Battle of Wisternitz

Battle of Wisternitz
Part of the Thirty Years War
Date August 5, 1619 Location Dolní Věstonice (present-day Czech Republic) Result Bohemian victory
Belligerents
Bohemia	Holy Roman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Fridrich von Tiefenbach Ladislav Velen ze Žerotína	Dampierre
Strength
3,500	8,000-12,000
Casualties and losses
700	6,000

The Battle of Wisternitz or Dolní Věstonice was fought on August 5, 1619 between a Moravian force and an Austrian army under Dampierre. The battle was a Moravian victory. The battle is part of the Thirty Years' War.

České Budějovice was one of the three towns which remained loyal to the Austrian emperor when Bohemia revolted. After the Austrian victory at Sablat, the Bohemians were forced to raise the siege of České Budějovice. On 15 June 1619, Hohenlohe retreated to Soběslav where he awaited reinforcement by count Heinrich Matthias von Thurn.

After taking control of the strong places of southern Bohemia, emperor Ferdinand II. sent a force under Dampierre to Moravia, which had chosen the side of the Bohemian rebels. However, Dampierre was defeated at Dolní Věstonice (German: Wisternitz) by Moravian forces under Fridrich von Tiefenbach and Ladislav Velen ze Žerotína in August 1619, which left Moravia in the Bohemian camp.

References

• William P. Guthrie. Battles of the Thirty Years War: From White Mountain to Nordlingen, 1618–1635. Greenwood Publishing Group. Westport, Connecticut. 2002. ISBN 0313320284
• Radek Fukala. Sen o odplatě. Dramata třicetileté války. Nakladatelství Epocha. 2005. ISBN 80-86328-84-8