When Diplomacy Fails Podcast

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. Almost exactly 401 years to the day since Frederick accepted the Bohemian Crown, we return to our 30 Years War narrative, with episode #19!In this episode, we reach the long-awaited moment when Frederick decided, after all, to accept the Bohemian Crown. Was it a terrible mistake? In retrospect, YES! However, as I explain in this installment, things were not so black and white in the summer and autumn of 1619. For one, the Habsburgs appeared to be on their last legs, and it's worth considering whether Frederick, seeing Vienna under siege for the second time in two years - felt pressure to act before the spoils had all been siezed.But what about the other side. Was Ferdinand's military arm really as frail as Frederick seemed to believe? Granted, Ferdinand had only Spanis