This battle took place between two opposing Hussite factions, one comprised of the Bohemian League, of Utraquist noblemen and the Old Town of Prague, the other made up of the Taborites and Orphans under Prokop the Bald. The League forces, under Divis Bofek of Miletinek (an experienced commander who had fought under Zizka), numbered 25,000 men, while Prokop’s army totalled 12-18,000, which included militias from 33 pro-Hussite cities and some contingents of gentry. Prokop, a Taborite, was in overall command, with Andrew of Kersky commanding the Taborite element and Capek of Sany (an Orphan) commanding the cavalry.
The League, with most of its artillery drawn up on its flanks, attacked first after an exchange of cannon fire but then fell back, Bolek having ordered his infantry to withdraw as quickly as they could in order to make the opposing Hussite forces think that his army was in full flight. At this Prokop’s troops obligingly left their wagon-fortress in pursuit, only to have Bofek’s cavalry fall on them from a concealed position, cutting through them and into their laager before they could regain its safety. Despairing of victory, Andrew of Kersky and Capek of Sany fled the field with the cavalry, and all resistance subsequently collapsed. Taborite and Orphan losses are (improbably) reported as 13,000, and large numbers of prisoners were also taken, of whom about 1,000 were herded into local barns and burnt to death. Prokop himself was amongst the dead, and this decisive defeat of his forces marked the effective end of the Hussite field-armies.
World History
