Hello, and welcome to Western CIV. Episode four hundred and forty four, The Baltic and Peace. Today, I'm going to focus really on the period between sixteen forty one and sixteen forty three, as we inched towards the end of the Thirty Years War. There's a lot of political and military maneuvering in this era, but we're really going to focus mostly on the Baltic region as that starts to
wrap up in this story. Between sixteen forty one and sixteen forty three, Spain's fortunes really start to decline in the war. Overall, the once mighty Habsburg Empire, under the rule of Philip the Fourth now faced numerous challenges both internally and externally. The lengthy war had drained Spain's treasury, leaving it vulnerable and unable to maintain vast military commitments spread not only across Europe, but then across the Americas
as well. There were revolts in Catalonia and Portugal, further stretching Spain's resources and undermining its authority. The Catalan Revolt, which began in sixteen forty was fueled by resentment over high taxes and the perceived neglect of Catalan interest by the Spanish crown. The Portuguese Revolt, which erupted in that exact same year, aimed to restore Portuguese independence after sixty
years of Spanish rule. While this was going on, France was on the rise under the leadership of Cardinal Richelieu. France had steadily increased influence in its European affairs. Richelieu, recognizing Spain's declining and increased vulnerability, saw the Thirty Years War as an opportunity to weaken its most important rival, the Habsburg Empire, and advance French interests. In sixteen forty one, France formally finally entered the war on the side of
the Protestants, marking a significant escalation of the conflict. Richelieuse strategy was multifaceted, involving military intervention, financial support for Spain's enemies, and the forementing of rebellion within the Spanish Empire. The decline of Spain as a power in the Thirty Years War and the rise of France is actually what's going to pay the way for a changing situation in the Baltic States. There were several key military campaigns and revolts
that occurred during this period. In sixteen forty one, following a French broker piece between Spain and the Duke of Savoy, tensions flared once more when Spain, under the leadership of Gesparre de Guzman, the Count of Olivares, attempt to exploit a perceived opportunity to expand Spanish influence in Italy. This move, however, was a miscalculation. All Gasparre did was reignite conflict with
France and that ultimately backfired in the long run. Now along the Franco Spanish border, skirmishes and sieges became much more commonplace. In sixteen forty two, French forces led by the capable Enrico de broabanng the Prince of Conde, clashed with Spanish troops under the command of Francisco de Melo
in a series of engagements. The French, though they came out mostly on the top, did face challenges on their own, including internal rivalries which we'll go back to later on the command structure, and continued logistical difficulties, remember were still in early modern Europe. Despite these setbacks, the French still managed to maintain pressure on the Spanish forces. The real difficulty here was the immense financial and military strain that
the war placed on everyone who was participating. Spain, in particular, struggled to maintain its vast military commitments. The crown, faced with the depleted treasury, resorted to increasingly desperate measures to raise funds, including the debasement of currency and the imposition of new taxes. These measures, however, were unpopular and often counterproductive, fueling resentment that contributed to the instability of the Spanish
Empire as well as the Catalan and Portuguese revolts. The French, while enjoying greater financial resources than Spain, also faced challenges in funding their war effort. Richelieu, despite his incredible political acumen, struggled to balance the demands of the war with the need to maintain domestic stability, and that's an issue that we're going to come back to in a few episodes.
After the end of the Thirty Years War, the French people, increasingly burdened by war taxes, grew tired of the conflict, and Richelieu faced opposition from those we saw the war as an unnecessary drain on French resources, and one of the reasons that the war continued to drag on for
so long. Was, as we've already discussed a number of times, the shifting alliances and political maneuvering of all the different parties who were involved in sixteen forty three, and this event, we're definitely going to go back to Louis the thirteenth died and Louis the fourteenth, as a young boy ascended to the throne. He's going to be, as a result, the longest living European monarch. He was only five years old at the time and placed under the regency of
Anne of Austria and deeply influenced by Cardinal Mazarin. Richelieu's successor continued Richelieu's policy of active engagement in the war against Spain. Mazarine, like Richelieu before him, is going to prove to be a skilled diplomat and ruthless political operator. He continued Richelieu's policy of supporting Spain's enemy, providing military
aid to the rebels in Catalonia and Portugal. One of the most pivotal moments in Spain's sort of declining influence in the war overall was the Battle of Rocroix, fought in May sixteen forty three. The young general as I mentioned before, Louis the second de borbonc led a French army there to a decisive victory over the Spanish forces.
The Spanish army, once considered invincible way back at the start of this war all those decades ago, suffered a crushing defeat, lost thousands of men and a significant amount of equipment. The French victory at Rocroix had far reaching consequences. It shattered the myth of Spanish military invincibility, demoralized the
Spanish army, and boosted French morale. It also had significant impact on the political landscape of Europe, contributing overall to the decline of Spain as the major power in Europe and the rise of France as the dominant force on the continent. The French victory at Rocroix didn't immediately end the war, but it marked a significant turning point. Spain was now really forced to adopt a defensive posture. Intervening in the war in an aggressive way was no longer
militarily or financially possible for that kingdom. The French, emboldened by the victory, tried to press their advantage, seeking to expand their territorial gains and further weaking Spain. Now, the war was going to continue for several more years, but the outcome is starting to look increasingly obvious. At this point, France, with superior resources and a network of alliances, was steadily gaining the upper hand. Spain, facing the internal turmoil and
external pressure, was losing its grip. So the path piece seemed obvious to everyone involved, no one more so than the Baltic state of Sweden, which we will turn to right after this. By the mid sixteen forties, both sides were exhausted by the long and costly war. The desire for peace was growing, but the path negotiation still seemed fraught with obstacles. There remained a complex web of alliances, conflicting territorial claims. Of course, deep religious divisions that had
fueled the conflict in the first place. Those hadn't gone away. But despite these challenges, the momentum for peace was now undeniable. In sixteen forty four, preliminary negotiations started in the German towns of Unesbruck and Munster. Representatives from the various warring factions, as well as from various European powers, gathered to discuss the term of a possible peace settlement. The negotiations were long and difficult, and often interrupted with outbreaks of fighting
and many disagreements among the participants. In sixteen forty four, the French continued their campaign in Germany against the Holy Roman Empire and its allies. Cardinal Mazarin, the Chief Minister of France, aimed to pressure the Emperor into making peace. However, the French forces were initially too small to make much of a dent. The most important campaign and the war is the Freiburg Campaign, which starts in sixteen forty four.
That's the French under Turenne, their main general, clashing with Bavarian forces under the command of Franz von Mercy. The campaign was marked by several engagements and ultimately culminated in the Battle of Freiburg on the third and fifth of August sixteen forty four. The battle began with a French attack on the Bavarian positions near the town of Freiburg. The French's forces initially captured several redoubts. However, the Bavarians,
reran forced by additional troops, launched a successful counterattack. The battle continued to rage on for two days, with both sides, suffering heavy casualties. Despite initial French successes, the Bavarians ultimately repulsed the attack, inflicting heavy losses on the French army. Despite the tactical victory, the Bavarians army was heavily weakened,
having suffered around four thousand casualties. The French, although defeated at Freiburg, continued their campaign, capturing the town of Philipsburg and advancing deep into the Rhineland. This ultimately forced the Bavarians to abandon their position in the Black Forest and retreat to protect the strategically crucial city of Manse. By sixteen forty four, it became increasingly clear that the Holy
Roman Empire was losing its grip on the war. The French victory, combined with the ongoing negotiations now taking place at Westphalia, put significant pressure on the Emperor to seek peace. However, the situation in the Westphalian peace talks was complicated by the actions of several German princes, particularly the Hessians, who sought to maintain their independence from both the Emperor and France. These princes, fearing French domination, often acted against the Emperor's
interests undermining his efforts to achieve a unified peace settlement. Meanwhile, to the north, between sixteen forty three and sixteen forty five, the Baltic effectively became Swedish. In sixteen forty three, a new war erupted between Sweden and Denmark. The conflict was triggered by the ambitions of the Swedish King, Christian Fourth, who sought to expand Swedish power in the Baltic region
and control vital trade routes. Denmark, aware of Swedish intentions, had been preparing for war, strengthening both its army and its navy. However, Swedish diplomacy and mists successfully massed their intentions until the last moment, catching the Danes off guard. In November sixteen forty three, the Swedish fleet launched a surprise attack on the Danish island of Union. This unexpected attack, followed by a swift invasion of Jutland, stunned the Danish
court and threw all their defensive plans into disarray. The Danish army, unprepared for this sudden and slaught, offered little resistance. Several key fortresses fell to the Swedes, and the Danish king Frederick was forced to sue for peace. This initial success was aided by the brutality of the Swedish advance, which terrorized local populations into submission. The Emperor Ferdinand I, alarmed by the Swedish advances in the Baltic decided to intervene.
He was motivated by a couple of different factors. Fear of growing Swedish power. Also, Swedish victory over Denmark gave them uncontested control over the Baltic Sea, threatening imperial interest in the region. He also wanted an opportunity to weaken Sweden because the conflict provided an opportunity for the Emperor to strike at Sweden while its main force were occupied
in Denmark, and of course wanted to support Denmark. The Emperor felt obligated to support the Kingdom of Denmark, which was a fellow and member of the Holy Roman Empire. Ferdinand dispatched a seasoned commander, Medias Gallis with an imperial army to aid the Danes. Gallis initially successful managed to
drive the Swedes back from some of the conquest in Jutland. However, he was ultimately unable to prevent the Swedish advance in January sixteen forty five, France and the Dutch Republic, both eager to limit Swedish expansion in the Baltic intervened, but only diplomatically. They broke her a peace treaty known as the Treaty or Peace of bromis Barrow between Denmark and Sweden.
The terms of the True fred favored Sweden, who gained significant territorial concessions from Denmark the islands of Gutland and Ussel, as well as territory in Norway. This expanded Swedish control over the Baltic Sea and solidified its position as a major power in Northern Europe. The Piece of bromos Borough, although broker by France and the Dutch Republic, had long
term consequences that would ultimately benefit France. The removal of Christian the Fourth from the war freed up French resources to focus on their main campaign against the Holy Roman Empire, but the treaty also strengthened Swedish power, which would later become a key French ally in the final stages of the Thirty Years War. Ironically, the piece that was intended to limit Swedish expansion ended up indirectly benefiting its main
rival France, but the writing is on the wall. By the end of sixteen forty four sixteen forty five, the Thirty Years War, which had been raging now for almost three complete decades, was nearing its final conclusion. In our next few episodes, we'll see how the parties finally come to terms with the Treaty of Westphalia, and then take a step back and consider all the consequences and implications of this protracted period of conflict for Central Europe.