Editing Bohemia (section)

===Hussite Bohemia===
[[File:Tabor CZ aerial old town from north B1.jpg|thumb|The radical Hussites became known as [[Taborites]], after the town of [[Tábor]] that became their center]]
During the ecumenical [[Council of Constance]] in 1415, Hus was sentenced to be burnt at the stake as a [[Heresy|heretic]]. The verdict was passed even though Hus was granted formal protection by Emperor [[Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor|Sigismund of Luxembourg]] before the journey. Hus was invited to attend the council to defend himself and the Czech positions in the religious court, but with the emperor's approval, he was executed on 6 July 1415. His execution and five consecutive papal crusades against his followers forced the Bohemians to defend themselves in the [[Hussite Wars]].

The uprising against imperial forces was led by a former mercenary, [[Jan Žižka]] of Trocnov. As the leader of the Hussite armies, he used innovative tactics and weapons, such as howitzers, pistols, and fortified wagons, which were revolutionary for the time and established Žižka as a great general who never lost a battle.

After Žižka's death, [[Prokop the Great]] took over the army's command, and under him the Hussites were victorious for another ten years, to Europe's terror. The Hussite cause gradually splintered into two main factions, the moderate [[Utraquism|Utraquists]] and the more fanatic [[Taborite]]s. The [[Utraquists]] began to lay the groundwork for an agreement with the [[Catholic Church]] and found the more radical views of the Taborites distasteful. Additionally, with general war-weariness and yearning for order, the Utraquists were able to eventually defeat the Taborites in the [[Battle of Lipany]] in 1434. Sigismund said after the battle that "only the Bohemians could defeat the Bohemians."

Despite an apparent victory for the Catholics, the Bohemian Utraquists were still strong enough to negotiate [[freedom of religion]] in 1436. That happened in the so-called [[Compacts of Basel]], declaring peace and freedom between Catholics and Utraquists. It lasted only a short time, as [[Pope Pius II]] declared the compacts invalid in 1462.

In 1458, [[George of Poděbrady]] was elected to the Bohemian throne. He is remembered for his attempt to set up a pan-European "Christian League" that would form all the states of Europe into a community based on religion. In the process of negotiating, he appointed [[Zdeněk Lev of Rožmitál]] to tour the European courts and to conduct the talks. The negotiations were not completed because George's position was substantially damaged over time by his deteriorating relationship with the Pope.