No Great Expectations 21in any case, but as a Catholic he would probably have had little choice,
and unfortunately for him the Habsburgs by no means looked like
assured winners. The Austrian branch was under Protestant pressure not
only in Bohemia but also in their home lands, while the Spanish had
more than enough problems with the prospect of a resumption of war
in the Netherlands. Indeed the extent to which the Habsburg powers
were overstretched was one reason why they could provide only very
limited help for Ferdinand against Venice. Were there to be a revolt in
which the Protestants gained control in the Bohemian territories things
would be difficult for Wallenstein. At the very least the claimants to
parts of his dead wife’s lands could be expected to resume their efforts
and perhaps extend their claims, which he had fended off thus far only
with the assistance of pro-Catholic influence in the legal system.^30 At
worst if there were a conflict in which he became involved but on the
losing side this might result in him being driven out of Moravia, where
he was an outsider and a newcomer, and he could end up as a landless
refugee with little to support himself other than his limited experience
as a soldier.
Wallenstein was not the man to wait helplessly for his fate, while
nothing motivates the nouveau riche more than fear of slipping back
down the greasy pole. If it came to a revolt his best chance of preserv-
ing his position and perhaps prospering might be in the higher ranks
of the army. For that he would need friends, as well as more credible
military experience than his few months on the Hungarian border thir-
teen years earlier and his series of temporary and largely nominal com-
missions thereafter. His appointment as a gentleman of the chamber
to Archduke Maximilian may have been a step towards improving his
connections, but more was needed. If there were a rebellion in Bohemia
it would probably be Ferdinand who would be raising troops and issu-
ing colonel’s commissions on the Catholic side, and hence the siege
of Gradisca presented a unique opportunity to make a reputation in
exactly the right quarters. Renewed combat experience, particularly for
the first time with cavalry, would also improve his standing, while rais-
ing and equipping the force provided a valuable lesson in the relevant
logistics. The whole enterprise may have had an element of investment
in furthering ambition, but it looks as much or more like the purchase
of a valuable piece of insurance.