Chapter XIII "The Golden Rule of Maximilian I" Part I 1597-1616
For the next decade Bavaria remained at peace with its neighbors and Wilhelm diligently went about the task of rebuilding his empire. Trade was expanded and discussions began in Munich on the exploits of the Spanish and English in the new world. Wilhelm was intrigued with the prospect of expanding the empire to this new continent but the means, politically, economically and socially just didn’t exists.
October 16, 1597: Maximilian I ascended to the throne and Wilhelm died of old age. Maximilian was a young man, and his ascension to the throne would mark a golden age for the Bavarian Empire. Maximilian would rule Bavaria for the next 54 years. His first task was to ingratiate himself to his people and he opened up the royal treasury and on January 7, 1602 a refinery was completed in Baden.
Most Bavarians rejoiced it was a source of great pride, yet there was still clearly a mounting divide between the Protestants and Catholics, one in which Maximilian would spend his reign removing.
January 27, 1604: Austria went with Crush the Heretics in The Protestant Rebellion in Hungary. It was a sign of the times, every catholic government was forced to deal with the insurgency of Protestantism. The Hapsburgs used force, Maximilian used tolerance, both had their good points and bad, but in the end the new freedoms extended in Bavarian lands were less of a thorn in the Catholic world and were instrumental in bringing Bavarians back to one nation, and national pride.
Things were progressing well, dissent was lowering and the predominate sense in Bavaria was that the Monarchy was committed to the common man. Then through a set of unfortunate circumstances Austria declared war on the Netherlands. War was the last thing Maximilian needed, and there was serious debate amongst advisors to dishonor the alliance, certainly the Hapsburgs didn’t need Bavarian assistance to deal with the 2 province Dutch Netherlands.
Maximilian decided that it was in his best interest to keep the Hapsburgs happy, although Bavaria was now just as powerful, he also saw the potential in the Dutch principalities to secure more land and expand Bavarian influence.
January 10, 1606 Bavaria joined the war on the same side as Austria in their war against Netherlands. A new regiment was formed with 15,000 men from Mecklemburg and slowly the new army moved into Dutch territory. On May 9, 1606: the new “Northern Army” arrived in Friesen and initiated a siege.
Maximilian this time made it clear to the Austrians that Bavaria had to have an equal share in the conquest, and that Friesen was the preferred principality in any peace negotiation. The Siege took less then 6 months, on November 9, 1606 Bavaria captured the province of Friesen from Netherlands and settled in and awaited the Hapsburgs to settle the matter, Bavaria would stay out of negotiations.
The war made the situation in Bavaria worse, dissent was rising and the risk of a major revolt seemed eminent. Maximilian was at a cross roads, he didn’t want to alienate Wein and abandon his allies in the Netherlands, but he had to deal with the Protestants domestically. On January 29, 1607 Maximilian created the Catholic league. In the doctrine he stated
“Since we live in these dangerous and warlike times as well within as outwith the Empire, the members of the League are to exchange information of any clandestine or open recruiting of soldiers, armaments or similar activities that come to their notice, in 0order to warn their fellow members in good faith, and to inform the commander of the League by letter, or where the matter is too dangerous for that, by word of mouth. The commander of the League will then know what action to take and he may decide to call an assembly of the League or arrange the necessary military action through consultation with his subordinates and other military advisors appointed by the League.”
Spain, Austria, Bavaria, and France joined the league. Notice was sent to every town burgermeister in the empire, and its doctrine was posted in town squares throughout the nations listed. Clearly the Protestants got the message, any revolt would be crushed by a superior multi national force, it worked, and dissent began to lower slowly. July 14, 1607: Spain cancelled the Vassalization she had with Netherlands and declared war.
Portugal, Genoa, Bosnia, and Lithuania joined the war against the Netherlands. It seemed everyone wanted to get a piece of the Dutch the emergence of a Center of Trade in Amsterdam made it one of the most sought after principalities in Europe. The Dutch had no army, and no chance, it was a race to see who could get what first.
Bavarian forces in Friesen held and pressure was put on the Hapsburgs to settle the matter and get the most they could for the Alliance as possible before Spanish troops arrived via the sea. On March 29, 1608 Netherlands accepted peace with Austria on the following terms: Netherlands pays 125$ in indemnities. Friesen to Bavaria. Maximilian was elated, Bavarian influence expanded and with Friesen under his rule he had a Northern province to launch an assault south should he ever need to, strategically the investment in the war couldn’t have come out better for Bavaria.
May 8, 1612: Helvetia entered a Military Alliance with Netherlands. Both were one province nations and Helvetia had been quietly building up a force of 44,000 men since its departure from the yolk of Bavarian vassalation. The court at Munich was immersed in speculation that the Swiss would try and take the province of Schwyz back, and the Dutch Freisen. Preparations were made and the army in Friesen was reinforced to 15,000 men, the Baden regiment in Schwyz to 20,000.
Time had healed a lot of wounds and Maximilian was ready to end old grudges and rebuild his Bavarian bloc. Lithuania had recently left an alliance and it looked like the old Bavarian bloc could be reformed. On October 17, 1612 Lithuania joined our Military Alliance with Austria, it was a political coop for Maximilian, Lithuania was still a large nation and had a strong standing army.
Poland and Russia were Lithuanians main concern but strategically the move made sense for all involved. The Poles were now surrounded on 3 fronts and with his most volatile border secure, on May 16, 1613 Bavaria declared war upon Netherlands and Helvetia in a preemptive strike.
June 4, 1613 Alsace Army arrived in Baden to support the Baden regiment and provide defense for central Bavaria. The Swiss wasted no time, June 14, 1613 Baden was attacked by hostile armies of Helvetia. The Swiss engaged the Alsace army in the field in a bold frontal assault. In conjunction a smaller Swiss force moved against Schwyz and the Baden regiment. The Swiss were capable commanders and Maximilian knew he had to end the war to the south as fast as he could before committing fully to the Dutch campaign.
June 16, 1613: the Northern Army arrived in Holland and initiated a siege. Amsterdam was heavily fortified and the siege looked as if it would take years. The Dutch had taken their income from their trade and built a formidable defense, much to Munich’s dismay. After a month of brutal back and forth charges and hand to hand combat on July 9, 1613 the Army of Alsace broke the Swiss line, a day later the Baden regiment pushed the Swiss back, and chased them out of Schwyz completely.
August 16, 1613: Alsace Army arrived in Bern, and began to wipe out the retreating Swiss armies left over from the daring raid into Baden. September 11, 1613 The Army of Alsace initiated a siege in Bern and began to hammer away at the Swiss. The remnants of the Swiss army retreated and reformed North of Bern and moved quickly to lay siege to Baden in a brilliant tactical move. The Alsace army was amongst the finest in Europe, and avoiding it after weakening it initially allowed the Swiss to pressure the heartland of Bavaria, which lay undefended.
October 2, 1613 The Baden regiment moved north back to its home province to relieve the siege from the now swelling Swiss army. Maximilian had given orders to attempt to negotiate a peace settlement that would bring back Helvetia as a Bavarian Vassal, negotiations dragged on for almost a year when finally the Baden regiment attacked on May 6, 1614. The Swiss had been bluffing and had taken the time to reconstitute its army and position, June 6, 1614 the Baden regiment was crushed, and seemingly with it the hopes of relieving the siege in Baden.
The Commander in the field for the Alsace Army received the bad news about Baden and quickly ordered his men to assault the town at all costs. The costs were indeed high, 7000 Bavarian men died but on September 10, 1614 the province of Bern was captured from Helvetia and after a brief negotiation with the commanders of Swiss forces in Baden for their surrender Helvetia was annexed into the Bavarian Empire.
As a condition of surrender the Swiss were allowed to form into the Baden regiment and were given a 3 year period in which no taxes had to be paid. It was costly, the war with the Swiss was painful but Maximilian now had a 4th army the Baden regiment now over 25,000 men strong was renamed to “the Army of the Swiss”
The Dutch were faring better, Amsterdam was a fortress and the siege was dragging on and on. Things came to a boil with the populace when in March 1, 1615: The peasants in Bohemia are revolted. The Army of Bayern quickly crushed the rebellion but it was clear that the peasants were tiring of Bavarian war mongering. Fresh troops had to be conscripted for the siege in Holland and on April 30, 1615 a Friesen Regiment comprised if 30 cannons arrived in Holland.
Another year passed and the Hapsburgs were beginning to get leery of the protracted war, one in which they stood nothing to gain but everything to loose in public opinion. Maximilian offered his niece and on April 10, 1616 Bavaria and Austria cemented their longstanding alliance with a Royal Marriage. The Dutch were strong and their fortitude was costing Bavaria in its heartland, Protestants from all over the realm protested the war and once again things boiled over.
October 10, 1616 the peasants in Kleves revolted and the army of Alsace was dispatched and summarily put down the revolt. Once again Bavaria was in utter turmoil and Munich was ablaze with rumor and innuendo. Maximilian though stood by his decision and remained convicted that the Dutch would be brought into the Bavarian empire.
He had other notions as well, and once Holland was secure he would offer his Protestant people freedoms they never could obtain elsewhere, Maximilian had a long term plan, and Amsterdam was to be his springboard to the new world, and the hopeful relief of dissenting Bavarians.
For the next decade Bavaria remained at peace with its neighbors and Wilhelm diligently went about the task of rebuilding his empire. Trade was expanded and discussions began in Munich on the exploits of the Spanish and English in the new world. Wilhelm was intrigued with the prospect of expanding the empire to this new continent but the means, politically, economically and socially just didn’t exists.
October 16, 1597: Maximilian I ascended to the throne and Wilhelm died of old age. Maximilian was a young man, and his ascension to the throne would mark a golden age for the Bavarian Empire. Maximilian would rule Bavaria for the next 54 years. His first task was to ingratiate himself to his people and he opened up the royal treasury and on January 7, 1602 a refinery was completed in Baden.
Most Bavarians rejoiced it was a source of great pride, yet there was still clearly a mounting divide between the Protestants and Catholics, one in which Maximilian would spend his reign removing.
January 27, 1604: Austria went with Crush the Heretics in The Protestant Rebellion in Hungary. It was a sign of the times, every catholic government was forced to deal with the insurgency of Protestantism. The Hapsburgs used force, Maximilian used tolerance, both had their good points and bad, but in the end the new freedoms extended in Bavarian lands were less of a thorn in the Catholic world and were instrumental in bringing Bavarians back to one nation, and national pride.
Things were progressing well, dissent was lowering and the predominate sense in Bavaria was that the Monarchy was committed to the common man. Then through a set of unfortunate circumstances Austria declared war on the Netherlands. War was the last thing Maximilian needed, and there was serious debate amongst advisors to dishonor the alliance, certainly the Hapsburgs didn’t need Bavarian assistance to deal with the 2 province Dutch Netherlands.
Maximilian decided that it was in his best interest to keep the Hapsburgs happy, although Bavaria was now just as powerful, he also saw the potential in the Dutch principalities to secure more land and expand Bavarian influence.
January 10, 1606 Bavaria joined the war on the same side as Austria in their war against Netherlands. A new regiment was formed with 15,000 men from Mecklemburg and slowly the new army moved into Dutch territory. On May 9, 1606: the new “Northern Army” arrived in Friesen and initiated a siege.
Maximilian this time made it clear to the Austrians that Bavaria had to have an equal share in the conquest, and that Friesen was the preferred principality in any peace negotiation. The Siege took less then 6 months, on November 9, 1606 Bavaria captured the province of Friesen from Netherlands and settled in and awaited the Hapsburgs to settle the matter, Bavaria would stay out of negotiations.
The war made the situation in Bavaria worse, dissent was rising and the risk of a major revolt seemed eminent. Maximilian was at a cross roads, he didn’t want to alienate Wein and abandon his allies in the Netherlands, but he had to deal with the Protestants domestically. On January 29, 1607 Maximilian created the Catholic league. In the doctrine he stated
“Since we live in these dangerous and warlike times as well within as outwith the Empire, the members of the League are to exchange information of any clandestine or open recruiting of soldiers, armaments or similar activities that come to their notice, in 0order to warn their fellow members in good faith, and to inform the commander of the League by letter, or where the matter is too dangerous for that, by word of mouth. The commander of the League will then know what action to take and he may decide to call an assembly of the League or arrange the necessary military action through consultation with his subordinates and other military advisors appointed by the League.”
Spain, Austria, Bavaria, and France joined the league. Notice was sent to every town burgermeister in the empire, and its doctrine was posted in town squares throughout the nations listed. Clearly the Protestants got the message, any revolt would be crushed by a superior multi national force, it worked, and dissent began to lower slowly. July 14, 1607: Spain cancelled the Vassalization she had with Netherlands and declared war.
Portugal, Genoa, Bosnia, and Lithuania joined the war against the Netherlands. It seemed everyone wanted to get a piece of the Dutch the emergence of a Center of Trade in Amsterdam made it one of the most sought after principalities in Europe. The Dutch had no army, and no chance, it was a race to see who could get what first.
Bavarian forces in Friesen held and pressure was put on the Hapsburgs to settle the matter and get the most they could for the Alliance as possible before Spanish troops arrived via the sea. On March 29, 1608 Netherlands accepted peace with Austria on the following terms: Netherlands pays 125$ in indemnities. Friesen to Bavaria. Maximilian was elated, Bavarian influence expanded and with Friesen under his rule he had a Northern province to launch an assault south should he ever need to, strategically the investment in the war couldn’t have come out better for Bavaria.
May 8, 1612: Helvetia entered a Military Alliance with Netherlands. Both were one province nations and Helvetia had been quietly building up a force of 44,000 men since its departure from the yolk of Bavarian vassalation. The court at Munich was immersed in speculation that the Swiss would try and take the province of Schwyz back, and the Dutch Freisen. Preparations were made and the army in Friesen was reinforced to 15,000 men, the Baden regiment in Schwyz to 20,000.
Time had healed a lot of wounds and Maximilian was ready to end old grudges and rebuild his Bavarian bloc. Lithuania had recently left an alliance and it looked like the old Bavarian bloc could be reformed. On October 17, 1612 Lithuania joined our Military Alliance with Austria, it was a political coop for Maximilian, Lithuania was still a large nation and had a strong standing army.
Poland and Russia were Lithuanians main concern but strategically the move made sense for all involved. The Poles were now surrounded on 3 fronts and with his most volatile border secure, on May 16, 1613 Bavaria declared war upon Netherlands and Helvetia in a preemptive strike.
June 4, 1613 Alsace Army arrived in Baden to support the Baden regiment and provide defense for central Bavaria. The Swiss wasted no time, June 14, 1613 Baden was attacked by hostile armies of Helvetia. The Swiss engaged the Alsace army in the field in a bold frontal assault. In conjunction a smaller Swiss force moved against Schwyz and the Baden regiment. The Swiss were capable commanders and Maximilian knew he had to end the war to the south as fast as he could before committing fully to the Dutch campaign.
June 16, 1613: the Northern Army arrived in Holland and initiated a siege. Amsterdam was heavily fortified and the siege looked as if it would take years. The Dutch had taken their income from their trade and built a formidable defense, much to Munich’s dismay. After a month of brutal back and forth charges and hand to hand combat on July 9, 1613 the Army of Alsace broke the Swiss line, a day later the Baden regiment pushed the Swiss back, and chased them out of Schwyz completely.
August 16, 1613: Alsace Army arrived in Bern, and began to wipe out the retreating Swiss armies left over from the daring raid into Baden. September 11, 1613 The Army of Alsace initiated a siege in Bern and began to hammer away at the Swiss. The remnants of the Swiss army retreated and reformed North of Bern and moved quickly to lay siege to Baden in a brilliant tactical move. The Alsace army was amongst the finest in Europe, and avoiding it after weakening it initially allowed the Swiss to pressure the heartland of Bavaria, which lay undefended.
October 2, 1613 The Baden regiment moved north back to its home province to relieve the siege from the now swelling Swiss army. Maximilian had given orders to attempt to negotiate a peace settlement that would bring back Helvetia as a Bavarian Vassal, negotiations dragged on for almost a year when finally the Baden regiment attacked on May 6, 1614. The Swiss had been bluffing and had taken the time to reconstitute its army and position, June 6, 1614 the Baden regiment was crushed, and seemingly with it the hopes of relieving the siege in Baden.
The Commander in the field for the Alsace Army received the bad news about Baden and quickly ordered his men to assault the town at all costs. The costs were indeed high, 7000 Bavarian men died but on September 10, 1614 the province of Bern was captured from Helvetia and after a brief negotiation with the commanders of Swiss forces in Baden for their surrender Helvetia was annexed into the Bavarian Empire.
As a condition of surrender the Swiss were allowed to form into the Baden regiment and were given a 3 year period in which no taxes had to be paid. It was costly, the war with the Swiss was painful but Maximilian now had a 4th army the Baden regiment now over 25,000 men strong was renamed to “the Army of the Swiss”
The Dutch were faring better, Amsterdam was a fortress and the siege was dragging on and on. Things came to a boil with the populace when in March 1, 1615: The peasants in Bohemia are revolted. The Army of Bayern quickly crushed the rebellion but it was clear that the peasants were tiring of Bavarian war mongering. Fresh troops had to be conscripted for the siege in Holland and on April 30, 1615 a Friesen Regiment comprised if 30 cannons arrived in Holland.
Another year passed and the Hapsburgs were beginning to get leery of the protracted war, one in which they stood nothing to gain but everything to loose in public opinion. Maximilian offered his niece and on April 10, 1616 Bavaria and Austria cemented their longstanding alliance with a Royal Marriage. The Dutch were strong and their fortitude was costing Bavaria in its heartland, Protestants from all over the realm protested the war and once again things boiled over.
October 10, 1616 the peasants in Kleves revolted and the army of Alsace was dispatched and summarily put down the revolt. Once again Bavaria was in utter turmoil and Munich was ablaze with rumor and innuendo. Maximilian though stood by his decision and remained convicted that the Dutch would be brought into the Bavarian empire.
He had other notions as well, and once Holland was secure he would offer his Protestant people freedoms they never could obtain elsewhere, Maximilian had a long term plan, and Amsterdam was to be his springboard to the new world, and the hopeful relief of dissenting Bavarians.
