Capitulation of Franzburg
Encyclopedia
The Capitulation of Franzburg
was a treaty providing for the capitulation
of the Duchy of Pomerania
to the forces of the Holy Roman Empire
during the Thirty Years' War
. It was signed on 10 November (O.S.)
or 20 November (N.S.)
1627In the 17th century, the Julian calendar
was used in the region, which then was ten days late compared to the Gregorian calendar
; 10 November - Julian, 20 November - Gregorian. by Bogislaw XIV, Duke of Pomerania and Hans Georg von Arnim, commander in chief of an occupation force belonging to the army of Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
, led by Albrecht von Wallenstein
. While the terms of the capitulation were unfavourable for the Duchy of Pomerania
already, occupation became even more burdensome when the occupation force did not adhere to the restrictions outlined in Franzburg
. Stralsund resisted with Danish, Swedish and Scottish support
, another Danish intervention failed
. Imperial occupation lasted until Swedish forces invaded in 1630
, and subsequently cleared all of the Duchy of Pomerania
of imperial forces until 1631.
had adopted Protestantism
in 1534. With the Second Defenestration of Prague in 1618, the Thirty Years' War
started as a primarily Catholic
-Protestant conflict between Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
and the Catholic League
on the one side and Protestant nobility and states on the other. Pomerania was a member of the internally divided Protestant Upper Saxon Circle
, that most prominently included the electorates of Saxony
and Brandenburg
, and had declared neutrality in 1620. Facing a victorious Catholic League, the Saxon electorate switched to the emperor's side in 1624, while Brandenburg
and Pomerania
kept resisting imperial demands. Aware of the League's military superiority however, they refused an alliance offered by Protestant Denmark
.
In 1625, imperial forces led by Albrecht von Wallenstein
occupied the Lower Saxon
prince-bishoprics of Magdeburg
and Halberstadt
, thereby also occupying and looting the Upper Saxon counties of Honstein and Wernigerode
. Wallenstein's army had been raised to support the League's forces commanded by Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly.
As a countermeasure, Danish forces led by Ernst von Mansfeld
occupied the Brandenburgian regions Altmark
and Prignitz
southwest of Pomerania also in 1625, but were defeated by the Imperial troops in the Battle of Dessau Bridge
in 1626. Except for The Electorate of Saxony
, which was treated by Wallenstein as a de facto member of the Catholic League, the Upper Saxon states, bare of sufficient military means for self-defence, were subsequently occupied and devastated by the imperial forces after Denmark had been neutralized. Formally, the circle maintained neutrality.
In November 1626, the Swedish Empire
recruited troops in Pomerania even though the duke had disapproved. In February 1627, Swedish troops crossed the duchy for Poland
, an imperial ally Sweden was at war with
. In July, imperial troops crossed into the duchy near Pyritz (now Pyrzyce). To prevent the pending occupation, duke Bogislaw XIV offered 60,000 Talers in October, later raised to 200,000 Talers. Unimpressed Albrecht von Wallenstein
instead ordered Hans-Georg von Arnim to occupy all Pomeranian ports and to confiscate all vessels.
The occupation of Pomerania was a strategical measure rather than punishment for prior disobedience. It was implemented to secure the southern coastline of the Baltic Sea
for the empire
against Christian IV of Denmark
, whose land forces were operating on imperial soil until the Treaty of Lübeck
in 1629, and whose naval dominance in the Baltic Sea the empire was unable to challenge.
The treaty ruled on the conditions of the billeting ("hospitatio") of the Imperial troops. Sources vary on whether Bogislaw XIV obliged himself to the intake of eight or ten regiments (approximately 24,000 soldiers). According to Herbert Langer, twenty multi-ethnic regiments with a total of 31,000 infantry and 7,540 cavalry were actually counted. To this number added military staff and civilian baggage of unknown number.
In general, all towns and villages were required to quarter the troops, exempted were specified domains of the House of Pomerania
, estates of knights, houses of clergy, councillors and academics, as well as the ducal residences Damm
(now Szczecin-Dąbie), Köslin
(now Koszalin), Stettin
(now Szczecin) and Wolgast
.
The capitulation also included restrictions on the army, in particlular it forbade among others the interference with trade, traffic and crafts; holdups and robberies which would harm towns, burgher
s, peasants or travellers; looting and extortion; rape of decent women;The German original reads "Verbot von Notzucht und Schändung 'redlicher Weibsbilder'". Langer (2003), p.404 quartering of soldiers' families and servants; and frivolous use of arms.
Contributions, which were to pay to the imperial forces by the duchy, were fixed at a weekly 407 Reichstalers per company and an additional 2,580 Reichstalers per respective staff.
, Demmin
, Greifswald
and Kolberg (now Kolobrzeg) were made seats of a garrison each, while in other towns, smaller units took quarter. Cavalry was stationed primarily in villages due to both the easier handling of the horses and the lower proportion of desertion
compared to infantry.
Although not ruled out verbatim in the capitulation's text, the conditions of quartering in Pomerania followed established practice: House and estate owners were to provide the soldier with bed, vinegar and salt, and also share kitchen and heatable living room at no cost. In theory, food had to be paid for; the soldiers were to either compensate their hosts or buy their victuals in special depots set up by the military.
Wallenstein
had promised Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
to fund his army himself. In practice, this meant that the army was fed and paid by contributions of the occupied territories and war loot
. Since the higher ranks often kept the already small fraction of war loot and contributions thought to pay the lower ranks for themselves, the soldiers satisfied their needs at the expense of the local population instead (bellum se ipsum alet
).
In addition to the disobedience of the capitulation's provisions by the military, the quartering resulted in epidemics breaking out more often, higher amounts of insufficiently disposed garbage, and shrinking natural resources. By 7 May 1628, Pomerania had already paid 466,981 Reichstaler as contributions – twice as much as the whole Upper Saxon Circle’s annual output. Suffering in Pomerania was "undescribable and became proverbial". John George I, Elector of Saxony
, who still perceived the Upper Saxon Circle his sphere of influence and anticipated imperial occupation of his thitherto spared electorate, sharply criticized Wallenstein’s practices, yet without result.
Stralsund
was the only town in the Duchy of Pomerania
to resist imperial occupation, resulting in the Battle of Stralsund
. Unwilling to surrender the considerable independence it had long enjoyed as a Hanseatic town
, Stralsund ignored the duke's order to adhere to the capitulation, instead turned to Denmark
and Sweden
for support and was aided in her defense by both. Christian IV of Denmark
deployed a Scottish
force raised by Donald Mackay
, and the Scots Alexander Seaton
and Alexander Leslie were in charge of the defense when the former colonel, Holke, retired to seek reinforcements.Scotsman Seaton, in command of the Scottish-Danish forces, was relieved by Leslie, future Earl of Leven, a Scot in Swedish service. Salmon (2003), p.32 Wallenstein laid siege to the town, and in July 1628 commanded several unsuccessful assaults in person. When Stralsund turned out to become his first serious misfortune in the war, he lifted the siege to win a last battle against Christian IV
near Wolgast
. Christian IV, who had already destroyed Wallenstein's naval facilities in Greifswald
, had intended to secure another Pomeranian port besides Stralsund there, but was utterly defeated and retreated to Denmark. Stralsund however signed an alliance with Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden
, providing him with a bridgehead on imperial territory manned with a Swedish expeditionary force and thus ultimately marking the Swedish entrance into the Thirty Years' War
.
In February 1629, Bogislaw XIV pledged to ease the occupation, and though Ferdinand II
re-assured the duke, he took no action. Instead the imperial Edict of Restitution
of March advertised the re-Catholization of the empire’s Protestant states. The Treaty of Lübeck
, which ended the hostilities between the Danish king and the emperor in May, likewise did not result in a relief or a lift of the occupation, even though the capitulation of Franzburg had been justified with the emperor's right to recruit military support from his subjects to their own and the empire's protection.
After France
had mediated a truce
between the Swedish Empire
and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
in September 1629, Sweden was ready for an invasion of the Holy Roman Empire
. The invasion was started when Gustavus Adolphus' troops landed on Usedom
island in the spring of 1630, while simultaneous assaults on Rügen
and the adjacent mainland by the Stralsund garrison cleared his flank. As a consequence, the capitulation of Franzburg was replaced by a Pomeranian-Swedish alliance confirmed in the Treaty of Stettin
.
in the Duchy of Pomerania
. The severe plight the capitulation inflicted on the people only foreshadowed the utter devastation of the duchy by the end of the war, when two thirds of the population were left dead.
The successful resistance
of Stralsund
to the terms of the capitulation granted the Swedish Empire
a foothold in the Holy Roman Empire
- especially after Denmark
withdrew her forces following the Treaty of Lübeck
. The Swedish garrison in Stralsund was the first on German soil in history. A Riksdag
commission had approved of Gustavus Adolphus' plans to intervene on the empire's soil already in the winter of 1627/28, and in January 1629, the Riksråd approved of an offensive war, put into effect in the following year. Swedish forces invaded Pomerania in 1630
and by 16 June 1631 had cleared the last imperial stronghold, Greifswald
. With short war-caused interruptions, Sweden kept her continental foothold in what became known as Swedish Pomerania
until the Congress of Vienna
of 1815.
Bogislaw XIV, Duke of Pomerania, who had just part by part inherited the previously internally partitioned duchy
to become her sole ruler in 1625, issued a paper called Dreijährige Drangsal ("three years of distress") after the Swedish take-over, which read that the capitulation in Franzburg had been forced upon him by the military. At the same time, he wrote a letter to the Holy Roman Emperor
apologizing for the Swedish alliance, saying he had no choice but to obey Swedish demands, and included a passage in the Treaty of Stettin
stating the alliance be for the empire's best. Bogislaw did not survive the war: He died without issue in 1637, terminating some 500 years of rulership
of the House of Pomerania
.
The town of Franzburg
, where the capitulation was signed, fell victim to the war, too: It was devastated completely. In 1670, a mere 70 people lived in the town. Only in 1728 was Franzburg resettled.
Franzburg
Franzburg is a municipality in the Vorpommern-Rügen district of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated 20 km southwest of Stralsund...
was a treaty providing for the capitulation
Capitulation (treaty)
A capitulation , or ahidnâme, is a treaty or unilateral contract by which a sovereign state relinquishes jurisdiction within its borders over the subjects of a foreign state...
of the Duchy of Pomerania
Duchy of Pomerania
The Duchy of Pomerania was a duchy in Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, ruled by dukes of the House of Pomerania ....
to the forces of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
during the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
. It was signed on 10 November (O.S.)
Old Style and New Style dates
Old Style and New Style are used in English language historical studies either to indicate that the start of the Julian year has been adjusted to start on 1 January even though documents written at the time use a different start of year ; or to indicate that a date conforms to the Julian...
or 20 November (N.S.)
Old Style and New Style dates
Old Style and New Style are used in English language historical studies either to indicate that the start of the Julian year has been adjusted to start on 1 January even though documents written at the time use a different start of year ; or to indicate that a date conforms to the Julian...
1627In the 17th century, the Julian calendar
Julian calendar
The Julian calendar began in 45 BC as a reform of the Roman calendar by Julius Caesar. It was chosen after consultation with the astronomer Sosigenes of Alexandria and was probably designed to approximate the tropical year .The Julian calendar has a regular year of 365 days divided into 12 months...
was used in the region, which then was ten days late compared to the Gregorian calendar
Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar, also known as the Western calendar, or Christian calendar, is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, by a decree signed on 24 February 1582, a papal bull known by its opening words Inter...
; 10 November - Julian, 20 November - Gregorian. by Bogislaw XIV, Duke of Pomerania and Hans Georg von Arnim, commander in chief of an occupation force belonging to the army of Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand II , a member of the House of Habsburg, was Holy Roman Emperor , King of Bohemia , and King of Hungary . His rule coincided with the Thirty Years' War.- Life :...
, led by Albrecht von Wallenstein
Albrecht von Wallenstein
Albrecht Wenzel Eusebius von Wallenstein , actually von Waldstein, was a Bohemian soldier and politician, who offered his services, and an army of 30,000 to 100,000 men during the Danish period of the Thirty Years' War , to the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II...
. While the terms of the capitulation were unfavourable for the Duchy of Pomerania
Duchy of Pomerania
The Duchy of Pomerania was a duchy in Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, ruled by dukes of the House of Pomerania ....
already, occupation became even more burdensome when the occupation force did not adhere to the restrictions outlined in Franzburg
Franzburg
Franzburg is a municipality in the Vorpommern-Rügen district of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated 20 km southwest of Stralsund...
. Stralsund resisted with Danish, Swedish and Scottish support
Battle of Stralsund (1628)
The Siege of Stralsund was a siege laid on Stralsund by Albrecht von Wallenstein's Imperial Army during the Thirty Years' War, from May to 4 August 1628. Stralsund was aided by Denmark and Sweden, with considerable Scottish participation. The siege ended Wallenstein's series of victories, and...
, another Danish intervention failed
Battle of Wolgast
The Battle of Wolgast was an engagement in the Thirty Years' War, fought on 22 August or 2 September 1628 near Wolgast, Duchy of Pomerania, Germany.In the 17th century, the Julian calendar was used in the region, which then was ten days late compared to the Gregorian calendar:Danish take-over: 14...
. Imperial occupation lasted until Swedish forces invaded in 1630
Treaty of Stettin (1630)
The Treaty of Stettin or Alliance of Stettin was the legal framework for the occupation of the Duchy of Pomerania by the Swedish Empire during the Thirty Years' War...
, and subsequently cleared all of the Duchy of Pomerania
Duchy of Pomerania
The Duchy of Pomerania was a duchy in Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, ruled by dukes of the House of Pomerania ....
of imperial forces until 1631.
Background
The Duchy of PomeraniaDuchy of Pomerania
The Duchy of Pomerania was a duchy in Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, ruled by dukes of the House of Pomerania ....
had adopted Protestantism
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
in 1534. With the Second Defenestration of Prague in 1618, the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
started as a primarily Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
-Protestant conflict between Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand II , a member of the House of Habsburg, was Holy Roman Emperor , King of Bohemia , and King of Hungary . His rule coincided with the Thirty Years' War.- Life :...
and the Catholic League
Catholic League (German)
The German Catholic League was initially a loose confederation of Roman Catholic German states formed on July 10, 1609 to counteract the Protestant Union , whereby the participating states concluded an alliance "for the defence of the Catholic religion and peace within the Empire." Modeled...
on the one side and Protestant nobility and states on the other. Pomerania was a member of the internally divided Protestant Upper Saxon Circle
Upper Saxon Circle
The Upper Saxon Circle was an Imperial Circle of the Holy Roman Empire, created in 1512.The circle was dominated by the electorate of Saxony and the electorate of Brandenburg. It further comprised the Saxon Ernestine duchies and Pomerania...
, that most prominently included the electorates of Saxony
Electorate of Saxony
The Electorate of Saxony , sometimes referred to as Upper Saxony, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire. It was established when Emperor Charles IV raised the Ascanian duchy of Saxe-Wittenberg to the status of an Electorate by the Golden Bull of 1356...
and Brandenburg
Brandenburg
Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
, and had declared neutrality in 1620. Facing a victorious Catholic League, the Saxon electorate switched to the emperor's side in 1624, while Brandenburg
Brandenburg
Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
and Pomerania
Pomerania
Pomerania is a historical region on the south shore of the Baltic Sea. Divided between Germany and Poland, it stretches roughly from the Recknitz River near Stralsund in the West, via the Oder River delta near Szczecin, to the mouth of the Vistula River near Gdańsk in the East...
kept resisting imperial demands. Aware of the League's military superiority however, they refused an alliance offered by Protestant Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
.
In 1625, imperial forces led by Albrecht von Wallenstein
Albrecht von Wallenstein
Albrecht Wenzel Eusebius von Wallenstein , actually von Waldstein, was a Bohemian soldier and politician, who offered his services, and an army of 30,000 to 100,000 men during the Danish period of the Thirty Years' War , to the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II...
occupied the Lower Saxon
Lower Saxon Circle
The Lower Saxon Circle was an Imperial Circle of the Holy Roman Empire. Covering much of the territory of the mediæval Duchy of Saxony , firstly the circle used to be called the Saxon Circle , only to be later better differentiated from the Upper Saxon Circle the more specific name prevailed.An...
prince-bishoprics of Magdeburg
Archbishopric of Magdeburg
The Archbishopric of Magdeburg was a Roman Catholic archdiocese and Prince-Bishopric of the Holy Roman Empire centered on the city of Magdeburg on the Elbe River....
and Halberstadt
Bishopric of Halberstadt
The Bishopric of Halberstadt was a Roman Catholic diocese from 804 until 1648 and an ecclesiastical state of the Holy Roman Empire from the late Middle Ages...
, thereby also occupying and looting the Upper Saxon counties of Honstein and Wernigerode
County of Wernigerode
The County of Wernigerode was a county of the Holy Roman Empire, located in the Harzgau region of the former Duchy of Saxony, at the northern foot of the Harz mountain range...
. Wallenstein's army had been raised to support the League's forces commanded by Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly.
As a countermeasure, Danish forces led by Ernst von Mansfeld
Ernst von Mansfeld
Ernst, Graf von Mansfeld , was a German military commander during the early years of the Thirty Years' War.-Biography:...
occupied the Brandenburgian regions Altmark
Altmark
The Altmark is a historic region in Germany, comprising the northern third of Saxony-Anhalt. As the initial territory of the Brandenburg margraves, it is sometimes referred to as the "Cradle of Prussia", as by Otto von Bismarck, a native from Schönhausen near Stendal.- Geography :The Altmark is...
and Prignitz
Prignitz
Prignitz is a Kreis in the northwestern part of Brandenburg, Germany. Neighboring are the district Ludwigslust-Parchim in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the district Ostprignitz-Ruppin in Brandenburg, the district Stendal in Saxony-Anhalt and the district Lüchow-Dannenberg in Lower...
southwest of Pomerania also in 1625, but were defeated by the Imperial troops in the Battle of Dessau Bridge
Battle of Dessau Bridge
The Battle of Dessau Bridge was a battle of the Thirty Years' War near Dessau on April 25, 1626. The Imperial Roman Catholic forces of Albrecht von Wallenstein defeated the Protestant forces of Ernst von Mansfeld in the battle....
in 1626. Except for The Electorate of Saxony
Electorate of Saxony
The Electorate of Saxony , sometimes referred to as Upper Saxony, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire. It was established when Emperor Charles IV raised the Ascanian duchy of Saxe-Wittenberg to the status of an Electorate by the Golden Bull of 1356...
, which was treated by Wallenstein as a de facto member of the Catholic League, the Upper Saxon states, bare of sufficient military means for self-defence, were subsequently occupied and devastated by the imperial forces after Denmark had been neutralized. Formally, the circle maintained neutrality.
In November 1626, the Swedish Empire
Swedish Empire
The Swedish Empire refers to the Kingdom of Sweden between 1561 and 1721 . During this time, Sweden was one of the great European powers. In Swedish, the period is called Stormaktstiden, literally meaning "the Great Power Era"...
recruited troops in Pomerania even though the duke had disapproved. In February 1627, Swedish troops crossed the duchy for Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, an imperial ally Sweden was at war with
Polish–Swedish War (1626–1629)
The Polish–Swedish War of 1626–1629 was the fourth stage in a series of conflicts between Sweden and Poland fought in the 17th century...
. In July, imperial troops crossed into the duchy near Pyritz (now Pyrzyce). To prevent the pending occupation, duke Bogislaw XIV offered 60,000 Talers in October, later raised to 200,000 Talers. Unimpressed Albrecht von Wallenstein
Albrecht von Wallenstein
Albrecht Wenzel Eusebius von Wallenstein , actually von Waldstein, was a Bohemian soldier and politician, who offered his services, and an army of 30,000 to 100,000 men during the Danish period of the Thirty Years' War , to the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II...
instead ordered Hans-Georg von Arnim to occupy all Pomeranian ports and to confiscate all vessels.
The occupation of Pomerania was a strategical measure rather than punishment for prior disobedience. It was implemented to secure the southern coastline of the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
for the empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
against Christian IV of Denmark
Christian IV of Denmark
Christian IV was the king of Denmark-Norway from 1588 until his death. With a reign of more than 59 years, he is the longest-reigning monarch of Denmark, and he is frequently remembered as one of the most popular, ambitious and proactive Danish kings, having initiated many reforms and projects...
, whose land forces were operating on imperial soil until the Treaty of Lübeck
Treaty of Lübeck
Treaty or Peace of Lübeck ended the Danish intervention in the Thirty Years' War . It was signed in Lübeck on 22 May 1629 by Albrecht von Wallenstein and Christian IV of Denmark, and on 7 June by Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor. The Catholic League was formally included as a party...
in 1629, and whose naval dominance in the Baltic Sea the empire was unable to challenge.
Provisions
In general, all towns and villages were required to quarter the troops, exempted were specified domains of the House of Pomerania
House of Pomerania
The House of Griffins or House of Pomerania, , also known as House of Greifen; House of Gryf, was a dynasty of Royal dukes that ruled the Duchy of Pomerania from the 12th century until 1637, after their power was temporarily derivated to Prussian Royal House...
, estates of knights, houses of clergy, councillors and academics, as well as the ducal residences Damm
Dabie (neighborhood of Szczecin)
Dąbie is a municipal neighbourhood of the city of Szczecin in Poland, situated on the Płonia river, on the south coast of Dąbie Lake, on the right bank of Oder river, east of the Szczecin Old Town and Middle Town...
(now Szczecin-Dąbie), Köslin
Koszalin
Koszalin ; is the largest city of Middle Pomerania in north-western Poland. It is located 12 km south of the Baltic Sea coast. Koszalin is also a county-status city and capital of Koszalin County of West Pomeranian Voivodeship since 1999...
(now Koszalin), Stettin
Szczecin
Szczecin , is the capital city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland. It is the country's seventh-largest city and the largest seaport in Poland on the Baltic Sea. As of June 2009 the population was 406,427....
(now Szczecin) and Wolgast
Wolgast
Wolgast is a town in the district of Vorpommern-Greifswald, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated on the bank of the river Peenestrom, vis-a-vis the island of Usedom that can be accessed by road and railway via a bascule bridge...
.
The capitulation also included restrictions on the army, in particlular it forbade among others the interference with trade, traffic and crafts; holdups and robberies which would harm towns, burgher
Bourgeoisie
In sociology and political science, bourgeoisie describes a range of groups across history. In the Western world, between the late 18th century and the present day, the bourgeoisie is a social class "characterized by their ownership of capital and their related culture." A member of the...
s, peasants or travellers; looting and extortion; rape of decent women;The German original reads "Verbot von Notzucht und Schändung 'redlicher Weibsbilder'". Langer (2003), p.404 quartering of soldiers' families and servants; and frivolous use of arms.
Contributions, which were to pay to the imperial forces by the duchy, were fixed at a weekly 407 Reichstalers per company and an additional 2,580 Reichstalers per respective staff.
Implementation and consequences
The towns of AnklamAnklam
Anklam is a town in the Western Pomerania region of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated on the banks of the Peene river, just 8 km from its mouth in the Kleines Haff, the western part of the Stettin Lagoon. Anklam has a population of 14,603 and was the capital of the former...
, Demmin
Demmin
Demmin is a town in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. It was the capital of the former district Demmin.- Name :...
, Greifswald
Greifswald
Greifswald , officially, the University and Hanseatic City of Greifswald is a town in northeastern Germany. It is situated in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, at an equal distance of about from Germany's two largest cities, Berlin and Hamburg. The town borders the Baltic Sea, and is crossed...
and Kolberg (now Kolobrzeg) were made seats of a garrison each, while in other towns, smaller units took quarter. Cavalry was stationed primarily in villages due to both the easier handling of the horses and the lower proportion of desertion
Desertion
In military terminology, desertion is the abandonment of a "duty" or post without permission and is done with the intention of not returning...
compared to infantry.
Although not ruled out verbatim in the capitulation's text, the conditions of quartering in Pomerania followed established practice: House and estate owners were to provide the soldier with bed, vinegar and salt, and also share kitchen and heatable living room at no cost. In theory, food had to be paid for; the soldiers were to either compensate their hosts or buy their victuals in special depots set up by the military.
Wallenstein
Albrecht von Wallenstein
Albrecht Wenzel Eusebius von Wallenstein , actually von Waldstein, was a Bohemian soldier and politician, who offered his services, and an army of 30,000 to 100,000 men during the Danish period of the Thirty Years' War , to the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II...
had promised Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand II , a member of the House of Habsburg, was Holy Roman Emperor , King of Bohemia , and King of Hungary . His rule coincided with the Thirty Years' War.- Life :...
to fund his army himself. In practice, this meant that the army was fed and paid by contributions of the occupied territories and war loot
War loot
War loot refers to goods, valuables and property obtained by force from their lawful owners via looting during or after warfare. These "spoils of war" differ from tributes or other payments extracted after the fact by a victorious nation in that their extraction is largely arbitrary and immediate,...
. Since the higher ranks often kept the already small fraction of war loot and contributions thought to pay the lower ranks for themselves, the soldiers satisfied their needs at the expense of the local population instead (bellum se ipsum alet
Bellum se ipsum alet
Latin phrase bellum se ipsum alet or bellum se ipsum alit , and its German rendering Der Krieg ernährt den Krieg describe the military strategy of feeding and funding armies primarily with the potentials of occupied territories...
).
In addition to the disobedience of the capitulation's provisions by the military, the quartering resulted in epidemics breaking out more often, higher amounts of insufficiently disposed garbage, and shrinking natural resources. By 7 May 1628, Pomerania had already paid 466,981 Reichstaler as contributions – twice as much as the whole Upper Saxon Circle’s annual output. Suffering in Pomerania was "undescribable and became proverbial". John George I, Elector of Saxony
John George I, Elector of Saxony
John George I was Elector of Saxony from 1611 to 1656.-Biography:Born in Dresden, he was the second son of the Elector Christian I and Sophie of Brandenburg....
, who still perceived the Upper Saxon Circle his sphere of influence and anticipated imperial occupation of his thitherto spared electorate, sharply criticized Wallenstein’s practices, yet without result.
Stralsund
- Main sights :* The Brick Gothic historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.* The heart of the old town is the Old Market Square , with the Gothic Town Hall . Behind the town hall stands the imposing Nikolaikirche , built in 1270-1360...
was the only town in the Duchy of Pomerania
Duchy of Pomerania
The Duchy of Pomerania was a duchy in Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, ruled by dukes of the House of Pomerania ....
to resist imperial occupation, resulting in the Battle of Stralsund
Battle of Stralsund (1628)
The Siege of Stralsund was a siege laid on Stralsund by Albrecht von Wallenstein's Imperial Army during the Thirty Years' War, from May to 4 August 1628. Stralsund was aided by Denmark and Sweden, with considerable Scottish participation. The siege ended Wallenstein's series of victories, and...
. Unwilling to surrender the considerable independence it had long enjoyed as a Hanseatic town
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe...
, Stralsund ignored the duke's order to adhere to the capitulation, instead turned to Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and Sweden
Swedish Empire
The Swedish Empire refers to the Kingdom of Sweden between 1561 and 1721 . During this time, Sweden was one of the great European powers. In Swedish, the period is called Stormaktstiden, literally meaning "the Great Power Era"...
for support and was aided in her defense by both. Christian IV of Denmark
Christian IV of Denmark
Christian IV was the king of Denmark-Norway from 1588 until his death. With a reign of more than 59 years, he is the longest-reigning monarch of Denmark, and he is frequently remembered as one of the most popular, ambitious and proactive Danish kings, having initiated many reforms and projects...
deployed a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
force raised by Donald Mackay
Donald Mackay, 1st Lord Reay
Donald Mackay, 1st Lord Reay , known as Sir Donald Mackay, 1st Baronet, from 1627 to 1628, was a Scottish peer and soldier.-Biography:Mackay was the eldest son of Huistean Du...
, and the Scots Alexander Seaton
Alexander Seaton
Alexander Seaton or Seton was a Scottish mercenary in Danish service during the Thirty Years' War. He served as a governor in the Battle of Stralsund and as an admiral in the Torstenson War.-Biography:...
and Alexander Leslie were in charge of the defense when the former colonel, Holke, retired to seek reinforcements.Scotsman Seaton, in command of the Scottish-Danish forces, was relieved by Leslie, future Earl of Leven, a Scot in Swedish service. Salmon (2003), p.32 Wallenstein laid siege to the town, and in July 1628 commanded several unsuccessful assaults in person. When Stralsund turned out to become his first serious misfortune in the war, he lifted the siege to win a last battle against Christian IV
Battle of Wolgast
The Battle of Wolgast was an engagement in the Thirty Years' War, fought on 22 August or 2 September 1628 near Wolgast, Duchy of Pomerania, Germany.In the 17th century, the Julian calendar was used in the region, which then was ten days late compared to the Gregorian calendar:Danish take-over: 14...
near Wolgast
Wolgast
Wolgast is a town in the district of Vorpommern-Greifswald, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated on the bank of the river Peenestrom, vis-a-vis the island of Usedom that can be accessed by road and railway via a bascule bridge...
. Christian IV, who had already destroyed Wallenstein's naval facilities in Greifswald
Greifswald
Greifswald , officially, the University and Hanseatic City of Greifswald is a town in northeastern Germany. It is situated in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, at an equal distance of about from Germany's two largest cities, Berlin and Hamburg. The town borders the Baltic Sea, and is crossed...
, had intended to secure another Pomeranian port besides Stralsund there, but was utterly defeated and retreated to Denmark. Stralsund however signed an alliance with Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden
Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden
Gustav II Adolf has been widely known in English by his Latinized name Gustavus Adolphus Magnus and variously in historical writings also as Gustavus, or Gustavus the Great, or Gustav Adolph the Great,...
, providing him with a bridgehead on imperial territory manned with a Swedish expeditionary force and thus ultimately marking the Swedish entrance into the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
.
In February 1629, Bogislaw XIV pledged to ease the occupation, and though Ferdinand II
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand II , a member of the House of Habsburg, was Holy Roman Emperor , King of Bohemia , and King of Hungary . His rule coincided with the Thirty Years' War.- Life :...
re-assured the duke, he took no action. Instead the imperial Edict of Restitution
Edict of Restitution
The Edict of Restitution, passed eleven years into the Thirty Years' Wars on March 6, 1629 following Catholic successes at arms, was a belated attempt by Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor to impose and restore the religious and territorial situations reached in the Peace of Augsburg...
of March advertised the re-Catholization of the empire’s Protestant states. The Treaty of Lübeck
Treaty of Lübeck
Treaty or Peace of Lübeck ended the Danish intervention in the Thirty Years' War . It was signed in Lübeck on 22 May 1629 by Albrecht von Wallenstein and Christian IV of Denmark, and on 7 June by Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor. The Catholic League was formally included as a party...
, which ended the hostilities between the Danish king and the emperor in May, likewise did not result in a relief or a lift of the occupation, even though the capitulation of Franzburg had been justified with the emperor's right to recruit military support from his subjects to their own and the empire's protection.
After France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
had mediated a truce
Truce of Altmark
The six-year Truce of Altmark was signed on 25 September 1629 at the Altmark , near Danzig by Sweden and Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth during Thirty Years' War, ending the Polish–Swedish War ....
between the Swedish Empire
Swedish Empire
The Swedish Empire refers to the Kingdom of Sweden between 1561 and 1721 . During this time, Sweden was one of the great European powers. In Swedish, the period is called Stormaktstiden, literally meaning "the Great Power Era"...
and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was a dualistic state of Poland and Lithuania ruled by a common monarch. It was the largest and one of the most populous countries of 16th- and 17th‑century Europe with some and a multi-ethnic population of 11 million at its peak in the early 17th century...
in September 1629, Sweden was ready for an invasion of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
. The invasion was started when Gustavus Adolphus' troops landed on Usedom
Usedom
Usedom is a Baltic Sea island on the border between Germany and Poland. It is situated north of the Szczecin Lagoon estuary of the River Oder in Pomerania...
island in the spring of 1630, while simultaneous assaults on Rügen
Rügen
Rügen is Germany's largest island. Located in the Baltic Sea, it is part of the Vorpommern-Rügen district of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.- Geography :Rügen is located off the north-eastern coast of Germany in the Baltic Sea...
and the adjacent mainland by the Stralsund garrison cleared his flank. As a consequence, the capitulation of Franzburg was replaced by a Pomeranian-Swedish alliance confirmed in the Treaty of Stettin
Treaty of Stettin (1630)
The Treaty of Stettin or Alliance of Stettin was the legal framework for the occupation of the Duchy of Pomerania by the Swedish Empire during the Thirty Years' War...
.
Legacy
The capitulation of Franzburg marked the beginning of the Thirty Years' WarThirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
in the Duchy of Pomerania
Duchy of Pomerania
The Duchy of Pomerania was a duchy in Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, ruled by dukes of the House of Pomerania ....
. The severe plight the capitulation inflicted on the people only foreshadowed the utter devastation of the duchy by the end of the war, when two thirds of the population were left dead.
The successful resistance
Battle of Stralsund (1628)
The Siege of Stralsund was a siege laid on Stralsund by Albrecht von Wallenstein's Imperial Army during the Thirty Years' War, from May to 4 August 1628. Stralsund was aided by Denmark and Sweden, with considerable Scottish participation. The siege ended Wallenstein's series of victories, and...
of Stralsund
Stralsund
- Main sights :* The Brick Gothic historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.* The heart of the old town is the Old Market Square , with the Gothic Town Hall . Behind the town hall stands the imposing Nikolaikirche , built in 1270-1360...
to the terms of the capitulation granted the Swedish Empire
Swedish Empire
The Swedish Empire refers to the Kingdom of Sweden between 1561 and 1721 . During this time, Sweden was one of the great European powers. In Swedish, the period is called Stormaktstiden, literally meaning "the Great Power Era"...
a foothold in the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
- especially after Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
withdrew her forces following the Treaty of Lübeck
Treaty of Lübeck
Treaty or Peace of Lübeck ended the Danish intervention in the Thirty Years' War . It was signed in Lübeck on 22 May 1629 by Albrecht von Wallenstein and Christian IV of Denmark, and on 7 June by Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor. The Catholic League was formally included as a party...
. The Swedish garrison in Stralsund was the first on German soil in history. A Riksdag
Parliament of Sweden
The Riksdag is the national legislative assembly of Sweden. The riksdag is a unicameral assembly with 349 members , who are elected on a proportional basis to serve fixed terms of four years...
commission had approved of Gustavus Adolphus' plans to intervene on the empire's soil already in the winter of 1627/28, and in January 1629, the Riksråd approved of an offensive war, put into effect in the following year. Swedish forces invaded Pomerania in 1630
Treaty of Stettin (1630)
The Treaty of Stettin or Alliance of Stettin was the legal framework for the occupation of the Duchy of Pomerania by the Swedish Empire during the Thirty Years' War...
and by 16 June 1631 had cleared the last imperial stronghold, Greifswald
Greifswald
Greifswald , officially, the University and Hanseatic City of Greifswald is a town in northeastern Germany. It is situated in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, at an equal distance of about from Germany's two largest cities, Berlin and Hamburg. The town borders the Baltic Sea, and is crossed...
. With short war-caused interruptions, Sweden kept her continental foothold in what became known as Swedish Pomerania
Swedish Pomerania
Swedish Pomerania was a Dominion under the Swedish Crown from 1630 to 1815, situated on what is now the Baltic coast of Germany and Poland. Following the Polish War and the Thirty Years' War, Sweden held extensive control over the lands on the southern Baltic coast, including Pomerania and parts...
until the Congress of Vienna
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...
of 1815.
Bogislaw XIV, Duke of Pomerania, who had just part by part inherited the previously internally partitioned duchy
Partitions of the Duchy of Pomerania
The Duchy of Pomerania was partitioned several times to satisfy the claims of the male members of the ruling House of Pomerania dynasty. The partitions were named after the ducal residences: Pomerania-Barth, -Demmin, -Rügenwalde, -Stettin, -Stolp, and -Wolgast. None of the partitions had a...
to become her sole ruler in 1625, issued a paper called Dreijährige Drangsal ("three years of distress") after the Swedish take-over, which read that the capitulation in Franzburg had been forced upon him by the military. At the same time, he wrote a letter to the Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
apologizing for the Swedish alliance, saying he had no choice but to obey Swedish demands, and included a passage in the Treaty of Stettin
Treaty of Stettin (1630)
The Treaty of Stettin or Alliance of Stettin was the legal framework for the occupation of the Duchy of Pomerania by the Swedish Empire during the Thirty Years' War...
stating the alliance be for the empire's best. Bogislaw did not survive the war: He died without issue in 1637, terminating some 500 years of rulership
Duchy of Pomerania
The Duchy of Pomerania was a duchy in Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, ruled by dukes of the House of Pomerania ....
of the House of Pomerania
House of Pomerania
The House of Griffins or House of Pomerania, , also known as House of Greifen; House of Gryf, was a dynasty of Royal dukes that ruled the Duchy of Pomerania from the 12th century until 1637, after their power was temporarily derivated to Prussian Royal House...
.
The town of Franzburg
Franzburg
Franzburg is a municipality in the Vorpommern-Rügen district of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated 20 km southwest of Stralsund...
, where the capitulation was signed, fell victim to the war, too: It was devastated completely. In 1670, a mere 70 people lived in the town. Only in 1728 was Franzburg resettled.
See also
- Pomerania during the Early Modern AgePomerania during the Early Modern AgePomerania during the Early Modern Age covers the History of Pomerania in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries.Throughout this time, Pomerelia was within Royal Prussia, a part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth with considerable autonomy...
- Thirty Years' WarThirty Years' WarThe Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
- Battle of Stralsund (1628)Battle of Stralsund (1628)The Siege of Stralsund was a siege laid on Stralsund by Albrecht von Wallenstein's Imperial Army during the Thirty Years' War, from May to 4 August 1628. Stralsund was aided by Denmark and Sweden, with considerable Scottish participation. The siege ended Wallenstein's series of victories, and...
- Battle of WolgastBattle of WolgastThe Battle of Wolgast was an engagement in the Thirty Years' War, fought on 22 August or 2 September 1628 near Wolgast, Duchy of Pomerania, Germany.In the 17th century, the Julian calendar was used in the region, which then was ten days late compared to the Gregorian calendar:Danish take-over: 14...
- Duchy of PomeraniaDuchy of PomeraniaThe Duchy of Pomerania was a duchy in Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, ruled by dukes of the House of Pomerania ....
- Swedish PomeraniaSwedish PomeraniaSwedish Pomerania was a Dominion under the Swedish Crown from 1630 to 1815, situated on what is now the Baltic coast of Germany and Poland. Following the Polish War and the Thirty Years' War, Sweden held extensive control over the lands on the southern Baltic coast, including Pomerania and parts...