The later part of the reign of Wenceslas is a record of incipient
religious conflict. The hold of the Church of Rome on Bohemia had
already been weakened during the reign of King Charles by attacks on the
immorality of the clergy, which proceeded from pious priests such as
Milic and Waldhauser. The church schism, during which the rival pontiffs
assailed each other with all the wild threats and objurgations of
medieval theological strife, necessarily alienated the Bohemians to a
yet greater extent. Almost the whole Bohemian nation therefore espoused
the cause of Huss (q.v.). Wenceslas on the occasion of these disputes
displayed the weakness and irresolution that always characterized him,
but Queen Sophia openly favoured the cause of Huss, who for some time
was her confessor. Huss was tried before the council of Constance
(q.v.), to which he had proceeded with a letter of safe conduct given
by Wenceslas's brother Sigismund, king of the Romans. He was declared a
heretic and burnt on the 6th of July 1415. The inevitable and immediate
result of this event was the outbreak of civil war in Bohemia, where
Huss was greatly revered by the large majority of the population. The
nobles of Bohemia and Moravia met at Prague on the 2nd of September
1415, and sent to the council the famed _Protestatio Bohemorum_, in
which they strongly protested against the execution of Huss, "a good,
just and catholic man who had for many years been favourably known in
the Kingdom by his life, conduct and fame, and who had been convicted of
no offence." They further declared that all who affirmed that heresy
existed in Bohemia were "liars, vile traitors and calumniators of
Bohemia and Moravia, the worst of all heretics, full of all evil, sons
of the devil." They finally stated "that they would defend the law of
our Lord Jesus Christ and its pious, humble and steadfast preachers at
the cost of their blood, scorning all fear and all human decrees that
might be contrary to them."[2] This protest was a declaration of war
against the Roman church, and marks the beginning of the Hussite wars.
The council, indeed, summoned the nobles before its tribunal, but they
refused to appear. A large number of the nobles and knights who had met
at Prague formed a confederacy and declared that they consented to
freedom of preaching the word of God on their estates, that they
declined to recognize the authority of the council of Constance, but
would obey the Bohemian bishops and a future pope lawfully elected.
Meanwhile they declared the university of Prague the supreme authority
in all matters of religion. The members of the confederacy attempted,
though unsuccessfully, to induce King Wenceslas to become their leader.
The Romanist nobles, who were not numerous, but some of whom owned vast
estates, now also formed a confederacy, pledging themselves to support
the pope and the council. After the closing of the council in 1418,
Sigismund, who--Wenceslas being childless--was heir to the Bohemian
throne, sent a letter to his brother, which was practically a manifesto
addressed to the Bohemian people. He threatened with the severest
penalties all who should continue to resist the authority of Rome.
Wenceslas maintained the vacillating attitude that was characteristic of
his whole reign, though Queen Sophia still extended her protection to
the reformers. By doing this, indeed, she incurred the wrath of the
Church to so great an extent that an act of accusation against her was
drawn up at the council of Constance. Intimidated by his brother,
Wenceslas now attempted to stem the current of religious enthusiasm.
Immediately after the death of Huss many priests who refused to
administer communion in the two kinds--now the principal tenet of the
adherents of Huss--had been expelled from their parishes. Wenceslas
decreed that they should be reinstated, and it was only after some
hesitation that he even permitted that religious services according to
the Utraquist doctrine should be held in three of the churches of
Prague. Some of the more advanced reformers left Prague and formed the
party known as the Taborites, from the town of Tabor which became their
centre. Troubles soon broke out at Prague. When on the 30th of July
1419, the Hussite priest, John of Zelivo, was leading a procession
through the streets of Prague, stones were thrown at him and his
followers from the town hall of the "new town." The Hussites, led by
John Zizka (q.v.), stormed the town-hall and threw the magistrates from
its windows. On receiving the news of these riots King Wenceslas was
immediately seized by an attack of apoplexy; a second fit on the 16th of
August ended his life.
Sigismund.
The news of the death of the king caused renewed rioting in Prague and
many other Bohemian cities, from which many Germans, mostly adherents of
the Church of Rome, were expelled. Finally a temporary truce was
concluded, and, early in the following year, Sigismund, who now claimed
the Bohemian crown as successor of his brother, arrived at Kutna Hora
(Kuttenberg). Pope Martin V. on the 1st of March 1420 proclaimed a
crusade against Bohemia, and crusaders from all parts of Europe joined
Sigismund's army. "On the 30th day of June the Hungarian king,
Sigismund, with a large army consisting of men of various countries, as
well as of Bohemians, occupied the castle of Prague, determined to
conquer the city, which they considered a heretical community because
they used the sacred chalice and accepted other evangelical truths."[3]
But the attempt of the crusaders to conquer Prague failed, and after an
attack by them on the Vitkov (now Zizkov) hill had been repulsed by the
desperate bravery of the Taborites, led by Zizka, Sigismund determined
to abandon the siege of Prague. An attempt of Sigismund to relieve the
besieged garrison of the Vysehrad fortress on the outskirts of Prague
also failed, as he was again entirely defeated at the battle of the
Vysehrad (November 1, 1420).
Religious War.
Royal authority now ceased in Bohemia. At a meeting of the diet at
Caslav (June 1, 1421) Sigismund was deposed. It was decided that a
Polish prince should be chosen as sovereign, and that meanwhile a
provisional government, composed of twenty men belonging to the various
parties, should be established. In 1422 Sigismund again invaded Bohemia,
but was decisively defeated by Zizka at Nemecky Brod (Deutschbrod). The
Polish prince, Sigismund Korybutovic, now arrived in Bohemia, and was
recognized as regent by the large majority of the inhabitants; but
through the influence of the papal see he was recalled by the rulers of
Poland after a stay of only a few months. After his departure, civil war
between the moderate Hussites (Calixtines or Utraquists) and the
advanced Taborite party broke out for the first time, though there had
previously been isolated disturbances between them. The return of Prince
Korybutovic and the menace of a German invasion soon reunited the
Bohemians, who gained a decisive victory over the Germans at Aussig in
1426. Shortly afterwards Korybutovic, who had taken part in this great
victory, incurred the dislike of the extreme Hussites, and was obliged
to leave Bohemia. All hope of establishing an independent Slav dynasty
in Bohemia thus came to an end. In 1427 several German princes undertook
a new crusade against the Hussites. With the German and other invaders
were 1000 English archers, bodyguard to Henry Beaufort, bishop of
Winchester, who took part in the crusade as papal legate. The crusaders
were seized by a sudden panic, both at Mies (Stribro) and at Tachau, as
soon as they approached the Hussites, and they fled hurriedly across the
mountains into Bavaria. Though internal disturbances again broke out,
the Bohemians after this success assumed the offensive, and repeatedly
invaded Hungary and the German states.