Vlach uprisings in Moravia facts for kids

The Vlach uprisings in Moravia were a series of revolts that happened during the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648). The Vlachs were a group of people who lived in the mountains of eastern Moravia, which is now part of the Czech Republic. They were mostly shepherds and farmers. They fought to protect their way of life and their beliefs against the powerful Habsburg rulers.

History of the Vlach Uprisings

Who Were the Moravian Vlachs?

The Moravian Vlachs are mentioned often during the Thirty Years' War. At this time, their special laws and traditions, known as Vlach law, were in danger of being taken away.

A famous writer named Jan Amos Comenius wrote in 1620 about these people. He said that the Vlachs, who lived around Vsetín, were a brave and warlike group. He noted that they refused to accept Habsburg rule. For three years, they fought to keep their freedom. Later, in 1624, he wrote that the people of Vsetín continued to fight. They would not give up their faith or surrender to the Habsburgs.

Why the Vlachs Fought

Many Vlachs followed Orthodox Christianity or had become Protestant. They strongly resisted attempts by Jesuit missionaries to convert them to Catholicism. Because of this, in 1632, the Catholic Church and the Habsburg Empire took strong actions against them. They saw the Vlachs as very stubborn and hard to control.

Records from the town of Zlín in 1621 mentioned the Vlachs as the "local people" who were causing trouble. Albrecht von Wallenstein, a Habsburg military leader, wrote in 1621 about a likely uprising. He called them "Wallachians" and said he did not have enough soldiers to fight them. In 1622, a Habsburg official wrote that the local Moravians seemed to support the Vlachs and the enemy.

Early Battles and Allies

The Vlachs attacked Habsburg areas like Malenovice, Zlín, and Valašské Meziříčí. Wallenstein described the Vlachs fighting like a "horde." The Vlach forces won against the Habsburgs in the first years of the war.

During this time, Protestant Hungarians joined forces with the Vlachs. By 1621, the Vlachs controlled all of Moravia east of the Morava River. However, Hungarian forces were defeated by the Habsburgs at Olomouc in late 1621. They then left Moravia in 1622. The Vlach forces were later defeated in 1623, and many public executions followed.

Challenges and Retreats

New Vlach attacks on Vsetín happened in late 1623. The Hungarians, now helped by the Ottomans, rejoined the war. Fighting spread as far west as Brno. But the Vlachs did not join their former allies this time.

A second peace agreement between Hungary and the Habsburgs was signed in 1624. The Habsburgs used this chance to attack the Vlachs in March 1624. This battle took place in the mountains west of Vsetín. But the Vlachs won a fierce battle against the Habsburg forces. In 1626, Vlachs captured Lukov. They were joined by Danes, who had entered the war against the Habsburgs. Together, they also captured Hranice in 1626.

In 1627, Wallenstein's counter-attack forced the Danish army to leave Moravia. This also made the Vlachs retreat. By 1630, the Vlachs only controlled their strongholds in the Carpathian mountains.

The Final Uprising and Its End

The last major Vlach uprising happened in 1640. This was when the Swedes invaded Moravia to fight the Habsburgs. Combined Vlach and Swedish forces won back parts of Moravia. But then the Swedes left in 1643 to focus on a war with Denmark.

In January 1644, the Habsburgs launched a huge attack against the Vlachs. This happened in the mountains east of Vsetín. The Habsburgs won this battle, which ended with Vlach villages being burned. Villages like Hovězí, Huslenky, Halenkov, and Zděchov were destroyed. The Vlachs were disarmed, their fields and animals were ruined, and many Vlach men from Vsetín were killed or executed.

Vlachs who tried to escape were chased by the Habsburgs into Hungary. In the end, about one-third of all Vlach people were killed. On February 16, 1644, a complete count of the remaining Vlachs was made. They had to choose between execution or swearing loyalty to the Habsburgs and converting to Catholicism. Many Vlachs were executed during the sad events of 1644 in Vsetín.