Hussites were religious reformers who took their name from John Hus, a reformer in Bohemia (now the western part of the Czech Republic). Many people had earlier called for church reforms, but Hus became a rallying figure after he was executed at the Council of Constance, a meeting of Roman Catholic leaders, in 1415.
The main changes the Bohemian reformers wanted were (1) freedom to preach openly; (2) distribution of both bread and wine in the Eucharist to all believers; (3) punishment for everyone, including clergy, for mortal (serious) sins; and (4) taking away church property and instituting vows of poverty for the clergy. Catholic authorities condemned these aims, and church, political, and military leaders fought to subdue the Hussites.
The Hussites were divided between moderates called Ultraquists and the more radical Taborites. By 1433, the moderates reached a compromise with Catholic authorities at the Council of Basel. The Ultraquists then cooperated with forces of the Holy Roman Empire to defeat the Taborites in 1434.
See also Hus, John ; Moravian Church .
