Thirty Years War 1618-1648

In the course of 1638 peace negotiations were carried on at Cologne and Hamburg, but the war still dragged on. In the east, 1639 began with Bailer's pursuit of the retreating Gallas. Thanks to his skill the Swedish star was again in the ascendant. Baner crossed the Elbe, inflicted a severe defeat on the imperialists at Chemnitz (April 14, 1638), and then after overrunning western Saxony advanced into Bohemia. But he contented himself, after an unsuccessful attempt upon Prague, with thoroughly eating up the country and, as winter came on, he retired into the Saxon mountains.

France and Spain.

In 1639, as before, Richelieu's attacks on Spain, other than those directed upon Alsace and Baden, were unsuccessful. In the north the French devoted this year, as they had devoted 1637 and 1638, to a methodical conquest of walled towns in view of a future frontiere de fer. The two objectives selected, Hesdin and Thionville, were far apart, and Piccolomini, by a forced march from Liege and Huy through the Ardennes, flung himself upon the besiegers of Thionville before their "cir cumvallation" was completed, and being greatly superior in num bers he almost annihilated them (June 7, 1639). But on the Flemish flank Hesdin was driven to surrender. On the side of the Pyrenees Conde as usual showed himself both unlucky and in capable. In Italy Cardinal de La Valette died after allowing Prince Thomas to win over Savoy to the emperor's side and seeing almost every French post lost.

His successor was the duc d'Harcourt, called by his men "Cadet la-Perle" on account of his earrings, but a bold and exceedingly competent soldier. Under him served Turenne, hitherto known only as a younger brother of the duke of Bouillon. Harcourt successfully revictualled Casale, and beat the Savoyards and Im perialists in the Route de Quiers (Nov. 29).

In Alsace Bernhard was carried off by a fever just as he was preparing to fight his way to a junction with Baner. Nevertheless he was fortunate in the opportunity of his death, for his dream of a duchy of Alsace had already brought him into conflict with Richelieu, and their conflict could only have ended in one way.

Another event of importance in this year was the episode of the Spanish fleet in the Downs. Now that the land route was im perilled the sea communications of Spain and Belgium were brought into use. A squadron sailed from Spain for the Nether lands, and, though it evaded the now powerful French navy, it was driven into English territorial waters by the Dutch. Charles I. of England offered France free access to the victim if France would restore the Elector Palatine, offered Spain protection if she would furnish him with funds for his army. But the Dutch, contemptu ous of his neutrality, sailed in and destroyed the fleet at anchor.

In 1640 the French still kept up their four wars in Belgium, Germany, Italy and Spain. But the Belgian and Spanish frontiers were no longer directly attacked. The Catalans turned their arms against the old enemy Castile and Portugal declared herself inde pendent under a king of the house of Braganza. In the Low Coun tries Louis XIII. himself presided over the siege of the important fortress of Arras, which surrendered on Aug. 8.

Casale and Turin.

In Italy, however, Cadet-la-Perle kept the moral ascendancy he had won in the brave action of the Route de Quiers. In April with io,000 men he advanced from Carignan against the 20,000 Spaniards who were besieging Casale and attacked their line of circumvallation boldly and openly on April 29. Half of Leganez's army was killed or captured. After this, Harcourt promptly turned upon Prince Thomas, and then followed one of the most curious episodes in military history.

Thomas, himself defending Turin, was besieging the French who still held the citadel. while Harcourt, at once besieging the town and attempting to relieve the citadel, had, externally, to protect himself against Leganez's army which was reorganized and rein forced from Naples and the Papal States. Harcourt's courage and the disunion of his opponents settled the problem. Their general attack of July II on the French lines was made not simul taneously but successively, and Harcourt repulsed each in turn with heavy losses. Soon afterwards the French received fresh troops : the citadel was relieved and the town surrendered. Leganez retired to Milan.

In Germany Baner's course was temporarily checked and when at last Bernhard's old army, under the duc de Longueville, crossed the Rhine and joined Baner in Thuringia, the country could not support the combined army. The Weimar army retired to the Rhine valley and Ban& to Waldeck. A fresh opportunity came to Baner in the winter months of 164o-41. Negotiations for peace were constantly in progress, but no result seemed to come out of them. The Diet was assembled at Regensburg. Baner suddenly moved south to surprise the Diet, for the defence of which all available troops were hurried up by the emperor. The Weimar army under Guebriant joined the Swedes en route, and the combined army reached the objective. But a thaw hindered them and gave the emperor time to concentrate his forces, and the raid failed. On May 20 Baner, worn out by fatigue, died, and Torstensson succeeded to the command. The war had now receded far from Alsace, which was firmly held by France, but Harcourt's continued success in Piedmont and the trouble to Spain caused by the Catalan and Portuguese insurrection was partly balanced by France's own difficulties in the abortive conspiracy against Richelieu.