The Bohemian Phase of the Thirty Years War
(1618-1624)
Bohemia, a region north of Austria, had a Protestant
majority but was ruled by the Catholic Hapsburgs. It was a pivotal area because
its ruler was an Elector and could potentially make a Protestant majority
in any Diet.
Conflict began in 1617 when the Bohemian rulers moved to destroy the Protestant
places of worship. In 1618 mob gathered and threw the regents and a clerk
out the second story window, they all fell into a rubbish heap and survived.
The Bohemians failed to see this as a sign to desist and instead entered into
a state of rebellion and started the 30 Years War.
|
Wallenstein above was the General of Ferdinand's army. His main innovation was to feed his army not by pillaging the norm of the time but by demanding tribute from towns in return for not pillaging. |
Most estates at this point chose to remain neutral but raise armies. Even many of the Hapsburg domains in Austria and Hungary refused to subside the war mainly because Ferdinand would become ruler of Bohemia, and was from the Spanish not the Austrian side of the House of Hapsburg. Fearing that the Austrian ruler, Matthias, would compromise with the rebels Ferdinand arrested the current rulers' minister and essentially took control of Austria. He sent an army to the southern regions of Bohemia.The alarmed Bohemians joined in alliance with the Palatinate another Protestant estate. The Duke of Savoy who was anti-Spanish also sent a force under Ernst von Mansfeldt to Bohemia and he began besieging the Bohemian cities which remained loyal. In 1619 Matthias suddenly died. Northern Austria refused to accept Ferdinand bringing the Austria-Hungarian Empire into civil war and cutting off the invading armies supply lines causing their withdrawal. The Bohemians advanced and met little resistance setting siege to Vienna and the Transylvanians (who were not part of the Holy Roman Empire) joined in the war and overran Hungary. In desperation the beleaguered Ferdinand turned to Maximilian the Duke of Bavaria for help. |
Maximilian was head of the Catholic League, a
defense league of the Catholic estates and agreed to raise an army under Tilly
if Ferdinand provided for the armies upkeep. Saxony though Protestant agreed
to aid the Empire because Lutheran Saxony feared Calvinists more than Catholics.
The Protestant League (the opposite of the Catholic) failed to raise to arms
and the rebellion in Bohemia was crushed by the combined arms of the Spanish,
the Austrians (both part of the House of Hapsburg) and the Catholic League
lead by the Bavarians. As such it included all the major Catholic principalities
other than France. This also helps demonstrate the nature of loyalty. The
Emperor's paying for Tilly's army shows that he definitely had the recourses
to raise the army. It is a reflection of the feudal nature of the times that
he was unable to by himself and had to request help from the Bavarians to
defend his possessions.
Frederick unable to keep Bohemia for more than a winter was now called "the
Winter Prince" as a mark of shame. Yet he still battled desperately for
the Palatinate against a Spanish army raised from Flanders. Frederick subsidized
by the Protestant Dutch who feared being reconquered by Spain (they were once
a Spanishcolony) fought the Spanish from 1621-24 but ultimately for vain.
Maximilin was declared Elector of the Palatinate instead of Frederick.
