Christian I, Prince of Anhalt

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One of the key figures in the early parts of the Thirty Years War. Christian of Anhalt was the chancellor and chief advisor of Frederick V, elector Palatine, whom he came to dominate. He was a Prince in his own right, but he abandoned his own principality to rule by deputies in favour of pursuing his own career in the Palatinate. He helped negotiate the marriage of Frederick to Elizabeth, the daughter of James I of England. In Germany he was the founding force behind the Protestant Union, a group of Princes who felt threatened by attacks on their religion. However, Anhalt used the Union to further the affairs of Frederick, and lost the trust of the Protestant Princes. In 1618, Anhalt was the driving force behind the election of Frederick as King of Bohemia, but his attempts to gain allies for Frederick failed, with even the Protestant Union repudiating Frederick's action. Frederick's cause slowly failed, until he and Anhalt were forced back onto Prague by advancing Imperial forces. Frederick's early return to the city meant that Anhalt was in command during the disastrous battle of the White Hill (8 November 1620), which ended Frederick's involvement in Bohemia. After the battle, Anhalt fled to Sweden, from where he begged for a pardon from the Emperor Ferdinand, claiming to have been led astray by his master.

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The Thirty Years War , C.V.Wedgewood. Despite its age (first published in 1938), this is still one of the best english language narratives of this most complex of wars, tracing the intricate dance of diplomacy and combat that involved all of Europe in the fate of Germany.
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How to cite this article: Rickard, J. (2 December 2000), Christian I, Prince of Anhalt, http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/people_anhalt.html

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