Making Peace in an Age of War: Emperor Ferdinand III (1608-1657)

by Mark Hengerer

Overview

This English-language translation of Mark Hengerer's Kaiser Ferdinand III: 1608–1657 Eine Biographie is based on an analysis of the weekly reports sent by the papal nuncio’s office to the Vatican. These reports give detailed information about the daily whereabouts of the dynasty, courtiers, and foreign visitors, and they contain the gossip of the court in addition to weekly analysis of some political problems. This material enabled the author to report on daily life of the dynasty and to analyze the circumstances under which policy was made, which has led to a balance between the personality of Ferdinand III and the problems with which he dealt. In this biography, Hengerer provides answers to the question: Why did it take the emperor more than ten years to end a devastating war, the traumatizing effects of which on central Europe lasted into the twentieth century, particularly since there was no hope of victory against his foreign adversaries from the very moment he came into power?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781557538444
Publisher:	Purdue University Press
Publication date:	11/15/2019
Series:	Central European Studies
Pages:	334
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Mark Hengerer studied history and Latin at the Universities of Münster, Westphalia, where he graduated in 1996, and Vienna, Austria. From 1996 to 2002, he worked at the University of Konstanz in a position that combined teaching, administrative duties, and research for his doctoral thesis: "Kaiserhof und Adel in der Mitte des 17. Jahrhunderts. Eine Kommunikationsgeschichte der Macht in der Vormoderne." As assistant professor, he continued working with Dr. Rudolf Schlögl until 2012. He spent several years in France for the research for his project on French ports in the ancien régime, having received grants from institutions such as the Cluster of Excellence 16 and the German-French program DAAD/FMSH (Paris). In 2013, he was offered the position of professor for early modern history at the University of Munich (LMU).

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Part I The Way to the Throne, 1608-1637

1.1 Path to the Imperial Throne, 1608-1636 11

1.2 Heir Apparent Overnight 25

1.3 Collecting Crowns: Failure in the Empire 35

1.4 Waiting 47

1.5 Illusory Achievements: The Peace of Prague, King of the Romans 75

Part II Searching for Peace in War, 1637-1648

2.1 The Constellation of Imperial Government 89

2.2 Aspects of Lordship: Court, Governance, Travels, Rome 109

2.3 Negotiations 137

2.4 Waging War 157

2.5 The Turning Point, 1644-1645 179

2.6 The Breaking Point 197

Part III The Difficulty of Maintaining Peace

3.1 First Steps in a New Era 215

3.2 Death and a New Beginning for the Dynasty and the Court 223

3.3 Counter-Reformation and Territorial Rulership 233

3.4 Emperor and Empire after 1648 239

3.5 The Death of Ferdinand IV 253

3.6 New Succession: Old and New Dangers of War 257

Notes 273

Bibliography 305

Index 321

About the Author 327