When Diplomacy Fails Podcast

PINYL #29: Stanlislaus' Swansong

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Has there ever been a King of Poland quite like Stan? Stanislaus Lechynski had already led a fascinating life by 1734, but what happened after he was forced to bow to the inevitable, and abdicate the Crown? Here we investigate Stanislaus' inheritance of the Duchy of Lorraine, and his refusal to go quietly as the wolves circled the Commonwealth. All he could do was write appeals, but so long as light existed at the end of the tunnel, Poland, to Stan, was not yet lost. Farewell ...

30YearsWar #30: 'Will They, Won't They'

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Stop me if you think you've heard it. Guy travels incognito to a girl in far off land. Confirms girl will marry him. Girl's father agrees to marriage. Girl's father is actually the King of Spain. Incognito guy is actually King Charles I of Britain, before he lost his head. The whole unbelievable scheme was the kind of brainchild of the Prince of Wales, who wanted to force Spain's hand and hurry up the marriage negotiations for Princess Maria. The Spanish Match was King James I...

PINYL #28: Only A Cameo Role

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In late October 1733, France declared war on Austria. Yet that doesn't even tell a fraction of the story of what was really going on Poland in 1733, and why it seemed to matter so much to everyone. The Russian army was on the way, but King Stanislaus was already in place, waiting for a French army that never came. He withdrew to Gdansk, where he was closely observed by the French ambassador to Denmark, who was likely more of a Polish zealot than Stanislaus himself! Might made ...

30YearsWar #29: A King's Prerogative

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The early 1620's were a period of strange diplomatic behaviour for Britain, trapped as it was between the visions of a perpetual peace forged by marriage, and the realities of European political interest. Here we learn of an individual who went through this experience personally, a gentleman and diplomat, Sir Robert Phelips. Phelips began as a keen advocate of the Spanish Marriage, King James' plan to wed his children to Calvinist and Catholic partners for the sake of a glorio...

PINYL #27: Not A Hair On Their Heads!

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East and West Europe collide as Poland's vacancy is filled, and Stanislaus Lechynski arrives in Poland via a secret carriage ride. Directly disobeying the demands of the Austrians and Russians, King Stan was determined to wrest Poland away from the clique of self-interested nobles who had begun to call for Russian protection. With France on Stan's side, it seemed as if his reign would be safe, yet there was already disturbing signs that King Stan's son in law was getting cold ...

30YearsWar #28: The Perfect Villain

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King James of Britain was a complex fellow, and while his son is arguably more infamous, the father had some issues of his own to get through too. Most particularly, in the Spanish Match, the king's quest to balance Europe with a Palatine Protestant marital alliance on one hand and a Spanish Catholic on the other. Had it worked, Europe may have been spared the 30 Years War, and we could be talking about the Great Peacemaker. Unfortunately, this was a fantasy land only the King...

PINYL #26: A Polish Afterthought

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Can't we just leave Poland alone? It would seem not, as summer 1733 progressed, and all eyes focused on that Commonwealth...or did they? The Spanish and French, having settled their differences, presented a fearsome united front to the Habsburgs, but was this Bourbon bloc really only interested in placing Stanislaus on the Polish throne again?In fact each had their eyes on greatest prizes, such as some South Italian duchies for the Queen of Spain's sons, and a pre-emptive stri...

30YearsWar #27: The Ultimate Crossover

What happened when the most intensive, bitter conflict Europe had to offer spilled over into the other conflict between the Holy Roman Emperor and the Elector Palatine? The Spanish and Dutch had fought for many decades, but the latest chapter in their war looked set to change everything, as the two branches of the Habsburg family merged their wars together, with dramatic consequences for all involved. Why did the Dutch feel they had to resume the war? Why did the Spanish believe they had no c...

PINYL #25: The Fickle And The Weak

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Europe was a mess of conflicting loyalties and interests in the early 1730s. The six main powers: Britain, France, Austria, Prussia, Russia and Spain all had their own reasons for sticking resolutely to peace, or hoping for war. Out of the corner of Europe's eye, you could argue, Poland and its vacant crown was beginning to become not just a major issue, but also the spark which threatened to set off conflicts which were decades in the making, and which would converge at Warsa...

30YearsWar #26: The Disunited Provinces

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In today's episode we look at the story of the Dutch in a time of peace and tranquility - or at least, peace - and ask what went wrong. The problem was that the United Provinces were not so united after all, and were in fact beset by divisions on numerous levels. A state which had been forged in war, and which found its identity in war, suddenly had to cope without war, and it was harder than expected. 

Between 1610-19, the Dutch Republic was struck by a new religio...

PINYL #24: The Eagles Have Landed

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How did the three black eagles - Austria, Prussia and Russia - manage to skew the Polish royal election of 1733 their way? How did they come to land on Augustus III, the uninspiring son of Augustus II, after originally deciding on a forgotten Portuguese Prince? The answers are all here, in the latest episode telling Poland's descent towards destruction...

PINYL #23: A Continent In Flux

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In our FINAL EPISODE OF 2020, we continue our fascinating story of how the War of Polish Succession came to be. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and thank POD 2020 is nearly over!

In this episode we explore the late 1720's in more detail, and examine how it was that Britain, France, Spain and Austria came to make new arrangements which, in a roundabout way, reverberated all the way to Warsaw. Expect tales of surprising alliances, ambitious royal candidates and...a Portug...

30YearsWar #25: From Truce To War

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After many episodes examining Frederick's woes, here we change our focus and look at that conflict long in the background - the Spanish Dutch War, which was resuming after twelve years of truce, in 1621. What had the truce done for both parties, and why did the Spanish feel particularly eager to resume war after going all in in Germany already? Could Madrid afford the extra expense? Probably not, but now that they held to the Rhine, the war against the Dutch could be brought t...

PINYL #22: The Balance of Power

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This latest episode is chock full of the diplomacy you love, and researching it was made possible thanks the generous support of my patrons - Go Patrons Go!

Welcome to episode 22! Herein we see why and how Marie Lechynski, a penniless and mostly unremarkable princess, became the Queen of France. We go in great detail on the French royal family, and lookt at the general state of Europe by the mid 1720s. How does this all relate to Poland? Well, because the activities of t...

30YearsWar #24: Woe to the Vanquished

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Welcome to our coverage of the 30 Years War, where we cover the period 1622-23. It was a time of significant defeats and changes, but also of moments of great triump and success for the Holy Roman Emperor.

In the aftermath of his enemy's disaster, Ferdinand was now free to shape Bohemia in his own image, in the process undoing centuries of history and traditions, all in the name of force, and through force alone. The country was effectively recast as a loyal Catholic dep...

PINYL #21: A Hollow Crown

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The 1720s were a grim time for the Commonwealth, as King Augustus had spent as much of his credit as he was going to get, and Poland's enemies seemed to be suffocating her in a supposedly warm embrace. Russia, Prussia, and even the Holy Roman Emperor was keen to get in on the action if possible, but the real trouble came from within Poland itself. A counterargument to the tolerance which Poles had long prided themselves on was underway. 

Just at the worst possible t...

30YearsWar #23: My Poor Palatinate

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In this episode, we examine the years between roughly 1620-22, as Frederick moved into his new home in The Hague, just as the war between Spain and the Dutch was about to resume. Like many others at the time, Frederick believed that the Eighty Years War had the potential to erupt into something more, and he banked that before long, all the wars in Europe would become one war. But this impression - which was also a statement later made by the King of Sweden, interestingly enoug...

PINYL #20: The Silent Sejm

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The Silent Sejm of 1717 occupies us in this episode, as we explain why it's not quite as awful as you might think, and why it didn't lead automatically to the end of Polish independence. In actual fact, it was one of the last gasps of legislative independence, and while imperfect, was very far indeed from the capitulation to Russia it's sometimes depicted as. Tune in to learn all about it, in its proper context, and see why it's still contentious to this day...

30YearsWar #22: Winter Is Here

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In this episode, the Battle of White Mountain shatters Frederick's regime, but how did we get here? Let's roll back the clock a bit....

Frederick’s prospects were fair so long as his allies came to aid him against the Emperor. Yet, once these allies refused to pick up the phones, once his new subjects refused to pony up what was needed for defence, and once the Emperor called in HIS favours with the Spanish and several other electors, it was only a matter of time befor...

PINYL #19: The Closet Absolutist

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In this episode, we have Confederates, unruly Kings and Tsars to contend with, but we're also winding the story back to 1709. My mission here is to understand why the Silent Sejm of 177 happened, and why it was such a big deal. To do that I need to investigate Poland between 1709-1716, so I hope you'll join me! While Sweden and Russia were facing off for their final round, the Commonwealth was welcoming back a troublesome old King, and attempting to repair itself after decades...

30YearsWar #21: Winter Is Coming

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The Winter King had to carry on, and over November 1619- April 1620, he did just that. Frederick embarked on his royal progress, doing his best to persuade those he met that he was legit, and that his regime was here to stay. He had no other choice - Emperor Ferdinand was gathering his allies, and on the Habsburg side of the ledger, the omens were not good for the Elector Palatine. One by one, as 1620 progressed, his allies left his side. 

Frederick was unfortunate ...

[FIXED] PINYL #18: They Call Him "The Great"

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After more than twenty years, the Great Northern War was finally coming to an end. It had sucked in most of Europe at one time or another, but by September 1721, the Tsar of Russia, and sole survivor of the conflict, was able to announce that hostilities had come to an end. The consequences of this act were monumental - everything had changed in the Baltic and in Eastern Europe because of the war's events. Now, Poland, Sweden and Denmark were even weaker than before - little m...

30YearsWar #20: Desperate Measures

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Have some spare time on YouTube? Why not check out friends of the show Kings & Generals? They're even bigger history nerds than me! (well...) 

Last time in our 30 Years War story, Frederick V, a big time German ruler with small time power, accepted the Crown of Bohemia, and Europe seemed to breathe a sigh of shock. Some were shocked of...

PINYL #17: 'The Scales of the North'

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Episode 17: The Scales of the North examines a pivotal but also a forgotten moment in Polish history. Picture the scene - it's early 1720, and all the Commonwealth's nobility have gathered to attend the latest Sejm. On the books to be debated is a relatively simple question: would the Treaty of Vienna be granted their approval? This, as it turns out, was THE most important question Poland had been asked in decades.  

If they said YES, then Poland would attach itself...

30YearsWar #19: Desperate Times

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Almost exactly 401 years to the day since Frederick accepted the Bohemian Crown, we return to our 30 Years War narrative, with episode 19!

In this episode, we reach the long-awaited moment when Frederick decided, after all, to accept the Bohemian Crown. Was it a terrible mistake? In retrospect, YES! However, as I explain in this installment, things were not so black and white in the summer and autumn of 1619. For one, the Habsburgs appeared to be on their last legs, and ...

30YearsWar: Q&A

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Welcome to our Q&A! Herein we answer loads of questions, including...

Who was the best diplomacy player in the conflict? How many in Bohemia actually wanted Freddy as King? What narrative of the war is my fave? What was the story with the Ottoman-Persian wars which kept the Turks so preoccupied during the war? What impact did climate change have on the war? What would have happened if Gustavus Adolphus had lived through Lutzen? What would have happened if Richelieu h...

30YearsWar: Yes, You Will Be Interested!

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Congratulations to the winners of our competition - Chris Borsilli [Facebook] and @DonoghMC [Twitter]. Get in touch with your addresses so I can send a book your way lads!

Check out Kings and Generals, a massive YouTube channel with a brilliant approach, passion for learning and flair for design. See their newest vid on the Ba...