Treaty of Bärwalde
Encyclopedia
The Treaty of Bärwalde of 23 January 1631 was a treaty concluding an alliance between Sweden
and France
during the Thirty Years' War
, shortly after Sweden had invaded Northern Germany then occupied by Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
's forces. The treaty obliged Sweden to maintain an army of 36,000 troops, and France to fund the Swedish army with an annually 400,000 Reichstalers.
, who had already intervened in the Battle of Stralsund (1628)
, started her campaign in the Holy Roman Empire
in 1630. The invasion began when Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden
had landed in the Duchy of Pomerania
and concluded an alliance with Bogislaw XIV, Duke of Pomerania, the Treaty of Stettin (1630)
. Yet, Sweden found no other ally except for the Free imperial city
of Magdeburg
. From the Pomeranian bridgehead, Gustavus Adolphus advanced further south into Brandenburg
in early January 1631.
A Franco-Swedish alliance had been prepared since the Truce of Altmark
in 1629 and agreed on in the Treaty of Västerås on 5 March 1630. On 23 January 1631, French and Swedish negotiators reached an agreement in Brandenburgian Bärwalde (now Mieszkowice) near Pomeranian Greiffenhagen (now Gryfino).
and Baltic Sea
s, and freedom of trade" as well as the liberation of the "oppressed nobles of the empire". The treaty was scheduled to apply for five years. Its core provisions were
In addition, the treaty provided religious guarantees, including a guarantee for religious freedom of subdued Catholics
. Another provision was that France and Sweden respect the neutrality of Bavaria
and the Catholic League
under certain premises, yet these premises were not fulfilled by the time the treaty was concluded.
The treaty was signed by ambassador Hercules de Charnacé, "unofficial agent" of Cardinal Richelieu, for France, and, on behalf of Gustavus Adolphus
, Gustav Horn and Johan Banér
for Sweden.
While the French subsidies
to Sweden agreed on in Bärwalde made up for no more than one fiftieth of the French state budget, they amounted to one quarter of the Swedish one.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and 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...
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....
, shortly after Sweden had invaded Northern Germany then occupied by 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 :...
's forces. The treaty obliged Sweden to maintain an army of 36,000 troops, and France to fund the Swedish army with an annually 400,000 Reichstalers.
Background
SwedenSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, who had already intervened in the 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...
, started her campaign 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...
in 1630. The invasion began when 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,...
had landed 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 ....
and concluded an alliance with Bogislaw XIV, Duke of Pomerania, the Treaty of Stettin (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...
. Yet, Sweden found no other ally except for the Free imperial city
Free Imperial City
In the Holy Roman Empire, a free imperial city was a city formally ruled by the emperor only — as opposed to the majority of cities in the Empire, which were governed by one of the many princes of the Empire, such as dukes or prince-bishops...
of Magdeburg
Magdeburg
Magdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
. From the Pomeranian bridgehead, Gustavus Adolphus advanced further south into 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...
in early January 1631.
A Franco-Swedish alliance had been prepared since the Truce of Altmark
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 ....
in 1629 and agreed on in the Treaty of Västerås on 5 March 1630. On 23 January 1631, French and Swedish negotiators reached an agreement in Brandenburgian Bärwalde (now Mieszkowice) near Pomeranian Greiffenhagen (now Gryfino).
The treaty
The treaty's stated purpose was to protect "common allies, the safety of the NorthNorth Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
and 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...
s, and freedom of trade" as well as the liberation of the "oppressed nobles of the empire". The treaty was scheduled to apply for five years. Its core provisions were
- Sweden was to maintain an army of 36,000 troops in Germany: 30,000 infantry, 6,000 cavalry.
- France was to pay an annual 400,000 Reichstalers (1,000,000 livreFrench livreThe livre was the currency of France until 1795. Several different livres existed, some concurrently. The livre was the name of both units of account and coins.-Etymology:...
s) and an additional 120,000 Reichstalers for 1630. - France and Sweden were not to conclude peace treaties with third parties without mutual approval.
In addition, the treaty provided religious guarantees, including a guarantee for religious freedom of subdued Catholics
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...
. Another provision was that France and Sweden respect the neutrality of Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
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...
under certain premises, yet these premises were not fulfilled by the time the treaty was concluded.
The treaty was signed by ambassador Hercules de Charnacé, "unofficial agent" of Cardinal Richelieu, for France, and, on behalf of Gustavus Adolphus
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,...
, Gustav Horn and Johan Banér
Johan Banér
Johan Banér was a Swedish Field Marshal in the Thirty Years' War.-Biography:Johan Banér was born at Djursholm Castle in Uppland. As a four year old he was forced to witness how his father, the Privy Councillour Gustaf Banér, and uncle, Sten Axelsson Banér , were executed at the Linköping Bloodbath...
for Sweden.
While the French subsidies
Subsidy
A subsidy is an assistance paid to a business or economic sector. Most subsidies are made by the government to producers or distributors in an industry to prevent the decline of that industry or an increase in the prices of its products or simply to encourage it to hire more labor A subsidy (also...
to Sweden agreed on in Bärwalde made up for no more than one fiftieth of the French state budget, they amounted to one quarter of the Swedish one.
Subsequent Franco-Swedish treaties during the Thirty Years' War
The treaty served to fund further advances of Sweden into Germany. Further Franco-Swedish strategical alliances, some including third parties, were concluded in the following years:- 27 October 1632: Treaty of Toulouse between France, Sweden and the Electorate of Cologne
- 5 September 1633, 26 August 1634, 20 September 1634 and 1 November 1634: Treaties of Frankfurt am Main, Paris, Frankfurt and Paris, respectively, between France, Sweden and the Heilbronn LeagueHeilbronn LeagueThe Heilbronn League was an alliance between Sweden, France, and the Protestant princes of Western Germany against the Catholic League during the Thirty Years' War. The treaty forming the League was signed at Heilbronn in Germany on April 23, 1633....
- 20 March 1636: Treaty of WismarTreaty of WismarThe Treaty of Wismar was signed on March 20, 1636, by France and Sweden at Wismar in Mecklenburg. The accord was negotiated for Sweden by Count Axel Gustafsson. The signatories agreed to unite forces against the Habsburgs, with France attacking on the left bank of the Rhine River and Sweden...
between France and Sweden - 6 March 1638: Treaty of HamburgTreaty of Hamburg (1638)The Treaty of Hamburg was signed on June 30, 1641 by Cardinal Richelieu of France and representatives of Sweden. Based on the terms of the treaty, France paid Sweden 1,000,000 livres for its military contributions against the Habsburgs. Moreover, the accord confirmed their alliance set by the...
between France and Sweden - 30 June 1641: Treaty of Hamburg between France and Sweden
- 16 April 1643 (amended on 10 July 1643): Treaty of Weissenburg und Dobitschau between France, Sweden and Siebenbürgen
- 30 June 1643: Treaty of Stockholm (1643) between France and Sweden (renewal of Hamburg 1641)