The Origins of the Thirty Years War and the Revolt in Bohemia, 1618

An Inevitable War? 39

Ultimately the discussions broke down because the Protestant mil-
itants were looking for concrete immediate commitments while the
archduke could offer only general verbal assurances. These did, how-
ever, include the restoration of Donauwörth, subject to safeguards for
the Catholics there, but the real sticking point was again money, the
question of who was then to compensate Maximilian of Bavaria for his
original expenses in occupying the city. Emperor Matthias also offered
to call a meeting of the Deputation, the principal standing committee
of the Reichstag, to consider the points which had been deferred. This
was to take place the following spring, with the confessions equally
represented instead of the usual in-built Catholic majority, but this
was refused by the Palatinate and its allies, as they foresaw that they
would still be outnumbered by a combination of Catholics and the
conservatively minded Protestants led by Saxony.^24
Taxation was again an issue in 1613, although even Maximilian of
Bavaria privately doubted its validity in view of the continuing truce
with the Turks, and Bavaria was one of a number of Catholic participants
proposing a substantially lower grant than was eventually agreed.^25 The
final resolution of the Reichstag, together with a decision to adjourn
until May 1614, was passed by a majority vote in which Saxony and
its associates joined with the Catholics, while the militant Protestant
group recorded their protests but did not depart beforehand as in 1608.
Schlaich concludes:

1613 did not witness, as is said, a breakdown of the Reichstag....The

previous meeting in 1608 was terminated without passing the closing

resolution, but this was done in the normal way at the Reichstag of

1613, even though vehement protests were registered. Moreover the

participants immediately began to prepare their arguments for the

next meeting.^26

That this did not take place in 1614 is not entirely surprising. The
emperor had secured his tax grant in 1613 and another could not
have been requested so soon, while time for reflection and diplomacy
was required before returning to the other issues. However some have
argued for the breakdown theory by pointing out that the next Reichstag
meeting did not take place until 1640. This is misleading. From 1570
to 1613 meetings took place at intervals of around five years, with
one gap of twelve years, so that another one would not have been
expected much before 1618. In the interim Emperor Matthias and Cardi-
nal Khlesl were actively seeking conciliation, both in the general interest