Campaign Briefing -Imperialists

During this campaign simulation you will be required to research the background to the strategies, tactics and politics of warfare during the era of Thirty Years’ War.

Each member of the group will carry out certain functions and collectively will come to policy decisions which you will forward to me by email as an attached document (Word for Windows).

My e-mail is: toby@strategos.demon.co.uk

When you hand in your orders and decisions it is essential that you support your actions with reasoned argument and historical evidence.

Background.

In 1619 Ferdinand succeeded to the Imperial throne, on Mathias’ death, and Frederick of the Palatinate agreed to stand as a rival King of Bohemia. The Palatinate bordered on the Spanish Netherlands and Catholic Bavaria, providing two further flashpoints in addition to Bohemia itself. Hungry for spoil, Catholic Spanish troops occupied the Lower Palatinate and the Bavarians camped in the upper portion of Frederick’s territories. The Dutch and English, both supposed champions of the Protestant cause, were reluctant to get involved, sensing a lost cause in the making. German Lutherans stayed neutral for the time being, leaving their rivals, the Calvinists, to their fate. Hence Frederick’s army was crushed at the battle of the White Mountain outside Prague in 1620. Rebellious Bohemia was thoroughly ravaged by the Imperial mercenary army, and forcibly restored to the Catholic faith.

The Imperialists seemed to have settled matters in their favour, but now the Hapsburgs and Spanish had a stranglehold on Europe, and could enforce their will against any truculent ruler who defied the Imperial decree. The Protestant princes trembled and began to cast around for allies. A grand Protestant league was formed consisting of some German states, England, Holland, secretly supported by France, and led by the ebullient Christian IV of Denmark who led the attack in 1626.

However, the Danes were run ragged for three years by the more numerous Imperial and Bavarian armies, led by the Bohemian mercenary general Albrecht von Wallenstein. By 1629 the Danes had had enough of fighting without effective support from their allies, and sued for peace. The alliance collapsed, and it seemed that Protestant hopes were lost, particularly when Ferdinand attempted to return to the state of affairs that had existed at the time of the Peace of Augsburg in 1555, demanding the return to Catholicism of lands that had subsequently converted to the Protestant faith by issuing the Edict of Restitution. For once Calvinists and Lutherans were united in their opposition to this draconian policy.

After the defeat of the Danes, the Catholic powers sought a window on the Baltic to strike at Dutch maritime commerce. The Swedes, alarmed by this prospect, and rescued from an inconclusive war against the Poles by French mediation, have decided to join the war, led by their militant king, Gustavus Adolphus.

By this time the cost of the war has exhausted the Imperial treasury, and Ferdinand’s policies have weakened his alliances within the Empire. The Swedish invasion comes at the moment when the Empire is least prepared to repel it.

The Teams:

The Thirty Years’ War was basically a religious conflict, with occasional cases of Machiavellian diplomacy and downright skullduggery, but during the period we are looking at, Germany is divided and some states may well remain neutral. Thus the two teams will reflect these circumstances.

The time is 4 July 1630.

Overall Aim:

• To work for the eventual complete expulsion of the heretics (the Swedes) from Germany and its provinces;

• To save money and encourage other princes to do the fighting;

• To uphold the Catholic faith and the authority of the Holy Roman Emperor.

1. Ferdinand, The Emperor.

The red-haired, red-faced, good-natured Ferdinand is not a great man, but he is possessed of more virtues than most kings. He is both a devoted husband and father, and a conscientious ruler interested in the welfare of his people. It is said, with exaggeration no doubt, that when he was Duke of Styria, he knew the names of all his subjects, and that he provided free legal service for the poorest of their number. Above all else, however, he is a Habsburg: he is dedicated to the twofold task of restoring the authority of the emperor in the Empire, and of re-establishing Catholicism in central Europe.

In his desire to restore the authority of the emperor, he can count on the support of Spain. Spain is only awaiting the end of a twelve-year truce made in 1609 to renew its efforts to reconquer the rebellious provinces in the Netherlands. Because of Dutch naval strength, the Spanish would have to send their troops to the Netherlands by way of Italy, the Alpine passes, and the Rhine River Valley. A strong emperor means greater imperial authority in the Rhineland, and with it more ease in moving troops. Indeed, Ferdinand has already promised Alsace to his Spanish cousins in return for supporting his candidacy to the imperial throne, and he might promise more in return for military assistance.

Ferdinand can also rely on the forces of the Catholic Reformation in his efforts to roll back the tide of Protestantism. The Catholic revival has already recouped a few losses in southern Germany, and Ferdinand himself has stamped out Protestantism in his duchies.

Unfortunately, his allies are at cross purposes. The Spanish emphasise the need to increase imperial authority because it is essential to their reconquest of the Netherlands, but the German Catholic princes are only willing to help Ferdinand against the Protestants, and strongly oppose any increase in imperial power that might curb their own independence.

More serious still is the interest of foreign powers in Germany. Will France permit Spain to take Alsace, the rest of the Rhineland, and the Netherlands, thereby drawing a tight net around its borders? Germany is in central Europe, and the German problem can not be settled without the intervention of surrounding states. It is not enough for Ferdinand to win the allies necessary to defeat the Swedes.

It was not, however, left to him to decide to break the peace. The first step was taken by his rebellious subjects in Bohemia. Gradually and inevitably, the struggle spread to the rest of Germany and then to Europe.The majority of the inhabitants of Bohemia were Lutheran, Calvinist, or members of one of the Hussite sects, although the Catholic minority supported by the Habsburgs was growing in strength. In addition, the Bohemian nobles were opposed to the encroachment by Habsburg officials on their power. This dissatisfaction with the religious and political policies of the Habsburgs, taken with the certainty that Ferdinand would push them further when he came to power, has led to the revolt and war in Germany.

2. Johannes Tserclaer, Graf von Tilly.

A Fleming schooled in the wars of the Low Countries, Tilly is a thoroughgoing professional who has done much to preserve and advance the Catholic cause so far in the war. Serving under Spinola, Tilly was present at the capture of Antwerp in 1585, and learned much from his commander about the need for meticulous preparation and the importance of a rock-solid infantry in military operations.

When the Army of Flanders began to suffer serious reverses at the hands of Maurice of Nassau, Tilly sought his fortune in Imperial service, fighting the Turks at Kerestes in 1596. In 1610 he transferred his allegiance to Maximilian of Bavaria and joined the army of the Catholic League, which he did much to reform. At the head of the army, Tilly faced the Bohemian rebels under Frederick, the Elector Palatine at the Battle of the White Mountain in 1620. Tilly was victorious and began the subjugation of Germany. He was checked by Mansfeld at Mingolsheim in 1622, but crushed the Protestants at Wimpfen and Höechst that same year. At Stadtlohn the next year he utterly destroyed Christian of Brunswick’s army, the last threat to Imperial power in Germany.

Then in 1626 Tilly co-operated with Wallenstein, and routed the Danes at Lutter. On the entry of the Swedes to the war, Tilly found has far more formidable opponent…

This player is the main military commander and again should be careful about seeking a showdown with the Swedish army. Nevertheless, his position as the head of the Imperial armed forces would be under threat if the Swedish were allowed to rampage over Germany. Something will need to be done about Gustavus, but what? The field commander of the Imperial team.

This player will examine the manner in which your armies should fight, what your strengths are, the weaknesses of the enemy, formations to adopt etc. You should offer advice on the kind of terrain to fight over, what to avoid, citing evidence to support your ideas.

3. The Imperial Diet.

This player will represent a group of Catholic interests from within the Empire ranging from the German Princes to Hungary and the Ottoman Grenz. Note the diet is not necessarily the effective military/political commander of the Imperial forces. Concern over the ability of the Imperial army to deal with the Swedes is rife, (many remember Gustavus’ campaigns in Poland) and the lack of support for a campaign aimed at bringing the enemy to battle is considerable. In addition, the Turks are causing trouble. Will they invade while your back is turned? You should aim to present arguments to press a careful policy.

4. Scoutmaster General.

Not a contemporary term but it best describes this player’s function. You will gather intelligence on the enemy (by whatever means), advise on their possible actions and strategies, and attempt to pinpoint enemy military strength. The worst danger might come from your allies. Spying is acceptable.

It is your job to provide maps and divers other intelligences to your team.

5. Kanonen Meister.

Your job, Meinherr, is to advise on sieges, and all matters relating to artillery, fortification, transport and supply. There are some remarkable new inventions and tactics that you might like to recommend to the army

What You Have to Do:

Priority One is to carry out research into your topic. Collective action is probably best. Get the books (use local libraries as well) read up, and offer your arguments in the form of a series of short one or two paragraph per person reports, on disk. I will then let you know what is happening, what the enemy is doing etc. You then meet again, discuss the situation and offer new orders.