The 17th Century

1
The 17th Century

• Politics and the Thirty Years War

2
The Thirty Years WarOrigins

• Although the Peace of Augsburg (1555) had settled
  the conflict between Catholic and Lutheran, a
  religious cold war existed in Germany
• This situation was further strained by the spread
  of Calvinism in the empire
• This began about 1563 and by the end of the
  century many German princes followed the precepts
  of Calvin, with the two most important being the
  Electors of the Palatinate and Brandenburg
• Although one would imagine, the Protestant
  cousins would ally themselves against the hated
  Catholics, in fact, the hatred the Calvinists and
  Lutherans had for each other was greater than
  that toward the Catholics

3
The Thirty Years WarPolitics

• Into this Cold War between the faiths,
  political events slowly set the stage for war
• Formation of the Protestant Union (1608)
• Led by Frederick IV of the Palatinate, the prime
  Calvinist prince in the empire
• Cleves-Jülich succession crisis in 1609
• Formation by Bavaria of the Catholic League
  (1609)
• Led by Duke Maximilian of Bavaria
• War did not break, but a result was the division
  of the Empire into two distrustful armed camps
  waiting for the next spark

4
The Thirty Years WarFerdinand of Styria

• That spark was the succession of Ferdinand,
  archduke of Styria, to the imperial throne
• Very pious Catholic and was heavily influenced by
  the Jesuits
• This is in contrast to his predecessors Rudolf II
  and Matthias
• With the latters incapacity, Ferdinand took over
  most of the reins of government

5
The Thirty Years WarFerdinand of Styria

• One of those was the kingdom of Bohemia,
  predominantly Protestant
• In 1609, Rudolf II granted toleration to the
  Protestants in Bohemia the burghers were
  Lutheran while the peasants were Catholic)
• Initially accepted by the Bohemian estates in
  1617, he soon began a process of re-Catholicizing
  Bohemia
• The Estates resisted, and as the title of King
  was elective, the estates disposed Ferdinand
• Defenestration of Prague (May 1618)
• The Estates offer the title to Frederick V of the
  Palatinate who accepts, thus sparking the
  conflict known as the Thirty Years War

6
The Bohemian Phase 1618-1625

• The young Frederick V, only a lad in his early
  twenties accepts throne of Bohemia
• Much of Europe looked upon Frederick, to be known
  to history as the Winter King for his short
  reign, with hesitation
• Many including his father-in-law, King James I of
  England, saw it as a fools errand
• Ferdinand, with the support of the Catholic
  League, invades Bohemia to reclaim his lost
  kingdom
• Frederick and his forces are defeated at the
  Battle of White Mountain outside Prague on 8
  November 1620

7
The Bohemian Phase 1618-1625

• At the same time, soldiers of Hapsburg Spain
  invade the Palatinate, conquering it by 1622
• Important Capture of the Palatinate by Spanish
  forces secured link between the Netherlands,
  Switzerland, and Italy the famous Spanish Road
• Maximilian of Bavaria also claims part of the
  Palatinate, plus the Electoral dignity
• Ferdinand declares Bohemia a heredity Hapsburg
  possession
• Truce between the Dutch and Spanish expires and
  conflict resumes

8
The Danish Phase 1625-1629

• With the defeat of Frederick and his supporters
  in Bohemia and Germany and with an large Imperial
  army deployed in Germany, Ferdinands, and thus
  Hapsburg, power is on the rise
• Christian IV of Denmark intervenes on the
  Protestant side to reverse the Imperialist
  advance and sends his army into northern Germany
• Ferdinand counters by appointing Albrecht von
  Wallenstein, a Bohemian noble, as commander of
  the Imperial forces
• An enigma, Wallenstein has at his disposal an
  army of 140,000, unheard of up to that time
• Wallenstein defeats the Danes and occupies
  several north German states

9
Danish Phase 1625-1629

• Protestant forces are in full retreat and
  Ferdinand is at the height of his powers
• Issues in March of 1629 the Edict of Restitution
• Prohibits Calvinist worship in the Empire
  restores all Catholic church property taken by
  the Protestant Princes over the past 75 years,
  since the Treaty of Passau in 1552
• Now as Ferdinands increased power, including
  having Wallensteins army at his disposal, this
  frightens the German Princes
• As always, their goals are to maintain their
  liberties and so they force the reduction of
  the Imperial Army and have Wallenstein dismissed
  (August 1630)

10
Swedish Phase 1630-1635

• However, as Ferdinand attempts to consolidate his
  power over Germany, Sweden is watching with a
  wary eye
• So in July of 1630 Sweden feels compelled to
  intervene in the conflict to protect not only
  Swedish interests, but also to save the Lutheran
  faith

11
King Gustavus Adolphus (1611-1635)

• Able and effective monarch
• Restored Swedish power in the Baltic
• The Lion of the North
• Brilliant military commander
• New tactical synthesis

12
Swedish Operations

• Gustavus Adolphus and his forces land in Germany
  in July 1630
• Establish base in Pomerania and spends the rest
  of 1630 and most of 1631 maneuvering throughout
  northern and central Germany
• Initial goal was to raise the siege of Magdeburg

13
Siege of Magdeburg

• Ally of Gustavus and major Protestant base
• Under siege by main Imperialist army
• Captured on 20 May 1631
• Sacked and completely destroyed
• Nearly 20,000 are slain (3,000 soldiers and
  17,000 civilians) and only the cathedral remains
  of the burned city
• Its destruction convinces many Protestant princes
  who were on the fence to ally with Gustavus

14
Battle of Breitenfeld(17 September 1631)

• Major Protestant victory
• Imperial army under Count de Tilly is destroyed
• 2/3s of army is lost plus all artillery and 120
  standards
• Victory of the new tactical synthesis over the
  old tactics
• With Imperial defeat, most of central Germany
  falls to the Swedes who establish HQs at Mainz

15
Battle of Lützen(17 November 1632)

• After Breitenfeld, Wallenstein is recalled
• Spends most of 1632 maneuvering through Germany
  trying the engage Gustavus
• Makes mistake of sending his army into winter
  quarters, which Gustavus attacks
• Swedes are victorious as Wallenstein abandons the
  field of battle
• The price of victory is Gustavus Adolphus, as he
  is killed in battle
• Major turning point - the Imperial cause was
  severely weakened, but the loss of Gustavus was a
  greater blow as it evened the playing field

16
Battle of Nördlingen(6 September 1634)

• With the loss of Gustavus, Swedish policy is now
  directed by Axel Oxenstierna
• Swedish forces and their allies campaign
  throughout southern Germany
• Combined Spanish/Imperial army under the command
  of Ferdinand of Hungary and Cardinal-Infante
  Ferdinand (Fate of Wallenstein) engage the main
  Swedish army at Nördlingen
• Swedish army is decisively defeated, securing
  southern Germany for the Catholic cause
• Swedes retreat to their bases in northern Germany

17
Franco-Swedish Phase 1635-1648

• With the defeat at Nördlingen, many of Swedens
  German allies make peace with the Emperor (Peace
  of Prague, 30 May 1635), who in return rescinds
  the Edict of Restitution
• Within two years Ferdinand is dead, replaced by
  his son Ferdinand III
• The Swedes, however, continue the war in Germany
  with French support
• No longer in the shadows, France openly campaigns
  against the Imperialists and Spain changing the
  focus of the conflict

18
Franco-Swedish Phase 1635-1648

• Led by Cardinal Richelieu, France declares war on
  Spain in 1635 and begins operations in Germany
• For the next ten years, France Sweden campaign
  throughout Germany, the Low Countries and Italy
  against the forces of the Hapsburgs
• Battle of Rocroi (May 1643)
• Major French victory
• Famous Army of Flanders is destroyed and Spanish
  military power is forever weakened

19
The Peace of Westphalia

• By 1643 all parties recognize that peace was
  needed
• Two peace conferences were established
• Frankfurt Conference
• January 1643
• Meeting of the German princes, including most of
  the Electors, to resolve the mainly German issues
  and decide how to deal with the foreign powers
• The Foreign powers met at Münster Osnabrück in
  Westphalia
• France, Spain, and other Catholic states made
  their base at Münster
• Sweden and her allies met at Osnabrück

20
The Peace of Westphalia

• Comprised of 128 Articles
• Recognized Calvinism as the third religion of the
  Empire
• Restored the territory and creates a new
  Electoral dignity for the son of the Winter King
  - Bavaria retains the original Electoral dignity

21
The Peace of Westphalia

• France gains parts of western Germany, part of
  Alsace, and the three cities of Metz, Toul,
  Verdun - thus, France gains control over these
  three Rhine crossings plus a say in Imperial
  affairs
• Sweden gains Pomerania and several cities in
  northern Germany
• The Dutch and Swiss gain their complete
  independence

22
The Peace of Westphalia

• The three hundred or so states of the Holy Roman
  Empire are recognized as sovereign, free to
  pursue their own foreign policies
• Brings to an end of the HRE as a political entity
• Allows for German disunity for the next 200 years
• The Austrian Hapsburgs attempts to control
  Germany are thwarted - forced to expand to the
  south-east
• Spain loses it position of preeminence in Europe
• France now becomes the dominant power in Europe

23
The Peace of Westphalia

• Made clear that religion and politics were now
  separate worlds
• Pope was completely ignored during the
  negotiations and was further ignored when he
  stated that the Peace invalid and non-binding for
  all time
• Most important establishes a system that will
  exist with some modification until the present day

24
Conclusion

• With the end of the war, France is now the
  dominant power in Europe
• With her young king, Louis XIV, France will
  dominate the politics and culture of Western
  Europe until Louis death in 1715
• It will become the Age of Louis XIV and his
  political style, Absolutism will become the norm
  on which Europe is ruled