Siege of Godesberg

Siege of Godesberg

The Cologne War, 1583–1589, was triggered by the 1582 conversion of the Archbishop-Prince Elector of Cologne, Gebhard, Truchsess of Waldburg, to Calvinism. The Godesburg came under attack from Bavarian forces in November 1583. In 1586, the conflict expanded further, with direct involvement of the Spanish Netherlands for the Catholic side, and tertiary involvement from Henry III of France and Elizabeth I of England on the Protestant side.

About Siege of Godesberg in brief

Summary Siege of GodesbergThe Siege of Godesberg, 18 November – 17 December 1583, was the first major siege of the Cologne War. The Cologne War, 1583–1589, was triggered by the 1582 conversion of the Archbishop-Prince Elector of Cologne, Gebhard, Truchsess of Waldburg, to Calvinism. The Godesburg came under attack from Bavarian forces in November 1583. It resisted a lengthy cannonade by the attacking army; finally, sappers tunneled into the basalt core of the mountain, placed 680 kilograms of powder into the tunnel and blew up a significant part of the fortifications. In 1586, the conflict expanded further, with direct involvement of the Spanish Netherlands for the Catholic side, and tertiary involvement from Henry III of France and Elizabeth I of England on the Protestant side. The dispute had broad implications in the political, social, and dynastic balance of the Holy Roman Empire. It tested the principle of ecclesiastical reservation established in the religious Peace of Augsburg. The 1555 agreement settled religious problems in the Empire with the principle Cuius regio, eius religio: the subjects of a secular prince followed the religion of their sovereign. Instead, the prelate was expected to resign from his post, but he did not so. Instead he was forced to marry a Protestant canoness, Agnes of Mansfeld-Eisleben, who was a canoness at a convent in Gerresheim. In defense of her honor, two of her brothers convinced Geb hard to marry her.

Geb Hard converted to Calvinistism and spread the word throughout the Electorate of Cologne. After 1579, she maintained a lengthy liaison with the Archbishop of Cologne and her brothers, the Rumors of Rumors. The two brothers were responsible for spreading the word of Calvinism throughout the Cologne Electorate. When he refused to relinquish his Electorate, a faction of clerics in the Cologne Cathedral chapter elected another archbishop, Ernst of Bavaria, of the House of Wittelsbach. Within a few months, the local feud between the two parties expanded to include supporters from theelectorate of the Palatinate, and the Duchy of Bavarians on theCatholic side. In the early 13th century, a contest over the election of two competing archbishops took place in Cologne. By the mid-16th century,. the Godesburgh was considered nearly impregnable and had become a symbol of the dual power of the Prince-electors and Archbishops of. Cologne, one of the wealthiest ecclesiastical territories in the HolyRoman Empire. The battle was fought by troops of the competing Archb bishops of Cologne fighting for control of the Electoral Electorate; within a few weeks, Bonn fell to the Bavarians the following month. Italian mercenaries hired with papal gold augmented the Catholic force. The resulting rubble impeded the attackers’ progress and the remaining defenders continued to offer staunch resistance.