The New Student's Reference Work/Wallenstein, Albrecht Eusebius von

Wallenstein (wŏl'lĕn-stīn), Albrecht Eusebius von, was born in Bohemia, Sept. 24, 1583. After the death of his parents, who were Protestants, he was sent by an uncle to the Jesuit College at Olmutz, where he joined the Roman church. His studies at Altdorf, Bologna and Padua resulted principally in a faith in astrology and trust in the stars. He served in the Hungarian army and on the side of the emperor in the troubles in Bohemia, securing in the confusion the large estates belonging to his mother's family and confiscated lands, which he formed into a state called Friedland; and in 1623 he was given the rank of prince. In 1626 Wallenstein raised an army of 30,000 men for Emperor Ferdinand, and joined with Tilly, the great German general, against Christian IV, who was obliged to accept terms of peace in 1629, though Wallenstein had failed in his plan of reaching the sea and destroying the naval power of Scandinavia and of England. He secured for himself the duchy of Mecklenburg. His success, ambition and arrogance made the princes of the kingdom combine against him, and to prevent civil war the emperor in September, 1630, removed him from the head of the army; but with the advance of Gustavus Adolphus he was recalled, and in 1632 with an army of 40,000 men he drove the Saxons from Bohemia and attacked the Swedish army at Nuremberg and Lützen, where, though Wallenstein's forces were defeated Gustavus Adolphus was killed. Wallenstein failed to follow up the advantage this gave the Austrians, as he was secretly negotiating with Saxony, Sweden and France, with the condition that he should be given Bohemia. He had blind confidence in his army and in his destiny, as foretold to him by his astrologers, and did not realize his danger, though knowing that the emperor knew of his plans, until an order was issued at Prague, charging him with treason, and naming his successor. He fled with 1,000 followers to Eger, where he was assassinated on Feb. 25, 1634. Though the deed was not ordered by the emperor, the murderers were rewarded. Schiller made his career the subject of a tragedy, translated by Coleridge as Wallenstein's Death. Consult Life by Mitchell; The Thirty Years' War by Schiller; and The House of Austria by Cox.