Diet of Regensburg (1630) facts for kids
The Diet of Regensburg was a very important meeting held in Regensburg, Germany, from July to November in 1630. It was a gathering of powerful leaders called Prince-Electors from the Holy Roman Empire. This meeting ended up being a big setback for the Emperor, Ferdinand II, who lost a lot of his power.
Why This Meeting Was Important
The Thirty Years' War was a huge conflict that had been going on for a long time. Because of this war, there hadn't been a major meeting of all the leaders, called an Imperial Diet, for many years. The last one was in 1613!
In 1623, Emperor Ferdinand II had called a smaller meeting of princes in Regensburg. But the 1630 meeting was different. Before it started, the Emperor had won some big victories. He issued something called the Edict of Restitution, which gave back church lands to Catholics. Also, his general, Wallenstein, had defeated Denmark, leading to the Peace of Lübeck. These events made the Emperor feel very strong and confident about achieving his goals at the meeting.
Who Attended the Meeting
The meeting of the Electors began in Regensburg in June 1630.
Most of the Catholic Electors came in person. However, the Electors from Saxony and Brandenburg sent their representatives instead.
Emperor Ferdinand II arrived in the city on June 19th with his wife, his oldest son, and two daughters. Other important people also came, including representatives from Frederick V, Elector Palatine, the English ambassador Sir Robert Anstruther, two French ambassadors, and the Pope's representative. Spain was represented by the Duke of Tursi and James Bruneau.
Anselm Casimir Wambold von Umstadt, who was the Imperial Chancellor and a Bishop-Elector, was also invited.
What Happened and What Changed
Emperor Ferdinand II officially opened the meeting on July 3, 1630.
His main goals were to get his son, Ferdinand the Younger, elected as the next King of the Romans. This would make his son the next Emperor. Ferdinand also wanted the Empire's leaders to support his army against the Dutch Republic in the Thirty Years' War. He also needed help against France in the War of the Mantuan Succession. On top of all this, there was a new threat: Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden, a powerful king, had just landed his army in Pomerania on July 6th, right after the meeting started.
However, Maximilian I of Bavaria and other Catholic Electors were worried. They thought the Emperor and his general, Wallenstein, were becoming too powerful. They didn't want the Emperor to have such a large army. So, instead of supporting Ferdinand, they went against him.
They demanded that the Emperor's army be made smaller, that war taxes be lowered, and that Wallenstein be fired. Ferdinand had to agree to most of these demands. He didn't want to lose the support of these powerful leaders. So, Wallenstein was dismissed, and Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly took command of the imperial forces. The army was shrunk, even though the Swedish threat was growing.
The Electors also stopped Ferdinand's son from being elected King of the Romans. They also canceled the Edict of Restitution, which had given back church lands to Catholics, saying it was against their freedom.
This meeting was a big defeat for Emperor Ferdinand II. He had been very powerful, but at the Diet of Regensburg, he lost much of his influence to the other leaders of the Holy Roman Empire.
