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When Brothers Agree: Bohemia, the Habsburgs, and the Schmalkaldic Wars, 1546–15471

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2009

Paula Sutter Fichtner
Paula Sutter Fichtner
Affiliation:
Brooklyn college of the city university of new york
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Extract

In consolidating his hold over the Austrian, Hungarian, and Bohemian territories which he acquired between 1521 and 1526, Ferdinand I (1521–1564) enjoyed one especially notable success: the suppression in 1547 of a Bohemian uprising during Emperor Charles V's (1519–1556) campaign against the Protestant Schmalkaldic League in Germany. Relying on the promise of the Schmalkaldian leader Elector John Frederick of Saxony to protect them, the Bohemian estates formed a league in 1547 which challenged, among other things, Ferdinand's rights to summon the diet, to have his son crowned during his lifetime, and to oversee the administration of his treasury.

Type
Habsburg Relations with Bohemia in the Sixteenth Century
Information
Austrian History Yearbook , Volume 11 , January 1975 , pp. 67 - 78
Copyright
Copyright © Center for Austrian Studies, University of Minnesota 1975

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References

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4 See Hantsch, Hugo, “Die Organisation des Donauraumes unter Karl V,” Der Donauraum, Vol. IV (1959), p. 22Google Scholar. It should be noted that Hantsch's argument that Charles' power put Ferdinand and the entire Habsburg monarchy in a position to gain a firm grip on the Danubian area is valid only in a very general sense. While it is true that Ferdinand's election as king in both Hungary and Bohemia was due in large part to the desire of the estates in these kingdoms to have easy access to the emperor's protection, Charles V missed several opportunities to assist his brother in waging a successful war against the Turks that might have ended in driving them out of Hungary. See my “Dynasticism and its Limitations: the Habsburgs and Hungary, 1542,” East European Quarterly, Vol. IV (1971), pp. 389–407Google Scholar; and my “Dynast and Defender: Ferdinand l of Austria, 1521–1532” (doctoral dissertation, University of Pennsylvania, 1964), Ch. IX.

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8 Brethoiz, , Neuere Geschichte Böhmens, pp. 139–140, 149–150, and 152–153Google Scholar; Ferdinand to Charles, August 12, 1546, Staatsarchiv (Vienna), Belgien, Polilisches Archiv, Fasz. VIII, Fo. 228. Ferdinand set the figures at 10,000 infantrymen and 2,500 cavalry troops. See also Franz Martin Pelzels Geschichte der Böhmen von den alien bis auf die neuesien Zeilen (2 vols., Prague: Schönfeld, 1782), Vol. 11, p. 544Google Scholar; and Tieftrunk, Karel, Odporstavů českých proli Ferdinandovi I. 1. 1547 [The Uprising of the Bohemian Estates against Ferdinand 1 in 1547] (Prague: Řivnáč, 1872), p. 31Google Scholar. In public Charles always maintained that the Schmalkaldic War was necessary to punish Philip and John Frederick for disobeying imperial laws and for using religion as a mask for territorial conquest. See Holborn, Hajo, A History of Modern Germany (3 vols., New York: Knopf, 1959–1969), Vol. 1, p. 228Google Scholar; and Fischer-Galati, Stephen, Ottoman Imperialism and German Protestantism (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1959), p. 92.Google Scholar

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10 Charles, to Ferdinand, , October 9, 1546, Druffel, Beiträge zur Reichsgeschichte, Vol. I, p. 23Google Scholar; Ferdinand to Charles, October 24,1546, Staatsarchiv (Vienna), Belgien, Politisches Archiv, Fasz. VIII, Fo. 282; Bretholz, , Neuere Geschichte Böhmens, pp. 158–160, 166, and 168.Google Scholar

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12 Ferdinand, to Mary, , January 4, 1547, Staatsarchiv (Vienna), Belgien, Politisches Archiv, Fasz. XII, Fo. 267Google Scholar; Ferdinand, to Charles, , December 29, 1546, Bucholtz, Geschichie der Regierung Ferdinand des Ersten, Vol. VI, pp. 21–22Google Scholar; Ferdinand, to Charles, , January 2 and 10, 1547, Staatsarchiv (Vienna), Belgien, Politisches Archiv, Fasz. IX, Fos. 1 and 18Google Scholar; Voigt, Moritz von Sachsen, p. 284.

13 Charles, to Ferdinand, , January 17, 1547, Bucholtz, Geschichte der Regierung Ferdinand des Ersten, Vol. VI, p. 25Google Scholar; de Lettenhove, Baron Kervyn (ed.), Commentaires de Charles-Quint (Paris: Didot, 1862), p. 177Google Scholar

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16 Ferdinand, to Charles, , March 4, 1547, Staatsarchiv (Vienna), Belgien, Politisches Archiv, Fasz. IX, Fo. 86.Google Scholar

17 Bretholz, Neuere Geschichte Böhmens, pp. 184–189, 192, and 196; Tieftrunk, Odpor slavů českých proli Ferdinandovi I. 1. 1547, pp. 126 and 161–162; Tomek, , Dějepis Města Prahy. Vol. XI, p. 332.Google Scholar

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20 Charles, to Ferdinand, , March 10, 1547, Lanz, Correspondenzdes Kaisers Karl V, Vol. II, p. 545Google Scholar; report of Mocenigo, Alois, in Fiedler, Josef (ed.), Relalionen venetianischer Bolschafter über Deulschland und Österreich im sechzehnten Jahrhundert. In Fontes Rerum Austriacarum, Vol. XXX (Vienna: K.k. Hof-und Staatsdruckerei, 1870), pp. 105–106Google Scholar; De Lettenhove, , Commentaires de Charles-Quint, pp. 178 and 180–181.Google Scholar

21 Brandi maintained that in March, 1547, John Frederick never made any important offensive moves beyond Gethain, approximately twenty kilometers south of Leipzig. See his Kaiser Karl V, Vol. 1, p. 471.

22 Sněmy české od léta 1526 až po naši dobu, Vol. 11, p. 166; Zuñga, Luis Avila y, Comentario de la guerra de Alemania. In Bibliolheca de Aulores Españoles, Vol. 1 (Madrid: Rivadeneyra, 1852), p. 435Google Scholar. Avila was a gentleman in Charles V's court; his work on the Schmalkaldic Wars was personally endorsed by Charles. See Voigt, Georg, “Die Geschichtsschreibung über den Schmalkaldischen Krieg,” Abhandlungen der philosophisch-historischen Klasse der königlich sächsischen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften, Vol. VI (1873), pp. 577 and 585Google Scholar. Of Avila, Voigt wrote: “Er ist des Kaisers anderer Selbst, er schreibt in des Kaisers Sinn und Gedankenwelt.” Ibid., p. 574. See also Ferdinand, to Charles, , March 20 and 25, 1547, Staatsarchiv (Vienna), Belgien, Politisches Archiv, Fasz. IX, Fos. 102–103 and 109.Google Scholar

23 Charles, to Mary, , March 20, 1547, Staatsarchiv (Vienna), Belgien, Politisches Archiv, Fasz. LXXII, Fo. 364. Although the letter is dated “1546” it is clear from its content that the date should be 1547.Google Scholar

24 Sněmy české od léta 1526 az po naši dobu, Vol. II, pp. 189–191 and 211–212; Bretholz, , Neuere Geschichie Böhmens, pp. 197–198Google Scholar, n. I. Philip of Hesse attributed John Frederick's defeat at Mühlberg in part to the lack of assistance from the Bohemians. See Voigt, Moritz von Sachsen, p. 433.

25 Brandi, , Kaiser Karl V, Vol. I, p. 473Google Scholar; Sněmy žeské od léta 1526 až po naši dobu, Vol. II, p. 165; Charles V to the Bohemian estates, April 7, 1547, Hortleder, Friedrich, Der Röm. key.- u. königlichen Maiesieten etc. Handlungen und Ausschreiben, Ralschlag, Bedenken etc. von Rechlmässigkeit. Anfang, Fortgang und endl. Ausgang des Teulschen Kriegs Kéyser Carls d. Fünfien wider die Schmalkaldischen Bundsoberste etc. vom Jahre 1526 bis auf das Jahr 1558 (Frankfurt a. M.: Hoffman, 1618), pp. 572–573Google Scholar; Charles, to Ferdinand, , April 3, 1547, Druffel, Beiträge zur Reichsgeschichte, Vol. I, p. 56.Google Scholar

26 Tomek, , Dějepis Města Prahy, Vol. XI, pp. 340 and 342Google Scholar; Franz Martin Pelzels Geschichie der Bohmen, Vol. II, pp. 560–562 and 565–566Google Scholar.

27 Ferdinand, to Charles, , April 1, 1547, Staatsarchiv (Vienna), Belgien, Politisches Archiv, Fasz. IX, Fo. 118Google Scholar; Mocenigo, Alois and Contarini, Lorenzo to the doge, April 16 and 20, 1547, Veneiianische Depesche vom Kaiserhof, Vol. II, pp. 222 and 228Google Scholar; Bretholz, , Neuere Geschichle Bohmens, pp. 201–202.Google Scholar

28 Report of Alois Mocenigo, in Fiedler, Relaiionen venetianischer Botschafter über Deulschland und Ösierreich im sechzehnten Jahrhundert. pp. 108–109; Tieftrunk, , Odpor stavů českých proli Ferdinandovi 1.1.1547, pp. 197–198Google Scholar; Franz Martin Pelzels Geschichle der Böhmen, Vol. 11, p. 572Google Scholar; Verallo, to Farnese, , May 3, 1547, Numiaturberichte aus Deuischland, Pt. I, Vol. IX, p. 551Google Scholar; Mocenigo, and Contarini, to the doge. May 7, 1547, Veneiianische Depesche vom Kaiserhof, Vol. II, p. 255Google Scholar; Bavé, to Mary, , May 7, 1547, Staatsarchiv (Vienna), Beígien, Polilisches Archiv, Fasz. LXX1V, Fo. 126Google Scholar. Bave was Mary's representative at Charles V's court.

29 Avila, Comemario de la guerra de Alemania, p. 446; Mocenigo, to the doge, May 26, 1547, Veneiianische Depesche vom Kaiserhof, Vol. II, p. 270Google Scholar; Bucholtz, , Geschichle der Regierung Ferdinanddes Ersten, Vol. VI, p. 401Google Scholar. In his Neuere Geschichle Böhmens, pp. 205–206, Bretholz claims that Charles stopped voicing these precautions after June 5. Nevertheless, as late as June 28 the emperor was still urging Ferdinand to handle Bohemian affairs in a manner as not to increase the resentment of the populace. See Charles, to Ferdinand, , June 28, 1547, Druffel, Beiträge zur Reichsgeschkhle, Vol. I, p. 63.Google Scholar

30 Ferdinand, to Charles, , June 5 and 17, 1547, Bucholtz, Geschichie der Regierung Ferdinand des Ersten, Vol. VI, pp. 400–401 and 402Google Scholar; Sixtus of Ottersdorf, O Pokořeni stavů měslského léta 1547, p. 38; Charles, to Ferdinand, , June 12, 1547, Lanz, Corresponded des Kaisers Karl V, Vol. 11, p. 583Google Scholar; Charles, to the Bohemian ambassadors, June 17–30. 1547, Druffel, Beiträge zur Reichsgeschkhle, Vol. 1, pp. 60–61.Google Scholar

31 Ferdinand, to Charles, , June 17, 1547, Bucholtz, Geschichie der Regierung Ferdinand des Ersien, Vol. VI, pp. 402–403Google Scholar; Ferdinand, to Charles, , June 19, 1547, Staatsarchiv (Vienna). Belgien, Poliiisches Archiv, Fasz. IX, Fo. 144.Google Scholar

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33 Ferdinand, to Mary, , July 10, 1547, Staatsarchiv (Vienna), Belgien, Poliiisches Archiv, Fasz. XII. Fos. 280–281Google Scholar; Franz Martin Peizels Geschichle der Bohmen, pp. 581–585; Bretholz, Neuere Geschichte Böhmens, p. 213.

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