Stay ConnectedWDF examines how wars broke out, how they were concluded, and their consequences. Expect juicy diplomacy, sneaky intrigue, fascinating characters, and incredible drama. By Dr Zack Twamley, qualified history nerd.
Current Series: The July Crisis
Patreon Series: The Age of Bismarck
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It's time to get all emotional, as we tie up the Eighty Years' War between the Spanish and Dutch, which had formed an integral part of the Thirty Years' War in its earlier phase, but which had, from 1645, effectively been relegated to a sideshow of the larger war. The Dutch, and its House of Orange, had made a substantial contribution to the war, directing anti Habsburg energies towards several schemes, and chipping away at Spanish prestige and power even as the Habsburg dynasty reached the peak of its powers. By 1646 though, Frederick Henry lay dying, and although none could accuse him of under performing, it was his grandson William III that made arguably the most significant mark not just on British, Irish and European history, but also on the world we live in today.
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The Battle of Jankau in 1645, followed by Allerheim later in the year, confirmed that the Emperor could expect few miracles from the battlefield. Bavaria seemed teetering on the edge, making secret moves towards the French, while the Spanish buckled, and the Swedes rampaged throughout the Habsburg Hereditary Lands. Ferdinand III understood that his greatest chances for self preservation lay in Westphalia, and his agent, Trauttmansdorf, was sent with very specific instructions. Here, we cover this figure's arrival, the Emperor's hopes, and the hints of what was to come in the future for the increasingly fractured Habsburg dynasty.
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The wide range of interests and powers that gathered at the two Westphalian cities each tell a fascinating story. Whether it was the two French agents that loathed one another; the Dutch tradition of representing each of the seven provinces; Swedish desires to legalise its control over Pomerania; Johan Oxenstierna's frequently drunken state, when he wasn't insisting on trumpets blasting to announce his presence; the Franco-Swedish request on having all Imperial estates represented at Westphalia, regardless of their size; French plans to court Bavaria; the Emperor's plan to prevent the smaller states from attending, and the confusion over exactly what religious settlement would be pushed for - all of these issues made the negotiations dynamic, unpredictable, and occasionally hilarious. Join me as we cover their early phase, while the war carried on in the background.
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4) Matchlock and the Embassy, our new historical fiction novel, is out NOW! Get it here
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After so long dancing around the issue, here we finally look at the moment when the Westphalian towns of Osnabruck and Munster hosted delegates from all across Europe and the Empire. Why were the French so eager to arrive with an enormous entourage? How did the delegates get their mail? How did warmer creatures cope with the cold, rainy mud of Germany? We get into it here, as well as contextualising these key early steps of the most famous peace congress of the early modern era.
**DON'T FORGET TO FOLLOW THESE LINKS!**
1) To support the podcast financially in return for some extra audio content, check out Patreon!
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4) Matchlock and the Embassy, our new historical fiction novel, is out NOW! Get it here
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Yes, I do still exist!
In this episode we examine how the French coped with the sudden absence of Sweden, which had turned its attention to the Danes. France had to contend with several fronts, particularly along the Rhine, in the Netherlands, and in Catalonia, but Swedish diplomacy had worked to ensure that Cardinal Mazarin would not have to fight alone, as a familiar face re-entered the chat. Assessing his deteriorating odds, we find King Philip IV of Spain increasingly despondent, as his ability to project his power into Germany declines, with disastrous consequences for the Habsburg dynasty...
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1) To support the podcast financially in return for some extra audio content, check out Patreon!
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4) Matchlock and the Embassy, our new historical fiction novel, is out NOW! Get it here
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By late 1643, one could be forgiven for expecting Lennart Torstensson, the Swedish commander in Germany, to take stock of his situation and plan for a new campaign in the new year. But such plans were placed on hold, because a letter from the Swedish Chancellor directed him towards a new goal, and a brand new campaign. Torstensson was to abandon Germany, and march double time to launch a pre-emptive strike against the old Danish foe. Why? What? How? Listen in to learn about this fascinating episode of the Thirty Years War, and an event which transformed Baltic and Scandinavian history for centuries to come...
**DON'T FORGET TO FOLLOW THESE LINKS!**
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4) Matchlock and the Embassy, our new historical fiction novel, is out NOW! Get it here
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It's about time I dropped my research on you guys, so in this episode we'll be plumbing the depths of something I've mentioned many times, but rarely taken the time to define or explain properly - national honour. What was it, where did it come from, what role did it play in mid-Victorian diplomacy, and how did contemporaries use it in their construction and presentation of foreign policy? All these questions and more will be addressed, so if you're ready for a chunky episode on a concept barely understood in the histories, you've come to the right place!
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Oh boy, it's finally time! Now you get to see what I've been working on over the Christmas break, an extremely chunky and detailed twelve part series examining Anglo-American relations from 1838-1846. Expect fractious diplomacy, war scares, major tensions, close calls and settlements which dramatically affected how each side saw the other, with consequences that are felt to this day.
In this introductory episode, I set the scene and justify my interest in this period, as well as explaining why YOU should care. We look at the British destruction of the Caroline, and question how this incident helped fan the flames of American hostility towards London, while Palmerston...shrugged his shoulders. The British Foreign Secretary, you see, had his hands full with keeping the Ottoman Empire propped up, while he also kept his eye on France.
We're just beginning our journey in this fascinating period, and I can't wait to bring you along for the ride! A huge thanksss to all of my lovely patrons for supporting this show for so long. It's now official, I'm in the final stretch, and after this final set of fees, Dr Zack will be coming soon to earbuds near you!
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The Battle of Rocroi was a signal French triumph, but it did not transform the face of the war, either in the Netherlands or in Europe. A Bavarian victory later in the year at Tutlingen made 1643 a year of ups and owns, but of far greater consequence than who won, was who left the scene after so many years. Within a season, Cardinal Richelieu, King Louis XIII and the Count Duke Olivares all departed, leaving behind a war which was to change the face of early modern Europe. Fortunately, in Richelieu's case at least, the baton had been passed into some very capable hands...
**DON'T FORGET TO FOLLOW THESE LINKS!**
1) To support the podcast financially in return for some extra audio content, check out Patreon!
2) To find a community of history friends, look at our Facebook page and group!
3) To keep up to date with us, follow us on Twitter!
4) Matchlock and the Embassy, our new historical fiction novel, is out NOW! Get it here
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
1641 was the year when Lennart Torstensson was finally appointed commander of Sweden's mostly German army. Having hunkered down for many years in the north of the country, Torstensson understood that Sweden had to strike hard against the Imperials if anything was to change. Possessed of a fierce determination and great strategic mind, the new commander pressed his advantage and seized a new triumph in the graveyard of Gustavus Adolphus' most famous victory. Torstensson knew a great deal about the Battle of Brietenfeld - he had commanded the artillery on that fateful day, and he intended to make this second Breitenfeld even greater than the first.
Off the battlefield, peace feelers were finally beginning to go somewhere, albeit at a painfully slow pace. The basics of a two-city conference were established, but other than the selection of Osnabruck and Munster, little else of consequence could be decided on so long as there were victories to be gained from war. Still, these talks about peace talks produced significant fruit in their own right. The all out war was drawing to an end, and the interconnected fronts would soon be drawn into a peace. Before the peace was made, though, it would first have to be won.
**DON'T FORGET TO FOLLOW THESE LINKS!**
1) To support the podcast financially in return for some extra audio content, check out Patreon!
2) To find a community of history friends, look at our Facebook page and group!
3) To keep up to date with us, follow us on Twitter!
4) Matchlock and the Embassy, our new historical fiction novel, is out NOW! Get it here
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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