Jülich-Klevian succession dispute

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Duke Johann Wilhelm von Jülich-Kleve-Berg , already marked by illness, painting by Johan Malthain , 1605
Territories in the Holy Roman Empire around 1618: Jülich-Kleve-Mark-Ravensberg Margraviate Brandenburg County Palatinate-Neuburg




The Jülich-Klevische succession dispute broke out in 1609 after the death of Johann Wilhelm - the last Duke of Jülich-Kleve-Berg - between Johann Sigismund von Brandenburg and Philipp Ludwig von Pfalz-Neuburg . Both claimed the succession of the imperial prince who had died without direct descendants. In addition to these main competitors, the Elector of Saxony and Duke Johann II of Pfalz-Zweibrücken also filed inheritance claims. On November 12, 1614, the dispute was resolved by dividing the disputed territories under Pfalz-Neuburg and Brandenburg inXanten treaty settled bilaterally and superficially. However, the clashes dragged on for a long time. Only in the treaties of Kleve of September 9, 1666 and of Cölln of May 6, 1672 could the Palatinate-Neuburg and Brandenburg-Prussia final disputes settle.

The conflict, which in the run-up to the Thirty Years' War almost triggered a major European war, reflected the war potential built up by denominational and dynastic conflicts in Europe at the time of the Counter Reformation . The subject of the dispute - the hereditary estate consisting of the duchies of Jülich , Kleve , Berg , the counties of Mark and Ravensberg as well as the rule of Ravenstein - led to a strong interest of the European powers due to its territorial size, strategic importance and membership of different Christian faiths .

In the Dortmund recession of 1609, Palatinate-Neuburg and Brandenburg initially agreed on a joint government. This called the emperor Rudolf II. , Who did not recognize the regulation, on the scene. He let the Archduke Leopold march in with his mercenaries. Johann Sigismund and Wolfgang Wilhelm found support from France , England and the Netherlands . The impending European war was initially averted by the murder of Henry IV of France.

prehistory

Elector Johann Sigismund von Brandenburg , through the treaty of Xanten the heir to Kleve, Mark, Ravensberg and Ravenstein, anonymous painting, ca.1610

The dispute over the succession of the Jülich-Kleve-Berg dynasty was based on two imperial privileges. Even Emperor Friedrich III. had promised the House of Saxony the succession in the event of the male line of the Princely House becoming extinct. Due to a privilege granted by Emperor Charles V in 1546, female descendants of the dukes were also entitled to inheritance. This privilege made the dukes' daughters desirable partners. Duke Wilhelm von Jülich-Kleve-Berg (“the rich”) married his three eldest daughters between 1573 and 1579 in the princely houses of Brandenburg , Pfalz-Neuburg and Pfalz-Zweibrücken . After the death of his son Karl Friedrich, only his son, Johann Wilhelm, who was ill, remained as his successor. The end of the dynasty and a conflict over the inheritance were thus in sight.

Despite a contract of inheritance between the sisters, it soon became unclear about the whereabouts of the land. Marie Eleonore , who was married to Duke Albrecht Friedrich of Prussia , had priority as the eldest, but her son Wilhelm Friedrich had died at the age of 1586. Therefore, Duke Philipp Ludwig von Pfalz-Neuburg , who married the second oldest daughter Anna, claimed the territory for himself. In 1577 the Hohenzollern appointed Georg Friedrich von Ansbach as guardian for Marie Eleonore's husband, who was also mentally ill. In 1591 the future Elector and Margrave of Brandenburg Johann Sigismund married the eldest daughter of Marie Eleonore and Albrecht Friedrich of Prussia, Anna of Prussia .

Initially, the dispute between Brandenburg and Pfalz-Neuburg was postponed, as both tried to jointly gain guardianship over Duke Johann Wilhelm and thus influence the administration of his states. In 1591, Duchess Jakobe , the wife of Johann Wilhelm von Jülich, Kleve and Berg, called a state parliament in the Düsseldorf residence to reorganize the administration of the states. All princes involved in the question of succession except Saxony and Emperor Rudolf II sent embassies to this meeting. The assembly quickly split into a Protestant and a Catholic camp, each of which wanted to secure supremacy in the country.

At the end of the negotiations, the status quo was secured: The duchies of Kleve as well as Jülich and Berg were to be governed by separate councils that had to advise each other. In 1606 the emperor extended the reign of the councils to the time after the death of Duke Johann Wilhelm, in which they were to orientate themselves on his orders.

The succession dispute

The inheritance

Count Palatine Wolfgang Wilhelm von Pfalz-Neuburg , the heir to Jülich and Berg through the treaty of Xanten, lithograph after a painting by Anthony van Dyck , 1629

The emperor was the first to react when Johann Wilhelm died on March 25, 1609 by renewing his instructions and also the widow, Duchess Antonie , whom the mentally ill Duke of Jülich-Kleve-Berg had married in 1599 after the death of his first wife, participated in the reign. The princes entitled to inherit should appear before the emperor by autumn of the year to present their claims. Despite this request, both Brandenburg and Pfalz-Neuburg began to bring individual locations in the principality under their control through authorized representatives. The Brandenburgers were particularly active in Kleve, Mark and Ravensberg, while the Neuburg representatives developed their influence in Jülich and Berg. The estates decided in separate negotiations not to join either of the two competitors for the time being.

In May 1609 an imperial commissioner arrived who urged the estates and councils to form a common government under the supervision of Rudolf II. Against this interference, Brandenburg and Pfalz-Neuburg decided in July in the Dortmund recession to consider Jülich-Kleve as joint property until a final agreement was reached. The government was to be exercised by the possessors, the envoys from both sides, i.e. Hereditary Prince Wolfgang Wilhelm von Pfalz-Neuburg , son of Count Palatine Philipp Ludwig , and Margrave Ernst , brother of Johann Sigismund . A final settlement of the ownership structure should be made either amicably or through an arbitration commission. The possessors were quickly accepted as new rulers in Kleve and Mark; however, they encountered resistance in Jülich and Berg. The new rulers received support from Pfalz-Zweibrücken, which recognized the Dortmund Treaty, and from the Protestant Union , Moritz of Hesse and Henry IV of France , who sent envoys to Düsseldorf. The posseders opposed an imperial order to reverse all the regulations they had made. They questioned the imperial decision-making power over the succession. Saxony took the opportunity to assert its claims again with the emperor.

But also within the country there was resistance to the possessors. The commandant of the Jülich Fortress , Colonel Johann von Reuschenberg zu Overbach , did not recognize Ernst and Wolfgang Wilhelm and set up an imperial government in his fortress. Rudolf then sent Archduke Leopold von Habsburg to head this body as an authorized representative. However, since he was endowed with little money and the fortress only housed a garrison of about 700 to 900 men, he had hardly any real power. Nevertheless, the decision of Reuschenberg and the increasing interference of the European powers gave the conflict an ever stronger military component. The readiness of all those involved to bring about a decision through armed conflict grew.

In the course of the summer of 1609, the possessors succeeded in gaining recognition in all of the country's provinces, but a deeper rift opened up between Ernst and Wolfgang Wilhelm. The Neuburger tried to compensate for his weakness due to the lower power of his principality compared to Brandenburg by getting closer to the emperor and the Lutherans . The imperial princes who were not directly involved in the dispute about the succession initially held back to wait for Henry IV's reaction. This feared an intervention of the Spaniards from the Netherlands and pulled troops together on the Franco-Dutch border.

The siege of Jülich

Siege of the city of Jülich , 1610

At the end of the summer of 1609 the posseders were able to increase their military power to 6000 men through financial support from their home countries and a loan from the Protestant Union. Christian von Anhalt was placed at the head of the troops . Both with the Union and with Heinrich IV. He was able to win further commitments to support the possessors. In return, however, the French king demanded negotiations on a war against the Spanish Netherlands .

On Union Day in February 1610, the cities could not prevail with their demand for a negotiated solution. The Union decided to support the possessors with an association of over 10,000 soldiers. Heinrich agreed to provide the same number again on his own account. A treaty obliged the Princes of the Union and Henry IV to provide mutual military aid in the event of an attack by Spain or the emperor. Since Jakob of England and the States General also sent troops under the leadership of Moritz von Orange , over 30,000 men lay in front of Jülich in the summer of 1610 . In addition, large units were moved north from France under the command of Claude de La Châtre . Heinrich and the posseders agreed to invade Spanish territories over the Meuse after the conquest of Jülich .

Siege of the city of Erkelenz , May 10, 1610

Against this army, Leopold, despite his tactical advantage as a fortress defender, was inferior. The ban on the empire , which the emperor threatened against the soldiers of the possessors and the residents of Jülich-Kleve who supported them, had hardly any effect. However, a mobilization of the Catholic forces also began. Leopold left Jülich to recruit troops in the Salzburg region . Archduke Albrecht was ready in Luxembourg with almost 20,000 soldiers. The Duchy of Milan , the second target of a French offensive against Spain , was preparing for a siege. The militia was mobilized in Spain. The Catholic League was formed when the spiritual electors joined it and a defensive alliance was concluded with Spain.

In this tense situation, Henry IV was murdered on May 14, 1610. His wife Maria de 'Medici , who took over the reign, tried to defuse the conflict with Spain and ordered part of the force back to the French northern border; the alliance with the Union was maintained. In order to forestall the final withdrawal of French support, the siege of Jülich began on August 1, 1610. Reuschenberg had to hand over the city a month later. Since the planned attack on the Spanish Netherlands did not take place, the conflict was over.

Renewed tension and temporary solution

The United Duchies and their provisional distribution of inheritance: The entire area remained controversial until the unification of the possessors in 1666. Formally, the hatched rule of Ravenstein (RV) went to the Brandenburg party. However, the rule was still occupied by the Dutch. Not until 1672 did Brandenburg renounce Ravenstein in favor of Pfalz-Neuburg.

In the course of the following two years the troops withdrew from the area except for a few hundred men from Brandenburg, Neuburg and the States General. While the military situation in Jülich-Kleve calmed down, there were increased confessional conflicts between the Calvinists and Lutherans in the country. A rapprochement between Johann Sigismund and Calvinism led to tension between the possessors. In addition, the Jülich councilors were uncooperative towards Wolfgang Wilhelm and Ernst.

After the failure of a mediation attempt at the Cologne Fürstentag, the emperor resumed the eighth trial against the possessors and the support of Saxon interests. The Treaty of Jüterbog of 1611, with which a decision on the succession should be found, never came into force. League, Union and France showed little interest in intervening in Jülich-Kleve and risking a new armed conflict. The following years were determined by changing alliances and approaches between Brandenburg, Neuburg, Saxony and the Kaiser. During a negotiation in the Düsseldorf residential palace , the Brandenburg Elector slapped the Hereditary Prince of Palatinate-Neuburg in the face . At the end of these negotiations there was an irrevocable split between Brandenburg and Neuburg in 1613, when Johann Sigismund finally converted to Calvinism and Wolfgang Wilhelm (initially secretly) became a Catholic.

Since everything seemed to be heading towards a new military conflict, this time between Brandenburg and Neuburg, both sides were looking for new allies. Wolfgang Wilhelm received a promise from Spain to provide military support in the event of an attack in Brandenburg. Brandenburg was able to get help from the States General. In the spring of 1614, troops from the states appeared in front of Düsseldorf to protect Prince Elector Georg Wilhelm , Ernst's successor, against an alleged coup d'état by the New Burghers. Since the population barricaded the city, however, there were no clashes. As a result, the posseders separated their residences: The Count Palatine stayed in Düsseldorf. Georg Wilhelm settled in Kleve and was able to extend his control to Jülich after the garrison of the States General there had been strengthened and he had driven out the New Burghers' soldiers.

Meanwhile, Wolfgang Wilhelm expanded Düsseldorf into a fortress and called Spain for help. At the end of August 1614, General Ambrosio Spinola set out with about 20,000 men. The army of the States General under Prince Moritz broke up a short time later. The two armies met at Rees . However, since they shied away from resuming the Spanish-Dutch war, peace negotiations were initiated, which led to the Treaty of Xanten on November 12, 1614 . In it the administration of the country was territorially separated. Brandenburg was to administer Kleve - Mark , Ravenstein and Ravensberg from Kleve . The Neuburg government should sit in Düsseldorf and exercise control over Jülich-Berg . In addition, all foreign troops should withdraw from the country.

However, this requirement was never met. Rather, strong Spanish and Dutch garrisons remained. In addition, with the administrative division, the foundation stone was laid for the final territorial division between Brandenburg and Neuburg.

Further battles and Treaty of Kleve

As a result of the Thirty Years' War that soon followed , the region - with the exception of the siege of Jülich in 1621/22 , in which the States General and Spain met again here - initially fell out of political interest. With population losses of around ten percent, the Lower Rhine was one of the less devastated areas. The cities on the right bank of the Rhine enjoyed the protection of strong garrisons from the States General. The rest of the territory, however, was repeatedly haunted by imperial, Spanish, Swedish and Hessian troops and burdened with high contributions and stationing. At the end of the war, the cities on the left bank of the Rhine and in the Brandenburg region were occupied by Hessian garrisons (→ Hessenkrieg , battle on the Kempen Heide , battle of Wevelinghoven ).

From the end of the Thirty Years' War onwards, the new Brandenburg Elector Friedrich Wilhelm again showed greater attention to his westernmost parts of the country, especially since the fighting in the Reich subsided shortly after he came to power. The actual occupation was slow, however, as the estates tried to prevent this. Above all, they relied on the unity of the old Duchy of Jülich-Kleve.

In the middle of 1651, Brandenburg troops invaded Berg again. In addition to the extensive protests of the Catholic and no less Protestant princes of the empire, the Kleve-Mark estates also worked against their sovereigns. They asked the elector to resolve the conflict and also called the States General to act as mediators. Since Friedrich Wilhelm also turned to The Hague for help, the States General decided to remain neutral. Since the emperor also campaigned for an end to the conflict, they met on August 19, 1651 near Angerort , but at this point still unsuccessful. In October 1651, however, a settlement was signed between Brandenburg and Pfalz-Neuburg.

At the Reichstag of 1653/54 in Regensburg a final settlement of the succession dispute was negotiated. The negotiations remained without any tangible result, only led to a request to the Brandenburg elector to withdraw his troops and to an amicable agreement with Neuburg.

The settlement of the conflicts between Brandenburg and Pfalz-Neuburg was tackled several times in the following years and was supported in particular by outside rulers.

Emperor Leopold I tried to contain conflicts between his potential allies in the empire in order to protect himself against France. The estates of the neighboring principalities also wanted to improve stability in the region through mediation. These mediation interests finally led to negotiations between Brandenburg and Pfalz-Neuburg in Dorsten . However, these deliberations did not lead to any results, as it was not possible to agree on a solution to the denominational question .

Negotiations were resumed at the end of 1665. In general, the status quo should be legally secured. The succession to the Polish throne gained importance as a new element . Against the concession of Brandenburg support for Wolfgang Wilhelm's son and successor Philipp Wilhelm when he was elected to the throne of Poland, Pfalz-Neuburg was prepared to cede the rule of Ravenstein to Brandenburg if successful. Both sovereigns should be represented equally on the board of directors of the Lower Rhine-Westphalian Empire . When it came to the question of denomination, the arduous path was taken to determine the individual confession of each congregation.

In 1666 the Treaty of Kleve was ratified, which significantly reduced the conflict between Pfalz-Neuburg and Brandenburg. With this comparison, the Duchy of Kleve and the Counties of Mark and Ravensberg fell to the Elector Friedrich Wilhelm; to the Count Palatine Philipp Wilhelm, the duchies of Jülich and Berg and the small Flemish lordships of Wijnendale west of Ghent and Breskesand on the outermost southwestern Scheldt island. The ownership of the Ravenstein lordship, to which both sides continued to raise claims, was later to be determined by mutual agreement.

The estates accepted the treaty, although it finally established the division of the country. It was not until 1671 that Brandenburg gave up its claim to the rule of Ravenstein in favor of Pfalz-Neuburg, but retained the right of succession after the male Neuburg line had expired.

Conclusion

Brandenburg, Brandenburg-Prussia and finally the Kingdom of Prussia took up a western-oriented development direction with the Rhenish-Westphalian free float gained in the Jülich-Klevischen succession dispute, in the course of which considerable modernization and change dynamics were triggered. Their consequences not only affected Brandenburg and Prussia themselves, but also had a significant impact on the history of Germany and Europe. The free float forced an active foreign policy, the permanent modernization of the state, the military and parts of the economy as well as an opening in cultural and spiritual terms.

Düsseldorf in the Duchy of Berg, on the other hand, became the preferred residence of the Palatinate-Neuburg rulers, even after they had inherited the Electoral Palatinate in 1685 . Jülich and Berg flourished under Duke Johann Wilhelm from 1679 onwards, and it was only under his successor that from 1717 the focus of the Palatinate Wittelsbach family shifted to Mannheim.

It was not until 1741, when the Palatinate-Neuburg family was about to die out in the male line and the succession became acute again, that the succession dispute was finally settled by contract between Brandenburg-Prussia and the Electoral Palatinate, including the Electorate of Saxony.

literature

  • Rolf-Achim Mostert: The Jülich-Klevian regimental and succession dispute - a prelude to the Thirty Years War? In: Stefan Ehrenpreis (Ed.): The Thirty Years War in the Duchy of Berg and in its neighboring regions . Neustadt an der Aisch: Verlagsdruckerei Schmidt, 2002, pp. 26–64 (Bergische Forschungen. Sources and researches on Bergische history, art and literature. Vol. 28)
  • Heinz Ollmann-Kösling: The dispute over the succession to Jülich-Kleve (1609–1614). A prelude to the Thirty Years War , Regensburg 1996, theory and research 442; Theory and Research / History 5.
  • Olaf R. Richter: The conversion of Count Palatine Wolfgang Wilhelm to the Catholic faith in Düsseldorf in 1614 . In: Landes- und Reichsgeschichte: Festschrift for Hansgeorg Molitor for his 65th birthday . Publishing house for regional history, Bielefeld 2004, ISBN 3-89534-518-0 , pp. 117-145.
  • Hermann Josef Roggendorf: The policy of the Count Palatine of Neuburg in the Jülich-Klevischen succession dispute . In: Düsseldorfer Jahrbuch , 53, 1968, pp. I – XVIII, 1–211.
  • Hans Goldschmidt: War suffering on the Lower Rhine in 1610 . In: Journal of the Bergisches Geschichtsverein , 45, 1912, pp. 143–155.
  • Wilhelm Cürten: The organization of the Jülich-Klevian state administration from the beginning of the dispute over the succession to the abdication of Margrave Ernst (1609–1613) . In: Contributions to the history of the Lower Rhine. Yearbook of the Düsseldorfer Geschichtsverein , 24, 1912, pp. 206–247.
  • Ernst von Schaumburg : The Jülich-Clevische Succession dispute and the siege of Jülich from July 28 to September 2, 1610 , In: Zeitschrift des Aachener Geschichtsverein , 1, 1879, pp. 286-370, sheet 292 ( Wikimedia Commons )
  • Friedrich Meinecke : The Stralendorff report and the Jülich succession dispute . Dissertation, 1886.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Roggendorf, pp. 79-82
  2. ↑ possedieren . In: Heidelberg Academy of Sciences (Hrsg.): German legal dictionary . tape 10 , issue 7/8 (edited by Heino Speer and others). Hermann Böhlaus successor, Weimar 2000, ISBN 3-7400-0988-8 ( adw.uni-heidelberg.de ). The noun possessing (plural: possessing ) is derived from the verb possedieren , which means to possess .
  3. ↑ Friedrich II .: Memories on the history of the House of Brandenburg , p. 34, digital document in the portal friedrich.uni-trier.de , accessed on January 26, 2013
  4. ^ Josef Breitenbach:  Wolfgang Wilhelm . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 44, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1898, pp. 87-116.
  5. ↑ Eckhard Trox: The exhibition "Prussia - Departure to the West" in Lüdenscheid . In: Heimatpflege in Westfalen , issue 1/2009, p. 1 ff .; lwl.org (PDF)