WEBVTT 1 00:00:22.120 --> 00:00:25.519 Hello, and welcome to Western CIV. Episode four hundred and 2 00:00:25.600 --> 00:00:29.480 forty four, The Baltic and Peace. Today, I'm going to 3 00:00:29.519 --> 00:00:32.439 focus really on the period between sixteen forty one and 4 00:00:32.479 --> 00:00:35.159 sixteen forty three, as we inched towards the end of 5 00:00:35.159 --> 00:00:38.840 the Thirty Years War. There's a lot of political and 6 00:00:38.880 --> 00:00:41.960 military maneuvering in this era, but we're really going to 7 00:00:42.039 --> 00:00:46.119 focus mostly on the Baltic region as that starts to 8 00:00:46.280 --> 00:00:50.320 wrap up in this story. Between sixteen forty one and 9 00:00:50.560 --> 00:00:54.920 sixteen forty three, Spain's fortunes really start to decline in 10 00:00:54.960 --> 00:00:59.240 the war. Overall, the once mighty Habsburg Empire, under the 11 00:00:59.320 --> 00:01:03.399 rule of Philip the Fourth now faced numerous challenges both 12 00:01:03.439 --> 00:01:08.599 internally and externally. The lengthy war had drained Spain's treasury, 13 00:01:09.079 --> 00:01:14.280 leaving it vulnerable and unable to maintain vast military commitments 14 00:01:14.640 --> 00:01:17.840 spread not only across Europe, but then across the Americas 15 00:01:17.879 --> 00:01:22.680 as well. There were revolts in Catalonia and Portugal, further 16 00:01:22.799 --> 00:01:27.840 stretching Spain's resources and undermining its authority. The Catalan Revolt, 17 00:01:27.840 --> 00:01:31.040 which began in sixteen forty was fueled by resentment over 18 00:01:31.120 --> 00:01:35.239 high taxes and the perceived neglect of Catalan interest by 19 00:01:35.280 --> 00:01:38.799 the Spanish crown. The Portuguese Revolt, which erupted in that 20 00:01:38.879 --> 00:01:43.120 exact same year, aimed to restore Portuguese independence after sixty 21 00:01:43.200 --> 00:01:47.760 years of Spanish rule. While this was going on, France 22 00:01:47.920 --> 00:01:51.719 was on the rise under the leadership of Cardinal Richelieu. 23 00:01:52.239 --> 00:01:57.120 France had steadily increased influence in its European affairs. Richelieu, 24 00:01:57.480 --> 00:02:02.680 recognizing Spain's declining and increased vulnerability, saw the Thirty Years 25 00:02:02.680 --> 00:02:06.359 War as an opportunity to weaken its most important rival, 26 00:02:06.480 --> 00:02:12.039 the Habsburg Empire, and advance French interests. In sixteen forty one, 27 00:02:12.120 --> 00:02:15.240 France formally finally entered the war on the side of 28 00:02:15.240 --> 00:02:20.280 the Protestants, marking a significant escalation of the conflict. Richelieuse 29 00:02:20.319 --> 00:02:27.000 strategy was multifaceted, involving military intervention, financial support for Spain's enemies, 30 00:02:27.439 --> 00:02:30.800 and the forementing of rebellion within the Spanish Empire. The 31 00:02:30.879 --> 00:02:33.800 decline of Spain as a power in the Thirty Years 32 00:02:33.879 --> 00:02:37.000 War and the rise of France is actually what's going 33 00:02:37.039 --> 00:02:39.879 to pay the way for a changing situation in the 34 00:02:39.879 --> 00:02:45.120 Baltic States. There were several key military campaigns and revolts 35 00:02:45.120 --> 00:02:49.560 that occurred during this period. In sixteen forty one, following 36 00:02:49.560 --> 00:02:52.840 a French broker piece between Spain and the Duke of Savoy, 37 00:02:53.479 --> 00:02:56.120 tensions flared once more when Spain, under the leadership of 38 00:02:56.199 --> 00:03:00.680 Gesparre de Guzman, the Count of Olivares, attempt to exploit 39 00:03:00.680 --> 00:03:06.240 a perceived opportunity to expand Spanish influence in Italy. This move, however, 40 00:03:06.639 --> 00:03:11.759 was a miscalculation. All Gasparre did was reignite conflict with 41 00:03:11.840 --> 00:03:16.240 France and that ultimately backfired in the long run. Now 42 00:03:16.240 --> 00:03:20.599 along the Franco Spanish border, skirmishes and sieges became much 43 00:03:20.639 --> 00:03:25.400 more commonplace. In sixteen forty two, French forces led by 44 00:03:25.439 --> 00:03:30.360 the capable Enrico de broabanng the Prince of Conde, clashed 45 00:03:30.360 --> 00:03:33.400 with Spanish troops under the command of Francisco de Melo 46 00:03:33.599 --> 00:03:37.240 in a series of engagements. The French, though they came 47 00:03:37.280 --> 00:03:40.400 out mostly on the top, did face challenges on their own, 48 00:03:40.439 --> 00:03:43.319 including internal rivalries which we'll go back to later on 49 00:03:43.800 --> 00:03:47.639 the command structure, and continued logistical difficulties, remember were still 50 00:03:47.639 --> 00:03:51.759 in early modern Europe. Despite these setbacks, the French still 51 00:03:51.840 --> 00:03:56.520 managed to maintain pressure on the Spanish forces. The real 52 00:03:56.560 --> 00:04:00.360 difficulty here was the immense financial and military strain that 53 00:04:00.439 --> 00:04:04.520 the war placed on everyone who was participating. Spain, in particular, 54 00:04:04.919 --> 00:04:09.159 struggled to maintain its vast military commitments. The crown, faced 55 00:04:09.159 --> 00:04:12.840 with the depleted treasury, resorted to increasingly desperate measures to 56 00:04:12.919 --> 00:04:16.639 raise funds, including the debasement of currency and the imposition 57 00:04:16.759 --> 00:04:23.199 of new taxes. These measures, however, were unpopular and often counterproductive, 58 00:04:23.519 --> 00:04:26.800 fueling resentment that contributed to the instability of the Spanish 59 00:04:26.800 --> 00:04:32.399 Empire as well as the Catalan and Portuguese revolts. The French, 60 00:04:32.680 --> 00:04:36.879 while enjoying greater financial resources than Spain, also faced challenges 61 00:04:36.879 --> 00:04:41.800 in funding their war effort. Richelieu, despite his incredible political acumen, 62 00:04:42.240 --> 00:04:44.360 struggled to balance the demands of the war with the 63 00:04:44.399 --> 00:04:47.639 need to maintain domestic stability, and that's an issue that 64 00:04:47.680 --> 00:04:49.399 we're going to come back to in a few episodes. 65 00:04:49.639 --> 00:04:52.879 After the end of the Thirty Years War, the French people, 66 00:04:53.240 --> 00:04:57.360 increasingly burdened by war taxes, grew tired of the conflict, 67 00:04:57.560 --> 00:05:00.560 and Richelieu faced opposition from those we saw the war 68 00:05:00.639 --> 00:05:04.800 as an unnecessary drain on French resources, and one of 69 00:05:04.800 --> 00:05:07.000 the reasons that the war continued to drag on for 70 00:05:07.040 --> 00:05:10.160 so long. Was, as we've already discussed a number of times, 71 00:05:10.560 --> 00:05:14.480 the shifting alliances and political maneuvering of all the different 72 00:05:14.519 --> 00:05:21.720 parties who were involved in sixteen forty three, and this event, 73 00:05:21.759 --> 00:05:24.879 we're definitely going to go back to Louis the thirteenth 74 00:05:25.079 --> 00:05:28.920 died and Louis the fourteenth, as a young boy ascended 75 00:05:28.959 --> 00:05:31.040 to the throne. He's going to be, as a result, 76 00:05:31.199 --> 00:05:35.319 the longest living European monarch. He was only five years 77 00:05:35.319 --> 00:05:38.079 old at the time and placed under the regency of 78 00:05:38.120 --> 00:05:43.639 Anne of Austria and deeply influenced by Cardinal Mazarin. Richelieu's 79 00:05:43.639 --> 00:05:47.240 successor continued Richelieu's policy of active engagement in the war 80 00:05:47.279 --> 00:05:51.519 against Spain. Mazarine, like Richelieu before him, is going to 81 00:05:51.560 --> 00:05:54.560 prove to be a skilled diplomat and ruthless political operator. 82 00:05:55.720 --> 00:06:00.000 He continued Richelieu's policy of supporting Spain's enemy, providing military 83 00:06:00.240 --> 00:06:04.480 aid to the rebels in Catalonia and Portugal. One of 84 00:06:04.519 --> 00:06:08.399 the most pivotal moments in Spain's sort of declining influence 85 00:06:08.639 --> 00:06:12.439 in the war overall was the Battle of Rocroix, fought 86 00:06:12.480 --> 00:06:16.079 in May sixteen forty three. The young general as I 87 00:06:16.120 --> 00:06:19.079 mentioned before, Louis the second de borbonc led a French 88 00:06:19.160 --> 00:06:22.199 army there to a decisive victory over the Spanish forces. 89 00:06:23.480 --> 00:06:27.079 The Spanish army, once considered invincible way back at the 90 00:06:27.120 --> 00:06:30.519 start of this war all those decades ago, suffered a 91 00:06:30.560 --> 00:06:34.279 crushing defeat, lost thousands of men and a significant amount 92 00:06:34.319 --> 00:06:39.199 of equipment. The French victory at Rocroix had far reaching consequences. 93 00:06:39.800 --> 00:06:43.600 It shattered the myth of Spanish military invincibility, demoralized the 94 00:06:43.600 --> 00:06:48.079 Spanish army, and boosted French morale. It also had significant 95 00:06:48.079 --> 00:06:52.000 impact on the political landscape of Europe, contributing overall to 96 00:06:52.079 --> 00:06:54.800 the decline of Spain as the major power in Europe 97 00:06:54.920 --> 00:06:57.959 and the rise of France as the dominant force on 98 00:06:58.040 --> 00:07:02.040 the continent. The French victory at Rocroix didn't immediately end 99 00:07:02.079 --> 00:07:05.879 the war, but it marked a significant turning point. Spain 100 00:07:06.360 --> 00:07:10.079 was now really forced to adopt a defensive posture. Intervening 101 00:07:10.399 --> 00:07:12.800 in the war in an aggressive way was no longer 102 00:07:12.839 --> 00:07:17.839 militarily or financially possible for that kingdom. The French, emboldened 103 00:07:17.839 --> 00:07:21.319 by the victory, tried to press their advantage, seeking to 104 00:07:21.360 --> 00:07:26.480 expand their territorial gains and further weaking Spain. Now, the 105 00:07:26.519 --> 00:07:29.240 war was going to continue for several more years, but 106 00:07:29.279 --> 00:07:33.519 the outcome is starting to look increasingly obvious. At this point, France, 107 00:07:33.600 --> 00:07:37.160 with superior resources and a network of alliances, was steadily 108 00:07:37.199 --> 00:07:41.000 gaining the upper hand. Spain, facing the internal turmoil and 109 00:07:41.319 --> 00:07:46.199 external pressure, was losing its grip. So the path piece 110 00:07:46.240 --> 00:07:49.439 seemed obvious to everyone involved, no one more so than 111 00:07:49.439 --> 00:07:52.199 the Baltic state of Sweden, which we will turn to 112 00:07:53.120 --> 00:08:19.879 right after this. By the mid sixteen forties, both sides 113 00:08:20.199 --> 00:08:23.920 were exhausted by the long and costly war. The desire 114 00:08:24.000 --> 00:08:27.839 for peace was growing, but the path negotiation still seemed 115 00:08:28.279 --> 00:08:32.440 fraught with obstacles. There remained a complex web of alliances, 116 00:08:32.919 --> 00:08:37.919 conflicting territorial claims. Of course, deep religious divisions that had 117 00:08:37.960 --> 00:08:41.000 fueled the conflict in the first place. Those hadn't gone away. 118 00:08:41.799 --> 00:08:45.240 But despite these challenges, the momentum for peace was now undeniable. 119 00:08:46.080 --> 00:08:50.600 In sixteen forty four, preliminary negotiations started in the German 120 00:08:50.679 --> 00:08:56.080 towns of Unesbruck and Munster. Representatives from the various warring factions, 121 00:08:56.360 --> 00:08:59.639 as well as from various European powers, gathered to discuss 122 00:08:59.639 --> 00:09:02.919 the term of a possible peace settlement. The negotiations were 123 00:09:02.919 --> 00:09:06.879 long and difficult, and often interrupted with outbreaks of fighting 124 00:09:07.200 --> 00:09:11.519 and many disagreements among the participants. In sixteen forty four, 125 00:09:11.919 --> 00:09:14.919 the French continued their campaign in Germany against the Holy 126 00:09:15.000 --> 00:09:19.039 Roman Empire and its allies. Cardinal Mazarin, the Chief Minister 127 00:09:19.120 --> 00:09:23.120 of France, aimed to pressure the Emperor into making peace. However, 128 00:09:23.120 --> 00:09:25.360 the French forces were initially too small to make much 129 00:09:25.360 --> 00:09:29.120 of a dent. The most important campaign and the war 130 00:09:29.200 --> 00:09:32.159 is the Freiburg Campaign, which starts in sixteen forty four. 131 00:09:33.000 --> 00:09:36.519 That's the French under Turenne, their main general, clashing with 132 00:09:36.600 --> 00:09:40.639 Bavarian forces under the command of Franz von Mercy. The 133 00:09:40.840 --> 00:09:44.480 campaign was marked by several engagements and ultimately culminated in 134 00:09:44.519 --> 00:09:46.799 the Battle of Freiburg on the third and fifth of 135 00:09:46.840 --> 00:09:50.639 August sixteen forty four. The battle began with a French 136 00:09:50.679 --> 00:09:53.759 attack on the Bavarian positions near the town of Freiburg. 137 00:09:54.559 --> 00:09:59.679 The French's forces initially captured several redoubts. However, the Bavarians, 138 00:09:59.679 --> 00:10:04.159 reran forced by additional troops, launched a successful counterattack. The 139 00:10:04.200 --> 00:10:07.480 battle continued to rage on for two days, with both sides, 140 00:10:07.519 --> 00:10:12.759 suffering heavy casualties. Despite initial French successes, the Bavarians ultimately 141 00:10:12.799 --> 00:10:16.159 repulsed the attack, inflicting heavy losses on the French army. 142 00:10:17.080 --> 00:10:21.639 Despite the tactical victory, the Bavarians army was heavily weakened, 143 00:10:21.919 --> 00:10:27.080 having suffered around four thousand casualties. The French, although defeated 144 00:10:27.120 --> 00:10:31.679 at Freiburg, continued their campaign, capturing the town of Philipsburg 145 00:10:31.759 --> 00:10:36.200 and advancing deep into the Rhineland. This ultimately forced the 146 00:10:36.279 --> 00:10:39.159 Bavarians to abandon their position in the Black Forest and 147 00:10:39.240 --> 00:10:44.879 retreat to protect the strategically crucial city of Manse. By 148 00:10:44.919 --> 00:10:48.600 sixteen forty four, it became increasingly clear that the Holy 149 00:10:48.679 --> 00:10:52.039 Roman Empire was losing its grip on the war. The 150 00:10:52.080 --> 00:10:56.080 French victory, combined with the ongoing negotiations now taking place 151 00:10:56.120 --> 00:11:02.080 at Westphalia, put significant pressure on the Emperor to seek peace. However, 152 00:11:02.240 --> 00:11:05.759 the situation in the Westphalian peace talks was complicated by 153 00:11:05.759 --> 00:11:10.440 the actions of several German princes, particularly the Hessians, who 154 00:11:10.480 --> 00:11:14.120 sought to maintain their independence from both the Emperor and France. 155 00:11:15.120 --> 00:11:19.960 These princes, fearing French domination, often acted against the Emperor's 156 00:11:19.960 --> 00:11:25.840 interests undermining his efforts to achieve a unified peace settlement. Meanwhile, 157 00:11:26.240 --> 00:11:30.919 to the north, between sixteen forty three and sixteen forty five, 158 00:11:31.519 --> 00:11:37.159 the Baltic effectively became Swedish. In sixteen forty three, a 159 00:11:37.240 --> 00:11:41.200 new war erupted between Sweden and Denmark. The conflict was 160 00:11:41.240 --> 00:11:44.559 triggered by the ambitions of the Swedish King, Christian Fourth, 161 00:11:45.120 --> 00:11:48.519 who sought to expand Swedish power in the Baltic region 162 00:11:48.720 --> 00:11:53.840 and control vital trade routes. Denmark, aware of Swedish intentions, 163 00:11:54.039 --> 00:11:56.639 had been preparing for war, strengthening both its army and 164 00:11:56.679 --> 00:12:01.720 its navy. However, Swedish diplomacy and mists successfully massed their 165 00:12:01.759 --> 00:12:05.399 intentions until the last moment, catching the Danes off guard. 166 00:12:06.440 --> 00:12:10.159 In November sixteen forty three, the Swedish fleet launched a 167 00:12:10.200 --> 00:12:14.840 surprise attack on the Danish island of Union. This unexpected attack, 168 00:12:14.919 --> 00:12:18.559 followed by a swift invasion of Jutland, stunned the Danish 169 00:12:18.559 --> 00:12:22.799 court and threw all their defensive plans into disarray. The 170 00:12:22.919 --> 00:12:27.399 Danish army, unprepared for this sudden and slaught, offered little resistance. 171 00:12:28.080 --> 00:12:31.279 Several key fortresses fell to the Swedes, and the Danish 172 00:12:31.360 --> 00:12:36.159 king Frederick was forced to sue for peace. This initial 173 00:12:36.159 --> 00:12:39.519 success was aided by the brutality of the Swedish advance, 174 00:12:39.840 --> 00:12:45.399 which terrorized local populations into submission. The Emperor Ferdinand I, 175 00:12:46.080 --> 00:12:50.679 alarmed by the Swedish advances in the Baltic decided to intervene. 176 00:12:50.759 --> 00:12:53.799 He was motivated by a couple of different factors. Fear 177 00:12:53.840 --> 00:12:58.200 of growing Swedish power. Also, Swedish victory over Denmark gave 178 00:12:58.240 --> 00:13:02.360 them uncontested control over the Baltic Sea, threatening imperial interest 179 00:13:02.440 --> 00:13:05.919 in the region. He also wanted an opportunity to weaken 180 00:13:06.000 --> 00:13:09.879 Sweden because the conflict provided an opportunity for the Emperor 181 00:13:09.919 --> 00:13:13.200 to strike at Sweden while its main force were occupied 182 00:13:13.200 --> 00:13:17.440 in Denmark, and of course wanted to support Denmark. The 183 00:13:17.480 --> 00:13:20.799 Emperor felt obligated to support the Kingdom of Denmark, which 184 00:13:20.879 --> 00:13:23.559 was a fellow and member of the Holy Roman Empire. 185 00:13:25.000 --> 00:13:29.399 Ferdinand dispatched a seasoned commander, Medias Gallis with an imperial 186 00:13:29.519 --> 00:13:34.080 army to aid the Danes. Gallis initially successful managed to 187 00:13:34.159 --> 00:13:38.039 drive the Swedes back from some of the conquest in Jutland. However, 188 00:13:38.200 --> 00:13:41.799 he was ultimately unable to prevent the Swedish advance in 189 00:13:41.879 --> 00:13:45.600 January sixteen forty five, France and the Dutch Republic, both 190 00:13:45.679 --> 00:13:48.960 eager to limit Swedish expansion in the Baltic intervened, but 191 00:13:49.080 --> 00:13:53.320 only diplomatically. They broke her a peace treaty known as 192 00:13:53.600 --> 00:13:58.000 the Treaty or Peace of bromis Barrow between Denmark and Sweden. 193 00:13:59.159 --> 00:14:02.360 The terms of the True fred favored Sweden, who gained 194 00:14:02.360 --> 00:14:07.320 significant territorial concessions from Denmark the islands of Gutland and Ussel, 195 00:14:07.519 --> 00:14:11.960 as well as territory in Norway. This expanded Swedish control 196 00:14:12.159 --> 00:14:15.960 over the Baltic Sea and solidified its position as a 197 00:14:16.039 --> 00:14:20.600 major power in Northern Europe. The Piece of bromos Borough, 198 00:14:21.000 --> 00:14:24.000 although broker by France and the Dutch Republic, had long 199 00:14:24.159 --> 00:14:29.159 term consequences that would ultimately benefit France. The removal of 200 00:14:29.240 --> 00:14:32.360 Christian the Fourth from the war freed up French resources 201 00:14:32.480 --> 00:14:35.799 to focus on their main campaign against the Holy Roman Empire, 202 00:14:36.840 --> 00:14:40.320 but the treaty also strengthened Swedish power, which would later 203 00:14:40.360 --> 00:14:42.639 become a key French ally in the final stages of 204 00:14:42.639 --> 00:14:47.120 the Thirty Years War. Ironically, the piece that was intended 205 00:14:47.279 --> 00:14:51.360 to limit Swedish expansion ended up indirectly benefiting its main 206 00:14:51.840 --> 00:14:56.600 rival France, but the writing is on the wall. By 207 00:14:56.639 --> 00:15:00.200 the end of sixteen forty four sixteen forty five, the 208 00:15:00.240 --> 00:15:03.200 Thirty Years War, which had been raging now for almost 209 00:15:03.240 --> 00:15:07.360 three complete decades, was nearing its final conclusion. In our 210 00:15:07.399 --> 00:15:10.639 next few episodes, we'll see how the parties finally come 211 00:15:10.679 --> 00:15:13.639 to terms with the Treaty of Westphalia, and then take 212 00:15:13.679 --> 00:15:18.279 a step back and consider all the consequences and implications 213 00:15:18.519 --> 00:15:37.320 of this protracted period of conflict for Central Europe.