Taborites

The Taborites were sometimes referred to as the Picards[1], a term used for groups which were seen as extreme in their rejection of traditional Catholic practices and societal norms, for example advocation for communal living.

[citation needed][dubious – discuss] Because the impetus for these movements came from the burning of Jan Hus, it has become common practice to label them all "Hussites".

In the spring of 1420, a group of Hussites led by Petr Hromádka managed to seize the town of Sezimovo Ústí and the nearby Hradiště Castle in South Bohemia.

The Taborites chose four military commanders (Hetmans) from among themselves: Jan Žižka, Mikuláš of Hus, Chval Řepický of Machovice and Zbyněk z Buchov.

Under their leadership, the Taborites made many sorties in South Bohemia, and at the end of May 1420, they headed towards Prague, threatened by Catholic armies during the first anti-Hussite crusade.

On 14 July near Prague, there was the Battle of Vítkov Hill in which Jan Žižka managed to thwart an attempt by Hungary and Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor to dominate the capital.

Žižka eventually left Tabor because that community became too radical for his beliefs[citation needed] and took over the leadership of the more moderate Orebites in Hradec Králové.

The joint campaign of Taborites and Praguers into East Bohemia under Jan Žižka's command was also successful and the towns Dvůr Králové, Polička and Vysoké Mýto fell into the Hussite hands.

At the end of April, the Lithuanian Grand Duke Vytautas arrived in Bohemia, where he was recognized (mostly by the Hussites and Taborites) as the country's steward.

The combined forces of Taborites, Sirotci and Praguers decisively defeated mercenaries from Saxony, Thuringia, Lusatia and Meissen in the Battle of Usti on 16 June 1426.

The Taborites in conjunction with the Sirotci and the Prague Union turned to flee from the Third and Fourth Crusades against the Hussites, in the battles of the Tachov and the Domažlice.

However, after the Taborites lost several of their castles and were defeated on 19 August 1435 by Oldřich of Rožmberk in the Battle of Křeč, the moderate wing, led by Bedřich of Strážnice, took over the Táborite faction.

Jan Roháč and his faithful fortified at his castle Zion, which was soon conquered and all the surviving defenders were hanged in the Old Town Square of Prague.

On 8 February 1449, the remnants of the Taborite union were joined with the Catholic and Kališník nobility from South Bohemia, and so the so-called Strakonice Unity was established, which was directed against the ever-growing power of George of Poděbrady.