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<v Speaker 1>Hello and welcome to Western SIEV. Episode three hundred and

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<v Speaker 1>thirty nine. Denmark intervenes. So the year is now sixteen

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<v Speaker 1>twenty six. The Thirty Years War has been raging across

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<v Speaker 1>Europe for about six years, and the Protestant forces of Denmark,

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<v Speaker 1>led by their ambitious King Christian four, are now facing

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<v Speaker 1>a formidable foe, the Catholic Imperial Army, under the command

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<v Speaker 1>of their season in general, the Count of Tilly, now

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<v Speaker 1>Christian fourth, is already a warrior king. In fact, he's

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<v Speaker 1>known for his bold and decisive actions in battle. He

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<v Speaker 1>entered the war with high hopes, aiming to champion the

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<v Speaker 1>Protestant cause and expand Danish influence in northern Germany. But

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<v Speaker 1>eventually the tide is going to turn against him. A

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<v Speaker 1>series of defeats will weaken his army and his once

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<v Speaker 1>bright prospects will start to quickly dim. At this point,

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<v Speaker 1>the stage becomes set for a decisive confrontation at the

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<v Speaker 1>Battle of luter Brenberg, which is really our first decisive

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<v Speaker 1>battle since the Battle of Waite Mountain. Christian the Fourth,

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<v Speaker 1>despite some of the setbacks, remained proud and headstrong. He

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<v Speaker 1>made a fateful decision, however, prior to the battle, he

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<v Speaker 1>decided to divide his forces. He sent a detachment to

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<v Speaker 1>join the Count of Wallenstein, a powerful imperial general with

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<v Speaker 1>whom he had formed a somewhat shaky alliance, while Christian

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<v Speaker 1>the fourth remained with his main army. This decision would

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<v Speaker 1>prove to be a grave miscalculation. Tilley, who as we know,

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<v Speaker 1>was an excellent, cunning, and ruthless commander, he seized upon

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<v Speaker 1>this opportunity presented by the divided Danish forces. He focused

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<v Speaker 1>his attack on Christian the Fourth's weakened left flank, launching

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<v Speaker 1>furious assault after furious assault in the battle that overwhelmed

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<v Speaker 1>the Danish defenses. Making matters worse, the Danish baggage train,

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<v Speaker 1>carrying vital supplies and specifically artillery, was quickly routed and

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<v Speaker 1>captured by Tilly's forces, removing Christian the Fourth's artillery from

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<v Speaker 1>the battle in one fell swoop. The loss of the

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<v Speaker 1>baggage train proved to be a devastating blow to the

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<v Speaker 1>Danish army. Demoralized and lacking essential provisions, their resistance quickly crumbled.

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<v Speaker 1>Christian the Fourth, realizing that the battle was lost, ordered

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<v Speaker 1>a hasty retreat. This effectively ended the once mighty Danish

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<v Speaker 1>army's role in the battle, which was now shattered and

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<v Speaker 1>defeated and fled the field. The Battle of Luton Arterberg

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<v Speaker 1>marked a turning point in the Thirty Years War and

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<v Speaker 1>honestly the end of the effort of the Danes to

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<v Speaker 1>gain control over the region of northern Germany. Christian the Fourth,

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<v Speaker 1>forced to abandon the mainland and seek refuge on his ships,

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<v Speaker 1>had suffered a humiliating defeat. The victory cemented Imperial control

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<v Speaker 1>over northern Germany and also, of course, Catholic control over

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<v Speaker 1>Northern Germany. Now, of course, I said that Christian divided

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<v Speaker 1>his forces. So meanwhile, on the other front of the

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<v Speaker 1>sprawling conflict, another imperial general, Wallenstein, was engaged in a

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<v Speaker 1>campaign in Upper Germany. Now, his objective was to subdue

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<v Speaker 1>the rebellious Transylvanian Prince Bethlen. Wallenstein, known for his strategic brilliance,

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<v Speaker 1>had envisioned a swift and decisive campaign. However, unforeseen circumstances

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<v Speaker 1>quickly delayed his plans and tested his resolve. The harvest

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<v Speaker 1>season had arrived and the logistical demands of gathering crops

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<v Speaker 1>slowed Wallenstein's advance. The delay proved costly, as it allowed

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<v Speaker 1>Bethlen the opportunity to see the strategic city of Buddha

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<v Speaker 1>before Wallenstein could intervene. This is half of the modern

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<v Speaker 1>day Budapest. To add to his woes, Wallenstein's army was

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<v Speaker 1>struck by disease, further weakening his forces. Now, despite all

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<v Speaker 1>these setbacks, Wallenstein was not deterred. He regrouped his forces

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<v Speaker 1>and negotiated a treaty with Bethlen in December of sixteen

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<v Speaker 1>twenty six, securing a temporary truce. The treaty, though not

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<v Speaker 1>a complete victory, allowed Wallenstein to extricate his army from

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<v Speaker 1>a difficult situation and regroup for future campaigns. Back in

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<v Speaker 1>the heart of the Holy Roman Empire, the political landscape

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<v Speaker 1>had now started to shift. The growing power of Wallenstein

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<v Speaker 1>and the imperial forces were causing unease amongst many of

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<v Speaker 1>the German princes. They feared that the Emperor Ferdinand the

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<v Speaker 1>Second was using the war as an excuse to consolidate

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<v Speaker 1>his power and to erode the traditional liberties. Frankly, they're

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<v Speaker 1>probably right now. To address these concerns, there was an

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<v Speaker 1>electoral congress held in sixteen twenty seven in the city

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<v Speaker 1>of Mulhausen. His gathering of the most powerful princes of

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<v Speaker 1>the Empire was intended to discuss the pressing issues of

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<v Speaker 1>the war and ideally the future of the empire itself. However,

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<v Speaker 1>the Congress was dominated by the Emperor and his supporters,

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<v Speaker 1>who sought to maintain and even expand their grip on power.

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<v Speaker 1>One of the most vocal critics of Wallenstein and the

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<v Speaker 1>emperor's policies was Maximilian of Bavaria, a powerful prince who

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<v Speaker 1>had emerged as a leading figure in the Catholic League.

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<v Speaker 1>This again illustrates the fallacy in claiming that the Thirty

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<v Speaker 1>Years War was all about religion, because here we have

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<v Speaker 1>a leading Catholic complaining about a Catholic emperor expanding his power.

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<v Speaker 1>Maximilian accused Wallenstein of exceeding his authority and undermining the

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<v Speaker 1>rights of the princes. He called for reforms to curb

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<v Speaker 1>Ollenstein's power and restore the balance of power within the empire. Now,

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<v Speaker 1>despite Maximilian's rather impassioned please, the Congress failed to achieve

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<v Speaker 1>any meaningful reforms. The Emperor, determined to pursue his goal

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<v Speaker 1>of a united Catholic Empire, resisted any attempts whatsoever to

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<v Speaker 1>limit his authority. Ferdinand really now for the first time,

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<v Speaker 1>saw the Thirty Years War as the opportunity to turn

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<v Speaker 1>the Holy Roman Empire into something that looked a lot

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<v Speaker 1>more like France or Spain or England, a united sovereign

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<v Speaker 1>state led by a king. Now the Congress ended in

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<v Speaker 1>a stalemate, leaving the underlying tensions unresolved and continuing to

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<v Speaker 1>set the stage for future conflict. While the political machinations

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<v Speaker 1>of the Empire played out, Christian the Fourth of Denmark,

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<v Speaker 1>licking his wounds after the defeat of luder Bredenberg, was

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<v Speaker 1>forced to come to terms with the reality of his situation.

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<v Speaker 1>Sprout warrior king, now humbled by defeat, had no choice.

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<v Speaker 1>He had to make peace with his enemies. So in

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<v Speaker 1>sixteen twenty nine, Christian signed the Piece of Lubeck, formally

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<v Speaker 1>ending Denmark's involvement in the Thirty Years War. The treaty

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<v Speaker 1>allowed Christian fourth the ability to retain his throne, though

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<v Speaker 1>it was still a tough pill to swallow. However, he

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<v Speaker 1>was forced to see territory, and he had to pay

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<v Speaker 1>a heavy indemnity, a stark reminder of his failed ambitions,

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<v Speaker 1>and honestly a warning to other foreign nations about the

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<v Speaker 1>risks of getting involved in this never ending conflict. Now,

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<v Speaker 1>the piece of Lubec marks the end of one chapter

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<v Speaker 1>in what is going to be the long and bloody

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<v Speaker 1>saga of the Thirty Years War. But of course we're

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<v Speaker 1>only six or seven years in year, so the conflict

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<v Speaker 1>is far from over. New actors are about to emerge

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<v Speaker 1>on the stage, and the battle will continue to raid

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<v Speaker 1>for years to come. But that will be right after this.

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<v Speaker 1>As the year sixteen twenty eight dawned across Europe, the

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<v Speaker 1>Thirty Years War continued to rage. To the north, a

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<v Speaker 1>new power was rising in the person of Gustavus Adolphus,

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<v Speaker 1>the ambitious young King of Sweden, who now set his

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<v Speaker 1>sights on expanding his power base in the Baltic region.

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<v Speaker 1>Gustavus Adolphus, also known as Gustave the Second adolph was

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<v Speaker 1>born on December the ninth, fifteen ninety four, in Stockholm, Sweden.

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<v Speaker 1>He was the eldest son of King Charles the tenth

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<v Speaker 1>of Sweden and Queen Christina of Holstein Orp. Gustavus was

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<v Speaker 1>part of the Basa dynasty, a royal family that played

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<v Speaker 1>a crucial role in establishing Sweden as a European power.

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<v Speaker 1>Gustavus Adolphus grew up during a period of intense political

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<v Speaker 1>and religious turbulence. His father, Charles the Tenth, was a

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<v Speaker 1>staunch supporter of Protestantism and had taken the throne after

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<v Speaker 1>a power struggle with his Catholic half brother, Sigismund the Third,

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<v Speaker 1>who was both the king of Poland and Sweden until

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<v Speaker 1>he was dethroned by Charles in fifteen ninety nine. This

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<v Speaker 1>conflict would set the stage for Gustalfus's reign and broader

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<v Speaker 1>conflicts in the era, including the Thirty Years War. From

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<v Speaker 1>a young age, Gustavus was groomed to rule. His education

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<v Speaker 1>was rigorous and focused on subjects essential for a future king.

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<v Speaker 1>He studied languages, law, history, military tactics, and diplomacy. By

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<v Speaker 1>the time he was a teenager, he was fluent in

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<v Speaker 1>several languages, including Latin, German, Dutch, French, an Italian, along

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<v Speaker 1>with his native Swedish. His early education also included classical

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<v Speaker 1>studies in military theory, setting the stage and foundation for

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<v Speaker 1>his future as a military strategist. Gustavus's early years were

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<v Speaker 1>marked by a strong involvement in politics, and military affairs.

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<v Speaker 1>As a teenager, he was already participating in the meetings

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<v Speaker 1>of the Rikstag, the Swedish parliament, and was introduced to

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<v Speaker 1>the complexities of governance and state craft. He demonstrated a

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<v Speaker 1>keen interest in military matters, often accompanying his father on

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<v Speaker 1>campaigns and learning about leadership right on the battlefield. In

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<v Speaker 1>sixteen eleven, at the age of sixteen, Gustavus officially became

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<v Speaker 1>king after the death of his father, Charles the ninth.

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<v Speaker 1>His ascension to the throne was during a very difficult period,

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<v Speaker 1>as Sweden was involved already in multiple conflicts. In fact,

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<v Speaker 1>his country was at war with Denmark, Norway, Russia, and

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<v Speaker 1>pol in Lithuania, making the young king's early years quite

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<v Speaker 1>the baptism by fire. These challenges, however, shaped Gustavus's approach

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<v Speaker 1>to governance and military strategy, as he had to prove

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<v Speaker 1>himself capable of leading the country through a series of

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<v Speaker 1>external threats. In the first few years of his reign,

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<v Speaker 1>Gustavs showed a remarkable skill in managing both domestic and

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<v Speaker 1>foreign affairs. He was known for his intelligence, charisma, and

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<v Speaker 1>dedication to his role as king. During his early reign,

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<v Speaker 1>Gustavus initiated a series of military and administrative reforms that

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<v Speaker 1>would eventually transform Sweden into a leading European power. His

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<v Speaker 1>reforms included the modernization of the Swedish army, which we'll

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<v Speaker 1>talk about in much greater detail in the next episode,

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<v Speaker 1>the establishment of a standing army, an improvement in the

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<v Speaker 1>country's finances and bureaucracy. These early experiences laid the groundwork

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<v Speaker 1>for Gustavus Adolphus's rise as a formidable military leader and

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<v Speaker 1>central figure in the Thirty Years War. In fact, as

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<v Speaker 1>we will see next time, he's going to become known

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<v Speaker 1>as the Lion of the North. His innovative military tactics

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<v Speaker 1>and leadership would later influence European warfare and establish Sweden

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<v Speaker 1>temporarily as a dominant force on the continent. Now, the

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<v Speaker 1>defeat of his Danish rival, Christianed the Fourth at the

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<v Speaker 1>hands of imperial forces in sixteen twenty six left a

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<v Speaker 1>power vacuum that Gustavus Adolphus was eager to fill. He

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<v Speaker 1>immediately launched a bold invasion of Livonia, which was at

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<v Speaker 1>that time a Polish possession, igniting a new front in

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<v Speaker 1>the already expanding conflict. Gustavus Adolphus's invasion was met with

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<v Speaker 1>stiff resistance by the Polish king Sigismund the Third, his uncle.

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<v Speaker 1>These two monarchs clashed in a series of bloody battles,

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<v Speaker 1>with neither side able to gain a decisive advantage. The

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<v Speaker 1>war in the Baltic region quickly became a brutal stalemate,

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<v Speaker 1>a back and forth fight that drained the resources of

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<v Speaker 1>both kingdoms. Now, while this was going on in the

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<v Speaker 1>heart of the Holy Roman Empire, Ferdinand the Second, the

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<v Speaker 1>Habsburg Emperor, saw an opportunity to exploit the chaos and

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<v Speaker 1>further his own ambitions. He dreamt of a restored Catholic dominance,

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<v Speaker 1>a return to the glory days of the Holy Roman

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<v Speaker 1>Empire prior to the Protestant Reformation. Now, the war in

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<v Speaker 1>the Baltic gave Ferdinand the perfect excuse to intervene and

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<v Speaker 1>to expand imperial influence northward and challenge the growing power

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<v Speaker 1>of Protestant states like Sweden and Denmark. Ferdinand found a

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<v Speaker 1>willing instrument in Wallenstein, was, as we know, a brilliant

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<v Speaker 1>but ruthless general who rose to prominence through military success. Wallenstein,

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<v Speaker 1>ever eager for power or glory shared in the Emperor's

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<v Speaker 1>vision of a resurgent Holy Roman Empire. He saw the

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<v Speaker 1>Baltic as a strategic prize, a key to controlling both

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<v Speaker 1>trade and projecting imperial power. Wallenstein's ambitions expanded beyond the Baltic.

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<v Speaker 1>He laid siege to the key city of Strassland, a

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<v Speaker 1>key member of the Hanseatic League, the old trading league

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<v Speaker 1>that used to dominate commerce along the Baltic region and

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<v Speaker 1>throughout northern Germany. His goal there was to establish a

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<v Speaker 1>naval base that would give the Empire control of the

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<v Speaker 1>vital sea lanes. The siege of Strassland quickly became a

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<v Speaker 1>focal point of the struggle for dominance in the Baltic,

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<v Speaker 1>a clash between Wallenstein's imperial ambitions and the determination of

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<v Speaker 1>the Hanseatic League to maintain its independence. But the war

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<v Speaker 1>in the Baltic was only one theater in this unfolding conflict.

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<v Speaker 1>In Italy, the death of Binche of the second Gonzaga,

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<v Speaker 1>Duke of Mantua triggered a succession crisis that managed now

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<v Speaker 1>to draw these clashing powers south. Charles de Nevers, a

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<v Speaker 1>French nobleman, claimed the duchy, while the Habsburg's back arrival claimant.

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<v Speaker 1>The dispute quickly escalated, with France and Spain already locked

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<v Speaker 1>in the bitter rivalry, intervening on opposing sides. Italy then

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<v Speaker 1>became a new battleground in the struggle for European supremacy,

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<v Speaker 1>a bloody side show, however, to the main conflict in Germany,

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<v Speaker 1>but yet another indication of why there were so many

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<v Speaker 1>driving forces that just kept the conflagration of the Thirty

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<v Speaker 1>Years' War going year after year after year. Meanwhile, in France,

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<v Speaker 1>Cardinal Richelieu, the ambitious chief minister of King Louis, was

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<v Speaker 1>determined to consolidate royal power and crush his opposition. He

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<v Speaker 1>saw the Huguenots, the French Protestant minority, as a threat

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<v Speaker 1>to his plan, and so while the conflict was going

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<v Speaker 1>on in Germany, in sixteen twenty seven, Richelieu launched a

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<v Speaker 1>siege of La Rochelle. As we can probably remember from

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<v Speaker 1>the episodes of Henry the Fourth, the Hugenots' most important stronghold,

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<v Speaker 1>that was where he retreated to and reconsolidated power before

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<v Speaker 1>taking back the throne. The siege of La Rochelle became

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<v Speaker 1>sort of a test of will between Richelieu's determination to

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<v Speaker 1>crush the Huguenots and the huguenots desperate fight for survival.

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<v Speaker 1>The siege of La Rochelle also had international ramifications. England,

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<v Speaker 1>still under the leadership of King Charles the First, sent

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<v Speaker 1>a fleet to relieve the city, but this English intervention

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<v Speaker 1>was ultimately unsuccessful, and La Rochelle fell to Richelieu's forces

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<v Speaker 1>in sixteen twenty eight. The fall of La Rochelle marked

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<v Speaker 1>a major victory for Richelieu and a significant blow to

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<v Speaker 1>the Hugenot cause. That's going to have major implications for

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<v Speaker 1>Huguenots in France going forward, forward, all the way honestly

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<v Speaker 1>through the French Revolution. As the wars in the Baltic

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<v Speaker 1>Italy and France rage on, Ferdinand the Second made a

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<v Speaker 1>faithful decision in sixteen twenty nine, he issued the famous

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<v Speaker 1>Edict of Restitution. This was a decree that sought to

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<v Speaker 1>restore all Catholic church lands that had been secularized since

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<v Speaker 1>fifteen fifty two. The Edict of Restitution was honestly nothing

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<v Speaker 1>less than an attempt to roll back the entire Reformation.

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<v Speaker 1>It was a provocation that literally set on fire all

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<v Speaker 1>Protestants across the Empire. It was a gamble. It was

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<v Speaker 1>a bold stroke that Ferdinand the Second hoped would strengthen

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<v Speaker 1>his position and secure essentially perpetual Catholic dominance. Wallenstein was

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<v Speaker 1>tasked with implementing the Edict of Restitution in territory under

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<v Speaker 1>his controls, and he carried out his orders with ruthless efficiency,

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<v Speaker 1>seizing Protestant lands left and right and restoring them to

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<v Speaker 1>the Catholic Church. His actions only further alienated the Protestants

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<v Speaker 1>and contributed to growing unrest in the Empire. In the end,

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<v Speaker 1>the Edict of Restitution proved to be a major miscalculation.

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<v Speaker 1>It backfired spectacularly, fueling resentment among Protestants and sparking resistance.

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<v Speaker 1>Any fragile piece that had existed in any part of

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<v Speaker 1>the Empire at all immediately collapsed, and the war spread further.

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<v Speaker 1>So the year sixteen thirty ended with Europe engulfed in

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<v Speaker 1>essentially now a continent wide conflict. Gustavis Adolphus, having secured

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<v Speaker 1>his position in the Baltic, now prepared to intervene in Germany,

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<v Speaker 1>bringing with him a powerful Swedish army that could tip

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<v Speaker 1>the balance of war. Richelieu in France. Emboldened now by

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<v Speaker 1>his victory at law, Rochelle looked to expand French influence

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<v Speaker 1>eastward over the Rhine and into Germany. Ferdinandon, now facing

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<v Speaker 1>a resurgent Protestant threat, is forced to rely increasingly on Wallenstein,

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<v Speaker 1>who's growing power and ambition makes him a potential threat

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<v Speaker 1>to the emperor's own authority. Next week, we turn the

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<v Speaker 1>page to the pivotal year of sixteen thirty, as Gustavus

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<v Speaker 1>Adolphus and Cardinal Richelieu slam into Germany.