Samuel Rawson Gardiner remains a respected source on the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), which began as a civil conflict between Protestant princes and the Catholic Holy Roman Emperor, Ferdinand II. Lack of unity on both sides, soon drew in outside powers and the war became a struggle for European dominance. In this short book, Gardiner describes the famous battles and the daring generals: Mansfeld and Wallenstein, Tilly and Gustavus Adolphus, Bernard and Turenne. While, behind the scenes, working through secret subsidies and wily diplomacy, frail, indomitable Cardinal Richelieu gained control of crucial supply lines, crippling Austria and Spain, and setting the stage for the golden age of France. (Summary by Pamela Nagami, M.D.)
Chapters
1 Ch. 1: Causes of the Thirty Years' War, Section 1: Political Institutions of Germany (1440-1517) 14 min 2 Ch. 1, Section 2: Protestantism in Germany (1517-1570) 11 min 3 Ch. 1, Section 3: Reaction Against Protestantism (1570-1596) 5 min 4 Ch. 1, Section 4: Three Parties and Three Leaders (1596-1612) 18 min 5 Ch. 2: The Bohemian Revolution, Section 1: The House of Austria and its Subjects (1600-1618) 12 min 6 Ch. 2, Section 2: The Revolution at Prague (March-May 1618) 5 min 7 Ch. 2, Section 3: The War in Bohemia (May 1618-February 1619) 8 min 8 Ch. 2, Section 4: Ferdinand on his Defence (March-November, 1619) 9 min 9 Ch. 3: Imperialist Victories in Bohemia and the Palatinate, Section 1: The Attack upon Frederick (November 1619-January 1621) 16 min 10 Ch. 3, Section 2: The War in the Upper Palatinate (January-October 1621) 8 min 11 Ch. 3, Section 3: Frederick's Allies (October 1621-May 1622) 13 min 12 Ch. 3, Section 4: The Fight for the Lower Palatinate (April-July 1622) 7 min 13 Ch. 4: Mansfeld and Christian in North Germany, Section 1: Mansfeld's March into the Netherlands (July-November 1622) 8 min 14 Ch. 4, Section 2: Christian of Brunswick in Lower Saxony (November 1622-August 1623) 5 min 15 Ch. 4, Section 3: Danger of the Lower Saxon Circle (August-December 1623) 5 min 16 Ch. 4, Section 4: England and France (October 1623-August 1624) 7 min 17 Ch. 4: Section 5: Rise of Richelieu (August 1624-September 1625) 12 min 18 Ch. 5: Intervention of the King of Denmark, Section 1: Christian IV and Gustavus Adolphus (1624) 13 min 19 Ch. 5, Section 2: English Diplomacy (August 1624-July 1625) 8 min 20 Ch. 5, Section 3: Wallenstein's Armament (July 1625-February 1626) 15 min 21 Ch. 5, Section 4: Defeat of Mansfeld and Christian IV (February-August 1626) 8 min 22 Ch. 6: Stralshund and Rochelle, Section 1: Fresh Successes of Wallenstein (August 1626-October 1627) 11 min 23 Ch. 6, Section 2: Resistance to Wallenstein in the Empire (October 1627-February 1628) 11 min 24 Ch. 6, Section 3: The Siege of Stralsund (August-February 1628) 7 min 25 Ch. 6, Section 4: The Siege of Rochelle (1625-1628) 13 min 26 Ch. 7: The Edict of Restitution, Section 1: Oppression of the Protestants (March 1628-May 1629) 9 min 27 Ch. 7, Section 2: French Intervention in Italy (1628-1630) 8 min 28 Ch. 7, Section 3: Wallenstein Deprived of his Command (March 1629-September 1630) 12 min 29 Ch. 7, Section 4: The Swedes Establish Themselves on the Coast of the Baltic (July 1630-January 1631) 6 min 30 Ch. 7, Section 5: The Fall of Magdeburg (January-May 1631) 11 min 31 Ch. 8: The Victories of Gustavus Adolphus, Section 1: Alliance between the Swedes and the Saxons (June-September 1631) 7 min 32 Ch. 8, Section 2: Battle of Breitenfeld (September 1631) 14 min 33 Ch. 8, Section 3: March of Gustavus into South Germany (October 1631-May 1632) 10 min 34 Ch. 8, Section 4: Wallenstein's Restoration to Command (September 1631-June 1632) 11 min 35 Ch. 8, Section 5: Struggle between Gustavus and Wallenstein (June-October 1632) 9 min 36 Ch. 8, Section 6: The Battle of Lützen (October-November 1632) 10 min 37 Ch. 9: The Death of Wallenstein and the Treaty of Prague, Section 1: French Influence in Germany (November 1632-April 1633) 10 min 38 Ch. 9, Section 2: Wallenstein's Attempt to Dictate Peace (April-December 1633) 10 min 39 Ch. 9, Section 3: Resistance to Wallenstein's Plans (January-February 1634) 6 min 40 Ch. 9, Section 4: Assassination of Wallenstein (February 1634) 9 min 41 Ch. 9, Section 5: Imperialist Victories and the Treaty of Prague (February 1634-May 1635) 14 min 42 Ch. 10: The Preponderance of France, Section 1: Open Intervention of France (May 1635) 8 min 43 Ch. 10, Section 2: Spanish Successes (May 1635-December 1637) 6 min 44 Ch. 10, Section 3: The Struggle for Alsace (January 1638-July 1639) 4 min 45 Ch. 10, Section 4: French Successes (July 1639-December 1642) 9 min 46 Ch. 10, Section 5: Aims and Character of Richelieu (December 1642-May 1643) 9 min 47 Ch. 10, Section 6: More French Victories (May 1643-August 1645) 9 min 48 Ch. 11: The End of the War, Section 1: Turenne's Strategy (June 1645-October 1648) 9 min 49 Ch. 11, Section 2: The Treaty of Westphalia (October 1648) 9 min 50 Ch. 11, Section 3: Condition of Germany 9 min 51 Ch. 11, Section 4: Continuance of the War between France and Spain (1648-1660) 13 min
