Gustavus Adolphus

John Stevens

• Publisher: Ozymandias Press
• Year: 2018
• eBook ISBN: 9781531262969
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: European History
• Index: History

Among the persons whose genius, heroism and force of character influenced events, and won commanding game, in the seventeenth century, Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden is justly regarded of the first. The War of Thirty Years, a long and terrible struggle between Catholicism and Protestantism, largely influenced by the rivalry and bitter hostility between France and the House of Austria, called out the strong qualities of the Swedish king. The influence of his reign on his own country, and of his career in Germany on the prospects of Protestantism in continental Europe, will always constitute an interesting theme for historical students and readers. A military man of remarkable powers, his high moral qualities and lofty purposes forbid his standing in the category of the Alexanders, the Marlboroughs, and Napoleons. As fascinating as romance, thrilling with all that is exciting and terrible in war, his life is perused with interest and profit by those who wish to understand some of the most momentous events which have influenced the history of the modern world. The author has read and carefully considered whatever might throw light on his character and career. To this end he has studied the best Swedish, German, French and English writers on the subject, and has improved suggestive conversations with Swedish scholars and statesmen; and this volume is the result. He realizes its imperfection and inadequacy as a full statement of the genius and work of the remarkable personage it attempts to represent. But the essential facts and import of his history are presented, and to these the critical reader will be able to supply what wants in our manner of statement.

Table of contents

• SKETCH OF SWEDISH HISTORY TO THE TIME OF THE FIRST VASA
• GUSTAVUS VASA, AND HIS SONS ERIK, JOHN AND CHARLES -THE REMARKABLE FACTS OF THEIR REIGNS
• BIRTH AND EARLY LIFE OF GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS - CLOSE OF THE WARS WITH DENMARK AND RUSSIA
• GUSTAVUS MAKES CHANGE IN THE SWEDISH GOVERNMENT - VIEWS OF OXENSTIERNA AND SKYTTE - HOUSE OF NOBLES - RELIGION - EDUCATION
• HE ORGANIZES HIS FINANCES - MINES - TAXATION - CONSCRIPTION - INDUSTRIES - METHODS OF ADMINISTRATION - THE JUDICIAL FORMS
• THE MARRIAGE OF GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS - THE STORY OF EBBA BRAHE
• THE WAR WITH POLAND
• CONSIDERATIONS WHICH DRAW GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS TO THE GERMAN WAR - THE BELLIGERENT PARTIES - CHIEF ACTORS IN THE STRUGGLE - LOUIS XIII - RICHBLIEU - FERDINAND II - MAXIMILIAN - JOHN GEORGE - WALLENSTEIN
• ORIGIN AND FIRST YEARS OF THE THIRTY YEARS WAR - THE IMPERIAL CONSTITUTION - TREATY OF PACIFICATION
• REVOLT IN BOHEMIA - FREDERICK OF PALANTINE CROWNED KING - FERDINAND II CHOSEN EMPEROR BY THE ELECTORS - THE SUBJECTION OF BOHEMIA BY FERDINAND AND THE LEAGUE - MANSFELD - CHRISTIAN OF BRUNXWICK - TILLY - ELIZABETH OF PALANTINE
• GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS PRECEDED IN GERMANY BY CHRISTIAN IV OF DENMARK - THE LATTER DEFEATED, AND COMPELLED TO MAKE PEACE WITH THE EMPEROR - SIEGE OF STRALSUND - WALLENSTEIN COMPELLED TO ABANDON THE SIEGE - DISCUSSION OF THE KING OF SWEDEN WITH OXENS
• GUSTAVUS ASSEMBLES HIS ARMY FOR HIS GERMAN EXPEDITION - TAKES LEAVE OF THE SWEDISH ESTATES - DISEMBARKS IN GERMANY - ADVANCES INTO POMERANIA - STETTIN SURRENDERS - HIS ENCOUNTER WITH THE IMPERIALISTS - AN ATTEMPT TO ASSASSINATE THE KING OF SWE
• TILLY CHOSEN BY THE EMPEROR TO CONFRONT THE KING OF SWEDEN - PROTESTANT PRINCES JOIN GUSTAVUS - CAPTURE OF GREIFFENHAGEN, GARTZ, DEMMIN, FRANKFORT-ON-THE-ORDER AND OTHER CITIES
• ADVANCE OF GUSTAVUS - SIEGE AND DESTRUCTION OF MAGDEBURG BY THE IMPERIALISTS - THE ELECTORS OF BRANDENBURG AND SAXONY - BATTLE OF BREITENFELD, AND DEFEAT OF TILLY
• THE IMPORTANCE OF THE VICTORY OF BREITENFELD - SEPARATION OF THE SWEDISH AND SAXON ARMIES - REASONS FOR NOT ADVANCING ON VIENNA - MARCHES INTO FRANCONIA - FRANKSFORT ON THE MAIN SURRENDERS - SUCCESSES ON THE RHINE - NEGOTIATIONS WITH RAVARIA AN
• MILITARY OPERATIONS RENEWED - WELCOMED BY NUREMBERG - BOLD PASSAGE OF THE LECH AND BRILLIANT VICTORY OVER THE IMPERIALISTS - RECEIVED JOYFULLY BY AUGSBURG AND MARCHES TO INGOLSTADT - ADVANCES INTO BAVARIA - FRENCH MINISTER SEEKS TO SERVE MAXIM
• RESTORATION OF WALLENSTEIN TO THE IMPERIAL COMMAND - HIS METHOD AND SUCCESS OF RAISING AN ARMY - GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS FAILS TO PREVENT THE JUNCTION OF THE ARMIES OF WALLENSTEIN AND MAXIMILLIAN - THE ARMIES OF GUSTAVUS AND WALLENSTEIN AT NUREMBER
• THE FIRST SERIOUS CHECK OF GUSTAVUS IN GERMANY - MARCHES AGAIN INTO RAVARIA AND PREPARES TO CARRY HIS ARMS INTO THE HEREDITARY DOMINIONS OF AUSTRIA - RETURNS SUDDENLY NORTHWARD TO SAVE SAXONY FROM THE ARMY OF WALLENSTEIN - THE BATTLE OF LUTZ