When Diplomacy Fails Podcast

Welcome to the Thirty Years War...like you've never seen it before! Learn here how the personal rivalry and hatred between Emperor Ferdinand and his subject Frederick pushed Europe to the brink of the abyss...Over three decades, this history spat out a wide range of fascinating stories and tales, but in this episode I'm going to focus on one in particular - the incredible story of Frederick V's rise, fall then rise and then fall again! It's a winding tale, but it's also emblematic of the wider war, which could make winners out of loser in the space of a day, and where everything, across the continent of Europe itself, could be changed.This is the Thirty Years War at its most dramatic and captivating, and I believe if we look at the story of Frederick from the beginning, the escalation of the conflict into the 30 year mess we know today makes much more sense. Frederick's departure represented the beginning of a free for all for the sake of power and influence, but so long as he was alive, Frederick's rivalry w

NEW TO WDF? PLEASE START HERE!We've been on quite a journey over the last few episodes, and I think it's time we take stock. In this episode, for the benefit of new listeners, I'll explain not only what happens in this conflict, but also why it's fascinating and absolutely worth your time. We bring our story up to 1619, or Episode 18 of the Thirty Years' War back catalogue if you want to listen from the beginning of this incredible story!Matchlock is my new series set during the Thirty Years' War, beginning in 1622, when Matthew Lock lands in Europe to investigate the brutal murder of his parents. I have a feeling you'd love it!Order your copy of Matchlock and the Embassy by clicking here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our historical fiction series set during the Thirty Years' War is finally ready for you! Order your copy of Matchlock and the Embassy by clicking here.Although he had been lurking in the background for some time, as he sorted through France's internal problems, by 1629, Cardinal Richelieu was finally ready to make a bold strike in a determined anti-Habsburg direction. That story has since become immortalised, but what of those internal problems? And was this French Cardinal really as willing to shrug of religious maters as is often claiumed? Did the God of pragmatism supplant his faith, or was it all par the course for a Minister who couldn't afford to let his King down? Find out, as we introduce Richelieu to our series. I hope we're ready, because it'll never be the same again! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Order your copy of Matchlock and the Embassy by clicking here. In this special episode, I explain some details about Matchlock and the Embassy, which you can now access in all your favourite book vendors, online and off!Not sure about it? I read our first review, which provides a brilliant analysis of what this novel brings to the table, and why you'll aring war on historical fiction, and I enjoy it if you enjoy Thirty Years War content.Want to dip your toe in? Have a listen to the new and improved Prologue, which I provide at the end of the episode, to get an idea of what to expect from Matthew Lock.This is a HUGE deal for me history friends, and I am so excited to see what can be done with this series in the future, when we get even further into the Matchlock story and lore. I hope you're ready, because WDF will never be the same again! I'm declaring war on historical fiction, and I want you by my side when I do! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Order your copy of Matchlock and the Embassy by clicking here.1629 was THE year of the Thirty Years War, when all the tributaries seemed to join the main river, and flow as one. The Swedish and Poles made their peace, under French sponsorship. The French expelled the Huguenots from La Rochelle. The Spanish continued their siege of Casale, in North Italy. The Danes made their peace with Wallenstein and the Emperor, and the Emperor let the ink dry on his Edict of Restitution, before releasing it to the world. But that wasn't all. Across the Dutch border, something incredible was happening... It's up for debate when the tide truly turned in the Thirty Years War, and the Habsburgs lost the initiative. However, I would make a strong case for the winds of change blowing in the Spanish Dutch War first, when a daring naval assault by Admiral Piet Hein seized 11 million florins worth of silver just off the Cuban coast. Though he couldn't have known it, Admiral Hein had just knocked over the first in what wou

Order your copy of Matchlock and the Embassy by clicking here.The war was going well for Emperor Ferdinand by 1629, fallout from the Edict of Restitution notwithstanding, but the Habsburg dynasty wasn't based in Vienna alone. Over in Madrid, things by 1629, with the Dutch war, were beginning to look increasingly dicey. How did such things happen, especially when the Dutch were brought to such a low ebb by 1625? Well, let's find out, we we trace the story of Dutch deliverance, beginning with a now famous scene. In 1625, the new Stadholder, Frederick Henry, faced a terrible challenge. The siege of Breda was nearing its end, and the Spanish success seemed guaranteed. But this was Maurice's greatest conquest, and if it fell, just as the legendary Maurice died, surely that didn't bode well for the beleaguered Republic? All that was left to do, was grin and bear it.**DON'T FORGET TO FOLLOW THESE LINKS!**1) To support the podcast financially in return for some extra audio content, check out Patreon!2) To find

Order your copy of Matchlock and the Embassy by clicking here.Time to enlighten you on how our new content and plans will factor into our Patreon page going forward, and why you should be very excited indeed!Don't want to listen? Read instead!Join the Facebook groupRead this blog post to learn moreRead this blog post to learn how all this will be injected into Patreon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Order your copy of Matchlock and the Embassy by clicking here.After so many months preparing, I can finally announce what's happening, and why I'm so excited!I don't want to give anything away, but I will say, if you're a fan of history, storytelling and the Thirty Years War, then this will blow your mind!Join the Facebook groupRead this blog post to learn more Read this blog post to learn how all this will be injected into Patreon.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matchlock is a historical fiction series set during the Thirty Years' War, beginning in 1622, when Matthew Lock lands in Europe to investigate the brutal murder of his parents. Order your copy of Matchlock and the Embassy by clicking here. Emperor Ferdinand had it all. The Habsburg dynasty had never been so supreme, and his enemies had been utterly vanquished. But it was not enough for him, or the Jesuits that whispered in his ear. They wanted more than victory, they wanted spiritual triumph as well and to do this, they would risk everything. The Edict of Restitution was the fruit of the Emperor's triumph, but it would prove a bridge too far. Listen here to find out why, what the Edict entailed, and how everything was about to change for the Habsburgs, at the worst possible time.**DON'T FORGET TO FOLLOW THESE LINKS!**1) To support the podcast financially in return for some extra audio content, check out Patreon!2) To find a community of history friends, look at our Facebook page and group!3) To keep up to da

Matchlock is a historical fiction series set during the Thirty Years' War, beginning in 1622, when Matthew Lock lands in Europe to investigate the brutal murder of his parents. Order your copy of Matchlock and the Embassy by clicking here. Was the Thirty Years War a religious war? The long answer is no, the short answer is that religious issues were rarely far from the forefront of the conflict, especially before 1635. By the late 1620s, the Emperor had arrived at a point where the reorganisation of his Hereditary Lands in Austria and Bohemia simply wouldn't do. He'd need, instead, to reap the fruits of his victory by reorganising the religious makeup of the entire Holy Roman Empire! The Edict of Restitution had a shaky birth, but its the aftermath brought a storm upon the Habsburgs like never before. This is the story of that Edict - how it came about, why the Emperor wanted it, and why nobody told him it would ruin any chance of peace for another twenty years.**DON'T FORGET TO FOLLOW THESE LINKS!**1)

Matchlock is a historical fiction series set during the Thirty Years' War, beginning in 1622, when Matthew Lock lands in Europe to investigate the brutal murder of his parents. Order your copy of Matchlock and the Embassy by clicking here. 1628 was a pivotal year of the Thirty Years War. Not only did it contain the final full year of war between the Emperor and the Danes, it also contained a total of three sieges running in very different theatres, with seriously consequential stakes for all involved. Would it be Casale in North Italy? La Rochelle on the French coast? Stralsund on the Baltic? It was difficult to say, but one thing that was certain was the growth and development of the war.The conflict which had once been fought by Bohemian rebels, was now pulling in more and more potentates and states, and with the greater involvement of the French looming, a peace between Sweden and Poland likely, and Wallenstein's reputation deteriorating, there was every reason to suspect that it would continue to grow. Th

Matchlock is a historical fiction series set during the Thirty Years' War, beginning in 1622, when Matthew Lock lands in Europe to investigate the brutal murder of his parents. Order your copy of Matchlock and the Embassy by clicking here. By 1628, the Habsburgs seemed triumphant. The plan was then to reach the Baltic, and build a fleet of their own to terrify Scandinavia into submission. Would it work? The recent gift of Mecklenburg, along the Baltic shore, and Pomeranian weakness, suggested it would. All that stood in the way of Wallenstein's plan, was the Baltic port city of Stralsund. Stocked by veteran mercenaries, and aided by Swedish and Danish troops, the city's residents stood strong. By the summer, the city was under Sweden's protection, hinting that King Gustavus Adolphus would soon turn his attention to Germany, as his Polish war wound down. Triumphant, the Emperor believed the time was right to rectify the religious order of things... just at exactly the wrong time.**DON'T FORGET TO FO

Matchlock is a historical fiction series set during the Thirty Years' War, beginning in 1622, when Matthew Lock lands in Europe to investigate the brutal murder of his parents. Order your copy of Matchlock and the Embassy by clicking here. By late 1626, Emperor Ferdinand was riding high. But this season of triumph was not enough. Ferdinand had bigger dreams than the mere destruction of his enemies. He imagined a new world order, where threats to the Habsburg dynasty ceased to exist, and the Catholic Church bloomed. Sound too tyrannical and storybook to be true? Judge for yourself. After turning down the best opportunity for a German peace in summer 1627, it was hard to avoid the impression that the Habsburgs were going for broke, and aimed at nothing less than total victory. To create their supremacy under the force of so many Habsburg levies, the dynasty would have to ignore many ill-omens on the way. Perhaps the greatest ill-omen of all was the idea that the Emperor could only push Europe so far, befor

Matchlock is a historical fiction series set during the Thirty Years' War, beginning in 1622, when Matthew Lock lands in Europe to investigate the brutal murder of his parents. Order your copy of Matchlock and the Embassy by clicking here. As 1626 dawned, two saviours were on the march to the rescue of their respective camps. King Christian IV of Denmark looked poised to save the princes and cities of the Lower Saxon Circle from a looming Habsburg threat, and guarantees and supplies from the other members of the Hague Alliance were on the way to buffer his campaign. On the other hand, Albrecht of Wallenstein marched his army of 24,000 to the aid of the outnumbered Count Tilly. Backing him were the interests of the whole Habsburg dynasty, in addition to its Bavarian allies. These two forces were set to clash, and only one could come out on top...**DON'T FORGET TO FOLLOW THESE LINKS!**1) To support the podcast financially in return for some extra audio content, check out Patreon!2) To find a community of histo

Matchlock is a historical fiction series set during the Thirty Years' War, beginning in 1622, when Matthew Lock lands in Europe to investigate the brutal murder of his parents. Order your copy of Matchlock and the Embassy by clicking here. With the King of Denmark on the march, and the net closing in on him, Emperor Ferdinand was forced to go big or go home. So instead, he went big, VERY big. He turned to Albrecht von Wallenstein, thus far his most important loan shark and self-made millionaire, not to mention influential landowner. What would be the consequences if the Emperor created his own private army, answerable to nobody but him? In fact, you could argue that this was the moment when the war became the conflict we know today. Ferdinand raised the stakes, and those stakes would eventually swallow him whole.**DON'T FORGET TO FOLLOW THESE LINKS!**1) To support the podcast financially in return for some extra audio content, check out Patreon!2) To find a community of history friends, look at our Facebook p

Matchlock is a historical fiction series set during the Thirty Years' War, beginning in 1622, when Matthew Lock lands in Europe to investigate the brutal murder of his parents. Order your copy of Matchlock and the Embassy by clicking here. King Christian IV of Denmark had more than a lot on his plate by 1625. He was the King of Denmark, and the Duke of Holstein. Yet he was also an important Protestant figure, the leader of a German dynasty, and a father determined to acquire the best inheritance for his sons. As of 1625, King Christian IV was also something else - at war with the Holy Roman Emperor and his vassals, for reasons that varied and became increasingly complex since 1618. King Christian had scores to settle and securities to guarantee, but he wasn't marching alone. Behind him was the Hague Alliance, the pact between the English, Dutch and Danes to defend against the Habsburgs, be they in Spain or Austria. As both camps marched in step, was this the moment when the Elector Palatine's rebellion b

Matchlock is a historical fiction series set during the Thirty Years' War, beginning in 1622, when Matthew Lock lands in Europe to investigate the brutal murder of his parents. Order your copy of Matchlock and the Embassy by clicking here. The Hague Alliance of 1625 was only the latest in a long series of things that Frederick couldn't afford to get his hopes up about. It involved England, the Netherlands and Denmark in a mutual defensive alliance, and England even went to war with Spain shortly afterwards. But Frederick had been here before, when his allies appeared to save him, only to fall at the last hurdle. This time, it could be different. After all, the King of Denmark Christian IV, was on the case, and he was critical to the pace and shape of the Thirty Years War, even if he was soon to become its most noteworthy victim**DON'T FORGET TO FOLLOW THESE LINKS!**1) To support the podcast financially in return for some extra audio content, check out Patreon!2) To find a community of history friends, look at

Matchlock is a historical fiction series set during the Thirty Years' War, beginning in 1622, when Matthew Lock lands in Europe to investigate the brutal murder of his parents. Order your copy of Matchlock and the Embassy by clicking here. Have I got a story for you, or rather, a play. With the failure of the Spanish Match, the anti-Spanish sentiments were bound to soar in England, but when a not so subtle play - A Game at Chess - was released to the Globe theatre in August 1624, this was too far for King James and company. The King was embarrassed, but it was to be the final such scandal of his reign. His reign not long or this world, and within a few months, he'd be replaced by Charles, and the looming Hague Alliance. Frederick's dream of restitution remained alive.**DON'T FORGET TO FOLLOW THESE LINKS!**1) To support the podcast financially in return for some extra audio content, check out Patreon!2) To find a community of history friends, look at our Facebook page and group!3) To keep up to date with us,

Matchlock is a historical fiction series set during the Thirty Years' War, beginning in 1622, when Matthew Lock lands in Europe to investigate the brutal murder of his parents. Order your copy of Matchlock and the Embassy by clicking here. Stop me if you think you've heard it. Guy travels incognito to a girl in far off land. Confirms girl will marry him. Girl's father agrees to marriage. Girl's father is actually the King of Spain. Incognito guy is actually King Charles I of Britain, before he lost his head. The whole unbelievable scheme was the kind of brainchild of the Prince of Wales, who wanted to force Spain's hand and hurry up the marriage negotiations for Princess Maria. The Spanish Match was King James I and VI's ultimate plan, not only because it would tie England to Catholicism's most serene dynasty, but also because his family could ensure peace. But peace was far from the life of the OTHER side of King James' plan. The marriage of Elizabeth Stuart into the Electoral Palatine Protestant family

Matchlock is a historical fiction series set during the Thirty Years' War, beginning in 1622, when Matthew Lock lands in Europe to investigate the brutal murder of his parents. Order your copy of Matchlock and the Embassy by clicking here. The early 1620's were a period of strange diplomatic behaviour for Britain, trapped as it was between the visions of a perpetual peace forged by marriage, and the realities of European political interest. Here we learn of an individual who went through this experience personally, a gentleman and diplomat, Sir Robert Phelips. Phelips began as a keen advocate of the Spanish Marriage, King James' plan to wed his children to Calvinist and Catholic partners for the sake of a glorious peace. But then, something changed in him, and the advocate became the critic, with terrible consequences. Was war on the horizon between England and Spain?********DON'T FORGET TO FOLLOW THESE LINKS!**1) To support the podcast financially in return for some extra audio content, check out Patreon!2)