Peter H. Wilson - The Thirty Years War: A Sourcebook

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The Thirty Years War

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Also by Peter H. Wilson

WAR, STATE AND SOCIETY IN WRTEMBERG

THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE 14951806

FROM REICH TO REVOLUTION 15581806

EUROPES TRAGEDY: A HISTORY OF THE THIRTY YEARS WAR

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The Thirty Years War

A Sourcebook

PETER H. WILSON

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Introduction, selection, editorial matter and translation of documents

Peter H. Wilson 2010

All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission.

No portion of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, Saffron House, 610 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS.

Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

The author has asserted his right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

First published 2010 by

PALGRAVE MACMILLAN

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ISBN 9780230242050 hardback

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CPI Antony Rowe, Chippenham and Eastbourne

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For Jeremy Black

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Contents

List of Maps, Figures and Illustrations

xv

Chronology

xvii

Maps and Figures

xxvi

Acknowledgements

xxxi

Introduction

Political and religious tension in the Empire after 1555

The Religious Peace of Augsburg, 1555

The Declaratio Ferdinandea, 24 September 1555

The Donauwrth Incident, 1607

Confessional polarisation? Protestant Union and CatholicLeague

Confessional Parties

The Protestant Union, 1608

The Catholic League, 1609

Astrological Predictions

Johannes Keplers prognosis for May 1618

The comet of 1618

Crisis in the Habsburg monarchy

The Counter Reformation in Habsburg Austria

The Oate Treaty, 1617

The character of Emperor Ferdinand II

The Bohemian Revolt and its aftermath

The Bohemian Revolt

The Defenestration of Prague, 23 May 1618

The Bohemian Apology, 25 May 1618

Emperor Matthiass open letter to the Bohemians,

18 June 1618

The Bohemian Confederation, 31 July 1619

Palatine Involvement

Open letter from Frederick V regarding his acceptance

of the Bohemian Crown, 7 November 1619

The Dutch response, 1619

The British response: Queen Elisabeth appeals in vain

for assistance

vii

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Contents

The Lutheran critique of the Bohemians

The invasion of Austria: Ferdinand II describes the

violence, 5 December 1619

Bethlen Gabors Blood-flag, 1620

Habsburg Triumph

The Treaty of Munich, 8 October 1619

The Mhlhausen Declaration, 20 March 1620

Saxony backs the emperor

The Treaty of Ulm, 3 July 1620

The Battle of White Mountain: 8 November 1620

The Miracle of White Mountain

Stabilising the Habsburg Monarchy

Catholic revenge, 30 November 1620

The Upper Austrian Peasants Rising, 1626

Counter Reformation: The Reformation Mandate for

the Austrian Lands, 31 August 1628

Posthumous judgement on Frederick V and the origins

of the war, 1633

Spain and the Netherlands

Dutch Policy

Memorial presented to James Is Privy Council,

15 February 1621

Resumption of the Dutch War, 1621

Spains reasons for war: Olivares to Philip IV,

28 November 1621

Philip IVs assessment of Spains achievements by 1626

Spains Difficulties

Spanish wealth: remittances of precious metal from the

New World, 15711660

Spanish Expenditure 162140

Fiscalmilitary problems: the English ambassadors view,

April 1634

The war in western and northern Germany 16219

War Reporting: Two Contrasting Views of the Battle of Mingolsheim,1622

Memoirs of a Catholic participant.

A Protestant pamphlet

The Controversy over the Palatine Lands and Title

Saxon concerns, 1621

Deed of enfeoffment from Emperor Ferdinand II,

25 February 1623

Danish Intervention

The Treaty of the Hague, 29 November 1625

Satire on the ineffectiveness of the Hague Alliance

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Contents

ix

The failure of neutrality: Lower Saxon Kreis Mandate,

4 March 1626

Wallenstein urges peace, 24 June 1626

The Peace of Lbeck, 22 May 1629

A religious war?

The Catholic ascendancy

Wallenstein

Character: Keplers horoscope, 1608

Proposal to organise an army, 1625

Initial appointment, 7 April 1625

Ambitions: Aytona to Philip IV, 12 February 1628

Payment: Ferdinand II orders confiscation of rebel

property, 16 February 1628

Transfer of Mecklenburg to Wallenstein, 1628 (1629)

The Baltic Design

Polish involvement: Wallenstein to King Sigismund III,

28 October 1627

Sigismund to Wallenstein, 10 November 1627

The Siege of Stralsund: Wallenstein to Duke Bogislav of

Pomerania, 17 June 1628

The Mantuan Question, 162830

Ferdinand II decides to intervene: Ferdinand to

Wallenstein, 8 December 1628

Wallensteins concern at the strength of the imperial

army, 10 October 1629

Ferdinand prefers a peaceful solution in Italy: Ferdinand

to Count Collalto, 12 December 1629

The Regensburg Electoral Congress, 1630

Ferdinand negotiates peace: Ferdinand to Collalto,

7 September 1630

The decision to dismiss Wallenstein: Memorandum of

imperial advisors, 17 August 1630