Battle of Pilsen: how Protestants and Catholics fought

On September 19, 1618, the siege of the Czech city of plzeń began. During the confrontation, which was the first major battle in the thirty Years ' war, two sides clashed: Protestants led by the German commander, Count Mansfeld, and Catholics who had fled Prague. A few months before the clash, on may 23, Protestant nobles captured Prague, and many residents went in search of protection in the direction of Pilsen. The city was well fortified, but people and resources were sorely lacking. Therefore, Count Mansfeld, who arrived at the invitation of the Protestant authorities to lead the army, decided to recapture Pilsen on his own, without waiting for reinforcements.

The army arrived on September 19, and two weeks later, on October 2, additional forces arrived – artillery. Mansfeld had plenty of resources and could easily starve the city out. The siege lasted for more than a month, and towards the end of autumn, on November 21, a breach appeared in the wall. The army took the opportunity to speed up the capture of Pilsen, and within a few hours the goal was achieved.

The Holy Roman Empire joined forces with Bavaria to strike back. The army marched towards Pilsen and Prague against king Frederick V, who was offered the crown by the rebels. But the king was abandoned by all the allies, and he was defeated in another major battle, which took place at the White mountain – a hill near Prague.