The Thirty Years' War, 1618-1648Gardiner, Samuel Rawson
History
The Thirty Years' War, 1618-1648
Gardiner, Samuel Rawson
Thirty Years' War, 1618-1648
The time had not yet come for an open quarrel. The enemy, though
weakened, was still powerful. Charles I., by dint of a forced loan,
which every Englishman except himself and his courtiers declared to be
in violation of all constitutional precedents, contrived to get some
money into his exchequer, and Sir Charles Morgan was sent over to the
King of Denmark's aid with an army nominally of 6,000 men, but which in
reality never reached two-thirds of that number. Thurn, the old hero of
the revolution at Prague, and the Margrave of Baden-Durlach, brought
their experience, such as it was, to Christian's aid, and a younger
brother of John Ernest's, soon to be known to fame as Bernhard of
Weimar, was also to be found fighting under his banners. Strong
towns--Wolfenbüttel, Nordheim, and Nienburg--still held out on his side,
and peasants and citizens were eager to free the land from the
oppressions of the soldiery and the yoke of the priests.
[Sidenote: § 9. Submission of Bethlen Gabor.]
Once more the Protestants of the north looked anxiously to the east. But
Bethlen Gabor did not stir. Without Turkish help he could do nothing,
and the Turks, involved in a war with Persia, resolved to negotiate a
peace with the Emperor. When peace was agreed upon in September Bethlen
Gabor was powerless.
[Sidenote: § 10. Wallenstein in Silesia.]
Wallenstein's hands were freed as soon as these negotiations were
opened. John Ernest of Weimar had died the year before, but his
lieutenants were still in possession of Silesia. In May, Wallenstein
sent Duke George of Lüneburg to cut off their retreat. In July, he was
in Silesia himself. His men were three to one of the enemy. Place after
place surrendered. Only once did he meet with an attempt at resistance
in the open field. Before the end of August the whole of Silesia was in
his hands. Fifty-five standards were sent in triumph to Vienna. The
Silesian towns were set to ransom, and the money of the citizens went to
swell the military chest of the Emperor's general.
[Sidenote: § 11. Combat of Heiligenhafen.]
When Silesia was lost Christian sought to avert destruction by offering
terms of peace. But the two generals would accept nothing less than the
surrender of Holstein, and to that Christian refused to accede.
Wallenstein and Tilly joined their forces to drive him northwards before
them. By this movement the Margrave of Baden was cut off from the rest
of the Danish army. Making his way to the coast near Wismar, he had long
to wait before transports arrived to carry him across the sea to join
the King of Denmark. Scarcely had he landed at Heiligenhafen when a
large body of imperialist troops arrived, and at once commenced the
attack. He himself and a few of his principal officers escaped on
ship-board. His men, seeing themselves deserted, took service under
Wallenstein, and seven of the best regiments in the Danish army were
lost to Christian.
[Sidenote: § 12. Conquest of Schleswig and Jutland.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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