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Prokop the Great

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Prokop the Great was a major general during the Hussite Wars. He was a prominent leader of the Taborite forces. The Taborites were the advanced or radical wing of the Hussite movement. Prokop was also a priest from a well-known family in Prague. His family was partly German-speaking and belonged to the patrician class. This means they were influential citizens of the city.

Prokop Holý před Plzní
Prokop Holý před Plzní

Prokop's life involved many different roles and travels. He was born around the year 1380. After studying in Prague, he traveled to several foreign countries for many years. When he returned to Bohemia, he continued to serve as a priest. However, he also became a powerful military commander. He was not the immediate successor to Jan Žižka. Instead, he rose to prominence during the later years of the wars. He led the Taborite forces during their most significant victories.

His military leadership followed a clear sequence of successful campaigns. In 1426, he commanded the forces that won at Ústí nad Labem. Later, in 1431, he led the Taborites to a major victory at Domažlice. This victory was against the crusaders of the Holy Roman Empire. The defeat of the crusaders was so decisive that it led to peace negotiations. These talks happened in 1432 at Cheb. These negotiations involved the Hussites and representatives from the Council of Basel.

Prokop also managed large-scale military incursions into other territories. In 1429, a vast Bohemian army invaded Saxony and the territory of Nuremberg. While the Hussites fought in these areas, they did not try to conquer German land permanently. Prokop helped manage these conflicts through diplomacy. On February 6, 1430, he concluded a treaty at Kulmbach. This treaty was made with Frederick I, the burgrave of Nuremberg. The agreement required the Hussites to leave German territory.

Later years brought complex political and internal challenges. Prokop served as a key member of an embassy to Basel. He arrived there on January 4, 1433. When the negotiations failed, he returned to Bohemia. At this time, internal troubles were growing. Prokop led a Taborite army to besiege the Catholic city of Plzeň. However, the discipline in his camp had weakened due to long warfare. His own soldiers revolted against him at Plzeň. This forced Prokop to return to Prague.

These internal conflicts led to a final struggle for power. The Bohemian nobility formed a league to oppose the radical Taborites. This league included both Catholic and Utraquist nobles. The fighting began in Prague, where the citizens of the Old Town took the New Town. Prokop attempted to defend the New Town but was unsuccessful. He then called upon Prokop the Lesser for assistance. The two leaders commanded the army of the towns. They moved eastward to meet the noble army.

This conflict ended at the Battle of Lipany on May 30, 1434. The Taborite forces suffered a decisive defeat during this battle. Both Prokop the Great and Prokop the Lesser died in the fighting. Despite his death, Prokop's name remains significant in history. In July 1917, the fourth rifle regiment of the Czechoslovak legions was named after him. He has also been featured in modern culture. He appears in the 1963 film Spanilá jízda, the animated film The Hussites, and the video game 1428: Shadows over Silesia.

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File:Prokop Holý před Plzní.jpg
Prokop Holý před Plzní.jpg
File:List Prokopa Holého Prokůpkovi.jpg
List Prokopa Holého Prokůpkovi.jpg
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