Battle of Domažlice

Battle of Domažlice
Part of theHussite Wars(The fifth anti-Hussite crusade)
Retreat of Catholic forces at Battle of Domažlice, romantic painting
Date 14 August 1431 Location Domažlice(Taus),Bohemia Result Decisive Hussite victory
Belligerents
Crusade Holy Roman Empire Margraviate of Brandenburg BohemianCatholics Duchy of Bavaria Electorate of Saxony Swabiancities Electorate of Cologne Electorate of Mainz Duchy of Austria Prince-Bishopric of Würzburg some Imperial cities Italian contingent Papal States Kingdom of Hungary	Hussitecoalition Praguers Orphans Union of Žatec and Louny Taborites most of the Hussite cities Hussite nobility Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Commanders and leaders
Frederick of Brandenburg Cardinal Cesarini Jindřich of Plavno Jan Vircburský Albert II of Germany	Prokop the Bald Sigismund Korybut
Strength
30,000–50,000	20,000
Casualties and losses
>1,500	unknown

TheBattle of Domažlice(Czech:Bitva u Domažlic) orBattle of Taus(German:Schlacht bei Taus) orBattle of Tauschwas fought on 14 August 1431 as the part of the 5th crusade againstHussites.The crusade was sent toBohemiaafter negotiations, held inPressburgandCheb,between Hussites and theemperor Sigismundhad failed.

Outcome

Iconic battle between Hussites andCatholic crusaders,probably Battle of Domažlice, illustration from the Jena codex (15th century)

Hussites persecuting the German soldiers after the Battle of Domažlice, romantic painting

According to legend, the Imperial army was besieging the city ofDomažlicesince 8 August, when the sight of the approaching and singing Hussite relief army led byProkop the Baldand hearing their battle hymn "Ktož jsú boží bojovníci"(" Ye Who are Warriors of God "), led to mass panicking among the crusaders, who fled through theBohemian Forest.The Hussites immediately set after the fleeing Imperial army and annihilated its remnants. Reportedly, 8,000 wagons and all the equipment of the crusaders were captured. The crusader army was accompanied bypapal legateJulian Cesariniwho escaped, but lost all of his luggage in the retreat, including the secret correspondence and thePapal bullcharging him to hire crusaders.

Sources

• Ich Wolkenstein,by Dieter Kühn; Insel Verlag Frankfurt am Main, 1977ISBN3-458-32197-7

External links

• Bellum.cz – Battle of Domažlice 14 August 1431
• The National Monument Domažlice on Czech Wikipedia