In 1420, the most powerful armies in Europe marched into Bohemia to crush a rebellion of simple farmers. The Pope had declared a Crusade against these people for the crime of wanting to read the Bible in their own language.
Jan Zizka was a minor noble with one eye and a deep sense of justice. He was nearly 60 years old when he took command of a ragtag force armed with little more than converted farm tools.
But the invaders did not realize they were facing a man who would rewrite the rules of war. Zizka saw that his peasants could not match the armored knights of the Holy Roman Empire in an open field.
He decided to turn their own farm wagons into weapons. He reinforced them with heavy timber and mounted small cannons inside them, creating the world’s first mobile tanks.
When the knights charged, they were met with a wall of steel and fire that they could not penetrate. The elite cavalry of Europe was decimated by men who had spent their lives behind a plow.
Then, tragedy struck. During a siege in 1421, an arrow hit Zizka in his only good eye. The legendary general was now completely blind.
Most men would have retired to a quiet life. But Zizka refused to abandon his people or his faith.
He continued to lead from the front, relying on his subordinates to describe the terrain and the enemy’s position. He could visualize the battlefield in his mind with perfect clarity.
He saw their courage. He saw their sacrifice. He saw their ultimate victory.
In 1422, while totally blind, he led a brilliant night attack at the Battle of Kutna Hora. He managed to break through a massive encirclement, outmaneuvering the finest generals of the age.
He fought in over 100 engagements and never lost a single major battle. Even as the darkness closed in on his physical sight, his tactical vision remained sharper than any king’s.
Jan Zizka died of the plague in 1424, leaving behind a nation that had successfully defended its right to worship God freely. He remains one of only a handful of generals in history to remain undefeated.
His legacy proved that conviction and innovation can overcome the greatest of odds.
Sources: Britannica / Military History Magazine
