A History of Germany from the Earliest Times to the Present Day

Name: A History of Germany from the Earliest Times to the Present Day
Author: Taylor, Bayard

Taylor, Bayard

Germany -- History

The history of Germany, from the accession of Rudolf II. to the end of
the century, is marked by no political event of importance. Spain was
fully occupied in her hopeless attempt to subdue the Netherlands: in
France Henry of Navarre was fighting the Duke of Guise; Hungary and
Austria were left to check the advance of the Turkish invasion, and
nearly all Germany enjoyed peace for upwards of fifty years. During this
time, population and wealth greatly increased, and life in the cities
and at courts became luxurious and more or less immoral. The arts and
sciences began to flourish, the people grew in knowledge, yet the spirit
out of which the Reformation sprang seemed almost dead. The elements of
good and evil were strangely mixed together--intelligence and
superstition, piety and bigotry, civilization and barbarism were found
side by side. As formerly in her history, it appeared nearly impossible
for Germany to grow by a gradual and healthy development: her condition
must be bad enough to bring on a violent convulsion, before it could be
improved.

Such was the state of affairs at the end of the sixteenth century. In
spite of the material prosperity of the country, there was a general
feeling among the people that evil days were coming; but the most
desponding prophet could hardly have predicted worse misfortunes than
they were called upon to suffer during the next fifty years.




CHAPTER XXVII.

BEGINNING OF THE THIRTY YEARS' WAR.

(1600--1625.)

Growth of the Calvinistic or "Reformed" Church. --Persecution of
    Protestants in Styria. --The Catholic League. --The Struggle for
    the Succession of Cleves. --Rudolf II. set aside. --His Death.
    --Matthias becomes Emperor. --Character of Ferdinand of Styria.
    --Revolt in Prague. --War in Bohemia. --Death of Matthias.
    --Ferdinand besieged in Vienna. --He is Crowned Emperor.
    --Blindness of the Protestant Princes. --Frederick of the
    Palatinate chosen King of Bohemia. --Barbarity of Ferdinand II.
    --The Protestants Crushed in Bohemia and Austria. --Count Mansfeld
    and Prince Christian of Brunswick. --War in Baden and the
    Palatinate. --Tilly. --His Ravages. --Miserable Condition of
    Germany. --Union of the Northern States. --Christian IV. of
    Denmark. --Wallenstein. --His History. --His Proposition to
    Ferdinand II.


[Sidenote: 1600.]

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

A History of Germany from the Earliest Times to the Present DayTaylor, Bayard

History

A History of Germany from the Earliest Times to the Present Day

Taylor, Bayard

Germany -- History

The history of Germany, from the accession of Rudolf II. to the end of
the century, is marked by no political event of importance. Spain was
fully occupied in her hopeless attempt to subdue the Netherlands: in
France Henry of Navarre was fighting the Duke of Guise; Hungary and
Austria were left to check the advance of the Turkish invasion, and
nearly all Germany enjoyed peace for upwards of fifty years. During this
time, population and wealth greatly increased, and life in the cities
and at courts became luxurious and more or less immoral. The arts and
sciences began to flourish, the people grew in knowledge, yet the spirit
out of which the Reformation sprang seemed almost dead. The elements of
good and evil were strangely mixed together--intelligence and
superstition, piety and bigotry, civilization and barbarism were found
side by side. As formerly in her history, it appeared nearly impossible
for Germany to grow by a gradual and healthy development: her condition
must be bad enough to bring on a violent convulsion, before it could be
improved.

Such was the state of affairs at the end of the sixteenth century. In
spite of the material prosperity of the country, there was a general
feeling among the people that evil days were coming; but the most
desponding prophet could hardly have predicted worse misfortunes than
they were called upon to suffer during the next fifty years.




CHAPTER XXVII.

BEGINNING OF THE THIRTY YEARS' WAR.

(1600--1625.)

Growth of the Calvinistic or "Reformed" Church. --Persecution of
    Protestants in Styria. --The Catholic League. --The Struggle for
    the Succession of Cleves. --Rudolf II. set aside. --His Death.
    --Matthias becomes Emperor. --Character of Ferdinand of Styria.
    --Revolt in Prague. --War in Bohemia. --Death of Matthias.
    --Ferdinand besieged in Vienna. --He is Crowned Emperor.
    --Blindness of the Protestant Princes. --Frederick of the
    Palatinate chosen King of Bohemia. --Barbarity of Ferdinand II.
    --The Protestants Crushed in Bohemia and Austria. --Count Mansfeld
    and Prince Christian of Brunswick. --War in Baden and the
    Palatinate. --Tilly. --His Ravages. --Miserable Condition of
    Germany. --Union of the Northern States. --Christian IV. of
    Denmark. --Wallenstein. --His History. --His Proposition to
    Ferdinand II.


[Sidenote: 1600.]

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

A History of Germany from the Earliest Times to the Present Day

A History of Germany from the Earliest Times to the Present Day

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