History 321: State and Society in Early Modern Europe:
The Thirty Years War
Primary Sources for Preliminary Bibliography
Wilson, Peter H., ed. The Thirty Years War: A Sourcebook, docs. 8, 32. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010.
OR“A Calvinist prince’s view: Christian II of
Anhalt’s diary.” In Wilson, Peter H., ed. The Thirty Years War: A Sourcebook, 149-50. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010.
“The Upper Austrian Peasants’ Rising, 1626.” In Wilson, Peter H., ed. The Thirty Years War: A Sourcebook, 72-73. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010.
A religious war? Articles of the Bohemian
Confederation Ferdinand II’s plan for Habsburg
lands Treaty of Munich (1619) Treaty of Ulm (1620) Perspective “from the ground”
Central Questions1. What were the key political and diplomatic
developments of the 1620s?
2. How was warfare financed?
3. What were the main military conflicts in the 1620s?
4. Ferdinand II issued the Edict of Restitution in 1629. Why was this act a “grave error” (p. 446)?
These questions represent an analysis of the assigned reading that is based entirely on Europe’s Tragedy but that does not always strictly follow the progress of Wilson’s presentation, especially with reference to questions 1 and 3.
Maps Mantua and environs
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_KezhQ6waZT0/SDDkGU-R85I/AAAAAAAAEMw/N0DeJSIr8FA/s1600-h/mantua.jpg
Baltic region http://
www.emersonkent.com/map_archive/baltic_regions_1386.htm
Central Europe, 1618 http://
www.hup.harvard.edu/features/wilson/wilsoncemap.jpg
Political and diplomatic developments
“The revival of Catholicism in the Empire was received with mixed feelings by France and Spain” (p. 362).
Political and diplomatic developments
Spain Philip IV (1621-1665) Gaspar de Guzmán, Count-
Duke of Olivares reputación and war with the
Dutch enhancement of Spain’s navy
Admiralty of the North Union of Arms (p. 370)
soldiers and tax problems
financial crises (pp. 434-35) bankruptcy of 1627 capture of treasure fleets,
1627, 1628
Political and diplomatic developments
France Louis XIII (1610-1643) court factions
dévots vs. Bons Français Cardinal Richelieu
chief minister (1624-1642) “The interests of a state
and the interests of religion are two entirely different things” (1616, p. 377).
“a dangerous opponent” (p. 379) for Spain (Olivares)
Habsburg encirclement
Political and diplomatic developments
France Edict of Nantes (1598) Huguenot rebellions,
1620s distraction from
international involvement siege of La Rochelle
(1627-1628, pp. 440-42) Peace of Alais (1629)
Political and diplomatic developments
Cardinal Richelieu’s four strategies1. general alliance against
Spanish dominance and for European peace
2. bilateral alliances: money and troops
3. protection for weaker territories in exchange for transit of French troops
4. limited warfare for the sake of protection
strategy “fundamentally flawed” (p. 381).
Political and diplomatic developments
Danish involvement Christian IV (1588-1648) interest in German
bishoprics (p. 386) rivalry with Sweden Treaty of the Hague, 1625
Political and diplomatic developments
rise of Albrecht von Wallenstein (1583-1634) defection to Emperor,
1619 “a major beneficiary of the
land transfers” (p. 392) Duke of Friedland, 1624 commander of Imperialist
forces, 1625 Duke of Mecklenburg,
1629 upstart, critical of
subordinates
Political and diplomatic developments
other commanders Wallenstein General Tilly Maximilian I, Catholic
League recognition of his electoral
title by Saxony (1624) and Brandenburg (1627)
Regensburg Electoral Congress, 1630 “a significant demonstration
of the Empire’s collective purpose” (p. 454)
dismissal of Wallenstein
Financing warfare state
taxation, e.g. war taxes (p. 456) borrowing
military officers plunder credit: for raising an army muster system: towns provide food and wages
for an entire troop contributions (“tax of violence” / extortion): to
be paid also after a troop has left a region challenges
pay arrears camp followers
Military conflicts: Spain vs. Dutch Republic
surrender of Breda (siege: August 1624-June 1625) = “pyrrhic victory” (p. 434)
Dunkirk privateers: attack on Dutch ships
Treaty of Compiègne (1624): France and Dutch Republic
subsidies from France for Dutch naval support
Frederick Henry of Nassau
Military conflicts: Spain vs. Dutch Republic
Piet Hein: capture of Spanish treasure fleet (1628)
“Spain’s inability to send reinforcements to the Netherlands placed a premium on imperial assistance” (p. 436)
siege of s’Hertzogenbosch (Bois-le-duc), 1629
Military conflicts: Spain vs. France
Holy Slaughter in the Valtellina, July 1620 diplomatic solution: papal troops replaced
Spanish troops Savoy’s attack on Genoa, 1625
French conquest of the Valtellina Treaty of Monzón, 1625: a Catholic Valtellina;
replacement of French with papal troops Savoy’s alliance with Spain
Military conflicts: Spain vs. France
War of the Mantuan Succession (1628-1631) claim of Charles of Nevers upon Mantua: 1627 under Imperial jurisdiction (Ferdinand II) control of Montferrato: Spain and Savoy
fortress of Casale: taken by Charles, 1628 Imperial intervention: “Madrid failed to see that
its assertiveness in Italy forced the emperor to intervene to preserve his own authority, rather than because he wished to counter France” (p. 443).
fall of Mantua (1629) solutions: Peace of Regensburg (1630), Peace of
Cherasco (1631): Charles in Mantua; preservation of Imperial jurisdiction; tensions with Spain
Danish Intervention, 1625-1629 motives
ecclesiastical property, not “religious solidarity” (p. 387)
misgivings of Danish nobility Treaty of the Hague (1625)
England, Dutch Republic: aid for Denmark strategy
Danish attack in northern Germany attack of Bethlen (d. 1629) from Transylvania
Danish Intervention, 1625-1629 Imperialist reaction
neutrality? Tilly to Hessen: “It’s called obedience, not neutrality. Your lord is an imperial prince whose overlord is the emperor” (p. 389).
imperial order (7 May 1624) Battle of Dessau Bridge (1626)
Wallenstein vs. Mansfeld (d. 1626) Battle of Lutter (1626)
Tilly vs. Christian IV Interlude: Upper Austrian Rebellion (1626) the problem of re-Catholicization
Danish Intervention, 1625-1629
Imperialist reaction 1627 campaign against
Holstein Peace of Lübeck (1629)
Denmark lost none of its own territory.
Denmark agreed1. to abandon claims to
bishoprics2. keep out of Imperial
affairs “a gift from heaven” (p.
423)
Military conflicts: Wallenstein’s Baltic Design
Background: Swedish southern advance (1621-1627)
“Austro-Spanish naval cooperation” (p. 426)
blockade of Magdeburg, siege of Stralsund
Stralsund (1628): Gustavus’ “German base” (p. 431)
Military conflicts: Wallenstein’s Baltic Design
Imperial intervention in Poland goal: dislodge Swedes from Vistula delta limited success Truce of Altmark (1629)
facilitated by France Sweden abandoned Courland, most of
Livonia, and all but three Prussian ports Richelieu’s plan
redirect Sweden’s attention away from Poland and towards the Holy Roman Empire
Edict of Restitution, 1629
“…Ferdinand committed a grave error by issuing the Edict of Restitution in March 1629” (p. 446)
“a blunder of the first order” (p. 453) a failed attempt to establish peace connected to “the controversial land
transfers, contributions and military demands that stirred well-founded suspicions in many Catholics as well as Protestants” (p. 446)
Edict of Restitution, 1629
a “glorious enterprise” God on the Catholic side militant Catholic
interpretation of the Peace of Augsburg
Paul Laymann SJ, Pacis compositio (1629)
William Lamormaini SJ (1570-1648): surpassed Ferdinand in “religious fundamentalism” (p. 447)
Edict of Restitution, 1629 a judicial, not a religious act a return to the “clear letter” of the Peace
of Augsburg? Calvinism excluded return of ecclesiastical property
secularized after 1552 recovery of 6 bishoprics, 2 imperial abbeys,
ca. 150 monasteries, convents, churches “not a uniform attack on German
Protestants” (p. 449) main victims: Denmark, Guelphs,
Württemberg
Edict of Restitution, 1629 Catholic dismay: Spain,
Bishop of Vienna, Wallenstein; religious orders vs. bishops
Protestant response alienation of moderate
Lutherans Johann Georg’s arguments
about Peace of Augsburg in favour of suspending
implementation
Edict of Restitution, 1629 Consequences
Catholic disunity adamant Protestant
opposition to “wholesale” restitution vs. case-by-case investigation
“the vitality of an Empire-wide political culture” (p. 453) that valued reasonable compromise
Regensburg Electoral Congress, 1630 opposition to Wallenstein opposition to Mantuan
War
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