Cut. Two cities at the heart of Europe Minster and also a book. And at the heart of a desperate struggle for the future of the continent. The thirty years war has been raging since sixteen eighteen. Now the belligerent powers begin meeting in the two german cities for an unprecedented political experiment the first Peace Congress in european history. The negotiations will stretch out for five long years. During which the bloody war continues unabated. The fighting on the battlefields virtually continued on the diplomatic Trading Floor because its find it hard to heal the mood in the last weeks of the Peace Congress was frantic with everyone starting to rush and pile on the pressure and all they wanted peace at any price is highest. The german emperors messenger has been on the road for fourteen days on september thirtieth sixteen forty eight he delivers a just catch from vienna to the imperial ambassador in minster. Your excellent see the imperial letter finally. This letter will decide whether there will be peace after thirty years of bitter conflict will ferdinand the third give the negotiated peace his blessing. It is a plea for she left it was encrypted form of the imperial ambassador in minster was unable to decipher it because he didnt have the key. File in distress defeated. The coded passages are precisely those that will decide the fortunes of entire countries. Will peace ultimately fail. Pitched battles famines plague and cholera for thirty years from sixteen eighteen to sixteen forty eight brutal army leaders and marauding racin areas have devastated half of europe and turned it into hell on earth. Its a religious war between catholics and protestants but also one for supremacy in europe all the major european powers are involved. In the Holy Roman Empire of the german nation alone this first great european conflagration will claim some four million lives. As could live discus who is a lot of discussion about whether it was a religious war it was about power politics it was actually a mixture of both is a clique this war gives us a wealth of clues about current conflicts to. Dolphin or india shining god if you go in and we currently seem to again be at a point where were afraid and rightly so just saying that whatever order and reason we have around us could collapse and hellish to find talent. Sixteen eighteen c. Is europe fragmented into catholic and protestant territories imperial. Cities bishoprics and touches. In may sixteen eighteen the Catholic Emperor puts down or a billion in protestant bohemia and ignites a paneuropean conflict. The protestants get support from sweden and france the catholic allies itself with the swedes because it needs their support against spain. Which forms the hapsburg alliance with the german emperor. Ultimately almost all of europe is drawn into the war. This is im clique kind of as it may be characterized as a european war but to put it formally and correctly it largely only took place on the territory of the Holy Roman Empire of the german nation is a highly emotional high starch and thats all shot from a so politically the Holy Roman Empire of the german nation was a structure that in some ways resembles say the European Union of our day a patient on your own in a hot. The Holy Roman Empire is the main battlefield of the thirty years war at the outbreak of the war it unites about three hundred imperial cities special perks and counties under one rule or the emperor. But they take different sides and are bitter adversaries. Before the peace negotiations in minster and also work many attempts to mediate between the rival powers have failed. But battlefield defeats and the high level of indebtedness on all sides broke no other solution. The power of diplomacy has come. As it does think it has to i think this is the real treasure in this whole of peace because these portraits were created right after the conclusion of peace of it all as well and its always exciting when i come to this room in person and look at these im back. Dorians portraits then i feel we really have so much to thank these men and these envoys for when i look around this was the political elites of the Time Justice Department you have to bear in mind that these were all people with a great deal of political experience and an excellent education and i longed for the addition of hope and how far when i was. The emperor the ruling princes and kings do not negotiate themselves they send their confidence diplomats lawyers and statesmen to date they have been largely ignored in the annals of history. They defended how the sexes and its unfair that the generals are saying a sexy and have biographies written about them whereas the envoys are all but forgotten. More attention is paid to the war makers than the peace makers the peace makers are actually almost invisible sky. Count fun sutro one store is the emperors chief and bastard he arrives from vienna in sixteen forty five to head the peace negotiations in westphalia on his rulers behalf. Trotman store is the most important man at the talks. But his health is poor. Hes no space to stay in bed excellency. At the end of the negotiations he withdraws to vienna and follows the events from there. See that you seem worried. How can i not be. If your peace will come about im sure yeah i saw a sign in the sky tonight it was very clear. Its pure supposition but i saw i. Was. There valhalla near reagans borg is one of the most important buildings of german classicism german luminaries have been honored here since eight hundred forty two. Thirty nine twelve months door is a descendant of the chief imperial envoy maximillian front on store he was himself a diplomat most recently austrian ambassador to prague. And i was in the i think these are all impressive people approached him that they were looking for a particular week. Not this one. Oh sure but in stein. So where is he. There is a mugs on top on strong for weeks not on the crooked i must say but maybe hes also been idealised to max millions next to each other to the two most have known each other well its time to contact officer is this how do you sleep by the mid Nineteenth Century he was already deemed to have played an Important Role in german history do you think it was its own thing that by tradition says its a sign as in the familiar our family always used to joke that he wore is weak wrong and she felt. As well it doesnt look like that to me here today it does the most and at that age you wouldnt have had such a full head of hair and thats what we know of him its easy to believe that he cut an impressive figure. In valhalla the bust of top gun store for situated next to that of the elector maximillian of bavaria the two men are repeatedly engaged in negotiations during the thirty years war. From vienna truck months worth communicates with full marks through encrypted dispatches. Fullmer is the emperors second ambassador born into a common family he became a lawyer and embarked on an ambitious career at the Viennese Court he becomes a key figure in the final stages of the peace negotiations. Almighty god you cant be serious in the end or all our efforts to be in vain because the imperial envoy isaac cannot read a letter. What am i to tell the envoys now. Id make a fool of myself. At quantities he finished he couldnt decode the lessons and i had to fight in his desperation he read to vienna again and asked for a key to decipher the message home despite and since then. For a long time its not clear whether the congress will take place at all how can catholics and protestants be brought together at the negotiation table. How can religious conflicts be avoided. The great power allies france and sweden have both insisted on meeting in cities of their own religious denominations. This weeds or protestant the french catholic finally they agree. To help sits at a stop on souls and the swedes set up their headquarters and also not broke the french in minster there are a lot of powers there fourteen european nations more than one hundred imperial territories and all sorts of other things feeling part time d. And the multitude of parties involved in multiple negotiations and meetings in munster and also not brooke is remarkable and the reason its remarkable is of course because the war they were trying to end was remarkable and of itself likely. To understand how the thirty years war came about lets go back to its beginnings in bohemia in sixteen eighteen when a local event in prague becomes the catalyst for one of the great catastrophes in european history. Christianity has been divided since the reformation and hatred and mistrust smaller among both catholics and protestants especially in bohemia a part of the catholic hapsburg empire that has seen repeated uprisings. In sixteen zero nine protestant bohemia is guaranteed freedom of worship. But nine years later Emperor Ferdinand reverses the decree. In response protestant nobles march into prague castle and threw three of the emperors representatives out of the windows. They survive the socalled defenestration of prague by landing in a dung heap anything window but the emperor refuses to accept any attack on his authority and the battle for faith and power takes its course so and thats when the confessor inspection and screen as soon as we start to talk about the forced religious conversion im likely to mobilize all the reserves i have left to resist this is and that of course is a fundamental importance in a war like the thirty years war where after all whats at stake is the certainty of salvation for guns and i love the title. The people of europe are leading their lives far away from these political intrigues. The farmers in bohemia till their fields and can live well from their harvest. A few of them are religious fanatics but they feel oppressed by the Catholic Emperor even in the practice of their protestant faith. The nobles uprising offers them the opportunity to fight for their faith and against the catholics so many join the bohemian army. They still little suspect what awaits them. The men addiction monastery our lady victorious is a place of pilgrimage marking the first great battle of the thirty years of war. It lies on the White Mountain at the time considered militarily impregnable. To bohemian army occupies the ridge for days as the imperial commanders debate whether to risk an attack. But then a monk brings them a desecrated image of the virgin. Mary saying that the protestants had gouged its eyes out. This is their own little brain for them all school staff laughed this is the moment immediately before the outbreak of the battle the here and the dominican were there praying as they were certainly acting with complete conviction for that because they wanted to save proc from being sacked in the winter and above all just wanted to save the catholic faith and let the what the course they did not realize that they were triggering the thirty years war that through the heat. It is said that the defend astray sion was the trigger but really it only started on a grand scale with the battle of the White Mountain. On nov eighth sixteen twenty the imperial troops under the count of to leave a taxable he means. Outraged by the story of the desecration of the virgin mary is image they quickly overrun the White Mountains. The bohemian army is routed and many soldiers flee for their lives. After just two hours the battle is over the emperor has defended his claim to the crown afore he mia. Last fun least thus far it wasnt so much that the battle was at least in the eyes of the locals the catastrophe it was rather the consequences of the battle it was that us those who did not want to become catholic had to leave the country. It was a particularly bizarre situation for a country where religious freedom had existed before. The whole protestant upper class left the country is also a lot so after the battle on the White Mountain us it was literally bled dry both financially and intellectually figure out. Intellect as mcclinton it stops and doesnt take a. Couldnt foresee that this bohemian uprising a regional conflict would develop into a conflagration that was completely unpredictable and that was how this whole story than gained such momentum. From bohemia the worst spreads to the west spurred on by fanatical preachers the fighting spreads like wildfire. Hundreds of thousands lose their homes whole families join the marching armies in the hope of grit and beauty in the end many of them will die no one imagines the killing will last for thirty years. You need to tell us a law that says the emperors military situation then deteriorated so dramatically that he really had no choice but to send his best men to men start and also work in sixteen forty five so that he could seriously enter into peace negotiations and what the cause of the emperor is putting in charge of the westphalian peace negotiations. And furnished reign with extensive powers. I appreciate his trust. A emperor sees more clearly than ever that there is nothing to be gained on the battlefield as a country the war is ruined the empire to a devastating degree because it weakened the Imperial Forces of the falcons and almost completely used up our resources. There is a shortage of money weapons and men. And theres a great yearning for peace in the country. Will be a hard road the part we have to have peace. In. The carriage is now ready to go excellences. The austrian state archives hold valuable documents from the period of the thirty years war. Letters documents and powers of attorney all carefully preserved or restored there is also the original Imperial Seal from the years sixteen forty five. Thirty nine truck month store fiz well acquainted with the legacy of his ancestor maximillian for twelve months or. He and historian later ursule are examining the original document in which the emperor granted him power of attorney. Amazing to think that all this is almost four hundred years old yes october the full sixteen forty five aged lives. And limbs. You know weve got it here it is the general power of attorney very prestigious and beautifully written even i can read it yeah look to maximillian top mans dogs i mean that makes it very clear that hes the chief representative of the emperor had various ambassadors and men stand does not work but he was above everyone else. So its a decisive document a decisive document for the negotiations on bringing them home and then come the detailed instructions and demands it tahlequah thats whats special about tatyana stoff he had greater scope for actual nonnormal envoys because he was so trusted by the emperor oh. So he was already a key figure in the court. Anyone who wanted access to the emperor had to go through top months to off he was even referred to as the emperor his alter ego rises high for one so why lose a new ambassador supposed to arrive and above all how do you think you can outdo the french the duke of longueville arrive with one hundred tumbles of wine or no it was two hundred count on top when stoff is reputed to be a capable diplomat. Hes the most patient man on earth and with he will talk to all parties the emperor wanted myth the a period of states is rumored to have given him extensive powers. What tactics will he use. His engine in the fall do you already know what the swedes are demanding. To know as i dont know the exact details of the how big part. Of. The peace negotiations in minster and us now brooke never have an official opening nobody knows how to conduct the negotiations or who should talk to whom and when. The envoys gradually move into one of the two cities. And they feel their arrival should make an impression. For the people of minster the perceptions of ambassadors mark a cultural highlight. They stand on the streets with pipes and drums or lean out of windows marveling at the making efficient carriages and robes. Who did it after we denigrate controls received way out saw the city and you could short of retire holly someones rank was by how far a saw of this will go applause in diplomacy today you can call it a spy usual form of courtesy form disengaging problems. At the end of october sixteen forty five maximillian from twelve months door for travels to minister. The negotiations havent gone anywhere so far but the journey through the devastated country reminds him just how urgent his task to make peace is. He has to take the most widely varied interests into account and is totally inexperienced in the art of such negotiations its an unprecedented situation. One truck months dorf does not want to cause a stir pomp and splendor are not his style so he plans to arrive at night. And destroy shows i thought its rather surprising that months doth prefer to adopt a low profile and. You might say that a certain low key appearance of the form of obliging this. And if on the way of signaling to the other side that we do not have to take negotiations to the extreme on certain issues and argue the in this nation this to moisten us and talking five hundred on the strike. Thats close to a small thank you in advance. For those that i could. Not prevented excellence in this nonsense is becoming increasingly common by all parties are trying to improve their bargaining position in this way and everyone is on the take accepting gifts from one party or the other some are taking from both sides yes it is slowly becoming a plague. With chocolate. Pepper. After all its hard to get coffee mensa insupportable no longer accept such gifts in the future. Is there any new news incidents theyre looking forward to meeting you excellency newspapers around the country are reporting your arrival theyre full of hope for peace and are trying to get your strategy. Isnt you know anything new about the french demands are playing their cards close to their chests like the swedes the two crowns pretend to want peace but they arent doing anything to achieve it. And if they seem to be happy with the delay in negotiations. You have the right jerrold hoping they can win on the battlefield and put pressure on the emperor. Who need a quick peace and it will offer them territory to get it is that advisable of course the longer the war lasts the more theyll demand ill be talking to the french again today better yield to the catholic french than the protestant swedes. Fun question for france and sweden a continuation old Long Duration of the war was rather positive because the longer the war lasted the more gains they stood to make at the hapsburgs expense you stretch a key its a new strategy a first waiting and seeing how the other side presents itself also derives of course from the worry that you might be making demands that are not high enough that are well below what you could achieve if you dont have doesnt play investment said some countries. That. The Congress Also presents minster and often a book with a major logistical headache finding accommodation for the Large Missions ensuring security and providing food. The minister city archive houses all the surviving documents. The city of moons but along to the principality of moons that is from zero for the purpose of the congress it needed a new study does one stop this thing and only the emperor could groan is that the so the city was declared neutral for the duration of the congress but. Hes annoyed to call it it is this new drought he also implied that all those who supply the city with food should also have safe conduct and be allowed through its own naturally preserving the supply line was keen for a city like this doesnt. It is a first i will say shut up and. Find a nice entry littleness the Record Keeper writes that the emissaries of complained about the shortage of fish length law gets kind of fishy to become in vietnam from now with this thing so they all still cancelled the boy. And an entire army formed full of fish from the fire and over his fraternity what you do doesnt give they did that and spend no money on it hes with us almost always out of the seventy five dollars that really is a lot if you converted at todays rates its about seventy five thousand euros for. The temperance of the two Congress Cities are buzzing with news from all over europe. Travelers mix with the scribes secretaries and messengers from the delegations a lot of beer and wine is drunk. Minster and brooke are always seas in the middle of the war. Against such as this were often the first port of call for the emissaries from there they would start looking for accommodation. Between the. Does there are a number of reports that large quantities of beer or wine were also employed as a bargaining tool. As well as with trying to get the other side drunk so to speak and extract information. In full whats your own households who are. The population in the Congress Cities doubles in a few months in minster from ten thousand to twenty thousand. Musicians jugglers traders and prostitutes also flock to the cities with Foreign League ations the prospect of a paid position with an embassy attracts people from all over europe. Great efforts were made to ensure the delegates were reasonably in and it got the highest getting things and accommodation for the delegates it was always very very difficult. You didnt have the grand nobles residences that revival but in other cities and. Over all live in most of the big time significantly more expensive food prices shot up much they did acquire a big city with access to things that might know of been a viable or a home for before on the phone to the citizens of the French Embassy trying to stand out as one of the most distinguished and then it also became a question of quantity of numbers. Forty cooks eighty bodyguards the imperialists who actually had a higher ranking couldnt match that is that. The french envoys make themselves as comfortable as they can in the westphalian countryside. Henry the second of orley own duke of long really is their chief investor the chief minister of friends cardinal sin for a sophisticated duke to minster in sixteen forty five the duke is soon bored. Or so something. Long deal has brought along his wife and junior year of a princess of the bobo family and twenty five years his junior her presence is a great highlight for social circles and minster. In paris ill be even more beautiful. And to have you have longs for peace so she can return to paris the long view only wants to return to the French Quarter in triumph. Isnt it beautiful so until then he makes his wifes life in minster as comfortable as possible. My husband spoils me too much. Of a long view gave a series of banquets over several days. He wanted to make a splash in minister so he distributed free wine which of course made him very popular. Young man well hes even said to have brought an elephant there to entertain to distract the duchess of laundry in view of de boer war called he. Didnt reveal when the gift of but. Over and to those that are still a good did the delegates typical day consisted of at least fifty percent waiting around they waited for the mail and when it arrived it had to be answered within a day they used the rest of the time for discussions with other delegates and in the orderly and how are the talks of the french going moderately well. Theyre still reluctant to be clear about their territorial grounds im waiting for them to become more concrete. I do not think that the duke of longview is really interested in the negotiations but the local people here love him everyone loves his wife hardly a day goes by without a report about her. Theres the post. For my former take his with the place. Behind the pink star. And my speak of the devil. Its from the french. In their letter the french finally reveal their most important demands so are you kidding me well i dont find it a laughing matter. Hungarys food is the one trying to help him didnt bother to have split states that he is by the spanish the austrian habsburgs boys his age wanted to break free of their grip and just the same time was striving for to get money in europe. And that would mean the end of the spanish quarter as if you were going for broke but im afraid thats only the beginning they really want to destroy the hub spoiled life thats what should we answer on that we wont. Pay them a visit instead. To supply their northern possessions modern day netherlands and belgium the spaniards have to take the sea route through the north sea. But that can be blocked by both the french and the british on the trans mediterranean route the goods have to be transported overland through the socalled spanish corridor from northern italy which is also repeatedly blocked by french troops. Desponding szish possible through the spanish route touched on quite a lot of french territory which is why it was for to have a sim fiercely. With an. F. In term of the peace negotiations the church is the focus of public life. And here the envoys are just like ordinary people. Each league ation has its own cleric who also gives sermons. But the tone has changed whereas the preachers called to arms at the beginning of the war now theyre calling for peace. He got his teams developed to this of course all the Services Also provided a Meeting Place for the delegates to get rules a little there was not about content but about form in other words showing that they were working for peace. The faithful became hopeful that he would finally be achieved d. And the envoys complained that this meant they were actually being put under pressure by their own people its. A welcome what an honor to welcome you to our soiree excellences. And have all modesty the horrors i could i would have sent the royal carriage if id known your accounting thank you but i prefer to walk and everything in munster is within an easy distance i see you settled in very well. Europe and the very well indeed if theyre going to send us into exile here we can at least pretend were in paris. As well you seem to have made a good job of it. Youre obviously not expecting a quick peace weve were not preventing it if peace is our ultimate goal excellent see anyone who delays and just wants to enrich themselves is a scoundrel am i right all the more that we dont want to talk about politics on this wonderful evening come count join us. Oh just wanted to say goodbye to you personally and youre already leaving as im off to austin book tomorrow for talks with the swedes since the two of us unfortunately have failed to reach an agreement its an excellent see do you really think we will settle for a few small estates and bishoprics we know the emperor has invested you with much more extensive powers i have to disappoint you. That was our first and final offer you do not allow to go hes not even danced. And certainly let you persuade me there is for instance. Weve heard so many good things about shit excellency im afraid we wont achieve anything this way neither you. Nor we. I dont miss you. But as i am session conquests. The fintry of course sensitivities and vanities play a central role in a Congress Like this it is an individual psychological problem thats for been this ties into the political problem which is who is the top dog here and who comes in second or third place and that this is you could call this shuttle diplomacy its not months tof was actually trying to get as far as he could with the french schools and estimates of why basically he had to commute back and forth between the two cities and of course he also tried to play these two allies off against each other as abiding for however it was quite a problem france and sweden had undertaken to perform all negotiating steps together and how not to conclude a separate pieces without even going to get minds of bush to fuel them. This week its only enter the war in sixteen thirty they see their dominance over the baltic under threat. Accompanied by a violent thunderstorm which is interpreted as a sign from god this we did king gustava saddam first and his fleet reached the german coast. He views himself not as a conqueror but as the savior of his country and his protestant brothers in face. From the fact that the swedes probably also intervened in the war out of denominational solidarity which might have influenced gustava style dolphus they were of course also pursuing their geo political interests. And sent the central imperative for a power that dominates in england c in this case the baltic is control of the opposite coast the house and that mantle pomerania you can coast. Heist pama. Gustava saddam has his troops land on the. And it was a dome. The kings triumphal march through germany betrays a growing hunger for real power and to secure it sweden enters into an alliance with friends. Friends supports the swedish troops with four hundred thousand rights tyler a year perhaps burghs are their common enemy. Of our foundation basically france was happy with any alliances any anti Habsburg Alliance even one with a protestant past such a sweet it in sweden. Oh we swedes also know how to celebrate. This drink isnt a form of swedish torture is a. Nonsense the catholics invented it. Since tiana is swedens main envoy his father the swedish chancellor and guardian of the young Queen Christina of sweden has sent him to us in prague. Many think oxon siana jr isnt up to the task seeing him as arrogant impetuous and more devoted to wind than diplomacy what do you think of top man stoff if he wears a hideous wig yes ghastly anything else. You you know. Hes a capable diplomat and as i see it hes really seeking peace showing Queen Christina wants peace at any price you know one uglier cell of use the second to massacre is here to negotiate a peace on the queens behalf against toxicity on his will if necessary because the queen is still too young the chancellor takes all the political decisions coat munster. Hasnt made any concessions to usual from calm. I suppose he just wants to find out if he can play a soft against each other. And canny we will stand by our agreements. Peace will only be achieved if the emperor agrees with france and sweden and i you know thats exactly how we see it because the stability of this alliance was largely down to the fact that both countries shared auntie hamps pork interests with the swedes it was for religious denominational reasons whereas for the french it was all about power politics and politicians always going to be owned. Discovered quite soon that he couldnt play the two allies off against each other in clinton. During the years of negotiations it was the night watchman making their own through us number of who ensured peace and security in the city. Yeah the last voice. We cant seem to show was see the old days its got. All the sounds. The. Germany full of little rich country in the economy is still firing on all cylinders but all is not well with and for structure and education. Struggling schools housing shortages sluggish broadband expansion im not sure if crisis or is germany about to miss the progress. Made in germany thirty minute song d w. This is d w news larger from berlin to bring in our correspondent ophelia harms are british and joins us from three of you shall know were here to find out what happened with me of the debit cards fund the founder of its mind we do have some of breaking news if coming into it now what its all about the perspective closer of w. News thank you for joining us every journey begins with the first step and every language with the first word published in the book. Nico is in germany to learn german and why not learn with him its simple online on your mobile and free to sell d w z e learning course nikos fake german matings e. Youre going to one official estimates more than one point two million venezuelans and even colombia neatly and illegally. Already eckel all wide return to vast. Visiting friends is that i dont think id ever go back there to live you know what i live there again i dont know so im not sure. Bearing witness global news that matters to make phone lines. The f. B. I. Has launched a hunt for the standoff a series of explosives into Top Democrats including Hillary Clinton and barack obama and the news matrix c. N. N. None of the packages exploded in what new york mayor bill de blasio called an act of terror. Saudi arabias crown Prince Mohammed bin solomon has described the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi as a quote heinous crime he said everything would be done to bring the pope