No Way Back 175surrounded by ‘graven images’, as a result of which a veritable icon-
oclastic onslaught was launched on Prague’s principal church, the St
Vitus cathedral. Pictures, statues, shrines containing holy relics, graves
of saints, even the crucifix over the high altar, were removed and in most
cases destroyed, including many art treasures from earlier times, while
other churches, among them the Jesuit church in Prague Old Town, were
similarly ‘cleansed’. The great majority of the population were Lutheran,
and these excesses caused deep resentment, adding to a growing per-
ception of Palatine rule as foreign in both religious and political terms.
Even more significantly, news of these events quickly reached Germany,
where it was particularly badly received by some of the Lutheran princes,
further reducing their already limited sympathy for Friedrich in his new
and controversial role as king of Bohemia.^46
The Palatines in their turn quickly realised the political problems
in Bohemia. Soon after Friedrich’s arrival his councillor Camerarius
expressed his concern about the dire state of the finances and admin-
istration, and the king himself began to realise how dependent he was
on the Estates. The appointment of senior officials could only be made
in accordance with their nominations, so that his experienced Palatine
staff had no opportunity to become involved in the government, while
distance and difficult communications hampered their work in both
Heidelberg and Prague. Instead Ruppa became chancellor, and other
posts had to be filled by lesser men from the directorate. Money was pre-
dictably the biggest problem, as the Estates were disinclined to vote the
additional taxes needed to pay for the army, while attempts to establish
a unified system quickly foundered on the sensitivities of Silesia and the
other provinces, who insisted that each should raise its own money. The
result was that the troops went largely unpaid, arrears quickly accumu-
lated, and in spring and summer of 1620 pay mutinies broke out among
the troops in the Bohemian camp. Friedrich sought to help with money
from the Palatinate, but that too was soon in difficulties, far in arrears
with its contribution to the Protestant Union, and with debts mounting
and its credit resources exhausted.
Sweden, Denmark, Venice and the United Provinces all recognised
Friedrich as king of Bohemia, but apart from the Dutch they offered
no practical assistance. The latter did send a little money, and in 1620
some 10 per cent of Friedrich’s troops were being paid for by them or
were in fact Dutch regiments, but they were in no position to do more
as the renewal of their own war with Spain was to be expected when the
twelve-year truce expired in April 1621.