Wallenstein

WALLENSTEIN (or, more correctly, WALDSTEIN), ALBERT WENCESLAS EusEnius VON. Duke of Friedland, Sagan, and Mecklenburg, the most remarkable of the long series of eminent men who owe their prominence on history's page to the thirty years war, was the third son of a noble though not wealthy Bohemian family, and was born at the château of Hermancii, in Bohemia, Sept. 15, 1583. His parents, who were Prot estants, intrusted the care of his education to the Moravian brotherhood of Koschumberg, who, however, made little of their stubborn and passionate pupil. On his parents' death, his uncle, Albert Slavata, a zealous Catholic, took charge of the wayward youth, and having won him over to his own creed, sent him to the Jesuit convieriurn at Ohnfitz, and to the universities of Altorf, Bologna, and Padua, where his education, such as it was, was completed. Wallenstcin's course of training had not eradicated, or even moderated, the prominent faults in his natural disposition; on the contrary, his wilful ness and independent spirit had gathered stability and strength from ineffective opposition; and his first prominent appearance on the stage of events showed a man of extreme individ uality, gifted with great and versatile ability, but equally remarkable for obstinacy, passion, and pride. He afterward visited Germany, France, and Holland, took service in the imperial army, then engaged with the Turks and Hungary, and, returning home at the close of the war (1606), married an aged widow of noble rank, who, at her death (1614), left him the whole of her great wealth. This, along with the fourteen domains bequeathed,to him by his uncle, made him one of the richest and most influential lords of Bohemia, a position recognized by the imperial court by the bestowal on him of the title of count and the military grade of col. A second marriage in 1617 with the daughter of count Harrach, the emperor's favorite, and Wallenstein's firm adherence to the imperial side during the Bohemian insurrection; his maintenance, at his own expense, of a large body of troops; and his brilliant and well-directed gallantry at the battle of Prague, and in various contests with Mansfeld and Bethlein Gabor, added a powerful influence at court to his hitherto only local eminence. The latter, however, was now much increased by his purchase, at much less than their value, of sixty con fiscated lordships in Bohemia; and Ferdinand II. felt himself impelled to recompense the valuable services of his faithful subject by (1623) raising him to the dignity of a prince of the empire, with the title of duke of Friedland. (Friedland is a town situated close to the Prussian frontier, about 60 m. n.n.e: of Prague.) Two years after, when the impossibility of maintainingan army sufficient to restrain the Protestant league from uniting with the Danes against him, threw the emperor almost into despair. Wallenstein, seizing such a favorable opportunity of gratifying his ambition, offered to raise, equip, and maintain 50,000 men free of charge, provided he were intrusted with the absolute command, and allowed to appoint his own officers: a proposal greedily accepted by the emperor. Wallenstein raised 30,000 in Bohemia ; adventurers from all quarters flocked to his standard; and in a short time his army far exceeded the promised number. With this motley but not ill-disciplined arrayhe then marched into North Germany, and acting in concert with Tilly (q.v.), routed at Dessau, hunted him through Silesia and Moravia, and on his junction with the army of Bethlem Gabor in Hungary, compelled, by skillful strategy, the combin6d forces to remain on the defensive. Released by a truce with the Transylvanian prince and the death of Mansfeld, he returned by Silesia, recovered the fortresses which Thum had captured. forced the elector of Brandenburg to submit to the emperor, and joined Tilly in annihilating the military power of Den mark. The value of these services to the emperor's cause was inestimable, as Ferdi nand well knew, and he accordingly turned a deaf ear to the loud complaints of the North Germans, who had suffered grievously from the rapacity, oppression, and license Wallenstein's soldiers were allowed to exercise without the slightest opposition; and rewarded their leader by the gift of the Mecklenburg duchies, the rank of general issimo on land, and admiral of the Baltic. Wallenstein speedily made himself master of his new territory; fitted out a Elva of 15 sail, by the aid of which he captured and lIngen, with various Baltic pats, and laid siege to Stralsund. But the Danes anni hilated his navy; and the Swedes succoured Stralsund, the siege of which lie abandoned in despair. But as under cover of the dread inspired by Wallenstein's arms, Ferdinand bad resumed his tyrannical and aggressive schemes (see THIRTY YEARS' WAR) in Ger many, the Catholic league, headed by the duke of Bavaria, became bitter adversaries of allenstin, and backed by the intrigues of France (which was represented at Vienna by father Joseph, a master of subtle and unscrupulous diplomacy), partly forced and partly cajoled the emperor to dismiss Wallenstein, an act for the probable consequences of which even Ferdinand, with his extraordinary fortitude, trembled. Wallenstein, however, disappointed his sovereign's fears and his enemies' hopes by obeying with apparent cheerfulness, being somewhat moved thereto by the predictions of his favorite astrologer,* who declared his star to be only temporarily eclipsed and that it would soon -shine forth again with far greater luster; and retired to Prague, where he lived in his magnificent palace in sovereign state, surrounded by a court composed of barons, knights, and the principal officers of his army. But the insult and injury he had received were

eating into his soul; the frankness and affability to his subordinates, which had hitherto distinguished him, were changed for a gloomy taciturnity; and much of his time was spent in solitude, brooding over his wrongs, and scheming for revenge on the duke of Bavaria, whom lie justly accused of being the cause of his disgrace; though all the while lie kept a calm but eager watch over the changes of opinion in the court of Vienna, where several of the ministers and numerous secret agents were either in his pay, or devoted to his interests. His eminent services, his immense popularity, and his great talents, pointed him out as the only hope of the empire after Tilly's death, and Ferdi nand saw himself forced almost to kneel to his haughty subject, and beseech him again to gird on his sword; but Wallenstein for a long time affected the utmost indif ference to re-engaging in active service, and at last consented only on such conditions as made him the independent ruler of the empire in military affairs. With the Swedes on the Danube, the Saxons in Bohemia, and the army of the League almost annihilated, the emperor had no choice; and Wallenstein, three month after ward, was at the head of 40,000 men, well armed and disciplined. But commands and entreaties were in vain employed to induce him to save Bavaria from the Swedes; and be lay idle at Lcitmeritz, gloating over the pangs of his enemy, till, on Austria being threatened, he advanced to Eger, and by menacing at once Saxony and Nuremberg, brought Gustavus to a stand-still. The two armies lay opposite each other for 10 weeks, each suffering the extremities of famine, hardship, and sickness, in the hope of weary ing out the other. At last, when half their numbers had succumbed, Gustavus, who had made a fruitless attempt to storm Wallensteiu's camp, retreated to the Danube, whence his skillful opponent soon drew him by marching on Saxony. The two again confronted each other at Lutzen (q.v.), and though Wallenstein was completely defeated, it was chiefly owing to the superior discipline and morale of his opponents. His army was recruited and reorganized in Bohemia; and, unable to make head against Saxons and Swedes combined, he found it advisable to gain time by amusing his antagonists with illusory negotiations, after repeated vain endeavors to persuade the emperor to conic to terms with the Protestant princes. Meantime his old enemies of the league were in full activity at Vienna; and the emperor, chagrined at the humiliations to which lie had sub jected himself to gain Wallenstein's aid, was not slow to give credit, real or feigned, to their misrepresentations; his ill-concealed dislike was developed into hatred by the stub born pertinacity with which Wallenstein insisted on the full observance of the terms of their agreement; and on Wallenstein, who was kept well informed of the state of mat ters at court, attempting to attach his officers permanently to himself by obtaining their signatures (Jan. 12) to an agreement to that effect, the emperor (Jan. 24, 1634) declared him a rebel, and ordered two of his old officers, Piceolomini and Gallas, who lied for some time been acting as spies on his actions, to take him dead or alive. Wallenstein, with some devoted adherents, including a guard of 200 dragoons, took refuge in Eger, but was there assassinated, Feb. 25, 1634. Wallenstein was tall, thin, and wiry, with lively brilliant eyes, tawny-reddish hair, and an unhealthy-looking, yellow complexion. "lie was far superior to his sovereign in true policy, liberality of sentiment, religious toleration; but these qualities only rendered him more obnoxious to the bigoted emperor and his ministers. As a holds the foremost rank, vigilance and presence of mind. great judgment and unflinching perseverance, being his prominent characteristics; and of him alone can it be said that he checked the progress and foiled the desions of the great hero of Sweden. After his death, it was seen that the treacherous murder of one who had twice saved the empire from destruction called for some justification; and accord ingly a paper was published by imperial authority, in which an attempt was made, by misrepresenting every overture he had made to his opponents, and every scheme he had employed to divide his numerous enemies at court, to prove that he had constantly med Rated from the time of his first disgrace. This view audits opposite have found numerous and enthusiastic supporters; but without going further into detail, we may observe that the overtures made by him to the Swedes and Saxons while in command were undoubtedly ruses de guerre, and were invariably found to be such by his oppo nents; that when the Saxons invaded Bohemia, and took Prague, where he was residing in disgrace at the. time, he took no part on either side, except such measures as an influ ential citizen would adopt for the safety of the inhabitants from insult and spoliation; and lastly, that when, after he had been declared a rebel, he did make overtures to Bernhard of Weimer, the latter, though Wallenstein's defection would at that time have been of the utmost importance, could not convince himself that this was not another artifice; a proof that the former overtures were as above stated.—See Coxe's House of Austria; Harte's History of the Life of Gustarus Adolphus Pelzel's Gesehichte der Bohnien (Prague, 1774, 1779, and 1782); Wallenstein's Briefs (ed. by For ster, 1826); Ranke's Geschichte 1Vallenstein's (1869); Ginddy, Neves fiber Wallenstein (1876); articles by Hallwich in the Archie far each Gesch. (1876), and by Lorenz in Sybel's HIstorische Zeitschrift (1878).