In the Czech Republic at the beginning of the 15th century, the Hussite rebels of Jeska repeatedly defeated the Holy Roman Empire, which later became an iconic symbol of the awakening of the Bohemian national consciousness. He himself was rated as a world famous general by many later military scientists for his glorious record of defeating the feudal elite with a rabble.
Therefore, in order to analyze the victory or defeat of the Hussite war, we cannot bypass the Chebao, which was the core of the rebel army and the foundation of victory.
The early Hussite rebels were mostly stragglers
When the Hussite War broke out in 1419, the rebels were completely inferior in terms of military literacy, weaponry, and will to fight. Jeska's subordinates were mainly peasants, miners, and some minor nobles. Of these, with the exception of a few who had a full set of plate armor similar to the standard of a knight, most of them only had farm tools or cloth clothing. The limited number of urban militias is no more than a security force dealing with bandits. In contrast, the Imperial Army of the HRE consisted mainly of the military elite of the various feudal realms, and was not only fully equipped but also well-trained. Even the mercenaries or semi-professional conscripts under their command know how to fight and use weapons better than most of the rebels.
Because of her extreme disadvantage, Jaska had no hope of defeating the knight army in the field. However, if the winning rate is pinned on defending the city, it is also easy to be completely besieged and attrition by the opponent. Therefore, he began to promote the distinctive tactics of countering cavalry chariots within the rebel army, and influenced the development of European military in the following century.
Almost all of the soldiers in the fort were dragged with their families
The original circular chariot formation defense originated in the Eurasian steppe zone of the classical era. But by the Middle Ages, many of the agrarian armies close to the nomadic areas were already familiar with this practice. As descendants of the ancient Magyar herdsmen, the Hungarians formed a chariot camp in 1241 against the Mongol army. Jeska himself was a mercenary captain in the Polish-Lithuanian kingdom in his early years, and had seen how they used similar tactics against the Teutonic knights. He built on this to make the Hussite carburg more defensive and have a certain offensive ability.
He even followed the example of the nomadic tribes, allowing the families of the rebel soldiers to move with the camp. This makes the ordinary soldiers more willing to fight, so that their families do not fall into the hands of the enemy after they escape.
The level of defense of Hussite Fort is much higher than that of ordinary carts
In 1420, the new battlefield of Jaskka was first unveiled at the Battle of Tapor. Seven large vehicles under his command formed a semi-circular position with the help of the terrain, and formed a crossfire to fire at the enemy infantry. As a result, most of the Imperial infantry were brought down by firearms and crossbows before they could reach close range. The opposing knights also tried to storm the wooden castles directly, even throwing spears or arrows at the rebels. In the end, they were forced to retreat because of the strict defense of the Bohemians.
After that, news of the victory spread quickly and was learned to be exploited by the rebel armies of other factions. Jeskar also established himself as an unshakable member of the Hussite rebels.
It turns out that only Jaska's tactics can quickly increase the power of the rebels
After promotion and reorganization, the Chebao tactics soon gave the rebels a new look. Each chariot can be towed by 4 horses, and can also be used as a temporary cavalry horse when needed. The standard equipment of the Castle includes 2 drivers, 4-8 marksmen, 2 halberders + 2 shieldmen, and 6-8 flail players who are constantly moving.
Compared to ordinary caravans, Hussite chariots have 1 person high planks on all sides, which are used to defend against long-range weapons. There were also firing ports on the planks so that the soldiers could fight in the safest conditions. Behind the planks on one side of each firing port, there were also wooden boxes for stone throws and powder boxes, so that the fighters could quickly replenish their ammunition. There are also planks on the inside of the chariot that can be lowered diagonally, allowing soldiers to get on and off as quickly as possible. At critical moments, the car castle can even be turned 90 degrees in order to form a stronger defense under the car to the outside. In order to prevent a possible fire attack, there were also tanks and tanks at the bottom of the Hussite Fort to store water sources.
A model of the Hussite car camp made by later generations
Compared with the previous ordinary car battalions, Hussite Chebao undoubtedly has a huge improvement in firepower near and far. A large number of small artillery pieces and muskets were also used in defensive operations. In addition to better attacking dense formations, it can also effectively discourage those noble knights who pride themselves on superior armor. As for the vast majority of melee soldiers, they can also rely on the strong defense of the car fort to give the enemy twice the result with half the effort. The crossbowman is equipped with a large shield that can be placed between two vehicles to enhance the protection of lightly armed troops.
Since there weren't enough good cavalry on hand, Jeska had to give the fort a little propulsion. Usually 1 detachment of 10 car bunkers, 4 of which formed the first platoon to move forward, and the rest of the vehicles took cover in the rear. Of course, the Hussite rebels would have chosen the preset positions in advance more often than not, and quietly approached or deliberately blocked around the key arteries. This would also attract and force the Imperial Army to take the initiative to attack and enter their carefully arranged chain of firepower. Moreover, the bunker can be turned into a U-shaped queue when necessary, and the attacking enemy forces can be encircled or outflanked. In addition, in order to prevent the enemy cavalry from approaching easily, the carriage fort will also deploy rejecting horses and trenches when time permits.
The defensive capabilities of the Chebao tactics made it difficult for the Imperial Army to get close
Since the early 15th century was a time when firearms were not dominant, it was impossible for most field armies to carry slow-moving artillery. As a result, Jeskar will often face the opponents of the group's charge and use artillery to bombard them from a distance. Had he decided to replace the movable wooden walls with the city's stone walls, he would have been crushed by the heavy siege artillery that surrounded him. Even if the opposing side had soldiers armed with muskets, it would be difficult for the stragglers to suppress the Hussite fort with dense firepower.
At the same time, Jeskar distinguished the rebels from most of their contemporaries from feudal armies and rogue mercenaries. As a result, the Hussites were very disciplined and would avoid unnecessary killings and disturbances in order to win the support of more neutrals. Soldiers must not go too far on the march, but must stay around the bunker and flag to protect their baggage. If it is not necessary, you should not start a fire when you set up camp and let your position be exposed in advance. The spoils of war must also be pooled and distributed according to merit and age.
The introduction of a large number of firearms increased the defensive firepower of Husche Fort
In contrast, although the Imperial Army of the HRE has a better personnel base, the army is very disorganized. Personnel from different places do not belong to each other, and not only do they advance and retreat in different ways, but also give orders that are not strict. This is also a manifestation of their inherent prejudice against the Hussite rebels.
Although the castle may seem impregnable, its weaknesses are also very obvious. No matter how the JSKA makes a strategic maneuver, it cannot avoid the reality that the car battalion is moving slowly. Especially in engagements, any tactical maneuver is very slow and fraught with danger. Once the camp is opened, it means that the infantry has left the fort shelter, giving the enemy a lot of opportunities. In the Battle of Ripon in 1434, the opponent used cavalry to feign retreat, inducing some of the rebels to pursue blindly. Lacking the necessary training to quickly form formations, these men were quickly slaughtered by the cavalry who fought back. Even if the two sides fought on foot, the rebel soldiers with only thick cotton cloth and inferior chain mail would have a hard time competing with the well-trained military aristocracy.
Knightly troops often looked at a loss in the face of a large number of chariot forts
The Central European Plain, at the end of the pastoral area, has always been a battlefield for cavalry galloping. As a result, there is no tradition of strong phalanxes similar to those of the mountains of southern Switzerland, or even as well as the well-defended formations of the Flanders and Scots. It is based on these considerations that JSKA has launched the special Hussite Castle. But he also had no time for other training, much less to convince the old peasants to abandon their local traditions in the event of victory.
In addition, the Imperial Army, after several defeats, also learned to concentrate its forces to attack a little. At the Battle of Plzeň in 1421, the Hussite soldiers were defeated by the knights who were in charge of the fortress and the cavalry in the camp. With the Holy Grails, who came from a small aristocratic background, accepted the Holy See's edict, the technical superiority of the rebels ceased to exist. This allowed them to finally be completely defeated in 1434.
Although the fort was very defensive, it had serious shortcomings in mobility
However, Jaska's tactical defensive strategy still affected half of Europe to a large extent. The British and French armies in the Hundred Years' War later introduced circular car battalion defense to varying degrees. The reorganized Hungarian army also continued to retain chariots and became a weapon against the Ottoman Turks. The latter also introduced a similar approach into their own Guards units through captured car forts.
When the cart battalions of Western Europe were phased out in the 16th century due to the development of field artillery, the Turkish cart battalions continued to be used until the 18th century......
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