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The Podcast Series

The Thirty Years War - 400 Years Later.

To mark the fact that 2018 is a very special anniversary, I decided to turn my podcasting attentions to the Thirty Years War (1618-48) once again. Unlike my first visit to this conflict, this time I have a great portion of it planned, and I will be designing it specifically to appeal to those that are interested in the era, but also intimidated by the range of characters and issues on offer. There is a lot to be fascinated and excited by in this series, so I hope you will join me for the journey, however long it takes.

A new episode on the Thirty Years War will be released every second week from Monday 9th September, 2019. This means our schedule will be significantly stripped back, as we begin our History PhD journey, so make sure you check out our podcast feed here, and subscribe so you always get the latest content directly to your player.

This section of the website has been specifically designed to hold everything relevant to the Thirty Years War series. Below you'll find:

• the most recent episodes (in descending order, at the bottom of the page).

• introductory episodes to get you familiar with the conflict if you're a complete noob, in both audio and written format.

• links to any articles which I believe would be useful.

• relevant images and other details.

Episodes in the Thirty Years War Series

Thirty Years War Intro 1: Who's Who/What's What

We're jumping back into the Thirty Years War and this is all super exciting, but to some of you guys it may also be a tad overwhelming, as a lot of unfamiliar stuff is about to be thrown at you. With that in mind, this episode is designed to familiarise you with the main themes, the most important figures, and the most active powers in Europe at the time.

We'll learn a bit about the constitution of the Holy Roman Empire, meet the Habsburg family, and take a gander at some other related issues in Europe at the time of the outbreak of the conflict in 1618.

Thirty Years War Intro 2 & 3: TALK I & TALK II

Happy birthday to us! When Diplomacy Fails is 6 years old today, and to celebrate we're jumping right into the Thirty Years War once again, with another intro episode (2/5) this one looking at the timeline of the conflict up to the year 1635, but with a twist. I'm not by myself this time - today I am joined by TALK episode guest Sean. Far too much happens to really summarise here, but as usual, skip ahead past the BEFIT rundown for the bulk of the episode, and make sure to let me know what you thought. Then, Sean returns for Part 2 of the TALK episode, and we take the story from 1635 and discuss several battles, characters and important diplomatic developments before concluding on the Peace of Westphalia. Hopefully this will get you pumped for all the content that is to come

Thirty Years War Prologue

1618-2018 - on this day 400 years ago, one of the most destructive conflicts in human history erupted within the walls of Prague's Hradschin Castle. As we recount here, the conflict was neither all the fault of the Bohemians, nor sustained by them for very long. Instead, several factors prolonged the conflict and kept Europe in rapture for three decades. For the next year or so, we here at WDF want to bring you on a journey into this conflict, on a scale and with an attention to detail which you have never known before.

We start on that morning - it's just after 8AM on the morning of 23rd May, 1618, and you've agreed to meet a friend of yours. The two of you, along with several others, have agreed to do something radical...

Thirty Years War Intro 4: For God or the Devil

'This is a fight between God or the Devil. If his Majesty wants to side with God, he must join me. If he prefers to side with the Devil, then indeed he must fight me. There is no third way"

Why not pre-order our book which gives its name to this episode?

Gustavus Adolphus may give us our podcast's theme, and our book's title, but there was much more to the Thirty Years War than the famed King of Sweden. In this introduction episode, we place you in the thick of this dilemma - neutrality was impossible, yet the consequences for picking one side or the other were potentially catastrophic, so how could those caught in the middle decide? To make our point, come with us to the sack of Magdeburg in may 1631, a city whose people chose the 'Devil' in the mind of the Imperialists, and paid the ultimate price, as the worst single atrocity of the conflict takes place. It's time to pick a side history friends, are you for God or the Devil?

It was necessary to make a new intro episode as we returned to this series, and this podcast, after a long hiatus, so what is there left to say other than…

We're back! At long last, after a lot of confusing scheduling and weird decisions, WDF is finally ready to introduce to you what we have planned for the next few years. It is an investigation of the Thirty Years War (1618-1648) like you've never seen it before, and I couldn't be more excited to begin! Listen in here for a rundown of what we've done so far since our too eager release back in May 2018, and what we plan to do going forward. For those confused with what this all means, and why there's so many introduction episodes floating around, look no further than this episode, which is made up of explainers, disclaimers, and probably a few complainers! Thanksss!

17th Century Warfare Series Episode 1

At long last! Our series on 17th century warfare has finally landed, with our first episode looking at…nothing to do with 17th century warfare…Hmmm. Not to worry history friends – untangling warfare in the 17th century requires a certain amount of background detail, and in this episode here we do exactly that. The feudal society and its relation to the military contract aren’t topics we would normally go anywhere near, but to lay the foundations for what’s to come, we need to establish what came first. 

In this episode we do this, using the case study of Medieval England as our baseline. Expect talk of how English Kings did war during the Middle Ages, and what challenges they faced and hoops they had to jump through in order to make going to war possible. These traditions were bound up in the expectations of feudal society which dictated that the King was always at the top of the pyramid, but not necessarily always obeyed or followed. 

Contradictions and exceptions abounded of course, but tracing the arc of development from medieval to early modern also provides us with the chance to examine another concept which will become key to this series – the Military Revolution. So jump right into this series here, and remember that part 2, which looks in more detail at the technological advances – specifically how England traded longbows for muskets – will be released on Wednesday! Thankssss!

17th Century Warfare Series Episode 2

In my time my poor father was as diligent to teach me to shoot, as to learn me any other thing; and so I think other men did their children: he taught me how to draw, how to lay my body in my bow, and not to draw from strength of the body: I had my bows bought me, according to my age and strength; as I increased in them, so my bows were made bigger and bigger; for men shall never shoot well, except they be brought up in it…But now, we have taken up whoring in towns, instead of shooting in fields. 

These were the words of Hugh Lattimer when talking of the decline of English training standards with the longbow - an important theme in this episode. Trust me history friends, this is a good one! Herein we ask that important question - why did England swap its longbows for muskets over the 16th to 17th centuries, what did this process look like, and why did it take so flaming long? 

We trace the longbow’s dominance of English military thinking, and ask how it was that England swapped the longbow for the musket, when the musket was less reliable, more expensive and overall less effective. Did you know that longbows were only fully removed from English armies in 1595? Factoids such as these abound in this fascinating installment of our 17th century warfare series. It’s a long episode for sure, but I don’t doubt that you will enjoy every minute of it if even the idea of English longbowmen interests you.  

17th Century Warfare series Episode 3

Time to get a bit technical, but I promise it'll be anything BUT boring!

Get your thinking caps on history friends, because in this episode we’re going to assess the most important element of the historiography of the 17th century – the Military Revolution theory. The Military Revolution idea states that Europe underwent fundamental – you might even say ‘revolutionary’ changes during the late 1500s and 1600s. These changes were affected by improvements in military technology, and the adoption of weapons like the musket, the usage of proper infantry musket drills, and the creation of a new fortification system the trace italienne, which made the ballooning of armies essential if these modernised fortresses were to be effectively besieged.

There is of course more to the Military Revolution thesis than that, and contradictions abound which we will absolutely be sinking our teeth into in the episodes to come. If you were sceptical or simply curious though, then this episode will give us a great grounding in the mechanics of the Military Revolution, so please don’t feel intimidated or put off by our mention of it! I promise it is a fascinating story which I genuinely got real enjoyment researching, so hopefully this will come across in the episode. Come and join me and see for yourself, as we pick our way through 17th century warfare!

17th Century Warfare Series Episode 4

In our latest episode of 17th Century Warfare, we put the Military Revolution to the test, by applying a key aspect of it - the trace italienne system - to 17th century France! Expect talk of fortresses, historian John A Lynn and lots of talk about context....

So...get ready to lay siege! In this episode we use the case study of French fortifications to examine the trace italienne, the name given to the modernisation of European fortifications along the Italian model. These forts had low, thick walls buttressed by large earthworks and supported by bastions which boasted interlocking fields of fire. The new developments in technology meant that the defenders could lay down a punishing amount of fire of their own, while the attacker would be forced to withstand this bombardment, and conduct his siege in the meantime. Developments in mining, in trench digging and in the size of armies necessary to police these trenches followed, and these issues will occupy much of our attention in this episode.

If you ever wondered how the fortifications of early modern Europe kept up with the advancements in gunpowder technology and the increasing calibre of cannons, then this episode is for you! If you were curious about the technological race between the defender and the attacker, then this episode is for you too! If you were simply curious about how defensive works were garrisoned or effectively employed against an invading army – the mission of any state which faced war with another during this period – then yes, this episode is for YOU! I hope you’ll join me as we look through the French lens to better explain why siege warfare developed as it did. Thanksss!

17th Century Warfare Series Episode 5

Our series on 17th century warfare continues with a look at how French armies were constituted, and how their attitudes towards certain tactics changed. We begin with an examination of the massive increases of European armies across the board, but we soon refine our focus, and examine the machinations of King Henry IV of France (r. 1594-1610), who made the most of new theories in infantry and cavalry tactics. The story is by no means a straightforward one of consistent, sensible progression. Instead, it is a tale of hard knocks and tough lessons, which inculcated within the French military thinkers a respect for new methods of making war, and a willingness to experiment and take ideas they appreciated from their Dutch and Swedish neighbours.

Such developments say a great deal about the spread of new military theories in the West, as much as they provide a clear example of the interconnectedness of Europeans, who served in each other’s armies and swapped drill manuals in military institutions. It’s a story which I’m sure you’ll find fascinating, so come and join me for this latest instalment of 17th century warfare! Thanksss!

17th Century Warfare Series Episode 6

We return with part 6 of our series on 17th century warfare, and in this episode we have something very special for you guys – an examination of the sick man of Europe, before he was sick, but when he was certainly maligned and looked down upon. For some time, it has been supposed that the Ottoman Empire could not keep pace with Western Europe, and that her eclipse by the West European powers in the 1700s was an inevitable, rational process which can be partially explained by the Turk’s reluctance to accept new technological advances. Yet, as we’ll learn here, this generalisation against the Turks is as unfair as it is unfounded. 

The Ottoman Empire possessed one of the most advanced organisational and administrative systems in the world at the dawn of the 17th century. She was equipped with some of the most educated military minds, and had on site some of the best facilities for producing the weapons of war which he soldiers needed. This was not a sick man of Europe, nor did the patient show any signs of illness – far from it. The Turk was the envy of the continent thanks to the immense successes and accomplishments of her Sultans and soldiers, and it was partially to explain away these successes that the more unflattering myths about the Turk’s barbarity did the rounds.

In this episode we’ll learn what the Turk was truly capable of, and why he made use of certain weapons which were shown to be obsolete in other parts of Europe. The Military Revolution, as we’ll see, was not the blanket theory which could be universally applied to all – advancements in technology did not arrive evenly to the continent, and even when they did, these advancements were affected by the circumstances on the ground, and issues as simple as whether Tartars were more comfortable firing a technically obsolete bow, than picking up a more ‘modern’ carbine. So I hope you’ll join me here history friends, while we examine the Turk’s prowess in the detail it deserves. Thanksss! 

17th Century Warfare Series Episode 7

he fire by rank tactic used by Europeans in the 18th and 19th centuries had surprising beginnings, as we learn in this episode. While key military thinkers like Maurice of Nassau in the Netherlands played a pivotal role in changing how infantry were viewed and used on the battlefield, it is highly likely that he acquired inspiration for these ideas not just from Europe’s Ancient past, but also from Asian innovations many thousands of miles away.

The adoption of the musket on a wide scale and its incorporation into the infantry-based armies of the 1500s was a process made into legend by the Spanish, who achieved their supremacy on the continent with the tercio formations – pikemen squares surrounded by musketmen, with a secure centre and the capacity to meet any challenge, be it man or beast, on the field. 

This tercio formation granted the Spanish stunning victories, from Pavia in 1525, all the way up to Nordlingen in 1634. Yet, as a tactic, it was gradually dying, to be replaced by Maurice of Nassau’s innovations in the fire by rank approach. In this tactic, men would line up as a group of musketmen several ranks deep. The front rank would discharge their weapons and march to the back of their unit to reload, with the second rank following suit, and so on. In this way, a constant volley of fire would be poured into the enemy – in this case the vaunted Spanish tercio formations, with devastating results. 

This tactic harnessed the potential for superior firepower which the musket could boast, and it ensured that further innovations were possible. In this episode we trace the development of this idea from its unlikely beginnings, and in the next episode, we will see it in action for the first time. Make sure you join us for this fascinating look at European warfare in the 17th century history friends! Thanksss!

17th Century Warfare Series Episode 8

After covering the adoption of a revolutionary new musket drill by Maurice of Nassau in the late 1590s, in this episode we come to the point where all of these innovations would be put to the test, so I hope you’re ready to listen in, as the full horrors of constant barrages of lead on the human body were felt to their full effect for the first time in Western Europe, in the relatively unknown Battle of Nieuwpoort, in July 1600.

This episode provides a key example of what made the Military Revolution so unique and important for European warfare. From Maurice’s display at Nieuwpoort, so many other innovations would follow, including the adoption of its key lessons by other powers, and the perfecting and adding to them by others, like the Swedish and French. Before long, the drill would be the staple means by which infantry would take the field, and training these men and giving them the platform they needed to succeed would become the occupation of all competent commanders in early modern Europe. Make sure you tune in here to see what made innovators like Maurice of Nassau tick, and why he was so important for his time. We also get a window into how the Dutch government organised its military, and what they were up against in the sheer professional supremacy of the Spanish tercio system. I hope you enjoy it history friends! Make sure you spread the word – thanksss!

17th Century Warfare Series Episode 9

In our ninth installment on 17th century warfare, we assess the overall contribution of the Dutch to the military revolution, through a few important spheres. We will learn that spreading the word about new technological innovations was not an unusual practice, and that Europeans were far more willing to share their discoveries than we may have previously imagined. In addition, we examine how the drill became the supreme method of warfare, and how it inculcated a sense of discipline which profoundly affected European society on the battlefield as much as off. The journey involves one of discipline, forbearance and continued practice, and obsolete methods of making war did not go quietly...

17th Century Warfare Series Episode 10

At long last, our series on 17th century warfare smacks straight into the man many of you probably came all this way to see. What did Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden do to make his name in the military sphere? Did he really do all that is often assumed? Do we give him too much credit? What, at the base level, can it truly be said that he accomplished? Come and find out here, as we look at the Swedish king's innovations in infantry drill, firepower, artillery and cavalry, to build a picture of the most famous Swede in the game. If you think you know Gustavus, you ain't seen nothing yet!

17th Century Warfare Episode 11

Breitenfeld. The most important battle of the Thirty Years War in my view, and the ideal but also terrifying testing ground for all of Gustavus' new reforms. Could the Swedish King leverage all his innovations in the infantry drill, in the use of artillery, or in the harnessing of cavalry's best bits? Or would he be just another victim to Count Tilly's war machine? You probably know the answer, considering his large fame, but you may not know the story of how it all happened. With a focus that I don't usually take, WDF is going to the battlefield for once, so I hope to see you all there!

17th Century Warfare Episode 12

We've heard a great deal about how armies changed during the 17th century, and how their commanders adopted new tactics and reforms to increase their firepower and ferocity. BUT what about the states that commanded these armies? Here we look at a specific case study, Austria, to see not just how the creation of a standing army empowered this curious state, but also how it defined what it meant to be an Austrian Empire. Where exactly did the Austrian Empire come from, carved as it was from the rump Habsburg Hereditary Lands in the south central portion of Europe? The answer is found in the fascinating process which led to the creation of an Imperial standing army, courtesy of the Emperor Ferdinand II, and made possible by everyone's favourite generalissimo, Albrecht of Wallenstiein! Check it out!

17th Century Warfare Episode 13

This is a tale of two sieges! We examine the siege of St Martins on the Isle of Re by the English, and the siege of Mantua by the Imperials and Spanish. These two sieges in the late 1620s were pivotal cases where the Thirty Years War hung in the balance. Unrelated though these theatres were to the main war in Germany, they each created ripples which had a profound effect on the outcome of the war. But these sieges did more than that - they also provided us with an ideal opportunity to focus our warfare obsessed microscope, and investigate what's really going on on the ground.

What did the practice of a siege mean for the defenders and attackers, particularly when the defences were strong, or when the besiegers weren't very well led? Here is where we investigate! You may never have heard of these campaigns before, but this just goes to show that the war which housed them is full of surprises, so I hope you'll join me for this fascinating story.

17th Century Warfare Episode 14

Our war is nearly over, but we still have some matters to discuss! Here we summarise what we’ve learned over the last few episodes, and pave the way for the narrative to come. There is much we still don’t know about warfare in the 17th century, simply because there is so darn much to know! However, over the last several episodes, we’ve given a very good grounding in what 17th century warfare was all about. We saw how important the theory of the military revolution was, because it shaped debate about how warfare changed during the 17th century. Indeed, the military revolution thesis led to historians producing counterarguments at a rapid rate, to the point that more material than ever before on the period was released in the last fifty or so years. This is of course great news for us, and means that we haven’t exhausted the well of sources just yet.

Here we revisit some of the most important lessons we came across. The trace italienne was arguably the most important, since this technological development facilitated the creation of more impressive armies to adequately besiege and take them down. In addition, more advanced siege techniques led in turn to the creation of more effective defensive bastions, in a kind of arms race between defender and attacker which resulted in an explosion of experimentation and architectural marvels. The French, arguably, benefited from this the most, as Louis XIV harnessed the defensive potential of fortresses to hold the numerous enemies of France at bay at critical times.

If the French gained the most from the use of the fortress, arguably the Dutch were the most impressive pioneers with musket drills in the beginning of the century, as Maurice of Nassau searched for new ways to combat the core of tercio professionals which Spain boasted. Speaking of Spain, the Spanish were by no means the useless, wasteful dolts that historians have sometimes portrayed them as. Well into the 17th century as we saw, Spain maintained its reputation for military supremacy, while across the continent, its cousins in Austria were experimenting with new ways to maintain an army all year round, and anticipating the benefits this could bring. In addition, to the east, the Turks were also throwing their considerable weight around, and were far from insignificant, as is often claimed.

17th Century Warfare Episode 15

In the words of the historian John A. Lynn, "trying to understand seventeenth-century European history without weighing the influence of war and military institutions is like trying to dance without listening to the music." For the last 15 episodes, we've surrounded ourselves with a heck of a lot of music, so I hope you're ready to dance!

This is it, our FINAL episode of 2019 [if you're not a patron!] and our last instalment of the 17th Century Warfare series! We've come a long way in our examination of warfare in this eventful century. Everything from Swedish Kings, to siege ingenuity, to barrages of artillery reforms, to the development and spread of the infantry firearm drill. Hopefully after listening in, you feel like you've learned something about warfare worked, and you appreciate me shining this light on a topic which is rarely given the attention it deserves outside of really nerdy history circles.

Hopefully as well, you feel ready and prepared to begin again in the Thirty Years War, and start to climb the mountain which is the actual narrative of the war itself. I for one am REALLY excited to deliver it to you, as it's something which I've been creating and perfecting in the background for YEARS. It is the backbone of our upcoming book, and it's also [to my mind] the ONLY series which analyses this pivotal conflict in the detail it deserves.

Thirty Years War #1: “Prosperity, Profit, Power”

We're back! After running through 17th Century Warfare with a fine-toothed comb, I am finally ready to deliver to you the most exciting series we've ever covered here at WDF Towers. It's eerily familiar, but also breathtakingly different - it sounds like the Thirty Years War!

Our first proper episode of the Thirty Years War begins with a somewhat surprising scene – Hernan Cortez, far away in South America, coming face to face with the Aztecs. Why do we begin our story with such a controversial, pivotal character? Simple – Cortez was, truth be told, an agent of the Habsburgs, or more specifically, Charles V, the King of Spain and Holy Roman Emperor.

Charles was the embodiment of Habsburg power and influence; he was arguably the most powerful man in Europe since the era of Roman Emperors, and he owed his position to the incredible marital policy of his forebears, who married their way out of obscurity in an isolated Swiss castle, to become THE predominant European family by the turn of the 16th century. The Thirty Years War is a story which cannot be told without the Habsburg dynasty, so I hope you’ll join me in this first true instalment of our series to see where this dynasty came from, and where it went next!

Thirty Years War #2: “The Small Print”

The Holy Roman Empire was a unique place, full of unique laws, unique settlements and very unique rulers. Unique is just a polite way of saying, that the HRE was a freakin’ mess, but it is a mess which we have to acquaint ourselves with if we’re to stand any chance of understanding the event which it housed – the Thirty Years War. It was in the lands of this sort of state/sort of empire that the events of this conflict were played out. It was fanned and exacerbated by men like Electors and Emperors, it was driven by arguments over religion and constitutions, and it was empowered by actors outside of the Empire, who had their eye on manipulating the situation to their advantage.

Our focus in this episode goes to 1555, where a settlement between protestant and catholic agents was agreed. The Peace of Augsburg, the religious and profane peace, as it would come to be known, was a crucial milestone in the history of the Empire, but it is also vital to our understanding of the conflict which followed three generations later. How did the Empire work, what did the Electors did, how did the Emperor get elected, what did the whole thing look like in practice – all of these are questions which we will get to grips with in this episode, so I hope you’ll join me!

Thirty Years War #3: “Dukes, Electors, Emperors and Kings”

If you thought you properly understood how the Empire worked at long last – then think again! There was always some wrinkle or exception to the rule, but perhaps no rules were more important than those concerning the role of Electors. We touched on them in the last episode, but here we place them in their proper context, and unwrap what specifically made them so important to the functioning of the Empire. The Habsburgs, powerful though they were, depended upon the Electors for their legitimacy, and after the Reformation, the seven invaluable votes which could be offered were split along these lines. What was the solution? To a generation of Habsburg rulers, it was quite simple – maintain such a monopoly on power that the votes come in regardless. How to manage this feat? Marriage, of course!

Into this examination we throw several wrenches, including the Julich-Cleve Crisis of 1609-14, which provided a dangerous training ground for the two ideological blocs of the Empire to square off. Another incident, the destruction of the city of Donauworth in 1608, and its capture by the Duke of Bavaria, also deserves mention. The Empire, stable though it somehow remained, was in danger of a major rupture if calmer heads did not prevail. Somewhere to the west, an individual was seeking an opportunity to capitalise, and bring his Kingdom to the front of the Emperor’s lists of problems. Henry IV, the King of France, had emerged triumphant from the French Wars of Religion, but this scion of the House of Bourbon had a way to go before he could sponsor the showdown with the Habsburgs that his son and grandson were to pursue. Tune into episode 3 to see exactly how Europe sustained such domineering personalities and powers!

Thirty Years War #4: ‘The French Connection’

This episode continues where we left off in the previous instalment, by delving deeper into the motives of the French King Henry IV, in the context of the ongoing Julich-Cleve Crisis. Would Henry intervene, thereby reigniting the war against Spain which had only come to an end in 1598? The answer was no, but not for lack of trying. At the last moment, Henry was assassinated in 1610, on the verge, perhaps, of a great rupture with the enemies of France. That rupture would have to wait fifteen years, as the Empire focused back in on itself. A major force in the Empire was plainly Maximilian, the Duke of Bavaria, and in this episode we get closer to grips with him, assessing his influence, his wealth and his power. Much of these qualities were enhanced, as we will see, thanks to his relationship with the Habsburgs. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em, or in Maximilian’s case – marry them! The Bavarian-Imperial arrangement was to prove mutually beneficial to both sides, and effectively carried the Thirty Years War forwards, and we investigate it here.

Important though Bavaria was, the Emperor would have been utterly lost without his Habsburg brethren, the King of Spain, on hand for a handy loan of money or the occasional lending of a whacking large army of professionals. Unfortunately for the King of Spain Philip III, his kingdom was at war with the Dutch, or at least it had been, until an unlikely mediator, the assassinated King of France, helped bring it to a temporary end. The Twelve Years Truce paused the war with the Dutch, but it did not relieve Spain completely from the burdens which were to follow. Europe seemed to be moving into two distinct camps – one Habsburg, and one against that great dynasty. Only time could tell what consequences might follow…

Thirty Years War #5: “The triumphs of peace”

War wasn’t good for everything in the early 17th century, and nowhere was this more evident than in the spate of peace treaties which were signed between Spain and its enemies during the years 1598-1609. Spain went from at war with, to at peace with, its three primary enemies in the space of little more than a decade, and I think it’s time we examined why! Such a task isn’t possible without first looking at where the most dominant of these conflicts – that of the Dutch War – first came from. We go a bit deeper into the history of the Dutch revolt here, and assess how a lucrative corner of Spain’s Empire went onto become the greatest pain in Madrid’s backside.

What began as the Burgundian Netherlands had split into North and South, Dutch and Spanish, loyal and rebellious, by 1609, but the conflict had dragged on relentlessly since the 1560s, so it was little wonder that some inclinations towards peace were pursued. Here we are introduced to the logic behind a temporary peace with one’s enemies, as well as the family charged with taking the fight to the Spanish in the first place, the House of Orange. This semi-royal House started off as a source of loyal Spanish governors for Madrid, but had been transformed into stadtholders – agents of rebellion and military reform, with talents that surpassed and ruined all Spanish expectations. Orange and the Dutch henceforth were inseparable, much like the two Habsburg branches. 

Thirty Years War #6: “King of the Islands”

Traditional narratives of the Thirty Years War frequently gloss over the English/Scottish or British contribution, and in this episode, we do our best to rectify that error! We start with a scene of peacemaking not dissimilar to that visited in our previous episode, with the added twist that James I and VI had ended a twenty-year war instigated by his famous predecessor. The Anglo-Spanish war was at an end, with little good gains to show for it and all that had been spent, but there was still work for King James to do. Ireland required planting, money needed borrowing, ships needed sailing, and foreign diplomats needed talking to.

If James was to bring Britain out of its Spanish funk and into the continental system, arrangements with old foes like France would have to be reached, and the relationship with the Dutch properly formalised. In the background of course, were the residual impacts of twenty years of war – a deep-seated suspicion among the British populace of everything Spanish or Catholic. Such trends would have to be combated, and time would tell whether James was equal to the task.

Thirty Years War #7: “Turkish Delights, Habsburg Disasters”

In this episode, we look at an oft-forgotten theatre of the Thirty Years War, the east. Specifically, we examine the Habsburg border with the Ottoman Empire, and assess the conflicts and slights which the two radically different powers had committed in previous years. The conflict wasn’t merely religious, or opportunistic or political – it was also a matter of pride, since both the Turkish Sultan and the Habsburg Holy Roman Emperor laid claim to that banner of tradition: the inheritor of Rome. The Turkish Sultan had earned this by conquest, the Emperor through the Pope, but both argued fiercely that theirs was the more legitimate, and battle had a way of simplifying the question.

Interestingly, the urgency of war lends us some fascinating examples of realpolitik in the early modern era, as the enemy of my enemy is my friend was bought into wholly. While the Turks enjoyed healthy relations with all the traditional enemies of the Habsburgs, the latter were not above contacting the Islamic foes of the Sultan, Safavid Persia. With this border to the east effectively resembling a militarised wasteland, the Emperor would need every wile in his possession if he was to turn his attentions westward. In this episode, we examine how this balance was managed.

Thirty Years War #8: “German problems”

We get straight to the point with that title, because while we've done some exposition on it, it's pretty clear to me history friend that we need to talk about the HRE...

As the name suggests, the Germans were occasionally a problematic people, especially when there was so much on the line. We are given something of a grand tour of the Empire in this episode, and introduced to some of the major issues which the German people faced. The Habsburgs had only been able to monopolise the office of Emperor since 1438, but there regime was by no means secure if they failed to account for the fears and ambitions of their potential supporters.

Unfortunately for Germany, on the line of succession in the Imperial office was a man who rarely considered these issues – Ferdinand of Styria. We get our first glimpses of Ferdy in this instalment, but it should be said, Ferdinand was more than a bit preoccupied with his vision of the Counter-Reformation instilled within his by his Jesuit upbringing to notice us. Simply by existing, Ferdinand presents us with an ideal example of what can happen when the dice roll turns against mankind, and towards fanaticism. He was to be a crucial partner to the disaster that followed, but far from the only one...

Thirty Years War #9: “First of his name”

You can’t have a Habsburg protagonist without also having the anti-Habsburg antagonist, and in the years before the war, few individuals were better placed to challenge the Habsburg position than the Elector Palatine, one of seven men granted the honour of voting for the next Emperor, and a greatly influential ruler in his own right, holding sway over the disconnected lands that snaked along the Rhineland and beyond. Frederick V, Elector Palatine, was a Calvinist member of the House of Wittelsbach, but that wasn’t all. He was also pledged to be married to Elizabeth, daughter of King James I and VI.

This granted him supremely useful connections, which he proved determined to make use of in the coming years, to the detriment of the Empire, but to the wonder and fascination of history friends like us. Check out this instalment of the series to get up close and personal with the REAL Elector Palatine, rather than the idealised version which tends to paint Frederick as feckless, lazy or just plain stupid. On the contrary, Frederick was an amiable, considerate, intelligent ruler, in possession of something profoundly important for posterity – an inherited mission to combat Habsburg influence wherever it could be found.

Thirty Years War #10: “thick as thieves”

It's time to meet Ferdinand of Styria and the rest of his lovely Habsburg family! Taken together, these were the kind of people who would fight doggedly for their rights and their faith. They also seemed to have a real hard time leaving Prague alone (foreshadowing!)

The counterpoint to Frederick V, Ferdinand of Styria was the heir designate to the Imperial throne, but he brought to the table a legacy which many would have found unsettling. A history of oppression and repression in his native Styria, in Inner Austria, had not merely forced many Protestants there to convert or flee, it had also demonstrated Ferdinand’s single-minded pursuit of a goal, regardless of the consequences.

And these consequences were indeed dire. A rising in Prague in 1611 provided a grave example of what could happen when the Emperor did not listen to the fears and concerns of his subjects, but was Ferdinand paying attention to this display? It seemed that, unfortunately, he was, but to the wrong parts of the story. Within a few years, the citizens of Prague would launch another uprising, and this time they would play for keeps, formally deposing their new Bohemian King Ferdinand, and pushing the Empire over the chasm into the volcano of war. The preceding years were a chance for Ferdinand to learn from the mistakes of his predecessors, but these lessons were not learned, and because of this, Europe could not be spared what happened next...

Thirty Years War #11: “Northern Tremors”

In this episode we radically change our focus, away from the Empire and towards a brand new theatre of Europe – Scandinavia. It was there, in the sphere of the Baltic, Eastern Europe and the wild North, that an incredible drama was playing itself out, as the House of Vasa divided over matters or religion and leadership, with profound results for Poland, Sweden, Russia and pretty much everyone else in the region. The House of Vasa’s predominant King, Sigismund III, rowed away from Sweden in the late 1590s, never to return again. His uncle, Charles IX, had effectively deposed him in the name of Lutheran leadership and more rights for the nobility. It was a watershed moment for both Poland and Sweden, and shaped relations between the two of them for more than a century. 

Here we examine the shots which were fired before the ascension of a new King, Charles IX’s son, Gustav Adolph, better known to posterity and history nerds the world over as Gustavus Adolphus. But the latter did not rule a majestically powerful kingdom when he assumed the throne in 1611. Sweden was exhausted and divided, surround by enemies in Denmark and Russia as well as Poland, and there was no guaranteed way to keep his Polish Catholic cousin away from his new throne. The conflict between the two cousins was destined to be bloody and all-consuming, and this story forms a vital part of the wider narrative of the Thirty Years War, so I hope you’ll join me for it!

Thirty Years War #12: “The Roots of Spain”

Here we look at a rarely mentioned aspect of Spain – the fact that it was still teeming with citizens of a different culture and religious persuasion than those of the Catholic, Castilian majority. These were the Moriscos, first or second generation Muslims who had converted to Catholicism rather than leave the country, but in many cases, this official conversion was in name only. Moriscos varied from province to province in Spain, but generally, they tended to still practice their religion in private, and retained many of their old Arab customs and traditions. The Spanish government, largely, failed to stop these practices, mostly because they lacked the resources, but also because many provincial governors lacked the will to care what a minority of their residents were quietly doing in private. If that sounds somewhat unlike the suffocating levels of control over Spanish citizens which we are often provided with, then you’re right – it was quite unlike it!Fears about what would happen if the Moriscos left Spain, and took their wealth with them also aggravated the problem, but with the arrival of peace between Spain and the Dutch in 1609, some in Madrid attempted to conceive of a solution.

The solution was familiar to that posed by Philip II many generations before – convert genuinely, or leave completely. What followed was an additional exodus of citizens, but Spain’s Arab neighbours were not willing to stand by and do nothing. The coastal provinces were surprisingly poorly defended, and while Madrid feared what might happen if Arab pirates landed and tried to rouse the population to revolt, few measures were ever implemented to guard against this – as a result, several close calls were to follow. The story of Spain and the Moriscos is a vital element of the religious and political patchwork which made up early 17th century Europe, so I hope you’ll join me in unravelling it

Thirty Years War #13: The Pax Hispania

In this instalment of our series, we look at how the moment of peace moved the Spanish to act in concert with their Austrian Habsburg cousins. More specifically, we assess the relationship of the Emperor and the King of Spain and, it may surprise you to learn that it wasn’t especially good! In fact, mutual slights and unpaid bills had soured relations between the…relations, over the previous years, to the extent that a Treaty repairing the damage was necessary. The Onate Treaty was born, the product of Count Onate, a Spanish official and later ambassador in Vienna. Onate conceived of the Treaty not merely as a way to better the Habsburg dynastic relationship, but also to settle once and for all on the question of the succession. After many years, you see, the Austrian Habsburg line which was descended from Charles V’s brother Ferdinand I, was dying out.

All that remained were those childless Emperors Rudolf and Matthias. When they died, only Ferdinand of Styria would be left. Would Vienna push him forward, despite his shortcomings, or would they side with Philip III, and grant the King of Spain an even greater inheritance, the likes of which had not been since the days of his grandfather? Fortunately for the Habsburgs succession, but unfortunately for the peace of Europe, and of Spain, Vienna elected to go for Ferdinand of Styria. Per the terms of the Onate Treaty, Ferdinand of Styria would become Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor, and he would enjoy the full support of Madrid. All he had to do in return, was promise Spain a short list of concessions…

Thirty Years War #14: Bohemian Rampancy

Other than the ingenious title, what else does this episode offer? First and foremost, it offers and unparalleled look at Bohemia in the second decade of the 17th century. It is here that the Thirty Years War would be touched off, but precisely how would this transpire? At the heart of Bohemia’s problems, Wedgewood claimed, was a ‘dismal confusion’, but it certainly didn’t help that Bohemia itself was at the centre of the Habsburg hereditary lands. There could be no rest, and no relenting, from creating in Bohemia the kind of Kingdom Ferdinand II had always envisioned. Unfortunately for Ferdinand, the Bohemians had seen him coming.

Years of chafing under Habsburg rule had moved the Bohemians to demand a list of privileges, called the Letters of Majesty. This effectively granted Bohemia religious toleration before it was cool, though this was anything but cool to Ferdinand. In an era when religious uniformity and loyalty to the state were considered to be one and the same, it was impossible for Ferdinand to allow the religiously diverse Bohemia to continue on as it had under his cousins. Various trains were set in motion, the most ruinous of which lay in Ferdinand’s own intolerant personality, and which would explode into Prague in a matter of months.

Thirty Years War #15: ‘The right to conspire’

Bohemia continues to descend into rebellion, but its activism did not stop merely on the local, national level. Instead, Bohemians contacted known advocates of an anti-Habsburg conspiracy, and they landed on Ferdinand’s arch-rival, Frederick V, the Elector Palatine and sworn foe of the Habsburg supremacy. In the years since he had come to the office of Elector Palatine, Frederick’s regime had distinguished itself thanks to the policies of Christian of Anhalt, a radical anti-Habsburg, and charger of policy in Frederick’s stead. Anhalt arranged the more controversial agreements, and guaranteed that the British marriage went ahead, but Frederick was very far from his puppet. The Elector Palatine was more than willing and able to make moves himself, and Bohemia seemed to present the ideal opportunity to strike. 

It wasn’t as though the Bohemians wished to instigate the Thirty Years War – above all, they wished to be able to trust their new King, Ferdinand. But try as they might, something seemed off. In a fit of optimism, their leaders made the cardinal error of approving Ferdinand’s position, only to regret it soon after. The new king had made a public show of accepting the Letters of Majesty, thereby accepting Bohemia’s claim to tolerations and privileges which made Ferdinand’s skin crawl. So how had he agreed to it? Well, to put it simply, he lied his head off. Princes might be required to honour agreements and treat honestly with their subjects, but Ferdinand’s religious advisors had assured him that breaking such deals with the Bohemian heretics was not a sin at all, and was in fact to be encouraged. Thus duped, the Bohemians were bound to do what Bohemians did best, and launch a rising for the third time in a decade. The writing was on the wall, but Ferdinand ignored it, and thus the first phase of a conflict which was to end in three decades at Westphalia was begun.

Thirty Years War #16: ‘bohemia in revolt’

Here we ask an important question – how did the Bohemia revolt become the Thirty Years War? After throwing the Habsburg magnates out the windows of the town hall in Prague, what was next for the rebels? First and foremost, the kingdom had to be brought together to fight as one, and the three estates were assembled, determining on resistance to their new King’s inflammatory policies of repression and intolerance. Bohemians must fight for their rights, but could they hope to defeat the powerful Habsburgs? Further, could they risk losing to Ferdinand when their very freedoms were on the line?

In such desperate times, desperate measures were sought out, and these were pursued in the foreign connections Bohemian officials had built up over the years. Publishing their Apologia to the world, the Bohemians gathered with enemies of the Habsburgs such as the Duke of Savoy, and marched an army to Vienna. The Emperor, utterly unprepared at the storm he had been warned against provoking, called in some foreign aid of his own, and the ingredients were already in the offing for a terrible calamity quite unlike any which Bohemia, or indeed Europe, had ever seen.

Thirty Years War #17: ‘on the brink’

Here we cover the years 1618-1619, when the fortunes of rebels, Hungarians, Habsburgs and everyone else in between would rise and fall.  In this episode, we also see a critical milestone come to pass – Ferdinand, the new King of Bohemia, is formally deposed by his subjects, in protest at the heinous extent of his efforts to control their freedoms in violation of the Letters of Majesty. Our episode opens with the revolver pointed at Ferdinand's head, but his saviour was not far away.

Ferdinand focuses on stabilising his position after the unsettling events of spring and summer 1619, when Vienna seemed close to succumbing and was at the mercy of the rebels. Aid from Spain was en route, but so was an attack from that troublesome quarter, Transylvania, as Bethlen Gabor set off to stick it to the Emperor Elect. The explosive elements of a full-blown war were added, and it required only the intervention of a sworn enemy of Ferdinand, powerful enough to tip the balance, for everything to escape Pandora’s Box forever…

Thirty Years War #18: ‘My kingdom come’

After enduring Ferdinand’s repression, throwing off his yolk, formally deposing him and marching an army to Vienna, the Bohemians sought to go one better than all previous revolts had done. With Ferdinand deposed, this meant the crown of Bohemia was vacant, and it meant that someone else should be offered it. But whom? Someone, ideally, who was anti-Habsburg enough, but also powerful, wealthy and well-connected enough to defend the kingdom. Someone, ideally, who had a deep-seated hatred for the Habsburg influence. Who better to fit these criteria than Frederick V, the Elector Palatine? In this episode we answer that question, delving into the impressive connections Frederick had, as well as the root of his anti-Habsburg sentiments, which distinguished him as the ideal candidate…

Thirty Years War #19: Desperate Times

In this episode, we reach the long-awaited moment when Frederick decided, after all, to accept the Bohemian Crown. Was it a terrible mistake? In retrospect, YES! However, as I explain in this installment, things were not so black and white in the summer and autumn of 1619. For one, the Habsburgs appeared to be on their last legs, and it's worth considering whether Frederick, seeing Vienna under siege for the second time in two years - felt pressure to act before the spoils had all been siezed.

But what about the other side. Was Ferdinand's military arm really as frail as Frederick seemed to believe? Granted, Ferdinand had only Spanish money and Bavarian promises, but as all were soon to see, these were still powerful weapons in the right hands. Further, while Ferdinand secured his allies with a mixture of bribes, unconstitutional pledges and quality Spanish steel, it seemed above Frederick's imagination to suppose that he could even be abandoned. His wife, after all, had sworn that James I & VI could not ignore their plight.

But James had no intention of jeopardising his rapprochement with Spain, and still believed, just as naively, that he could play both sides, and maintain peace between the two pillars of Christian Europe. Within a few years, the folly of these positions would become clear, but these were still desperate times for both sides of the initial conflict. After so many years of posturing and preparing, could Germany's most infamous rivalry now explode into the open, with Bohemia caught in the middle? (spoiler - yes, yes it could!)

Thirty Years War #20: Desperate Measures

Last time in our 30 Years War story, Frederick V, a big time German ruler with small time power, accepted the Crown of Bohemia, and Europe seemed to breathe a sigh of shock. Some were shocked of course, but others were positively bouncing, and excited for the potential of what Freddy could achieve. All that was required to happen was for his friends and allies and relatives to stand up and be counted, and Emperor Ferdinand wouldn't stand a chance. Against the combined forces of England, Denmark, the Netherlands and countless Protestants in Germany, what chance did Emperor Ferdinand have? In fact, the Emperor was as cynical as he was fortunate - fortunate to have friends who depended on him as much as he depended on them. Bavaria and Spain, motivated by much more than religious and familial ties, could not afford to let this opportunity slide.

Was Frederick doomed as soon as he set out for Bohemia, or were matters outside of his control? As he marched for Prague, there was no shortage of promises and declarations in his favour, but a disconcerting shortage of practical contributions. This was the first sign of many that matters were perhaps not as rosy as Frederick had believed, but he pressed on regardless. Frederick set up his regime in Prague, making a grand impression upon the Bohemians, being joined by his wife Elizabeth, in addition to their infant children. Optimism was not hard to find, even if the omens were not good. There was a reason why history determined Frederick and Elizabeth the Winter King and Queen, and Frederick was about to find out precisely what it was…

Thirty Years War #21: Winter Is coming

The Winter King had to carry on, and over November 1619- April 1620, he did just that. Frederick embarked on his royal progress, doing his best to persuade those he met that he was legit, and that his regime was here to stay. He had no other choice - Emperor Ferdinand was gathering his allies, and on the Habsburg side of the ledger, the omens were not good for the Elector Palatine. One by one, as 1620 progressed, his allies left his side.

Frederick was unfortunate to have to rely on people who had their own agendas. The Dutch were preparing for the resumption of the war with Spain; Brandenburg was terrified into quiescence, and his own father in law James I and VI was doing his best to arrange a grand partnership with a Spanish match. In short, the Winter King was alone, with only his increasingly anxious Bohemian subjects for company, and a looming threat of doom just over the horizon...

Thirty Years War #22: Winter is here

Frederick’s prospects were fair so long as his allies came to aid him against the Emperor. Yet, once these allies refused to pick up the phones, once his new subjects refused to pony up what was needed for defence, and once the Emperor called in HIS favours with the Spanish and several other electors, it was only a matter of time before Frederick’s mistake was brought home to in full. It began with a Spanish invasion of the Palatinate, alongside a Bavarian invasion which followed. Frederick had probably never expected or imagined such an act – after all, Spain was not at war with him, and Maximilian of Bavaria was a distant cousin for crying out loud! But family proved a curse rather than a blessing at this juncture, and worse news was to come. John George of Saxony was the most influential Protestant Elector in the Empire, and Frederick may have at least expected a sympathetic ear. Instead, he got an opportunistic enemy, who invaded Bohemia, seizing Lusatia, one of the kingdom’s contingent parts, and siding firmly with the Emperor. The walls were now closing in, and disaster then struck.

In November 1620, the Battle of White Mountain saw a Spanish-Bavarian-Imperial army defeat Frederick’s ragtag force of militia and mercenaries, and Frederick was only notified when the remnants of this shattered force began to stream back to Prague. The attack and disaster had come so quickly there was not even time to drain the bathwater, and Frederick fled along with his wife to the Netherlands, where a new chapter of their lives, and a new phase of the war, was due to begin in earnest. Ferdinand had won this round, but as far as Frederick was concerned, so long as he was breathing, the contest was far from over…

Thirty Years War #23: My poor Palatinate

In this episode, we examine the years between roughly 1620-22, as Frederick moved into his new home in The Hague, just as the war between Spain and the Dutch was about to resume. Like many others at the time, Frederick believed that the Eighty Years War had the potential to erupt into something more, and he banked that before long, all the wars in Europe would become one war. But this impression - which was also a statement later made by the King of Sweden, interestingly enough - did not happen quite yet, even though there were Spanish soldiers occupying his homeland.

The ravaging of the Palatinate was only one issue which Frederick would have to contend with though. Plans were afoot which would ensure that Frederick would be persona non grata in Germany, and in this desperate situation, what choice did Frederick have but to turn to his allies, the English, Danes and Dutch? Unfortunately for Frederick, these folks weren't quite ready to accept that the newly crushed Bohemian revolt would son spread into the 30 Years War. All in good time, though, Frederick was determined not to give up the fight, no matter what it cost him, his co-religionists, or his poor Palatinate!

Thirty Years War #24: Woe to the vanquished

Welcome to our coverage of the 30 Years War, where we cover the period 1622-23. It was a time of significant defeats and changes, but also of moments of great triumph and success for the Holy Roman Emperor. In the aftermath of his enemy's disaster, Ferdinand was now free to shape Bohemia in his own image, in the process undoing centuries of history and traditions, all in the name of force, and through force alone. The country was effectively recast as a loyal Catholic dependency of Vienna, losing its independence and character, but Ferdinand wasn’t finished there. As his agents worked overtime to realise his victory, several prominent profiteers began to loom into view.

Among these new Bohemian men was a relatively minor noble by the name of Albrecht of Wallenstein, who played no small role in later years in securing Ferdinand’s security, not to mention creating the first standing Habsburg army. Other triumphs were affected too, as in February 1623, Maximilian of Bavaria cashed in his chips to become the Elector of Bavaria, thereby acquiring for himself and his realm a promotion which would have been the envy of the Empire. This, it seemed, was the reward which awaited those that aided the Emperor. And yet, there still fluttered in the Empire’s lands several rebellious flags, who had as their master not Ferdinand, but the defeated Frederick. The Winter King was certainly down, but he was by no means out...

Thirty Years War #25: From truce to war

After many episodes examining Frederick's woes, here we change our focus and look at that conflict long in the background - the Spanish Dutch War, which was resuming after twelve years of truce, in 1621. What had the truce done for both parties, and why did the Spanish feel particularly eager to resume war after going all in in Germany already? Could Madrid afford the extra expense? Probably not, but now that they held to the Rhine, the war against the Dutch could be brought to bear as a way to save the regions where Spain was truly hurting, as the professional piracy of the Dutch simply had to be stopped. Whether it as the last gasp or a desperate strike, either way, Spain had no choice but go on, even if that meant going down fighting...

Thirty Years War #26: the disunited provinces

In today's episode we look at the story of the Dutch in a time of peace and tranquility - or at least, peace - and ask what went wrong. The problem was that the United Provinces were not so united after all, and were in fact beset by divisions on numerous levels. A state which had been forged in war, and which found its identity in war, suddenly had to cope without war, and it was harder than expected. Between 1610-19, the Dutch Republic was struck by a new religious dispute which was soon folded into the political and societal tensions. The two camps became inflamed, and with the Spaniard always the subject of suspicion, it became clear that blood would have to be paid, for the crisis to pass..

Thirty Years War #27: the ultimate crossover

What happened when the most intensive, bitter conflict Europe had to offer spilled over into the other conflict between the Holy Roman Emperor and the Elector Palatine? The Spanish and Dutch had fought for many decades, but the latest chapter in their war looked set to change everything, as the two branches of the Habsburg family merged their wars together, with dramatic consequences for all involved. Why did the Dutch feel they had to resume the war? Why did the Spanish believe they had no choice at all? Find out here, as the two theatres of war cross over, changing Europe and the Thirty Years War forever...

KEEP YOUR EARS PEELED FOR EPISODE 28 OF THE 30 YEARS WAR, LANDING ON -

WEDNESDAY, 10 FEBRUARY 2021