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Ferdinand II (July 9, 1578 – February 15, 1637), of the House of Habsburg, ruled as Holy Roman Emperor (1619-1637), King of Bohemia (1617-1619, 1620-1637), King of Hungary (1618-1625).
A devout and very pious Catholic, Ferdinand's recognition as King of Bohemia and suppression of Protestantism precipitated the early events of the Thirty Years' War, and he remained one of the staunchest backers of the Anti-Protestant Counter Reformation efforts as one of the heads of the German Catholic League, prolonging the Thirty Years' Wars by insisting the Edict of Restitution be enforced. The duration of his reign was occupied by confessional and military concerns, and some historians blame him for the large civilian loss of life in the Sack of Magdeburg in 1631, as he'd instructed Count Tilly to enforce the edict upon Saxony—his orders causing Tilly to move the Catholic armies east, ultimately to Leipzig, where they suffered their first substantial defeat at the first battle of Breitenfeld.
Ferdinand II in 1632[]
Ferdinand II (1578-1634) was one of the central figures of the German Catholic League at the time of Grantville's arrival in the past. After the sack of Magdeburg, Gustavus Adolphus correctly realized that Saxe-Weimar would be the next target, as Ferdinand wanted to punish Bernard and Wilhelm, both dukes of Saxe-Weimar, and both loyal to Gustavus.
When Ferdinand ordered Count Tilly to invade Saxony and enforce the Edict of Restitution, Tilly acted, ultimately pushing Saxony's elector, John George, into Gustavus's camp, and giving Gustavus access to Saxony. Tilly was defeated at the Battle of Breitenfeld. Ferdinand realized he had no choice but to employ the hated Albrecht von Wallenstein to halt Gustavus. However, Gustavus and the New United States defeated Wallenstein at Battle of Alte Veste. Badly wounded, Wallenstein had an opportunity to learn of his future, including the fact that Ferdinand would eventually order his assassination in 1634.
Wallenstein acted preemptively, aligning himself with the NUS, and finally deposed Ferdinand in Bohemia. Ferdinand sent troops against Wallenstein, but they were defeated at the Second Battle of the White Mountain. Wallenstein's success in breaking Bohemia away from Austria meant that Ferdinand had to keep his troops in Austria, and that he was in no position to take any military action in the Germanies.
In mid-1634, his health went into decline, and he died in September of that year. While on his deathbed, he signed a revocation of the Edict of Restitution. He also revoked the electoral vote that had been granted to Maximilian of Bavaria and placed it in abeyance until young Karl Ludwig came of age and freely and voluntarily became Catholic, a move that would turn out to be moot. Since Ferdinand II died before his son, Ferdinand III could be elected "King of the Romans", the prerequisite to being crowned Holy Roman Emperor, Ferdinand II was the last Holy Roman Emperor.
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Charles II of Austria |
Archduke of Inner Austria 1590–1637 |
Succeeded by Ferdinand III |
| Preceded by Matthias, Holy Roman Emperor |
King of Bohemia 1617–1637 | |
| King of Hungary 1618–1637 | ||
| King in Germany (formally King of the Romans) 1618–1637 | ||
| Holy Roman Emperor (elect) 1619–1637 | ||
| Archduke of Austria 1619–1637 | ||
| Archduke of Further Austria 1619–1623 |
Succeeded by Leopold V, Archduke of Austria, Governor since 1619 | |
| Regnal titles (1632) | ||
| Preceded by Matthias, Holy Roman Emperor |
King of Bohemia 1617–1633 |
Succeeded by Albrecht von Wallenstein |
| Holy Roman Emperor (elect) 1619–1634 |
Succeeded by None | |