The Heretic

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The Heretic Page 23

by David Pilling


  John Page's narrative is chiefly concerned with the years 1421-24, perhaps the most eventful period of the long war. The old soldier arrived in Bohemia just in time to witness the blinding of Zizka and take part in some of the most famous battles, such as Kutna Hora and Malesov. His tale provides a brief snapshot of conditions in Bohemia at this time: the ever-present threat of war and invasion, the relentless fanaticism of splinter groups such as the Táborites, and the desperate battles, in which armies of peasants roared hymns as they drove the flower of European knighthood from the field. Above all, Page highlights the military genius of one man, Jan Zizka, still celebrated in the Czech Republic today as a national hero.

  Without Zizka's genius, the Hussite cause would in all likelihood have been crushed in a matter of months. Thanks to him, it lasted for seventeen years, and sent a tremor throughout Europe. Even after Lipany, the Hussite influence lingered on. Sigismund died in 1437, barely a year after his long-awaited victory, and the Bohemian crown passed to George of Podebrady, Bohemia's one and only Hussite king.

  As might be expected from a professional mercenary, Page is mostly concerned with himself. He does betray some interest in Hussite beliefs, and claims to have been inspired by his personal disgust for the Catholic church. Such principles, if they ever existed, soon dissolved under the glare of gold. After making a fortune and a reputation in the service of Zizka, he now takes his wolf banner south, to the melting pot of war and politics in the Italian city-states...

 

 

 


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