He was elected August 26th, 1619. He was not fortunate in securing the friendship and support of his own subjects. His conduct was so unbecoming his profession that it was no wonder God did not prosper him as a public leader. Frederick V. was son-in-law of James I. of England, and it was hoped by his election to secure the favor of the Protestants of England and Scotland.
The Emperor Ferdinand II. now placed Maximilian of Germany and the ferocious General Tilly at the head of the army of the Catholic League, to attack the city of Prague.
GERMAN EMPIRE, NETHERLANDS AND BELGIUM.
On November 8th, 1620, the armies met at White Mountain, near the city, and the Protestant army, composed of Germans, Hungarians and Bohemians, lacking first of all a good leader, but also lacking unity in action, courage and goodwill, were defeated in less than an hour by the superior numbers of the Imperial army.
Frederick, their king, was dining at leisure at Prague, while his army was being sacrificed. He availed himself of the short armistice of eight hours granted him by the Duke of Bavaria, to make a flight by night, in such haste that even his crown was left behind him.
The battle of White Mountain settled the matter so far as Bohemia was concerned, and Prague surrendered the next day. The Estates did the same homage as had been done by Silesia and Moravia, but the Emperor had another matter to settle with Prague. Tilly, with seven thousand men, principally Spaniards, entered the city. Twenty-seven Protestant chiefs were instantly executed, others were less publicly killed, and many more imprisoned or punished.
All the Protestant churches were confiscated and handed over to the Jesuits, who now came back in full force. The soldiers drove the country people into the mass, so that a baron of Oppersheim gloried in having converted, without a sermon, more people than the Apostle Peter, who through his Pentecostal sermon, had seen three thousand souls converted.
The Emperor, with his own hands, tore up the Letter of Majesty by which the Emperor Rudolph had granted religious liberty to the Bohemians.
Thirty thousand families left Bohemia during the next two years, and Maximilian was made Elector Palatine, in place of Frederick V.