“Preparations” of Western Pomerania for the Thirty Years’ War
“Preparations” of Western Pomerania for the Thirty Years’ War

Summary/Abstract: Western Pomerania was not prepared to defend its territory during the Thirty Years’ War. The first and principal reason for this was the financial weakness of the Pomeranian dukes, whose income from goods, duties and customary taxes did not allow them to fully maintain the court, let alone to take on major military units. In fact, the duke’s permanent army consisted of about 100 guards protecting the dukes of Szczecin and Wolgast. The basic armed force of the Duchies was therefore the common one – a levy in mass consisting of noble riders and the bourgeois infantry, variously armed and undisciplined. The basic points of resistance in case of foreign aggression were to become the Pomeranian cities, but only Stralsund had modern ground fortifications built within its own budget. The remaining cities were shielded by medieval walls partly (at the turn of the 15th and 16th century) adapted to firearms. However, they were not a major obstacle for the artillery of the time. The growing threat of war caused the Pomeranian dukes, especially Francis I and Bogislaw XIV, to try to change this state of affairs. The undertaken actions were to lead to fortification of Szczecin (which was done partially) and establishment of permanent armed forces (about 3,000 soldiers). The above plans presented by the princes in the Pomeranian Sejmiks did not meet with the favour of the states, which refused to provide money to organize a permanent army and build modern fortifications around Szczecin. The only short-term successes of the dukes, especially of Bogislaw XIV, were the incurring of small permanent forces to cover the Pomeranian borders for the period of the greatest threat. In this situation, the last Pomeranian dukes Philipp Julius, and especially Bogislaw XIV, who were deprived of a greater military force, tried to maintain neutrality in the conflict which was flaring up in the Empire by repeatedly switching sides between parts of the conflict. The policy of neutrality was ended by the so-called ‘Franzburg Surrender’ in November 1627, when Duke Bogislaw XIV allowed the imperial army to enter Pomerania.

• Details
• Contents