Zioneer
Banned
Chapter 0: Introduction to the Hussite Wars
To have readers understand a TL on the Hussite Wars requires an explanation of the causes of the Hussite Wars. Thus, I have prepared a small prologue to help anyone who is unfamiliar with the Hussite Wars understand what they were, and why they happened. This will be a lot more informal than the TL itself, because when I'm explaining something, I feel a lot more comfortable when I'm informal. Just remember, the rest of the TL will be a lot more formal and less jokey.
Anyways, the whole thing really starts with Jan (John in English) Hus. Hus was a Czech preacher around the time of the end of the Western Schism. Most of you know about Martin Luther, so to make it simple, I'll just say that Huss was a proto-Luther (anti-indulgences, anti-Church power/wealth, anti-church officials participating in war, pro-sermons being spoken in the native language, etc). In fact, Hus was Martin Luther a century before Martin Luther!
Hus preached against indulgences being sold to finance Crusades, getting himself excommunicated and kicked out of Prague, where he preached. He then went around Bohemia preaching (in Czech) to pretty much anyone he could find, which was mostly the poor. He soon gained a following all around Bohemia, and was fairly popular (except with the non-Czechs and the powerful Catholic leadership), until the Council of Constance (Konstanz in German).
Now, the Council of Constance was interesting; it was intended to end the Western Schism (can't have two popes at the same time, you see), but it did a whole host of other things. One of these things was to elect Pope Martin V, who effectively ended the Western Schism (except for in the Kingdom of Aragon, but that's not important). Another was to condemn Jan Hus, who was tricked into coming to the Council (by Emperor Sigismund, who we'll get to know quite well later) on the grounds that he would be able to appeal for his position and defend it. He, uh, didn't get to do that. The Council burnt him to death instead, in 1415. From Hus's death until 1419, things simmered, but didn't really go crazy. The followers of Hus (known as the Hussites from then on) were outraged and started quietly sweeping through Bohemia, but didn't rebel.
Meanwhile, the Council of Constance plodded along until 1418, when Pope Martin V was elected. That election ended the Western Schism (the whole point of the Council), and Martin decided his first action would be to eradicate the last vestiges of dissension in Holy Mother Church, as it were. That is, the Hussites. Destroying the Hussites depended on the cooperation of King Wenceslas IV (Vaclav in Czech), and his stronger-willed brother, Emperor Sigismund. Siggy convinced his brother to eject the Hussites from all but three churches in Prague itself, in 1419. This didn't sit well with the Hussite preachers, who (through a series of convoluted events) chucked the city councilors of Prague out a window onto the waiting pointy spear-bits of Hussites standing below, in an action called the First Defenestration of Prague. This act of violent rebellion caused King Wenceslas to blow a gasket (either suffering a stroke or heart attack, depending on the source) and die, apparently "roaring like a lion". So apparently he got so angry he died from it. Hardcore.
Anyways, Emperor (and King of Hungary, incidentally) Sigismund claimed the throne of Bohemia for himself, which, as the one responsible for Jan Hus's death, the Hussites didn't take too kindly to. Thus began the Hussite Wars, in which my TL starts. My TL doesn't actually begin until late 1424. though. I don't feel like explaining the battles and warfare techniques of the pre-PoD Hussite wars, so here's a link to help you understand it. Besides that, all you have to know is that Jan Zizka was the greatest general of the Hussites, and basically seen as the military "father" of the movement. And that he never lost. Hope this helped with understanding the Hussite Wars! If you've got any more questions, I don't know if I can answer them, but I'll try. I will also clarify things in footnotes.
To have readers understand a TL on the Hussite Wars requires an explanation of the causes of the Hussite Wars. Thus, I have prepared a small prologue to help anyone who is unfamiliar with the Hussite Wars understand what they were, and why they happened. This will be a lot more informal than the TL itself, because when I'm explaining something, I feel a lot more comfortable when I'm informal. Just remember, the rest of the TL will be a lot more formal and less jokey.
Anyways, the whole thing really starts with Jan (John in English) Hus. Hus was a Czech preacher around the time of the end of the Western Schism. Most of you know about Martin Luther, so to make it simple, I'll just say that Huss was a proto-Luther (anti-indulgences, anti-Church power/wealth, anti-church officials participating in war, pro-sermons being spoken in the native language, etc). In fact, Hus was Martin Luther a century before Martin Luther!
Hus preached against indulgences being sold to finance Crusades, getting himself excommunicated and kicked out of Prague, where he preached. He then went around Bohemia preaching (in Czech) to pretty much anyone he could find, which was mostly the poor. He soon gained a following all around Bohemia, and was fairly popular (except with the non-Czechs and the powerful Catholic leadership), until the Council of Constance (Konstanz in German).
Now, the Council of Constance was interesting; it was intended to end the Western Schism (can't have two popes at the same time, you see), but it did a whole host of other things. One of these things was to elect Pope Martin V, who effectively ended the Western Schism (except for in the Kingdom of Aragon, but that's not important). Another was to condemn Jan Hus, who was tricked into coming to the Council (by Emperor Sigismund, who we'll get to know quite well later) on the grounds that he would be able to appeal for his position and defend it. He, uh, didn't get to do that. The Council burnt him to death instead, in 1415. From Hus's death until 1419, things simmered, but didn't really go crazy. The followers of Hus (known as the Hussites from then on) were outraged and started quietly sweeping through Bohemia, but didn't rebel.
Meanwhile, the Council of Constance plodded along until 1418, when Pope Martin V was elected. That election ended the Western Schism (the whole point of the Council), and Martin decided his first action would be to eradicate the last vestiges of dissension in Holy Mother Church, as it were. That is, the Hussites. Destroying the Hussites depended on the cooperation of King Wenceslas IV (Vaclav in Czech), and his stronger-willed brother, Emperor Sigismund. Siggy convinced his brother to eject the Hussites from all but three churches in Prague itself, in 1419. This didn't sit well with the Hussite preachers, who (through a series of convoluted events) chucked the city councilors of Prague out a window onto the waiting pointy spear-bits of Hussites standing below, in an action called the First Defenestration of Prague. This act of violent rebellion caused King Wenceslas to blow a gasket (either suffering a stroke or heart attack, depending on the source) and die, apparently "roaring like a lion". So apparently he got so angry he died from it. Hardcore.
Anyways, Emperor (and King of Hungary, incidentally) Sigismund claimed the throne of Bohemia for himself, which, as the one responsible for Jan Hus's death, the Hussites didn't take too kindly to. Thus began the Hussite Wars, in which my TL starts. My TL doesn't actually begin until late 1424. though. I don't feel like explaining the battles and warfare techniques of the pre-PoD Hussite wars, so here's a link to help you understand it. Besides that, all you have to know is that Jan Zizka was the greatest general of the Hussites, and basically seen as the military "father" of the movement. And that he never lost. Hope this helped with understanding the Hussite Wars! If you've got any more questions, I don't know if I can answer them, but I'll try. I will also clarify things in footnotes.
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