The Battle of White Mountain took place on Sunday, 8 November 1620 on the hill of White Mountain, which lies west of Prague. The army of the Bohemian Estates met the army of the emperor and the Catholic League there. The anniversary of the battle is commemorated by Vojenský historický ústav Praha, whose text describes it as the 400th anniversary of the engagement.[1]
Retreat from Rakovník
The army of the Estates, led by Prince Anhalt, withdrew from Rakovník in haste, and the heavy baggage train was sent to Beroun so that it would not slow the movement. On Saturday, 7 November 1620, King Frederick separated from the army and rode to Prague to meet the envoys of his English father-in-law. The forces of the Estates managed to get ahead of the imperial and League army, whose advance was held back by the slow-moving imperial troops. On the afternoon of 7 November the army halted at Unhošť, and Anhalt ordered the move to White Mountain only during the night of 7 to 8 November.[1]
The attack at Ruzyně
Most of the Hungarian horsemen and some of the German reiters spent the night in Ruzyně. In the early morning they were attacked there by the Catholic vanguard, made up of Walloon infantry and Polish horsemen. According to the institute's text, the unprepared Hungarian horsemen lost about 200 men, more than a thousand horses, their baggage train and the regimental treasury. The remainder of the scattered units fled to White Mountain, where they caused confusion among the resting soldiers of the Estates.[1]
Positions of the armies on White Mountain
The army of the Estates took up a position that was regarded as strong. The right wing rested on the wall of the game park, and the line ran across the highest point of White Mountain to a steep slope toward Motol, where the left wing stood. The line was reinforced by cannon placed in partial field fortifications; more extensive works were not built by the soldiers for lack of time and tools. According to the institute, from the attackers' point of view this was a fortified position on a hill that could be assailed only frontally, which carried risk even with a marked numerical superiority.[1]
Strength of the armies and tactics
The figures for the number of soldiers on both sides differ in the available sources. According to the institute's text, the imperial and League army numbered about 30,000 to 40,000 men, and the forces of the Estates roughly 15,000 to 20,000. The Catholic units were drawn up in the Spanish manner in deep tercios with great striking power, whereas Anhalt arranged the units of the Estates in the Dutch manner, which used more flexible formations of lesser depth and greater mobility, on the condition of a well-trained army, which the text says could not be said of the forces of the Estates.[1]
Crossing of the Litovický potok
On the morning of 8 November 1620 the army of the League reached the Litovický potok, which, because of the surrounding marshes, could be crossed only by a bridge. The bridge was defended by about 500 musketeers of the Estates.[1]
Sources
- Vojenský historický ústav Praha — 6 November 2020