Our story takes place as the war breaks out–in Bohemia (today’s Czech Republic). Bohemia was a kingdom within the Holy Roman Empire (neither Holy, nor Roman, nor an empire). The HRE was a virtually ungovernable hodge-podge of 360 autonomous political entities joined together under an emperor who was elected by an elite group drawn from the 360 “countries.” The Imperial crown was elective, but had gone traditionally to a person from the Hapsburg family. The Hapsburgs were rabidly Catholic, but were forced to abate their usual hatred of Protestants by the checks of the powerful electors. Bohemia’s religious liberties had been guaranteed since 1575.

But in 1618, a scion of the Hapsburg family named Ferdinand became king of Bohemia. Ferdinand had been educated by Jesuits and had little regard for past treaties convinced as he was that Prot must be stamped out. His first act of office was to revoke Protestant liberties in Bohemia. What happened next was the stuff (or stink) of legend.

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