This set includes:
- 8 Hussite Gunners, monopose
- All models are supplied both Pre-Supported and Unsupported, in 28mm scale, in STLs and LYS files. -
Age of Chivalry (Early 15th century) - Hussite Gunners
The Hussite Wars
The Hussite Wars (1419–1436) were a revolutionary series of conflicts in Bohemia that arose after the execution of the reformer Jan Hus in 1415. His death provoked both religious outrage and nationalist sentiment, leading to widespread revolt against the Catholic Church, the monarchy, and German aristocratic dominance: the Hussite Wars combined elements of civil war and crusade, with crusading armies repeatedly launched against Bohemia. Under leaders like Jan Žižka, the Hussites introduced new tactical methods, including defensive “wagon forts” and extensive use of firearms and artillery, which helped them repel larger and better-equipped armies. The movement eventually fractured into more radical and moderate factions, but it permanently altered the political and religious landscape of Central Europe.
The Emergence of Handgonnes
The Hussite Wars marked a turning point in the use of handgonnes (early firearms). While primitive guns had existed earlier, it was during this period that they became widely adopted and mass-produced. The Hussites recognized that firearms, though inaccurate and cumbersome, were relatively easy to use and maintain compared to traditional weapons. This made them ideal for arming peasant militias. Žižka encouraged systematic production of handguns, and they were often deployed from behind fortified wagons, where their shortcomings mattered less. The term píšťala—a Hussite gun—would later evolve into the word “pistol.” These innovations helped democratize military power and marked one of the earliest large-scale integrations of gunpowder weapons into European warfare .
