National History Bee & Bowl – High School Division



ACE Camp Notes - The Western Cannon! European Military History, Day 1 Notes: 16th and 17th Centuries Taught by David Madden – Founder and Director, National History Bee and Bowl

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1. Italian Wars (1494-1559)

-Arose from disputes over who would rule Milan and Naples

-Fought in Italy, but sucked in France, Spain, HRE, England, even Scotland)

-Included War of the League of Cambrai (led by the warrior pope, Julius II)

-Battle of Pavia (1525) sees Francis I of France defeated by Spanish at Pavia in Italy

-Suleiman the Magnificent (Ottoman) invades Hungary, wins Battle of Mohacs in 1526

-Wars result in Hapsburg supremacy in Italy, rise of Spain

2. Fourth Ottoman-Venetian War / War of Cyprus

                -Ottomans invade Venetian held Cyprus. Famagusta is the last town to hold out, but falls after a siege.

                -Battle of Lepanto, 1571. Fought in the Gulf of Patras, off Western Greece (Ottomans want to invade Italy)

                -Holy League with Spain, Venice, Papacy, Malta, Genoa, others defeats Ottomans

                -Holy League led by Don John of Austria, Ottomans led by Ali Pasha. Miguel de Cervantes fights & is wounded.

                -End of Ottoman naval supremacy in Mediterranean; along with defeat at Vienna a historical turning point.

-Ottomans able to rebuild fleet, but not confidence or elite bowman corps. Ottomans retain Cyprus; Venice

pays indemnity.

3. Wars of the Reformation

-Peasants’ War (Revolt) (Bauernkrieg in German) 1524-1526 in German lands

-Used by Marx and Engels to develop historical materialism, Engels writes The Peasant War in Germany (1850). Swabian League defeats peasants. Luther opposed to peasants.

-Schmalkaldic War, 1546-1547, Charles I (Catholic) defeats Schmalkaldic League (Lutheran)

-80 Years War, 1568-1648, aka Dutch War of Independence, begins as revolt against Spanish control of the 17 Provinces. William the Silent, or William of Orange leads Dutch, Alexander Farnese (Duke of Parma) and Fernando Alvarez de Toledo (Duke of Alba) lead Spanish.

-French Wars of Religion – Catholics and Huguenots. St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre ordered by Catherine de Medici in 1572. Ends with Edict of Nantes (revoked 1685) and accession of Henri IV of Navarre (who converts to Catholicism to become king with the famous quote “Paris is worth a mass…”) Henri IV later assassinated by Francois Ravaillac (pr. rah-vye-YACK), a Catholic fanatic

-Peace of Augsburg 1555 - Cuius regio, eius religio, (whose kingdom, that dude’s religion); temporary truce in religious wars in Germany; Lutheranism on sound political footing, what about Calvinists?

4. Spanish Armada - 1588

-Catholic Spain under Philip II hates Elizabeth (Protestant) who is supportive of the Dutch (cf. 80 Years War)

-The “Protestant Wind” leads to Spanish ships being destroyed when they sail around Britain and Ireland on their way back to Spain

-Led by the Duke of Medina Sidonia, English led by Francis Drake (whose ship was the Golden Hind)

-Battle of Gravelines, English victory near Strait of Dover. English use fireships and flyboats (small ships)

-Peak of Spanish power; Spain had been raking in wealth from New World (including silver mines in Potosi in Bolivia, and conquest of Aztecs and Incas) in 16th c., but will never be as strong again after Armada.

5. Anglo-Dutch Wars (Four of them, 3 in 17th Century, also 1781-1784)

-Fought for control of seas, trade routes, and colonial possessions

-During one of them in 1667, a Dutch force under Admiral Michiel de Ruyter sailed up the Thames and won the Battle of Medway, the worst British naval defeat in history

-As a result of one of them, New Amsterdam is transferred from Dutch to English and becomes New York

6. English Civil War / Wars of the Three Kingdoms (1640’s)

-Roundheads (Parliament) vs. Cavaliers (pro-Monarchy)

-Battles of Edgehill, Marston Moor, Naseby (most significant), and Langport (final defeat)

-Parliament under Oliver Cromwell wins, King Charles I executed in 1649

-Long Parliament > Pride’s Purge of members hostile to trial > Rump Parliament > Barebone’s Parliament (Praise-God Barebone, a Fifth Monarchy Man (a religious sect that believed the world would end soon)

-Diggers, Seekers, Quakers (founded by George Fox) are other dissenting sects (i.e. against Church of England)

-Cromwell leads the professional & effective New Model Army. Conquers Ireland, successful cavalry commander

7. Thirty Years War (1618-1648)

- Protestant States and Allies (including Sweden, Bohemia, Saxony, Netherlands, German States, and France!) vs. Catholic States and Allies (HRE: Austria, Bavaria, Catholic League; Spain)

-Begins with Second Defenestration of Prague, representatives of Catholic HRE Ferdinand II tossed out the window of Prague Castle) by Protestant Bohemians

-Rise of the Swedish Empire, though Gustavus Adolphus (aka Lion of the North) is killed at Lutzen

-Four stages: Bohemian, Danish, Swedish, French

-Bohemians lose Battle of White Mountain in 1620 to Count Tilly; Battle of Nordlingen sees defeat of Heilbronn Alliance

-Cardinal Richelieu leads France under Louis XIII, makes alliances out of national interest, not religion

-Ended with the Peace of Westphalia, which consists of Treaties of Muenster and Osnabruck (rise of Nation State system)

8. War of Devolution (1667-1668)

-Louis XIV’s French armies overrun Spanish Netherlands (i.e. present-day Belgium)

-War began due to disputed French claims to territory in the Spanish Netherlands and Franche-Comte

-Triple Alliance of Britain, Sweden, and Dutch Republic forces French to withdraw in Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle

-Led to Franco-Dutch war of the 1670’s

9. War of the League of Augsburg (1688-1697) or 9 Years War or War of the Grand Alliance or War of Palatine Succession

-Fought between the Grand Alliance of the Dutch Republic, England, HRE, Spain, etc. and France

-Ends with Treaty of Ryswick, France retains Alsace, but gives back Lorraine

-Louis XIV recognizes William III of Orange as King of England, Scotland, and Ireland

10. Sieges of Vienna

-There were two: 1529 and 1683, each saw the Ottomans try and conquer Vienna

-1529 – Empire of Charles V Hapsburg vs. Suleiman the Magnificent

-1683 – Holy League under Starhemberg and Jan Sobieski of Poland against Kara Mustafa Pasha

-1683 – Fought near the Kahlenberg Mountain, marks the start of the Great Turkish War; largest

cavalry charge in history; legends of the origins of bagels, croissants, and coffee in Vienna

Day 2 - Major 18th European Military Conflicts

1. Williamite War in Ireland (1689-1691)

-part of the Nine Years War, as James is being supported by France

-1690, Battle of the Boyne sees William of Orange defeat the forces of James II (VII of Scotland) in Ireland, this is an important event for Ireland’s history, as Protestants of Ulster commemorate it with marches, Catholic Irish see this as a huge snub

-Battle of Aughrim in 1691 sees final defeat of Irish Jacobites, 14,000 then leave for Europe in the “Flight of the Wild Geese” (not to be confused with the 1607 Flight of the Earls, where the Gaelic Irish chieftains of Ulster and elsewhere are defeated by the English leading to the Plantation of Ulster)

2. Great Northern War (1700-1721)

-Alliance of Denmark-Norway, Saxony, Poland-Lithuania, and Russia declare war on Sweden, Charles XII is young and inexperienced

-Sweden initially successful at Narva (1700) and against Augustus II the Strong of Saxony

-Decisive Battle of Poltava, fought in 1709 in present-day Ukraine, Charles XII of Sweden leaves for the Ottoman Empire

-Marks the end of Sweden as the primary power in Northern Europe, leads to the rise of Russia under Peter the Great

-Treaty of Nystad (1721) between Russia and Sweden marks the primary end, also Treaties of Stockholm (with Hanover in 1719) and Frederiksborg (with Denmark, 1720)

3. War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714)

-Can’t have the thrones of Spain and France united under Philip V of Spain!

-But Philip has claim to throne of Spain as Charles II, the last Spanish Hapsburg monarch dies w/o issue

-Philip is grandson of his half-sister and King Louis XIV of France, so he could end up uniting the thrones

-Austrian Hapsburgs, England, Spanish loyal to Charles VI, Dutch, Prussia, etc. vs. Spain loyal to Philip V, France, and Bavaria

-Prince Eugene of Savoy (earlier fame of the Battle of Zenta in Serbia in 1697 in the Great Turkish War) and John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough win victories at Blenheim, Oudenarde, and Malplaquet

-Treaty of Utrecht, 1713 and Treaty of Rastatt (1714) end war, Philip removed from French succession

-Included Queen Anne’s War in North America, decline of Spanish Florida, England gains territory in Canada,

4. The “15” and the “45” – Jacobite Rebellions

-Jacobites resented the deposing of James II and wanted to return the House of Stuart to the throne

-James Francis Edward Stuart born in 1688 to James II (uh oh, now there’s a Catholic heir…), expelled from France under the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713

-JFES then instigates the “15” uprising in 1715, indecisive Battle of Sheriffmuir, unsuccessful, JFES goes to Rome

-Battle of Culloden in 1746 sees the Duke of Cumberland defeat Charles Edward Stuart, aka the Young Pretender, aka Bonnie Prince Charlie

5. War of Jenkins’ Ear (1739-1748) / War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748)

-War of Jenkins’ Ear, named due to Robert Jenkins exhibiting ear to Parliament in 1731 which had been severed by Spanish coast guards who had boarded his ship. England pressuring Spain not to renege on the asiento contract (permission to sell slaves in Spanish America)

-Britain wins Battle of Porto Bello in Panama in 1739, leading to performance of “Rule Britannia”

-Admiral Edward Vernon ( Mt Vernon is named after him) unsuccessful at Battle of Cartagena in 1741

-Frederick declines to endorse the Pragmatic Sanction, invades and conquers Silesia for Prussia

-King George’s War in North America (1744-1748), indecisive, featured successful siege of Louisbourg on Cape Breton Island, but returned to France at end of war

-Battle of Dettingen, George II becomes the last British monarch to personally lead troops into battle

-Settled by Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, 1748, Prussia keeps Silesia, but Maria Theresa keeps her throne

6. Seven Years’ War (1756-1763)

-Austria and France ally together with Russia and Saxony against Prussia and Great Britain

-Prussia faces tough coalition, but keeps Silesia after defeat at Kunersdorf (1759) in the Treaty of Hubertusburg (1763)

-Known as French and Indian War in N. America, decisive Battle of the Plains of Abraham at Quebec City in 1759. Wolfe (British) and Montcalm (French) are leaders of the two armies who both die in it, cf. The Death of General Wolfe, painting by Benjamin West.

-Corresponds to Third Carnatic War in India, fighting also in Afr., Philippines, C. America; sometimes called 1st Global War

-Treaty of Paris (1763) grants Canada to Britain, lots of colonial possessions get traded back

-Louisiana transferred briefly to Spain, will become French again, then American in 1803

6. European Involvement in the American Revolution

-Spain, France enter war on US side, thanks in part to efforts by Franklin. War costs lead in part to French Revolution

-Armed Neutrality of Russia (Catherine the Great organizes it to protect neutral shipping), Prussia, HRE, Netherlands, Portugal, Ottomans

-Tadeusz Kosciuszko of Poland assists in engineering, Casimir Pulaski dies at Savannah, Baron von Steuben was a Prussian drillmaster who assists with bayonet tactics and was Chief of Staff to Washington, Rochambeau leads French army, de Grasse French navy in Battle of the Chesapeake, Marquis de Lafayette assists at Yorktown

7. Wars of the French Revolution (1792-1802)

-French Revolutionary armies repulse invasion at Valmy, 1792. Monarchy formally abolished next day.

-Mass conscription, levée en masse in 1793, Napoleon aids in Siege of Toulon over Royalists

-France and Austria sign Treaty of Campo Formio (1797), conceding Belgium to France, also Rhineland & Italy, Republic of Venice (finally…) partitioned, ends War of First Coalition

-Battle of the Nile fought by Nelson (fought in Aboukir Bay) in 1798, leads to downfall of the Egyptian expedition (French had won Battle of the Pyramids ten days earlier)

-Hostilities cease (temporarily…) in 1802 with the Treaty of Amiens ending War of 2nd Coalition

8. Haitian Revolution (1791-1804)

-Toussaint Louverture leads successful slave revolt against French control of Haiti

-Charles Emmanuel Leclerc is sent by Napoleon to regain control in 1803, doesn’t work out, this is one of the proximate causes of the Louisiana Purchase

-Haiti becomes second independent country in the New World under leadership of Jean-Jacques Dessalines in 1803

Also: War of the Bavarian Succession = Potato War (fought in 1770s between Austria and Prussia, few casualties)

War in the Vendee – Royalist rebellion in mid 1790’s in Western France, put down with huge casualties

Day 3 Notes: 19th Century European Wars and Conflicts

1. Napoleonic Wars

-War of the Third Coalition, 1805

-Naval battles of Cape Finisterre (indecisive) and Trafalgar off the southern coast of Spain against the combined Franco-Spanish fleets (Nelson crosses the T, defeats Admiral Villeneuve, who is captured, but dies in the battle), quote “England expects that every man will do his duty.” After Trafalgar, no more invasion plans for England.

-ships are HMS Victory (Nelson) and Bucentaure (Villeneuve). Britain targeted under the Continental System whereby European continental lands under Napoleonic domination will not trade with England.

-Napoleon successful on land, however, wins Battles of Ulm and Austerlitz, Treaty of Vienna forces concessions from Austria

-Battles of Jena and Auerstädt (fought on same day) see Prussian army defeated under Friedrich Wilhelm III in 1806 in War of the Fourth Coalition, Napoleon had earlier formed Confederation of the Rhine. Russians defeated at Friedland (1807) leading to Treaty of Tilsit.

-War of 5th Coalition sees fighting in Spain (Peninsular War, 1808-1814), Napoleonic forces ground down by guerrilla tactics, Wellington also successful in shoring up Portuguese-Spanish resistance, 2nd and 3rd of May, 1808

-Napoleon invades Russia in 1812, to keep Russia in the Continental System. Wins Battle of Smolensk, then Borodino (largest Battle of Napoleonic Wars), but is sucked into Russia, Moscow burns, Napoleon cannot provision his troops, they retreat, loses 500,000+ troops in just a few months.

-War of the 6th Coalition (Russia, Prussia, Austria, Sweden, UK) sees Battle of Leipzig (aka Battle of the Nations) in October 1813. Napoleon is outnumbered, loses, retreats towards France, abdicates, heads off to Elba. Restoration of the Bourbon monarchy under Louis XVIII in Treaty of Fontainebleu, Congress of Vienna begins.

-War of the 7th Coalition, 100 days, Napoleon finally defeated at Waterloo by Wellesley (Duke of Wellington) and von Blucher (Prussian) in 1815

2. Crimean War (1853-1856)

-War breaks out over dispute between France and Russia as to who will be the protector of Christians in the holy land, also Russia is sending troops into the Danubian principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia to protect interests of Christians; these are pretexts for territorial ambitions

-Siege of Sevastopol, Florence Nightingale assists

-Charge of the Light Brigade ends disastrously for the British at the Battle of Balaclava

-Cannons captured in the war are boiled down to manufacture the Victoria Cross

-Raglan sleeve, Balaclava, Cardigan

-Treaty of Paris ends the war, Russia’s naval ambitions in Black Sea are thwarted, countries agree to respect territorial integrity of Ottoman Empire, this lasts until Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878, in which the Ottomans are defeated, Bulgaria comes into being with the Treaty of San Stefano, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro are independent under Treaty of Berlin, Bosnia goes to the Austrians; diplomatic alliances are largely set for WW I

3. Wars of Italian Unification

-First War of Italian Independence, 1848, Piedmont declares war on Austria, status quo ante after six months of fighting. Second War (aka Austro-Sardinian War) in 1859 sees Sardinia allied with France, win battles at Magenta and Solferino, Lombardy is given to Sardinia under Cavour.

-Garibaldi (had previously fought in Uruguayan War of Independence and turned down a commission in the Union Army for the US Civil War leads the Red Shirts in 1860 against the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies in the expedition of 1000, up from Sicily. In 1866, Third Independence War breaks out, Austria successful militarily at Custoza, but due to Prussian success in 7 Weeks War (see below), Veneto goes to Italy. Rome finally taken a decade later after Franco-Prussian War in 1870.

4. Seven Weeks War (Austro-Prussian War) - 1866

-Prussians able to make use of effective logistics, including railways, also better economy through Zollverein

-Austrians lose Veneto to Italy

-Decisive engagement at Koniggratz in present-day Bohemia, Prussian victory

-Prussians led by Helmut von Moltke, who had earlier defeated Denmark in the Second Schleswig War

-Moltke is a student of Carl von Clausewitz, who wrote On War –aphorism “War is the continuation of policy by other means.”

-Prussia under Bismarck becomes undisputed leader of the German-speaking world, forms North German Confederation, excluding Austria & South German states, after annexing numerous smaller territories

5. Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871)

-Moltke and Bismarck are at it again…

-Ems Dispatch is redacted press release by Bismarck, who reports on a conversation between Wilhelm I of Prussia and the French ambassador where Wilhelm is vacation at Bad Ems

-Content is that France will not allow a Hohenzollern to take the throne of Spain

-Decisive Battle of Sedan in which Napoleon III is captured and forced to abdicate. Paris is successfully succeeds until it capitulates. This leads to the Paris Commune, and then the Third French Republic. Also to French revanchism (i.e. revenge), a major cause of French involvement in World War I.

-Treaty of Frankfurt sees Alsace and Lorraine become incorporated in the German Empire, German Empire is declared including South German states of Bavaria, Baden , Wuerttemberg which had supported Prussia

6. Opium Wars & Boxer Rebellion

-Britain desires to be able to grow opium in India in order to be able to sell to China

-Results in Hong Kong being given over to the British until 1997, Treaty of Nanking ends first Opium War (1839-1842), Treaty of Tientsin ends second (1856-1860), more trade concessions, foreign missions in Beijing

-Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901) sees multinational coalition, including the USA and Japan, along with most European powers. Empress Dowager Cixi is encouraged by the Righteous Harmony Society to attacks foreign legations. Gaselee and Seymour Expeditions provided foreign reinforcements, 20,000 foreigners suffice to take Beijing, Russians invade into Manchuria. Herbert Hoover caught up in it.

7. Conflicts in Africa

-First Boer War (Boeren Oorlog) 1880-1881, Boers successfully rebel against British rule in Transvaal

-Omdurman, Battle in 1898 when Lord Kitchener defeats forces loyal to The Mahdi (charismatic religious leader) in Sudan, British gain control of Sudan

-Fashoda Incident, also in Sudan in 1898, brought UK and France to the brink of war over control of Africa, but diplomatically resolved with no hostilities, leads to Entente Cordiale

-Anglo-Zulu War, 1879, British win war, Battles of Isandlwana (Zulu victory) and Rorke’s Drift, Cetshwayo is Zulu leader who is decisively defeated at Battle of Ulundi

-Second Boer War, 1899-1902 British successful, but lose international prestige through use of concentration camps and scorched earth tactics, Treaty of Vereeniging, leads to Union of South Africa in 1910

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