The Thirty Years' War, 1618-1648

Samuel Rawson Gardiner (1829 - 1902)

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.)

Genre(s): War & Military, Political Science, Early Modern

Language: English

Keyword(s): France (171), Reformation (72), Spain (51), Catholicism (30), bohemia (20), sweden (14), protestantism (13), huguenot (9), Wallenstein (7), thirty years' war (5) ... [Show full list]

Section Chapter Reader Time
Play 01 Ch. 1: Causes of the Thirty Years' War, Section 1: Political Institutions of Germany (1440-1517) Pamela Nagami
00:14:07
Play 02 Ch. 1, Section 2: Protestantism in Germany (1517-1570) Pamela Nagami
00:11:03
Play 03 Ch. 1, Section 3: Reaction Against Protestantism (1570-1596) Pamela Nagami
00:04:57
Play 04 Ch. 1, Section 4: Three Parties and Three Leaders (1596-1612) Pamela Nagami
00:17:43
Play 05 Ch. 2: The Bohemian Revolution, Section 1: The House of Austria and its Subjects (1600-1618) Pamela Nagami
00:12:09
Play 06 Ch. 2, Section 2: The Revolution at Prague (March-May 1618) Pamela Nagami
00:05:21
Play 07 Ch. 2, Section 3: The War in Bohemia (May 1618-February 1619) Pamela Nagami
00:07:59
Play 08 Ch. 2, Section 4: Ferdinand on his Defence (March-November, 1619) Pamela Nagami
00:08:31
Play 09 Ch. 3: Imperialist Victories in Bohemia and the Palatinate, Section 1: The Attack upon Frederick (November 1619-January 1621) Pamela Nagami
00:16:05
Play 10 Ch. 3, Section 2: The War in the Upper Palatinate (January-October 1621) Pamela Nagami
00:08:12
Play 11 Ch. 3, Section 3: Frederick's Allies (October 1621-May 1622) Pamela Nagami
00:13:21
Play 12 Ch. 3, Section 4: The Fight for the Lower Palatinate (April-July 1622) Pamela Nagami
00:07:29
Play 13 Ch. 4: Mansfeld and Christian in North Germany, Section 1: Mansfeld's March into the Netherlands (July-November 1622) Pamela Nagami
00:08:23
Play 14 Ch. 4, Section 2: Christian of Brunswick in Lower Saxony (November 1622-August 1623) Pamela Nagami
00:05:05
Play 15 Ch. 4, Section 3: Danger of the Lower Saxon Circle (August-December 1623) Pamela Nagami
00:05:11
Play 16 Ch. 4, Section 4: England and France (October 1623-August 1624) Pamela Nagami
00:07:08
Play 17 Ch. 4: Section 5: Rise of Richelieu (August 1624-September 1625) Pamela Nagami
00:12:14
Play 18 Ch. 5: Intervention of the King of Denmark, Section 1: Christian IV and Gustavus Adolphus (1624) Pamela Nagami
00:13:01
Play 19 Ch. 5, Section 2: English Diplomacy (August 1624-July 1625) Pamela Nagami
00:07:41
Play 20 Ch. 5, Section 3: Wallenstein's Armament (July 1625-February 1626) Pamela Nagami
00:14:54
Play 21 Ch. 5, Section 4: Defeat of Mansfeld and Christian IV (February-August 1626) Pamela Nagami
00:08:09
Play 22 Ch. 6: Stralshund and Rochelle, Section 1: Fresh Successes of Wallenstein (August 1626-October 1627) Pamela Nagami
00:10:47
Play 23 Ch. 6, Section 2: Resistance to Wallenstein in the Empire (October 1627-February 1628) Pamela Nagami
00:11:25
Play 24 Ch. 6, Section 3: The Siege of Stralsund (August-February 1628) Pamela Nagami
00:06:55
Play 25 Ch. 6, Section 4: The Siege of Rochelle (1625-1628) Pamela Nagami
00:12:55
Play 26 Ch. 7: The Edict of Restitution, Section 1: Oppression of the Protestants (March 1628-May 1629) Pamela Nagami
00:09:17
Play 27 Ch. 7, Section 2: French Intervention in Italy (1628-1630) Pamela Nagami
00:07:47
Play 28 Ch. 7, Section 3: Wallenstein Deprived of his Command (March 1629-September 1630) Pamela Nagami
00:11:44
Play 29 Ch. 7, Section 4: The Swedes Establish Themselves on the Coast of the Baltic (July 1630-January 1631) Pamela Nagami
00:05:44
Play 30 Ch. 7, Section 5: The Fall of Magdeburg (January-May 1631) Pamela Nagami
00:11:14
Play 31 Ch. 8: The Victories of Gustavus Adolphus, Section 1: Alliance between the Swedes and the Saxons (June-September 1631) Pamela Nagami
00:06:39
Play 32 Ch. 8, Section 2: Battle of Breitenfeld (September 1631) Pamela Nagami
00:13:52
Play 33 Ch. 8, Section 3: March of Gustavus into South Germany (October 1631-May 1632) Pamela Nagami
00:09:51
Play 34 Ch. 8, Section 4: Wallenstein's Restoration to Command (September 1631-June 1632) Pamela Nagami
00:11:06
Play 35 Ch. 8, Section 5: Struggle between Gustavus and Wallenstein (June-October 1632) Pamela Nagami
00:09:18
Play 36 Ch. 8, Section 6: The Battle of Lützen (October-November 1632) Pamela Nagami
00:09:48
Play 37 Ch. 9: The Death of Wallenstein and the Treaty of Prague, Section 1: French Influence in Germany (November 1632-April 1633) Pamela Nagami
00:10:16
Play 38 Ch. 9, Section 2: Wallenstein's Attempt to Dictate Peace (April-December 1633) Pamela Nagami
00:10:01
Play 39 Ch. 9, Section 3: Resistance to Wallenstein's Plans (January-February 1634) Pamela Nagami
00:06:17
Play 40 Ch. 9, Section 4: Assassination of Wallenstein (February 1634) Pamela Nagami
00:08:47
Play 41 Ch. 9, Section 5: Imperialist Victories and the Treaty of Prague (February 1634-May 1635) Pamela Nagami
00:13:51
Play 42 Ch. 10: The Preponderance of France, Section 1: Open Intervention of France (May 1635) Pamela Nagami
00:07:45
Play 43 Ch. 10, Section 2: Spanish Successes (May 1635-December 1637) Pamela Nagami
00:06:17
Play 44 Ch. 10, Section 3: The Struggle for Alsace (January 1638-July 1639) Pamela Nagami
00:04:14
Play 45 Ch. 10, Section 4: French Successes (July 1639-December 1642) Pamela Nagami
00:09:03
Play 46 Ch. 10, Section 5: Aims and Character of Richelieu (December 1642-May 1643) Pamela Nagami
00:08:37
Play 47 Ch. 10, Section 6: More French Victories (May 1643-August 1645) Pamela Nagami
00:08:56
Play 48 Ch. 11: The End of the War, Section 1: Turenne's Strategy (June 1645-October 1648) Pamela Nagami
00:08:58
Play 49 Ch. 11, Section 2: The Treaty of Westphalia (October 1648) Pamela Nagami
00:08:46
Play 50 Ch. 11, Section 3: Condition of Germany Pamela Nagami
00:08:37
Play 51 Ch. 11, Section 4: Continuance of the War between France and Spain (1648-1660) Pamela Nagami
00:12:38