THIRTY YEARS WAR Flashcards
(34 cards)
What is the takeaway question?
Is this a religious war? is it about the roman empire? governance?
How is the emperor of the holy roman empire elected?
the Imperial Electoral College
*Electoral College consists of a mix of clerical rulers and secular rulers
*Electoral College represents a fraction of the member state
Explain the three types of cities?
Free imperial cities (e.g. Augsburg)
Prince-bishoprics (e.g. Cologne)
Archduchy (e.g. Austria)
Free imperial cities (e.g. Augsburg) = Self ruling
Prince-bishoprics (e.g. Cologne) = governed by bishop
Archduchy (e.g. Austria) = governed by archduke
(review) what is the Peace of Augsburg (1555)?
: every prince gets to choose the religion of their state
*This holds relatively well until the 1580
Which family are most Holy Roman Emperors from?
Habsburgs
Which countries do the Habsburgs rule?
Spain and Austria + rivalry with other European monarch
Do the Habsburgs keep control over Ferdinand 1’s land after he dies? (Bohemia and Hungary)
Yes, by having their successors elected
These countries have elective monarchies
What was the ideological conflict brewing with 30 years war?
Religious tension
*Rise of Calvinism splits Protestants
*Counter-Reformation re-energizes Catholics
*Peace of Augsburg means people should convert with their rulers = should they?
What was the governing conflict brewing with 30 years war?
Nature of Rule:
*Mostly a Central European problem:
*How should the Holy Roman Empire work?
*How does elective monarchy work?
*How to manage the Habsburg dynasty?
*Fluctuation in European dynasties
*Habsburgs losing the Netherlands
*Bourbon dynasty emerges in France
*Scots ruling England
What happened at the “defenestration of Prague”?
Letter of majesty (Rudolf 2 king of Bohemia, granting religious tolerance to both Protestant and Catholic citizens living in the estates of Bohemia)
- Had grey areas
Ferdinand takes over as king and Demolishes Protestant churches or stops them from being built on Crown land
a group of Protestant lords threw two Catholic lord regents and their secretary out the window
*They survived the fall, possibly by landing in a dung heap
*This insult meant war and Catholics and Protestants in the region started amassing allies
What was the Bohemian Revolt (1618–1620)?
Ferdinand II deposed as King of Bohemia in 1619, but is elected Holy Roman Empire
*After the Defenestration, he tries to de-escalate without conciliating and it fails
Fredrick is elected king instead
- Cuz he’s calvanist and his wife has strong English/ Irish ties
- Started protestant Union
Maximillion 1st of Bavaria wants war (thinks it’ll make him rich) and he’s backed by Catholic league (Habsburgs)
Battle of White Mountain (November 8, 1620): decisive defeat for Frederick V, he fled to the Netherlands, Ferdinand re-took the throne and disbanded the Protestant Union
Was the defeat of Frederick V the end of things?
It was not
What were protestant princes stressed about?
Protestant princes ambivalent about Bohemian revolt but concerned about growing Habsburg power
What caused stress for Holy Roman Imperial electors?
1623: Ferdinand II strips Frederick V of his imperial titles and gives them to Maximilian
- “You can’t do that! You can’t remove our hereditary titles!”
What was Spain up to? How did they drag in other countries?
1619: Spain invades the Lower Palatinate as part of its efforts to tamp down the Dutch Revolt
- Dutch support Fredrick V (Protestant guy)
- England retaliates by attacking Spanish ships (mostly loses tho)
What are the three reasons Denmark (the Danish) got involved?
- commercial interest,
- religion,
- rivalry with Sweden
How did Denmark (the Danish) get involved? (first foreign intervention)
The plan was audacious:
- Split forces to attack the Catholic mercenary forces of Albrecht von Wallenstein
- Some of his split groups are defeated and negotiates a withdrawal with Wallenstein in 1629 = end of Denmark’s dominance in the Nordics
How did Sweeden get involved?
- They were busy before (King attacking Catholic cousin King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuana)
- France pays to get treaty written (wanted Sweeden as ally - different religions, shared desire to counterbalance the Habsburgs)
Why did Sweden join the war?
: support Lutherans, secure trade dominance
(Note: France is supporting Sweden financially)
How does Sweden start conflicts with Germany?
Where Sweden’s interests clash with German princes, Swedish forces see no reason not to brutally react (e.g. 1631 sack of Frankfurt an der Oder)
*Nonetheless, there are not many allies for Sweden (other than France)
How did Sweden start losing?
*1632: Gustavus (King) dies in battle, but his Chancellor continues his policies
*1634: Massive defeat at Nördlingen, as Sweden loses all its gains in Southern Germany
What is the Vasa? (Swedish)
*Flagship of the Swedish fleet
*Built between 1626 – 1628 for use in the Polish-Lithuanian campaign and as a sign of Swedish naval dominance
*Named after the royal family’s symbol
*Sank in Stockholm harbour on her maiden voyage
*Dredged up in the 1950s
How did France and Sweden pull themselves together?
Swedish defeat forces France to take direct action
- France Cardinal funds sweden again (hires mercs and declares war on Spain)
Ferdinand II dies now Ferdinand III (Habsburg guys)
France and Sweden cut the Spanish Road, disrupting Spain’s supply lines & the Dutch prevent maritime re-supply
*France Cardinal Richelieu dies in 1642, King Louis XIII in 1643 = 5 year-old Louis XIV & Cardinal Mazarin now run France
In short, what happened in the final years?
French win, then lose (start making noise about peace negotiation)
- France signs Truce of Ulm with Cologne, Bavaria, and Sweden
Bavaria= Defeated by france and sweden
- And they stole a bunch of stuff right before they signed so it was “spoils of war” technically
