Battle of Lomnice
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Lomnice or Lomnice nad Lužnicí occurred on November 9, 1618, during the Bohemia
n period of the Thirty Years' War
. It was fought between the Roman Catholic army of Charles Bonaventure de Longueval, Count of Bucquoy, and the Protestant army of Heinrich Matthias von Thurn
.
On May 23, 1618, the Bohemian Protestant nobles
defeated King Matthias
and threw the Roman Catholic governors of Bohemia from a window of their office at Prague Castle in an act which came to be known as the Defenestration
of Prague
. The new government, formed of Protestant nobility and Heinrich Matthias von Thurn
, assumed command over the Bohemian Protestant forces.
A Roman Catholic army under the command of Charles Bonaventure de Longueval, Count of Bucquoy was approaching Prague but a Protestant army stopped it near Čáslav for several weeks; subsequent problems with food supplies and illness forced Buqouy to withdraw. Later, when Buquoy was on his way to reinforce, Count Thurn followed Buquoy's army and forced a battle near the village of Lomnice nad Lužnicí in southern Bohemia. Part of the Roman Catholic army held a position between two ponds and suffered most of its casualties from artillery fire. Buquoy suffered defeat, losing at least 1,500 troops. As a result, the main part of the Roman Catholic army had to leave Bohemia. But the Protestants did not follow up their victory by chasing the enemy, thereby missing an opportunity to crush the Roman Catholic army.
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
n period of the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
. It was fought between the Roman Catholic army of Charles Bonaventure de Longueval, Count of Bucquoy, and the Protestant army of Heinrich Matthias von Thurn
Jindrich Matyas Thurn
Jindřich Matyáš Thurn-Valsassina , was a leading Bohemian nobleman, one of leaders against Ferdinand II of Bohemia and in events that led to the Thirty Years War, and in the end a...
.
On May 23, 1618, the Bohemian Protestant nobles
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
defeated King Matthias
Matthias, Holy Roman Emperor
Matthias of Austria was Holy Roman Emperor from 1612, King of Hungary and Croatia from 1608 and King of Bohemia from 1611...
and threw the Roman Catholic governors of Bohemia from a window of their office at Prague Castle in an act which came to be known as the Defenestration
Defenestrations of Prague
The Defenestrations of Prague were two incidents in the history of Bohemia. The first occurred in 1419 and the second in 1618, although the term "Defenestration of Prague" more commonly refers to the latter incident. Both helped to trigger prolonged conflict within Bohemia and beyond...
of Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. The new government, formed of Protestant nobility and Heinrich Matthias von Thurn
Jindrich Matyas Thurn
Jindřich Matyáš Thurn-Valsassina , was a leading Bohemian nobleman, one of leaders against Ferdinand II of Bohemia and in events that led to the Thirty Years War, and in the end a...
, assumed command over the Bohemian Protestant forces.
A Roman Catholic army under the command of Charles Bonaventure de Longueval, Count of Bucquoy was approaching Prague but a Protestant army stopped it near Čáslav for several weeks; subsequent problems with food supplies and illness forced Buqouy to withdraw. Later, when Buquoy was on his way to reinforce, Count Thurn followed Buquoy's army and forced a battle near the village of Lomnice nad Lužnicí in southern Bohemia. Part of the Roman Catholic army held a position between two ponds and suffered most of its casualties from artillery fire. Buquoy suffered defeat, losing at least 1,500 troops. As a result, the main part of the Roman Catholic army had to leave Bohemia. But the Protestants did not follow up their victory by chasing the enemy, thereby missing an opportunity to crush the Roman Catholic army.