Ziska, Or Zizka, John, the military leader of the Hussites, born near the castle of Trocznow, in the circle of Budweis in Bohemia, about 1360, died at Przibislaw, Oct. 12, 1424. He was of a noble Bohemian family, and in his boyhood lost an eye. At the age of 12 he became a page at the court of Prague, and subsequently chamberlain. He accompanied the body of volunteers which went from Bohemia and Hungary to join the knights of the Teutonic order in the war against the Lithuanians and the Poles, and was at the battle of Tannenberg on July 15,1410, where the knights suffered a terrible defeat. He afterward served against the Turks in Hungary, then entered the English army, and took part in the battle of Agincourt in 1415. After this he returned to the Bohemian court. He had early embraced the doctrines of the Hussites, and entered deeply into the feelings of resentment which the execution of Huss and Jerome of Prague excited throughout Bohemia. King Wenceslas, observing his perturbation and inquiring its cause, is reported to have said to him: "If thou canst devise, any means, go and avenge thy countrymen; thou hast our free permission." His hatred of the Roman Catholic clergy was intensified by a private wrong; for his favorite sister had been seduced by a monk.

He soon gained the confidence of the people, and joined the party under Nicholas of Hussinetz, who took up arms ostensibly to protect the person of their king. The weak and perplexed Wenceslas demanded that they should give up their weapons; but he was too imbecile to protect the followers of the new religion, and the disputes between the Roman Catholics and the Hussites waxed fiercer and fiercer. On July 30, 1419, as a procession of priests of the latter was marching to St. Stephen's church, one of them was struck by a stone which came from the town house, where the magistrates, who were Roman Catholics, were assembled.. Ziska and his adherents immediately stormed the building, and threw 13 of the city council into the courtyard below, where they were instantly massacred by the mob. This was the signal for the breaking out of the Hussite war. Wenceslas, a fortnight later, died in a tumult of passion, leaving Bohemia without a ruler and sundered by intestine war. For a time everything was in commotion.

Churches were pillaged by the enraged Hussites, convents burned, and altars overturned; and Prague was besieged by the Hussite leaders, Ziska and Nicholas of Hussinetz. A suspension of arms was finally concluded, general liberty of conscience was granted, and Ziska retired with his followers and fortified himself in Pilsen. Sigismund, emperor of Germany and king of Hungary, brother of Wenceslas, was the next heir to the Bohemian throne, and toward the close of 1419 held a meeting of the nobles of Bohemia and Moravia, and of the deputies of the cities, in which he ordered the deputies from Prague to destroy the barricades in the streets and the fortifications against the castle. He also removed all Hussites from office, and repairing to Breslau proclaimed a crusade against them. The spirit of the members of the new religion was now roused to fanaticism. A solemn league was formed at Pilsen, in which the confederates, in expectation of the speedy coming of Christ, bound themselves to reject Sigismund as king, and to oppose any sovereign who did not admit the claims of the laity to the participation of the cup in the holy sacrament.

Ziska formed his headquarters on the top of a steep mountain in southern Bohemia, which received the name of Mount Tabor. As vast numbers fled thither for safety, he erected walls for the defence of the place, and this fortress has been considered the first essay in the modern style of fortification. From the name of this mountain his followers were called Taborites, while the more moderate Hussites were known as Calixtines. The first exploit of Ziska was the conquest of Prague, with the exception of the castle; and in order to defend the city against Sigismund, who was approaching at the head of a vast army, he intrenched himself on the hill of Witkow, and there on July 14, 1420, with only 4,000 men, repeatedly drove back the enemy with great loss. The place is still called Ziska's hill. The emperor was finally obliged to conclude a temporary armistice with the citizens of Prague, and to grant general liberty of conscience. In 1421 Ziska took the castle of Prague, and with it gained possession of four cannon, the first that were introduced into Bohemia. During the same year he lost the sight of his remaining eye by an arrow, while besieging the castle of Raby. This however did not interfere with his activity or his generalship.

He was carried in a car at the head of his troops, and was enabled to give orders for their disposition from the description of the ground given him by his officers, and from his own minute knowledge of the country. About the close of 1421 Sigismund led a second large army into Bohemia, which included a splendid body of 15,000 Hungarian horse. A battle took place at Deutsch-Brod in January, 1422, in which the imperial army was totally routed. Followed dosely by Ziska in their retreat to Moravia, the fleeing troops, in crossing the Iglawa on the ice, broke through and 2,000 were drowned. He repeatedly vanquished the citizens of Prague, who were not disposed to obey his orders, and the uniform success of his arms at last convinced Sigismund that there was no prospect of the reduction of Bohemia. The emperor therefore made proposals to the blind general, offering full religious liberty to the Hussites, and the post of governor of Bohemia to himself, with numerous privileges. Ziska, who saw with much anxiety the dissensions prevailing among the Hussites, was not averse to a settlement; but before negotiations were concluded he was taken ill while engaged in the siege of Przibislaw, and died. Ziska was victor in more than 100 engagements, and won 13 pitched battles.

Once only, at Kremsir in Moravia, he suffered a reverse; and even then all the evil consequences were warded off by the skilful manner in which he conducted his retreat. The great stain upon his character was his cruelty. He considered himself the chosen instrument of the Lord to visit his wrath upon the nations, and a fanaticism which asked no mercy for its defenders gave none to its opposers. His line of march could be traced through a country laid waste with fire and sword, and over the ruins of plundered towns. One of the dogmas held by his followers was, " that when all the cities of the earth should be burned down and reduced to the number of five, then would come the new kingdom of the Lord; therefore it was now the time of vengeance, and God was a God of wrath." The cries and groans of the monks and priests whom he sent to the stake he was wont to call the bridal song of his sister. His victories were generally won by the decisive charge of a chosen band of his followers named the invincible brethren. Ziska was buried in the church of Czaslau, and over his tomb his iron battle axe, his favorite weapon, was suspended. In 1623 the tomb was overthrown by an imperial order, and the bones of Ziska were removed.

A common story that he ordered his body to be left to the dogs and kites, and that his skin should be used as a drum, and that it was so used by the Hussites in their subsequent Avars, is a fable.