The death of Gustav Adolph

chapter four by F. Schiller translated by J:M. Rakotolahy

Chapter Four: The death of Gustav Adolph

 

The weak bind of unity through which Gustav Adolph held together the Protestant members of the Empire courageously, was torn apart by his death; either the allies recovered their freedom or they must conclude a new pact. Through the first one, they have lost all the advantages which they have made prevailing with so much blood and exposed themselves to the inevitable danger of becoming prey of their enemy to whom they were, through their union alone, grown mature and superior.

 

Individually, neither Sweden nor any of the imperial authority could undertake to face the League or the Emperor, and in a peace where people sought under such circumstances, would people be forced to receive the orders from an enemy. Union was, hence, the immediately necessary condition to conclude a peace as well as to advance the war. However, a peace demanded in the current situation could not be concluded otherwise than to the disadvantage of the allied powers.

 

The death of Gustav Adolph created new hope with his enemy and no matter how advantageous would also be his situation after the encounter in Lützen, hence, this death was for his most dangerous opponent such a disadvantageous occurrence for the allies and such a fortunate one for the Emperor in order not to justify to him the most glowing expectations and to invite to the continuation of war. The separation among the allies must, at least for the moment, be the inevitable consequence of the same separation and no matter how much the Emperor won, the League won as much in such dissolution of the enemy! No matter how such a great advantage promised him the current turn of events, he could also not really agree for a peace in which he did not win the most and such a peace, the allies would not want to conclude.

 

The most natural conclusion resulted, hence, on the continuation of the war, the same way as union would be recognized as the most indispensable means for that end. However, how to renew this union and where to take the forces necessary for the continuation of war? Not the power of the Swedish kingdom, only the spirit and the personal consideration of his deceased ruler have acquired him the overwhelming influence in Germany and such a great prevalence over the minds and it was only succeeded him after infinite difficulties to tie a weak and unsure bound of Union among the authorities.

 

With him, everything disappeared that was through him only, through his personal characters have been possible and the relationship of the authorities ceased altogether with the hopes on which they have been grounded. Many more among the authorities have rejected impatiently the yoke which they bore not with unwillingness, others rushed to get hold themselves of the commands which they have reluctantly enough seen in the hands of Gustav, but did not have the might to dispute it to him during his lifetime.

 

Others would be led by the Emperor into attempting, through deceiving promises, to abandon the overall alliance; others, would be, exhausted by the pressures of the 14 year war, inclined cowardly towards a peace treaty even if it were a pernicious one. The leaders of the armies, partly German Princes, recognized not any common commander and no one will humiliate himself by receiving the orders from the others. The unity disappeared from the cabinet meetings and on the field, and the common existence was in danger of sinking into chaos through this spirit of separation. Gustav has not left to the Swedish kingdom any male successor, his six year daughter Christina was the natural heiress to his throne.

 

The inevitable weakness of an immature government was not appropriate with the pressure and the resolution which Sweden should be showing in these dubious times. Gustav Adolph’s ambitious spirit have made a place for this weak and infamous state among the powers of Europe which it could not have well affirmed without the luck and the spirit, and from which he could not have stepped down from without the most shameful confession of powerlessness. Even if the German war was mostly fought with German forces, hence, the small allowance which Sweden gave from his own means in money and human resources for that end, was already pressing highly this needy imperial kingdom to the bottom and the farmer bent under the burden which people has coerced to accumulate on it.

 

The warring loot which was made in Germany enriched only individual persons from the nobility and the military authorities, and Sweden itself remained as poor as before. For a long time, in truth, the national glory reconciled the flattered subject with these oppressions, and people could consider as a loan the expenses which people took from them, a loan that produced respectable interests in the lucky hand of Gustav Adolph and would be reimbursed by this grateful monarch after a glorious peace with usury. However, this hope disappeared with the death of the king and the deceived population demanded, now, with fearsome unanimity the relief of its burdens. However, the spirit of Gustav Adolph relied still upon the men to whom he has entrusted the administration of the Kingdom. No matter how terribly have the news of his death surprised them, hence, they did not let down their human courage and the spirit of the old Rome under Brennus and Hannibal enthused this noble group.

 

The higher the price was, with which people has bought the enjoyed advantages, the lesser could people resolve themselves to refute them voluntarily, not in vain people will have paid with the life of a King. The Swedish royal council, pressed to choose between the pressures of a dubious, exhausting war and a useful, but shameful peace, seized courageously the party of danger and honour, and with a pleasant surprise, people saw this honourable senate raise itself again with the whole vigour of a young man. From inside and outside surrounded by watchful enemies and surrounded by dangers on all of its borders, the kingdom took the weapons against all of them with so much intelligence than heroic courage and worked on the enlargement of the kingdom while that having the courage to affirm the existence of the same kingdom.

 

The death of the King and the minority of his daughter Christina awaked anew the old pretences of Poland on the Swedish throne, and King Ladislas, Sigismund’s son, spared not the intermediations to acquire for himself a party in this Kingdom. The regents lost on this ground not any moment to call out the 6-year Queen in Stockholm as ruler and to take care of the administration of her guardianship. All the employees of the Kingdom would be asked to pay homage to the new Princess, to hinder all the epistolary exchange with Poland and the public notices of the preceding King against the heirs of Sigismund would be reinforced through a solemn act. The friendship with the Tsar of Moscow would be renewed with precaution in order to keep through the weapons of this prince the hostile Poland even better in bridle. The zeal of Denmark has been broken with the death of Gustav Adolph and the suspicions which stood in the way of a good relationship between both these two neighbours, were gone.

Author's Note

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