Jan Zizka Before the Battle of Grunwald
There is little evidence remaining of the early life of Jan Zizka. Historians believe he was born around 1360, though some sources claim that he was born around 1376, in the small village of Trocnov in the Kingdom of Bohemia (today the Czech Republic ). There are no records about his family background, though it is assumed that they were aristocrats. This may be plausible, as Zizka is said to have spent his early life at the court of Wenceslaus IV, the King of Bohemia.
Although Zizka is best known as a general today, there’s practically no register related to his military exploits until the year 1410, when he was about 50 years old. It is assumed that as a young man, Zizka fought as a mercenary on behalf of the Polish Crown. In addition, it is believed that sometime during his early military career Zizka lost an eye, hence obtaining the nickname “one-eyed Zizka”.