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The Hi there, this is a History of Europe, Key Battles podcast. We've reached part six of the 30 Years' War, 1618 to 1648.

In the previous five episodes I've recounted the Thirty Years' War up to, and including

the military campaign of King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden, whose decision to invade the Holy

Roman Empire shook up the balance of power on the continent.

Before the Swedish intervention, Emperor Ferdinand II had looked well on his way to asserting the dominance of the Catholic faith over the Protestants throughout his empire,

having achieved the same in Austria and Bohemia.

A string of victories by Gustavus

turned the tables, pushing back imperial authority

and encouraging the various Protestant princes in Germany

to work together to protect their faith

and their rights and privileges.

The one country I have not yet spoken about much but but was to become another key player in the war, was the Kingdom of France.

It was worth backtracking a little to catch up with French affairs of state.

A period of civil war known as the French Wars of religion was ended by the accession and conversion to Catholicism of King Henry IV of France, who reigned from 1598 to 1610.

Although Henry had succeeded in providing a period of internal order, this was a result of day-to-day improvisation. Everything depended on the

strength of the ruler's personality. Henry survived many assassination attempts, but his luck

ran out on the 14th of May, 1610, when he was stabbed to death in his coach on the streets of Paris.

Since his eldest son, Lady Xirteenth was only nine years old, Henry's widow, Marie de Medici, became regent.

Marie lost the confidence of the court by entrusting power to an unpopular Italian politician Conchini.

When Louis XIV came of age in 1617,

he had both Conchini and his wife murdered and sent his mother into temporary exile.

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