Transcript The Thirty Years War

The Thirty Years War
An examination of war at the time of
Cyrano de Bergerac.
By Blake F.A. Champagne
Background of the Battle
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The Siege of Arras took place in 1640 during the Thirty Years War
The Thirty Years War began originally as a war of religion centered in
Germany, then called the Holy Roman Empire.
The Holy Roman Empire was not so much an Empire but a loose
confederation of German princes that more often than not were unable to
cooperate.
Divided loyalties and lack of religious conformity created impromptu alliances
with some of the greater powers in Europe and the individual Germanic
states.
The result of all this outside involvement combined with the individual
agendas of the participants would be the most devastating war in Europe
before the Modern Era.
This political map of the Holy Roman Empire shows how
internally divided it was.
This religious map of the Holy Roman Empire shows how
faith also left it divided.
The War Begins
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King Ferdinand II of Bohemia attempted to impose total conversion to
Catholicism on his people in 1618.
Bohemia was a powerful state in the Holy Roman Empire, and Ferdinand
would later be appointed Emperor, but Bohemia was also Protestant, and the
attempts by its King to impose Catholicism caused Protestant nobles from
Bohemia and Austria to organize revolt.
The revolts were crushed, but it attracted attention from neighboring
kingdoms Denmark and Sweden, who invaded in an attempt to gain land
under the pretense of assisting fellow Protestants.
Spain, with holdings in Germany at the time, was driven to participate to
secure its borders.
Poland desired to neutralize its primary Baltic enemy, Sweden, while it was
preoccupied with the Holy Roman Empire.
France would take the opportunity to expand north and destroy the threat of
the spread of Protestant faiths.
The Story of Richelieu
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The main advocate for war with Germany was Cardinal de Richelieu, chief
minister to the absolutist king of France, Louis XIV.
As a young man, Richelieu aspired to make a name for himself in the
military, but due to his sickly nature, instead joined the clergy and on April
17th, 1607, he was consecrated as bishop approximately at the age of
twenty-one.
Richelieu’s political career would begin in 1614 at an assembly the States
General, a meeting of representatives of the social classes of France, where
Richelieu would represent the clergy of Poitou.
Despite his extremist desires to exempt the church of taxes and to persecute
the protestants, he easily influenced the young king Louis the XIV by saying
he stated that he wanted royal power to be “as a firm rock which crushes all
that opposes it.”
Richelieu displayed a knack for maintaining the affairs of state and is
credited with being the key figure behind the absolute power Louis XIV
wielded and establishing the internal and external policies of France.
Cardinal Richelieu, Chief Minister of France.
King Louis XIV, first autocratic king of France.
The Roles of Richelieu and France
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Richelieu had three main goals for France and its evolution:
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An autocratic monarchy with unlimited powers.
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Conversion of France and neighboring lands to the Catholic faith.
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Expansion of the French borders and security against rivals.
Just as all other participants of the Thirty Years War with a religious cause
and motivation to expand power, the armies of France marched to Germany.
Preparations for the Conquest of Arras
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The Siege of Arras was ordered by Cardinal Richelieu himself in his efforts to
secure Catholic France.
Arras, located just north of France, was held by the Spanish-Hapsburg
kingdom.
From this heavily fortified settlement the entire region could be subjugated,
meaning that the short stretch of Protestant lands between France and
Catholic Belgium would give way to conversion efforts and create a firm
buffer between France and the mainly Protestant North.
To weaken Arras, Marechal de Chatillon threatened the Spanish forts of Aire
and Bethune, which forced the Spanish to divert troops from Arras to defend
the key strongholds.
Marechal de Chatillon then combined his troops with those of Maréchal de
La Meilleraye to create a force 23,000 infantry and 9,000 cavalry strong, and
together they laid siege to Arras.
A map detailing the siege works put around Arras by the
French.
The Siege Itself
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The French surrounded Arras with trenches and established fortifications to
withstand counter attacks.
Just as the French plans began to solidify a sizable Spanish force laid siege
to the besiegers, trying, and nearly succeeding, to starve out the French
forces.
Relief came when 1,500 wagon packed with supplies and its compliment of
2,000 men were able to pass through the Spanish lines.
The commanding officer of the Spanish forces within the town discovered
that French troops were resupplied and, desperate to prevent the revival of
the French troops, made a preemptive strike on August 8th, 1640 on those
besieging the eastern flank.
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During this skirmish, Cyrano de Bergerac received a sword-cut to
the neck, but survived.
The following day the Spanish surrendered after the realization that
explosive had been planted by the French beneath the walls of the city.
Credits
The following citations reference sources of information used in this presentation:
"Armand-Jean Du Plessis, Duke De Richelieu." CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Cardinal Richelieu. Web. 9 Feb. 2012.
<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13047a.htm>.
"Louis XIII." History.com. A&E Television Networks. Web. 17 Feb. 2012. <http://www.history.com/topics/louis-xiii>.
Newark, Timothy. The Grammar of Warfare: The Ultimate Visual Guide to the History of Warfare from the Ancient World to the
American Civil War. New York: Fall River, 2009. Print
"Siege of Arras, 1640." Fortified Places Sieges Arras 1640. Web. 9 Feb. 2012. <http://www.fortifiedplaces.com/sieges/arras1640.html>.
"Thirty Years' War (European History)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 9 Feb. 2012.
<http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/592619/Thirty-Years-War>.
The following citations reference sources of images used in this presentation:
"Mike Dust Fascinatum - Cardinal Richelieu - Vol. 2 - August - No. 41." MIKEDUSTMIKEDUSTMIKEDUST. Web. 21 Feb. 2012.
<http://www.mikedust.com/fascinatum/2002/fascinatum-082502.html>.
"Siege of Arras, 1640." Fortified Places Sieges Arras 1640. Web. 9 Feb. 2012. <http://www.fortifiedplaces.com/sieges/arras1640.html>.
"Spanish Succession." : Battle of Blenheim. Web. 21 Feb. 2012.http://www.britishbattles.com/spanish-succession/battleblenheim.htm>.
"Thirty Years' War (European History)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 9 Feb. 2012.
<http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/592619/Thirty-Years-War>.
Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 21 Feb. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Holy_Roman_Empire_1648.svg>.