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8 November 1620

The battle of the White Mountain

The army of the Bohemian estates was beaten in under two hours on a hill outside Prague. Its king fled the next day, and the revolt was over.

Place: Bílá hora, west of PragueEra: The Thirty Years' War

An engraving of a battle on a broad hillside, blocks of soldiers, cavalry and smoke, a city with towers on the horizon
The battle at the White Mountain. Anonymous, 1620. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Public domain (CC0).

By the autumn of 1620 the estates’ army had been pushed back to Prague. On the morning of 8 November it stood on the White Mountain, a low hill west of the city, with the walled game park of the Star summer palace at its side.

Under two hours

The imperial army under Count Buquoy and the Catholic League’s under Count Tilly attacked up the slope. The estates’ cavalry gave way, then most of the infantry. The last to stand were Moravian soldiers by the wall of the game park.

The end of the revolt

King Frederick left Prague the next day. The city opened its gates. Over the winter the emperor’s men drew up lists of names, and in February 1621 the arrests began.

Timeline

  1. 4 November 1619

    The Winter King is crowned

    Frederick of the Palatinate is crowned king of Bohemia in St Vitus Cathedral.

  2. 8 November 1620

    The battle

    The imperial and Catholic League armies attack up the hill. The estates' army breaks.

    An engraving of a battle on a broad hillside, blocks of soldiers, cavalry and smoke, a city with towers on the horizon

  3. 9 November 1620

    Frederick flees

    The king leaves Prague; he will be remembered as the Winter King, who reigned for one winter.

  4. February 1621

    The arrests

    The leaders of the revolt are arrested in Prague.

Prints

Further reading

Questions

Why was it over so quickly?

The estates' army was unpaid, tired and badly placed. When the attack came many units broke and ran; the last to hold were Moravian infantry by the wall of the Star game park.

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