Effects of the Revolt of a Czech Aristocracy after the Lost Battle on the White Hill
Czech aristocracy rebelled in 1618 against Habsburg King Ferdinand the Second, because he broke his promise to keep traditional right of Czech people for protestant confession. After two years of fighting, the aristocracy was definitely defeated in the battle on the White Hill on 8th November 1620. Soon after were twenty-seven leaders of the revolt executed at the Old Time Square and their possession was confiscated. This event has enormous political and also economic effects on a Czech nation.
The political effects were related to the document called Restoration of the provincial organization. This document proclaimed by the King Ferdinand in 1627 (for Moravia one year later) included reform of administration and new language and religious regulations.
The reform of administration was significant and not positive for the Czech aristocracy. Ferdinand established that Habsburg dynasty has a hereditary right for a Czech thrown, even in a female line. It meant that the Czech aristocracy lost their right to vote a King. The Czech Congress also lost the law-making power, they could only discuss a problems proposed by the King. The towns also lost their real power on the Congress. The language regulations meant germanization of Czech lands. German language was put on the same level as Czech. Czech language was determined. German become an official language and also a language of the Congress.
The new religious regulation established only one catholic confession. This was a big problem for most of the people. Since the time of Jan Hus Czech people had been mainly protestants. New regulation said that he who did not want to convert to the catholic confession he had to leave the country without possession. There were a large number of emigrants, even many artist and brilliant people such as Vaclav Hollar or Jan Amos Komensky emigrated. Their possession was confiscated and given to the loyal ones.
The economic effects were significant for the poorer people. The King established higher taxes. After confiscations, the soil fell on a new master and the serves had more statute labour duties. Also years of fighting exhausted the country. All of these circumstances lead to the lack of food, hunger and epidemics.
To sum up, time after the battle on the White Hill was not very pleasant to the Czech nation.