The (Staggering) Siege of Mantua 1629 | Thirty Years' War

In 1628 - when central Europe was all aflame in the Thirty Years' War and catholic and protestant forces were busy fighting for power and religious righteousness - in the north Italian town of Mantua, a struggle for succession and inheritance between some minor dukes drew the mightiest powers of Europe into a conflict they all wanted to avoid. A conflict that included besieging an island, heavily fortified and under unintentional quarantine. This was a conflict characterized by political intrigue and complex family entanglements. We disentangled them and present you a simplified, yet comprehensive analysis of the Mantuan War of Succession.
Contemporary historiography tells this intriguing story as follows:
On the 22 of December 1612, peace turned into turmoil in the small Italian Duchy. On this day, Fran-cesco IV of Mantua passed away. His dynasty, house Gonzaga, had ruled in the Duchy of Mantua since the 14th century. House Gonzaga had even managed to extend its rule to Montferrat through clever marriage politics in 1531. But then Francesco Gonzaga turned up his toes without a male heir, he only left a daughter, Maria. His two younger brothers, Ferdinando and Vincenzo had both joined the church and lived in celibacy. They one after another took over the duchy but neither of them secured the male succession.
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Bibliography
Primary Sources:
Report of the Ambassador of Vincenzo Tron in 1564 on the occasion of the succession of Duke Gui-glielmo, in: Segarizzi, Arnaldo (ed.), Relazioni di ambasciatori Veneti al Senato, Bari 1912.
Capilupi, Scipione, Memorie di molte miserie et accidenti occorsi alli stati di Mantova e Monferrato dopo la morte di Vincenzo secondo duca delli sudetti dui stati, in: Raccolta di cronisti e documen-ti storici lombardi inediti vol. 2, Milano 1857.
Literature:
Arnold, T. F., Fortifications and the Military Revolution. The Gonzaga Experience 1530-1630, in: Rog-ers, C. J. (Ed.), The Military Revolution Debate. Readings on the Military Transformation of Early Modern Europe, Boulder / San Francisco / Oxford 1995.
Lynn, J. A., The trace itallienne and the Growth of Armies, in: Rogers, C. J. (Ed.), The Military Revolution Debate. Readings on the Military Transformation of Early Modern Europe, Boulder / San Francisco / Oxford 1995.Parrott, D., Reichsitalien im Dreissigjährigen Krieg. Der Mantuanische Erbfolgekrieg und der Dreis-sigjährige Krieg, in: 1648: Krieg und Frieden in Europa (vol. 1), p. 153-160, München 1998.
Parrott, D., The Mantuan Succession, 1627-31. A Sovereignty Dispute in Early Modern Europe, in: English Historical Review 112 (1997), p. 20-65.
Sterling, R. A., Prelude to Disaster. The Precipitation of the War of the Mantuan Succession, 1627-29, in: Historical Journal 33 (1990), p. 769-85.
#history #siege #sandrhoman

[@SandRhomanHistory]

Recently, our videos have become so time consuming that we can’t keep up with making the same number of videos without them paying parts of our bills. So, we created a Patreon account. If you think our work is valuable, then consider donating a small amount to help us out. Link: www.patreon.com/sandrhomanhistory

[@nameunavailable1330]

SandRhoman History have you thought about also uploading your videos to BitChute?

[@TechnologicZb]

Just signed up.

[@HistoryDose]

The research/editing struggle is real! It's actually even hard for us to stick to our monthly post schedule!

[@rujikin]

I do really enjoy the animations on this channel. They make it stand out from every other channel.

[@bobsbigboy_]

Why tho? Get a job

[@1987MartinT]

Córdoba: "I have a letter from the Emperor saying you have to let me in." Garrison Commander: "Can I see it?" Córdoba: "Curses! You outsmarted me!"

[@sethheristal9561]

This has something of a Jojo feel to me

[@johncasy5212]

Seth Heristal You thought it was from the Emperor, but it was I, DIO!!!

[@ragnarrahl]

A letter from the emperor, to this gentleman, at this time of year, at this time of day, in this part of the empire, localized entirely within your pocket? Yes. May I see it? No.

[@Peristerygr]

Αnd then Cordoba tried to blast his way in.

[@markhenley3097]

''Can I see it?'' ''Uhhh, no.''

[@vortac4995]

god this channel is criminally underrated

[@stardustcrusaderno.7426]

It's still a young channel, that explains the low number of views.

[@clintmoor422]

they re going to blow up soon i think, enjoy the community while it's still small

[@WalterWhiteFootballSharing]

11,000 in the first day which its only 7pm. People with many interests, subs, and only an hour or so to watch a day might take 4-5-7 days to get to a new video. Myself; Between Science, football, all the various eras of military history, we're talking 100 new videos a day, easy. And a backlog of saved playlists....Not underrated; properly rated, but it takes a long time for everyone to see suggested videos that make them click, explore and subscribe.

[@skizzik121]

I put this channel up there with Invictus History Civilus and Kings and Generals. It's just young that's all. It will get the multiple hundreds of thousands of subs like the older ones

[@Sam-xd9xt]

@@skizzik121 I personally place this channel above those. Feel this is more academically orientated. Less sensationalism and information bias than Kings and Generals. With more detailed writing than History Civilus. Though I really enjoy those channels as well.

[@ModernGamesSuck]

As a Spaniard myself, allow me to say that nothing makes us angrier than when someone catches us in a bold-faced lie.

[@angelopueyygarcia43]

Convenido

[@jesusseoane2296]

whizz1der , that’s not a problem, as a Spaniard. , Mexicans and Spaniards are brothers of the same mother,

[@Nich-ib7xv]

@@jesusseoane2296 huh not all Mexicans are mestizos,most of them are pure indigenous

[@jesusseoane2296]

Nich 4774 most?? Not at all! I used to live in Mexico! No they are not ! Most of the population are mestizos , then come indigenous and then white!

[@Veldtian1]

@@jesusseoane2296 That's right, that's why it's a hellhole, the 'Mexica' where the most ruthless Aztec tribe in the Empire, Mexico is named for them,t that's why the place bears little resemblance to Visigoth northern Spain.

[@mr.personhumanson6871]

I can understand bringing a large number of men in order to deliver an important letter safely, but a canon?! that's not suspicious at all

[@BuildingCenter]

Mr. Person Humanson It's their best shot at airmail.

[@DickEnchilada]

It's medieval FedEx

[@midshipman8654]

Aleksa Petrovic this. They only kept firing because the defenders never picked up the parchment taped to each cannon ball.

[@devs.4254]

I absolutely LOVE your style of storytelling with the animated drawings. So much better than shots of a Total War game or simple squares on a map (you have those too, but they're not the primary way of telling the story), and it really helps you picture how the war looked. Such great work, please keep it up!

[@JayzsMr]

The squares are legendary

[@TheSoonToBePurgedJackMeHoff55]

Thanks for letting us know you lack any kind of imagination

[@napoleonibonaparte7198]

Always annex Montferrat in the start

[@hashimbokhamseen7877]

post made by eu4 gang

[@sauronmordor7494]

:)

[@thegrantkennedy]

No, first you have to call the diet, seize crownland, pick your rivals, THEN annex montferrat

[@Gokaes]

I always Annex Ferrara at the start Monteferrat second

[@MasonGreenWeed]

Then coalitions called upon you

[@gabrielvanhauten4169]

Actually a quarantine refernce that makes sense. Thanks for not blowing that up! The neutral swiss ey ;)

[@robbier6389]

Wow, more people probably died in the conflict over Mantua than actually lived there...

[@besacciaesteban]

@David McConville Welcome to the grinder, Buddy.

[@kaloarepo288]

It was during the siege of Casale that cardinal Mazarin(Mazzarino) acting as a diplomat for pope Urban VIII demonstrated his diplomatic skills and preventing a bloodthirsty battle by pretending a truce had been arranged already but it had not thus saving many lives!Subsequently Mazarin entered the service of Richelieu and Louis XIII succeeding Richelieu as chief minister and becoming the de facto ruler of France.

[@TechnologicZb]

I really appreciate the work you do to bring light to this overlooked era.

[@rantymcrant-pants9536]

He said forgetting many a popular story is set in exactly this era.

[@zamirroa]

That is because anglo world ignored this period

[@samiamrg7]

Broke: Mexican Standoff Woke: Italian Stalemate

[@trajanic3623]

In my humble opinion, out of all the "military history" channels on KZbin, this stands out as probably the best. The content is informative and relevant and is detailed. I welcome too, the effort of listing the Bibliography for each episode, although I note not always listing all the sources used. I would like to see more content from @sandrhoman_history albeit same quality but if it takes longer to publish then so be it. I prefer quality over quantity any day.

[@paulredinger5830]

You’re kidding? It’s about the siege of Mantua, and we’re half way through the video. So far nothing about the siege yet. All the junk about why is irrelevant to the actual siege itself.

[@ryneboy3845]

@@paulredinger5830 a siege is only as important as the reason for the siege. Honestly why care for history if you don’t want to know the real details?

[@mariushunger8755]

Amazing comprehension of two very intriguing sieges! Love that

[@Harrassmus]

The last time I was this early, central Europe was all aflame in the thirty-years war

[@clintmoor422]

u one of them funny one aren't u

[@nestorvaccaro5047]

This story Is also reported in a very important Italian book "I promessi sposi" of the Italian writer Alessandro Manzoni

[@raptorjesues1445]

dont remember me...

[@nestorvaccaro5047]

@@raptorjesues1445 why? Don't you like it?

[@ShahjahanMasood]

The Italian Wars are extremely interesting. It was a literal battleground.

[@Apokalypse456]

thats the case with 99.9% of wars in history. they had battles. on the ground.

[@ChevyChase301]

@@Apokalypse456 much of Portugal, Spain, France, and Sweden would not have seen war in centuries at this point.

[@marru6977]

Hey, I'm italian and from Mantua, and let me tell you, the Minchio River at 10:15 (only italians can understand) really got me there 🤣🤣🤣🤣. Great video btw👍👍

[@ArtilleryAffictionado1648]

Just read about this yesterday!! in a book called Thirty Year's War: Europe's tragedy. It's a heavy book and without previous knowlege of a shitload of stuff a regular person just won't get it. But it's a joy for me and seeing this particular chapter in a video explained with pictures is so damn cool. Altho i think you underplayed Charles II and his prank of epic proportions of taking the city without anyone's authority and self proclaiming himself duke of Mantua. He was a nobody in France and just went on to pull this stunt. Thank you again, love your work!!

[@jonahpool3610]

Your analysis of sieges is so well done. I am enthralled. Thank you!

[@oliverc.2385]

I stumbled upon your channel today. As a student of history, I applaud your narrative skills, visual representation and historical accuracy! This channel is very underrated imo and deserves a lot more praise and subs! You've gained yourself a subscriber. Keep it up! You should be very proud of the content you've created so far! Much love from Flanders, Belgium!

[@5th_decile]

I want to congratulate this channel with its interesting content. Also, bringing renaissance-style paintings in motion is truly an artistic untapped market and your channel does a marvelous pioneering job into opening this up!

[@noemiekramer7699]

I love the sound design of this one! The music really underlines those arcs of suspense!

[@stephanrichard7006]

Best video yet! Keep up the great work

[@colwem]

You say “the city was already well prepared for a siege...” and list all these little things done to improve the fortifications but just completely ignore the most incredible piece of defensive engineering of diverting a river so that it practically engulfs your city creating the mother of all moats! It’s like an inland Venice! Holy shit!

[@salocin9695]

Your videos are awesome and very well made! Thanks!

[@istvansipos9940]

04:09 after some videos and all the battle experience from them, you, sir, have a tough as nail veteran badass, just firing from the hip. I loved that. And the video, obviously.

[@orimoreau3138]

damn, this channel seems to be an absolute gold mine for entry level history nerds like myself, thanks to Paradox and EUIV I got Interested in the history outside ww2 and thanks to this channel I will actually absorb some fascinating, real events that happened, smooth voice and cute little animations included, and all for free. Internet can be kind of cool sometimes subbed, cheers

[@andreattafabio]

interesting topic.. vids are getting better with every upload.. fantastic work brother!

[@Chrononauts]

New Video at last! Great Job Guys!

[@brainyskeletonofdoom7824]

You are nailing almost all of the pronunciations! Well done!

[@stanleysmith7551]

It's nice to see detailed videos on lesser known conflicts. Some ideas for the future: the Cleves succession, Brandenburg/Prussia's Rhineland territories. French annexation of Lorraine/Lothringen, the Saxon-Polish personal union in the 18# century...

[@felipedasilva8722]

*I live in Mantua, called Mantova now, amazing city* 🇮🇹

[@clintmoor422]

those bois were fancy AF back then.

[@stevencooper4422]

Cavalier

[@leiferikkson2616]

whizz1der Lmfao 😂😂

[@justme6094]

@whizz1der y are u geh?

[@justme6094]

@whizz1der u thicc?

[@justme6094]

@whizz1der who sehs am geh?

[@philRminiatures]

Once again, superb illustration efforts, whether in the animations or in the family tree, useful to follow the complicated game of alliances and magnificently done...😍😍😍

[@SandRhomanHistory]

Once more: thank you for the kind comment. I'm super happy the content is well received!

[@washubrain]

Great video! I'd say the history of the North Italian Dukedoms is fascinating and underrated.

[@antonvernooy6186]

Just found this channel I really like your style and the unknown battles and people.

[@alexhatfield4448]

These videos are so good it's alarming.

[@benjiunofficial]

Garrison Commander: "If you were sent here by the Emperor, where's your letter?" Córdoba: "Letter? We don't need no letter. I don't have to show you any stinkin' letter!"

[@heinswanepoel651]

Absolute banger as always

[@cesareborgia6431]

I love these videos about little known battles/wars/sieges

[@crazzywasp]

Those "...entered the stage" animations were amazing!

[@jagpack18]

New favorite channel

[@DolanOk]

Love your videos!

[@joetanaka6446]

Excellent story well produced 🎬📽🎙

[@Blazetoamaze]

This is great, extremely clear

[@jameskelman9856]

Well done ! Thanks !

[@seanmcmullen4274]

i love the animations in your videos

[@shawnbeckett1370]

Awesome as always

[@TheSharadwaador]

Love this channel

[@gabem3251]

Looking at the defenses of Mantua in the 17th century makes me respect Napoleon’s siege of it even more.

[@hamarbiljungskile8953]

Well Crusader Kings it is for today.

[@Dayvit78]

It's such a Crusader Kings' situation, but it's an EUIV timeline.

[@alblaka8852]

Hah, I just linked this video in our Discord that plays CKII and EUIV, because this story perfectly encapsulates how warfare (and diplomacy) worked back then.

[@napolien1310]

8:28 The swag of the guy who hold a spear with one hand behind

[@invinciblemindset6609]

Your research is so accurate because you realy on actual facts and historian.

[@LykanosAquilae]

Thanks for this video on the story of my city 💪🏻

[@SarudeDanstorm]

What is the music you used in the end - fading into The Hapsburg Catastrophe? Great video by the way, I have a personal love for history, and this is the one era of warfare in history I have never gotten to know much about.

[@raffarafano]

Wow, finally someone speaking about my hometown and its history!

[@robertofrascari3048]

Great Job

[@2ears1mouth786]

Fascinating!!! God, these people lived different lives. Some of this is straight out of the D'Artagnan books, when they went to battle. Same era. Wow.

[@Jack1rules]

A few centuries later and it’s no longer an island

[@matthewconradi1840]

Yeah I was wondering about that, turns out that was partly artificial from redirecting rivers, so they later decided to reverse that to get some more space

[@Markfr0mCanada]

I have to admit, I lose track of who is who in these descriptions. I think some sort of visual reference would be useful. Even just a stack of flags or portraits on either side of the screen depicting who is on which side.

[@mynamejeb8743]

imagine being a real estate agent at this era. "as you can see this is a fertile piece of land, you can grow crops, turn it into pastures and its currently below the market price, since the Spanish and French Crown has claim on it, so should we proceed?"

[@cortexavery1324]

I love how in every videos, when they repair, they're not hammering nails but screws...

[@Lodov]

Cool, Fénis Castle. i visited it last year

[@oliviermosimann6931]

Yeah, the title deserves the word 'staggering'. I was unaware of this siege. It is now on my personal 'epic list'.

[@brianoneil9662]

Ah yes. Grapeshot. The Germans discovered how unlovely that fruit tastes.

[@matteoaievola8643]

This happened to in the American Civil War in a important battle where the union turned two cannons into shotguns and dessimated the troops of the confederacy

[@Nyx_2142]

@@matteoaievola8643 It has happened in just about every conflict including cannons in close range.

[@gasmonkey1000]

Have you done other videos featuring Ambrogio Spinola?

[@oldsongsnew8797]

There's the substantial ruins of a bridge/damn in Villaggio Sul Mincio ,I believe was built to deprive Mantua of water....not sure if it was involved during this siege or something else...still fascinating history around this area of Veneto

[@pekoro70]

Mincio river! (Mincho): Minkio sounds like Dick river in Italian. Also, treaty of Kerasco. CH is always like architecture in Italian

[@SandRhomanHistory]

thanks. My Italian classes were back in middle school (only 1 year), I guess I forgot everything.

[@j27340]

@sandrhomanhistory ... does your map of Spain include Portugal?

[@ardalla535]

Seemed interesting to me that Venice did not get involved in this conflict. It would seem natural for Venice to want to absorb the Duchy, but, apparently, they had no interest. Venice was not even in a war with the Ottomans at this time, so who knows? A search revealed nothing.

[@CCCW]

how does this channel have only 71k subs??

[@MemeMand1996]

If you're Italian and had to lough when you heard 'minchio' river like this comment :')

[@arx3516]

it's a dangerous river, it is inhabited by the ferocious padulo fish!

[@carta8399]

@@arx3516 Ah the dangerous padulo, he will always do bad things to anyone passing by

[@bypyros1933]

Now I want to see a video about the Miracle of Empel, the siege of Amberes or the siege of Breda.

[@invinciblemindset6609]

Could you make about medieval bathhouse?

[@CeBagutte]

anyone else bingeing these episodes?

[@donkdump8807]

That Mantuan fortress looks insane

[@lukeaspa5664]

Why do with have the history channel, THIS IS THE REAL HISTORY CHANNEL!

[@SB-129]

-5:54 -"Is there someone else up there we can talk to?" -"No, now go away or I will taunt you with basic scrutiny a second time..."

[@gudea5207]

The walking animation makes sense with normal soldiers but it’s so creepy with the noblemen.

[@pierreardisson7551]

0:13 is that the castle of Fénis?

[@pandookrb]

Where have I heard this music before?

[@giacomo2661]

couldnt help myself from laughing when heard "minchio river" which sounds a little bit like "dick river". try with "mincho" where cho sound is the same as in chobany

[@marcusaurelius830]

Umberto Eco's The island of the day before is why i am here.He tells much about the Siege of Casale in this book.

[@uncle1839]

Song at 10:24 ?

[@artcz8109]

Please do about the Swedish Military Reforms

[@JamesAce]

Ive been wanting to ask this for some time now but i never did : there is a battle that has been fought between spain and the dutch around " Hardenberg some 40ish years priror to when this video is so i think its a good tie in. Where the spanish slaughtered some 1500 dutch soldiers and lost less then 100 ive been very intruiged by that story since my child hood. I recon its to small a battle to put the efford into a video but maybe you can do something with the information. As there is little information given about the whole ordeal in the sources i have read. Love your videos mate .have a happy easter

[@Aranubis]

members.home.nl/m.tettero/Watergeuzen/Hardenberg.htm

[@charlesthepaperman]

History at its finest.

[@samih5130]

Your future looks bright

[@MagnaMater2]

Oh, thank you, I wondered how the french Nevers were exactly connected with italian Mantua, now I know.

[@JanHans]

is there a video in swiss german as well?

[@SandRhomanHistory]

There is one with swiss german subtitles, our most archaic bernese swiss german that is. It's the one about swiss mercenaries. There's also a snippet of a swiss german song in that vid.

[@ModernGamesSuck]

See KZbin, this is actual quality content! Not ASMR nonsense....

[@nameunavailable1330]

John Syzlack ...or corporate and celebrity shilling

[@clintmoor422]

yeah ... all that crap that clusters your inbox when you once look at something posted on reddit... just annoying.

[@abbba2007]

Just add either quarantine or plague into the title. The video is great, I'm really sad how little views it received.

[@me_caveman2540]

I love the plague icon they just look like their partying.

[@codynasty7511]

Just a small historical correction, Spain actually did want to involve itself in the war because it’s de facto leader, the Count Duke of Olivares, believed that annexing the disputed lands would open up “The Spanish Road” which would be a route for easier reinforcement to his soldiers in the Netherlands from Italy. So Spain’s involvement was an aggressive policy on the part of its leader. (Source: The Count Duke of Olivares: Statesman in the Age of Decline, Jon Elliot) Spinola actually argued against this policy vehemently, citing the Dutch War, but Olivares won the debate.

[@Uncle-Smart-Alec]

Those poor soldiers on both sides fighting and dying for which family member would triumph.

[@hashimbokhamseen7877]

lovely

[@tigrecito48]

I think I remember watching an old movie called Louis & the Huguenots it has skeletons & a cyclops...

[@Fieramosca492]

Italian Fortresses are always a spectacle to see!!

[@karolykiszely300]

STAGGERING STAGGERING STAGGERING!