The
Schmalkaldic War (
German Schmalkaldischer Krieg) refers to the short period of violence from 1546 until 1547 between the forces of
Charles V and the
Schmalkaldic League within the domains of the
Holy Roman Empire.
The war began when Maurice, the Duke (and later, Elector) of Albertine Saxony, invaded the lands of his rival and stepbrother in Ernestine Saxony, John Frederick, for political reasons (both rulers were Protestant). As John Frederick was co-founder of the Schmalkaldic League, his allies joined him in a fight against the Catholics, including Charles V, who sided with Maurice.
John Frederick quickly liberated Ernestine Saxony with his army, located in nearby Württemberg at the time. He then occupied Albertine Saxony and Bohemia. Because the Protestants of Bohemia did not provide military assistance, as he had hoped for, the imperial forces of Charles V forced him into retreat. Due to disagreement in strategy, the League's defenses were routed on 24 April 1547, at the Battle of Mühlberg, where John Frederick was taken prisoner.
After the battle, which determined the result of the war, only two cities continued to resist Bremen and Magdeburg. Both cities refused to pay the fines Charles imposed on them and avoided occupation by imperial troops. In the case of Bremen, 12,000 imperial soldiers under the command of Eric II, Duke of Calenberg unsuccessfully laid siege from January until May. This event led to the Battle of Drakenburg on 23 May 1547, as a Protestant army of the Schmalkaldic League was plundering the nearby Duchy of Calenberg. His men and supplies exhausted, Eric and his imperial forces went to confront the army and were quickly defeated. During the fighting, Eric was forced to swim over the Weser River in order to save his own life. As a consequence of the Battle of Drakenburg, the imperial troops left northern Germany.
