus' intransigence, as he engaged in open air preaching and theological writing. In the interest of helping dissipate dissension, Hus accepted a summons and safe conduct to the Council given by Sigismund, probably encouraged by Wenceslaus.

   Upon his arrival in Constance in October 2014,. Hus saw the announcement of his trial as a heretic. The curia held that the safe conduct promised to him by Sigismund, a temporal ruler, had no force i n a Papal court, and that promises or pledges of honor given top heretics were null and void. Hus was imprisoned for seven months, during which witnesses were heard, and he was accused of many heresies that he had not endorsed, including Communion Both Kinds. He was not allowed an advocate for his defense, and was found guilty of 39 counts of heresy. Hus continued to protest his innocence to the last, and was burned at the stake in 1415, a fate which he suffered with great dignity. Thus, the stage was set for the outbreak of the Hussite Wars.*

* this background material was condensed and modified from Warrior of God: Jan Ziszka and the Hussite Revolution, Victor Verney. Frontline Books, London, 2009. I will have occasion to refer to this excellent book again as this series continues. 


The Hussite Rebellion encompassed all facets of Bohemian society,. but its greatest support always came from the peasantry. 


The military Flail was an adaptation of the threshing tool that peasants were well accustomed to using. 


These are 28mm figures by Old Glory from their Hussite Wars ("Vlad the Impaler" heading) range, I have used figures from their Medieval "Revolting Peasants" range, specifically the "Leaders, Agitators, and Mad Monks" set for Command figures for these units. 


"Bohemian Militia" armed with Polearms. 


Note the use of the "Mad Monk" with Quarterstaff. Clergy were integral to the Hussite cause and army. 


The "can opener" resemblance of their weapons is fitting considered the well armored "Crusader" forces they fought against. 


Another unit of Hussite Flailmen. The Flail took considerable strength to wiled effectively, but these men had spent a lifetime at hard work. Note the monk in the front rank once again. 


The big guy with the club in the back rank reminds me of the epitome of a High School bully!


Striking from a height (we will come to the famous Hussite War Wagons later) gave these guys an added advantage in combat. 


I love the guy with the flaming torch and the hatchet in the front rank of this unit!


More "Bohemian Civic Militia" with polearms. 


They are better equipped than their rural brethren!


The hornist is also from the "Revolting Peasants" set.


Many of these Flail men have more Easter European looking fur caps. 


And another monk/priest in the second rank.

20 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Thanks for the visit and the comment; we shall be seeing and reading more about the Hussites here in the coming weeks!

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  2. Very nice indeed Peter and yet another of these projects which you seem so ably to complete whilst I ponder. In this case I thankfully haven't added to the lead pile, but have had my eye on the Kingmaker Hussites.

    It is the war wagons that are calling me, and I'm looking forward to seeing the Old Glory models.

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    1. My Hussite army dates back a ways now - probably about 10 years. The Kingmaker figures came out afterwards, and are excellent. I may add a few of them some day, especially Command types. This range, one of the last new ranges in 28mm by Old Glory before they started their "2nd Edition" figures, which have stagnated pretty much since their introduction, is one of their best. In the US, the Army Card and the low shipping costs make them an amazing value as well. We will see the OG War Wagons eventually, and they are very well done.

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  3. Great write up and miniatures. Would the Reformation have happened at all had not these "Protoprotestants" existed around a centruy before?
    I am really looking forward to seeing some War Wagons

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    1. From a letter written by Martin Luther to a former teacher, and quoted in "Warrior of God":
      "I have hitherto taught and held the opinions of John Huss unawares... we are all Hussites without knowing it."

      The Hussite rebellion was both theological and intensely nationalistic. Hus and Ziska are still remembered by Czechs for their role forging a national identity. That plus the Church's systematic expunging of records related to the Huss after the war meant that his teachings were little known outside of Bohemia. Still, there were many similarities between Wyclif, Hus, and Luther, and the corruption in the Church that disgusted them didn't improve much over the ensuing 100 years, either!

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  4. great looking figures for an interesting period of history

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    1. Thanks, Garry. The Hussite wars are fascinating on a number of levels!

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  5. Great looking late medievals got to love a flail, looking forward to the war wagons
    best Iain

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    1. Thanks, Iain - a Flail is much better if you don't get hit by one!

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  6. Another one of your your many, varied collections. Is their no bound?
    Interesting history lesson for me since I know virtually nothing of the Hussites.
    I will be staying tuned for more such educational episodes.
    Thanks!

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    1. Re: collection- I could say the same for you, my freind! :-)

      Glad you found it of interest. You are hardly alone in knowing little of the Hussites.
      As you will see, there are many reasons you should know more about them, starting with the origins of the Reformation as discussed above. We will soon come to the defenestration of Prague and much more.

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  7. Good job highlighting the Hussites, definitely one of your more exotic topics in European history. Are some of these new since your battle demo against the Austrian knights?

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    1. I think the Prague Militia may be new since then, as well as some more War Wagons and light artillery (yet to come). To the Strongest has rules/lists for War Wagons/Hussites, so I look forward to trying them out under those rules, too!

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  8. Just my two cents: there appears to have been a "Hussite" church in Bohemia until the Thirty Years War wiped it out. They continued the practice of communion under both elements, but were not Lutheran/Evangelical/Protestant in the usual sense.

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    1. I certainly make no claim to any mastery of Theology, but you're correct. That is part of the story to come about the ending of the Hussite Wars.

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  9. Gosh! these painted Hussite Wars minis look awesome!

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    1. Thanks, Phil. They bare probably brighter/more colorful than they would have been in actuality! They did very well with a "stain" technique for painting, which I used on the tunics and capes at minimum. It also helps that the pictures were taken outside in the early AM on an overcast day, which is when I get the best images by far!

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  10. Interesting stuff. Nice job on the minis too!

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    1. Thanks, Jason. The Hussite Rebellion/Wars are quite fascinating on many levels, not the least militarily, which we will come to. It isn't always pretty reading as is so often the case with religious conflicts, whether 700 years ago or today!

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